Game Day Regulars
Chris of Gunner’s Daughter sits down with Will of Gameday Regulars
We were asked to interview Gameday Regulars when they came to Chicago while they were out on tour with Nightmares For a Week. Seeing as how I go back a few years with some of the members of Gameday Regulars, this was more of a hang sesh than an interview. We drank heavily, found a secluded corner, and tried to conduct a formal interview. What that turned into was a great catch up between some old friends. We babbled a lot, got off topic quite a bit, and reminisced more than we should have. As I mentioned, we were drinking heavily all day. This is what became of our conversation.
So starting out, I was a fan of your stuff when Danny DelPrincipe of Merch World Fame, played it for me on the Silverstein bus a few years back. From the first chord that was struck, I thought, “wow these guys are good!” The sound was akin to bands that I grew up loving and it really made me excited that there was a band out there doing it, and doing it right. You stuck out amongst a few other bands in the genre because I noticed that the writing was so damn strong. There were meaningful transitions and everything just seemed to flow smoothly. There was an extra edge that was definitely noticeable. What influences in that era, and even now do you have that makes you approach writing music the way you do?
I was in this band in CT, but I wasn’t really into the project that much. It wasn’t very fulfilling. My brother was in the band, and he now plays drums with us, so that was cool to be playing with him, but everything was sort of going 10 different ways and it lacked focus. Eventually that band came to a grinding halt. Once that happened, I just started writing those first Backseat songs and everything just happened, naturally, and organically. It all just spilled out of me.
I hate to have to ask the most cliché question, but I’m sure that some readers out there are curious, what are some of those influences that help mold the sound that you guys play now?
We’re big fans of Jawbreaker, Hot Water Music, The Descendents and even some alt country stuff.
Do you ever find direct comparisons to you guys that can be inaccurate, or do you embrace the more direct obvious comparisons? I think you know what I am getting at here.
We definitely embrace it. I guess there is nothing wrong with ripping off some of our favorite bands and having someone take notice. (Laughter ensues from all sides of the table)
Besides a punk rock band, are there any underlying influences that we wouldn’t expect? Is there an outside influence? Maybe like Soul Asylum or something?
I guess you could say that we are really big fans of The Replacements/all bands that come from Minnesota.
So you’re into The Hold Steady?
Exactly, The Hold Steady and Husker Du, I’m a huge Bob Mould fan.
A little shinfo for you, my upstairs neighbor plays in Husker Du cover band called Husker Dudes, they’re pretty awesome.
Really that’s rad. I’m a huge Sugar fan
That’s my favorite era of Bob Mould’s song writing, The Sugar days.
I never heard of Sugar until Face To Face did a cover. I went and bought all the Sugar records after that.
Speaking of Face To Face, you guys played “Disconnected” tonight! I loved that cover because it’s relevant to when I was growing up and getting into bands. It takes me back to those days every time I hear it.
Thanks for singing it with me!
Hey, anytime you play Face To Face, and I’m in the room, I’m going to be singing along to it.
The funny thing is, we played it a few nights on this tour, and I was playing guitar and singing. One night Bill from Nightmares For A Week was like hey, that was the first song that I learned how to play on guitar and I was like that was the first song that I learned how to play on guitar! It was awesome, so we decided from that night on, he’s playing it with us.
Okay I guess we should move on, although I could talk about Face To Face all night. So here’s an off the cuff question, when I was younger, music was sort of forced on me by a relative. They had good intentions and I get what they were trying to do. I mean I wanted to play, I just never wanted to put the time in, I just wanted to shred like Sambora. I quit guitar because it wasn’t fun. I later found it again on my own, thankfully! Anything like that ever happen to you at all when you were growing up?
Similar situation to you, I really wanted to play Saxophone when I was younger, but my Mom wouldn’t buy me one. She bought my brother one… I’m not bitter or anything. (Collective laughter)
Wait a minute, why did Gino get a sax and you didn’t? Now he plays drums? WTF?
He had like three of them.
Did you steal one from him ever? You’re still bitter, I can tell.
I’m a little salty, still a little salty. So Mom didn’t get me the sax, she bought me a classical guitar instead.
Ouch, nylon strings and all.
I took some lessons when I was 12, I sucked, so I quit. So then I went to high school. I was really into music at the time and started hanging with these metal kids. I later realized I hated metal because I couldn’t play it. So after the metal kids, along came the kids that were listening to Green Day, which turned into Screeching Weasel, which turned into Jawbreaker etc… etc. I realized If could form one chord, a power chord, that I can play a similar type of music, and it all just took off from there.
That’s kind of the most amazing progression ever, because now from one gateway band such as Green Day, your whole universe is opened up to all this amazing music.
Yeah and bands like the Offspring and Pennywise, too. Here’s Pennywise this really tight sounding punk band and here I am with a $200.00 amp wishing my guitar would sound like that.
Yeah, I’m pretty sure that we’ve all been down that road. It might have been a $1000 Peavey combo for me. That’s quality tone there, just saying. So did you go the punk rock road first, was there any hardcore mixed in there? For me, I grew up in a predominant hardcore town. I got into HC first and then punk rock much later.
Not really. I listened to Minor Threat. My mom knew that I was into them. So she bought me a CD.
Gunner's Daughter
YOUR MOM BOUGHT YOU A MINOR THREAT RECORD?! Most other moms were trying to take their kids away! That was pretty cool of her!
Yeah, she supported it and saw that I was really into it. And then that led into stuff like H20 and The Bouncing Souls.
I still try to incorporate guitar parts like Pete writes from The Bouncing Souls. In my opinion, he has one of the best ears for melody. He kind of has to, being a single guitar player. I feel that when he writes, he’s always writing for both parts. I almost think that he probably has a melody before a rhythm in most cases.
I was looking on twitter a few months ago and one of my friends tweeted I am listening to The Bouncing Souls right now, and this is the most feel good music of all time. I responded with, I put on The Bouncing Souls and it makes me want to go to the beach.
So, is there a favorite Gameday song that you play, one that still sticks out amongst the rest?
Yeah, we’ve been playing this new song called “Kids of the Cove” Kenny put together the chords, and I was like this is cool, I never write in this key, but I don’t know, it all just kind of worked out. So right now, we’re feeling that one big time.
So you guys just signed on with Mightier Than The Sword, how’d that come about and how’s that going so far?
When we were still called Backseat Gentlemen, we played a show on the Lower East Side in NY. It was right at the end of SXSW and this dude just came out of nowhere at the show and said that he has a label and he just got off a plane to come see us. It was RJ. Later on, we met him out, had some beers, and we all agreed that we would work together. Backseat broke up and nothing ever became of that. Fast forward to the present day. We reworked the line up, and agreed that we want to do this again. Our manager knows RJ and gave him a shout letting him know that we were around and active again. I guess we just kind of picked up from where we left off with things before. We couldn’t be any more happier with a hometown indie label. They get us, and they really help us out in anyway that they can. It makes it really easy to get things done. They take care of us really well and that’s all you can ask for.
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