Legendary Californian pop-punk group Diesel Boy recently released Bismarck and Dirty Dishes, two brand-new singles that announce Get’s Old, their upcoming full-length album due for release on July 28 via SBÄM Records. I spoke with Dave about their new record, plans for the future, influences, touring, and other fun stuff. Enjoy.
Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. How have you been?
Dave: Good! I just turned 50. That was a motherfucker. But it’s exciting to have some new music coming out and to be doing band stuff again.
It’s been a while since I heard anything about you guys. What led to the decision to disband the band twenty years ago?
Dave: It was never really a decision or something we decided as a group. Towards the end of our run, I took a job at a music startup which eventually got acquired by Microsoft. I relocated from California to Seattle and stayed with the company, which was one of the reasons things slowed down for us. Other members were having personal struggles and I think touring in general was just getting to be less fun. It also felt like we’d surpassed everything we’d ever set out to do as a band, so I felt satisfied with everything we’d accomplished. I do wish there had been better communication amongst us about what we all wanted or how we should proceed because there was some tension for a few years afterwards. It’s all good these days though.
In your opinion, how has the punk rock scene evolved since you first started playing music?
Dave: It was way more underground when we started. If you wanted to discover new bands in the ‘90s, you had to read MaximumRocknroll or Flipside. You could send a letter and a few bucks to a band and they would send you back their demo or a single. You could book tours that way too – trade shows with a band in another city. There were also compilation CDs that labels sold for a few bucks, which could turn you on to bands you maybe hadn’t heard before. “Survival of the Fattest” was huge for us. “Titty Twister” is about as close to a hit as you can have in punk rock. These days, none of that exists anymore. Everyone can connect via social media and the music streaming services have algorithms to surface new bands they think you’ll like.
On the flipside, where there used to just be the Warped Tour, there are now dozens of festivals across the world that cater to punk fans. There are even cruises geared towards punks!
You recently released a brand-new track called Bismarck. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your new song?
Dave: It’s a collection of memories about moving to Seattle twenty years ago and being in this new, beautiful city that was very inspiring to me. It was a big life change. Not only did I relocate to a place where I didn’t know anyone, but I was also starting a new career in the tech world. It was all very exciting.
Can you also reveal who is the guest on your new single and how that collab happened?
Dave: Kim Warnick of The Fastbacks sings on the track. The Fastbacks were one of the earliest Seattle punk bands, and they played together for decades. Kim guesting on the song was suggested by Matt Bayles, who produced the album. In the song, the lyrics talk about a postcard I got in the mail from a woman I was crushing on. Matt had the idea that we could have a woman singing those lines. When he suggested Kim, it was the perfect suggestion. She’s not only a punk rock lifer, but her band is synonymous with Seattle. It seemed to complete the circle of what the song was about.
“Gets Old” drops on July 28 via SBAM Records. Can you discuss the theme or message behind the new album?
Dave: Well it’s not a concept album so there’s no singular theme. It’s a collection of songs spanning the past ten years or so. Some were written many years ago with others written over the pandemic. The album opener is called “Lost Decade” and talks about what we’ve been up while we’ve been away. There’s a song about a sad black metal fan. There’s a song about music festival culture. There’s a song about a girl who likes technology more than her boyfriend. And the album closer is about Jim Cherry and Tony Sly, two band friends who died way too young.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Dave: Wherever I can find it! It’s much harder these days to find topics to write about. In my younger days, I was always longing for some girl or had just had my heart broken by one – so I went back to those topics frequently. Those things don’t really plague me much anymore, so I have to look elsewhere. I try to keep a list of ideas on my phone. Lyrics are usually the last thing to come together on a song and it can definitely be challenging to find inspiration.
Can you describe the creative dynamic among band members when working on new music?
Dave: For “Gets Old,” all of the songs started as demos. Once I have a song mostly done, I’ll record it and send it around. From there, folks can either add in their own parts, or at least have a framework to draw from. This process allows us all to be on the same page when we finally get into the basement to start playing through a song. In the old days, I would bring in the skeleton of a song and we would essentially work it out in real time. There was much more time spent learning it initially rather than being creative. The one piece that’s usually not fleshed out as much on the demos is the arrangement. All the parts are there but not always the dynamics or how a song will start or end. Also, experimentation is encouraged. If someone has an idea, we will try it. We try to leave egos at the door and be open to anything from anyone. The end goal is always to serve the songs as best as we can.
What your fans might expect from a new album?
Dave: We didn’t want to stray too far from what our fans would expect, but hopefully there’s a bit of an evolution to be heard as well. Some of these songs weren’t written for Diesel Boy specifically, so in some cases, we had to arrange them so they would make sense. Song-wise, there are some humorous ones, which I think people expect, but some more emotional stuff too. There are a bunch that have lots of pop culture references, which is a thing that I think we’re known for.
Considering that you were among the pop-punk pioneers in the early nineties, who were some of your musical influences back then?
Dave: Ha! It’s nice of you to call us pioneers, though I’m not sure that’s accurate! My earliest musical influences were my parents’ record collection, which was ‘60s and ‘70s rock and folk like The Beatles, Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel. When I was a bit older, I started listening to the radio and got into 1980s pop music like Duran Duran, Men at Work, and The Police. I would record my favorite songs onto cassettes and create my own mixtapes. In my teenage years, I became obsessed with all things metal, from hair metal stuff like Motley Crue and Cinderella to heavier bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Metallica. Then in college, I got turned on to Bad Religion, early Green Day, and the Descendents, so all that is mashed up together as the foundation.
What do Diesel Boy members listen to today? Are there any bands you’re really into? Any recommendations?
Dave: I don’t listen to a ton of punk records these days, though I’ll always check out new records from the Bouncing Souls or Strung Out or the bands from our era. The new Frenzal Rhomb is fantastic! My tastes skew more towards indie rock, Americana, singer-songwriter, ambient electronic music these days. I also find myself going deeper into the catalogs of artists I knew a bit but not deeply, like Leonard Cohen or Miles Davis or Thin Lizzy. Some current acts whose music I really like include Phoebe Bridgers, Jason Isbell, Big Thief, The National, Martha, Death Cab for Cutie, The Beths, Olafur Arnalds. I’ve got music playing all day while I’m working, usually one of the stations on SiriusXM.
Are there any plans for a possible European tour? (If yes, please share the details)
Dave: Yes, we’re coming in August! It’s a short tour but it’ll be our first time to Europe in over 20 years! We’re doing Brakrock, Punk Rock Holiday and Tells Bells festivals and then filling in the rest with headlining club shows. There’s also one show supporting Good Riddance. Complete dates are available on our website.
Any other plans besides touring and promoting your new album?
Dave: There are two songs that we recorded during the “Gets Old” sessions which aren’t on the record that we’ll release as a seven-inch at some point. We’re also playing two shows in the US before we got to Europe, one in Portland and one in Seattle. After that, the plan is do festivals and weekend runs as often as we can! But mostly we’re just glad be back, even if it won’t ever be full-time again.
Thoughts Words Action 