Based between Los Angeles and Seattle, the power-punk duo Mr. Dinkles has been making some serious noise in the underground scene with their sharp commentary and infectious energy. Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Mac Rettig and drummer Rocco Ramos, the band effortlessly channels punk rock and garage into a catchy, memorable, powerful sound.
Their latest single, “Socialism Ditty” is a sarcastic attack on extreme wealth and billionaire culture, serving as the perfect preview for their upcoming EP, R.I.P.T. We caught up with Mac Rettig to dive deep into the songwriting and composition behind the new track, the evolution of their distinct dual-force sound, and how they navigate the contradictions of modern life through raw, unadulterated punk rock.
Hi, thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. How have you been?
Super busy and swamped with work and writing new music.
“Socialism Ditty” captures a very specific, restless anxiety. When you were writing the lyrics, did the song stem from a specific personal moment of burnout, or was it a gradual buildup of just feeling stuck in the modern daily grind?
I think I was just playing with lyricism and an energy that cuts to the point, the personal input always comes unconsciously or unintentionally.
You use a lot of sharp sarcasm and deadpan wit in your lyrics. Why do you feel that writing with a sense of irony is the best way for you to process heavy, stressful real-world frustrations?
I think that’s just how I know how to write songs, i wanted to be abrupt with how I was saying it, because it felt like this subject was getting debated to a point of unfairness, and creating strait forward belligerence was a way to wake people up.
The new single balances biting, outward commentary with moments of genuine vulnerability. Is it difficult to find space for that emotional openness when the instrumentation around it is so loud and aggressive?
I always write my songs acoustic at first – figuring out the lyrics, then translating it into electric guitar can create a different vibe, causing me to sing it or scream it differently.
Mr. Dinkles operates as a duo split between Los Angeles and Seattle. How does that bi-coastal dynamic shape your songwriting? Do these songs start as bedroom voice memos passed back and forth, or do they only take shape when you finally get in the same room?
I usually need to write by myself, if I bring the song into studio and pass around ideas, I have to take what we talked about and figure it out by myself again, otherwise I’m too focused on making the other person comfortable, nothing personal at all. I’d just rather get vulnerable by myself and bring back the song in a finished piece, tweaking it from there.
As a two-piece, you create a massive wall of sound with just guitar and drums. How do you approach composing to ensure the music feels chaotic and full without relying on extra studio layers?
I have three pedals; big muff, Dunes Pedal, and a Pog. Otherwise known as gain, more gain, and bass. My harmony guitar is a hollow body with mustache pickups, causing it to sound like absolute thunder when plugged into gain – partly because it wasn’t made for that genre, causing it to crack and scream unexpectedly, which I’ve learned to maneuver and control into our sound as time goes on. Rocco is an incredibly talented drummer and understands my vision of the songs. Whether we are going heavy or more catchy, he’ll always add fun, drum lines and background vocals, right where we need them. I also like the feeling that we’re almost competing when we’re on stage, since there’s only two of us up there, we have to really bring it.
Your sound is described as having an “unexpected melodic core” beneath all the noise. How do you know when you’ve hit the right balance between a catchy hook and raw, unpolished punk grit?
It honestly depends, I struggled with my writing for a long time because of other people‘s opinions on how I should write and compose my songs. I started out as a folk musician, punk came later. I always found myself starting out with melodic tunes, and then gradually turning it into more screaming, it honestly depends on what I’m trying to get across with each song.
Your five-song EP R.I.P.T. drops on June 5. What does the title mean to you, and how does it tie together the themes of these five tracks?
The title RIPT I came up with my sister. When we were in the process of writing the album, I separated from my drummer of six years prior who started the project with me. I was also working with new management with bigger names under their belt and started focusing on music more heavily as a career rather than just for fun. I had no idea what to expect and it felt like I was jumping into a rabbit hole. After recruiting Rocco and playing our hearts out for eight months, I felt like the project was stronger than it’s ever been. I started writing with more intention, focusing on social and political climates from the view of a young person like myself struggling or figuring out their place in the world. The songs became less about showing off and more about emphasizing and calling out real issues. It felt like the band died and got reborn again. RIPPED/ RIPT (undead, ripped apart, risen) haha.
The EP is described as filtering life through the perspective of being hyper-online and emotionally exhausted. How does the constant noise of the digital world bleed into your lyric writing and the tense energy of the music?
I honestly have no idea, I usually just write what comes to mind. You could probably describe the album better than I could. I am in fact, hyper online and emotionally exhausted. It’s cool that people can see that through my writing as well.
You’ve mentioned that R.I.P.T. doesn’t offer “clean answers” to the contradictions of modern life. Do you view songwriting more as a way to archive your headspace in real time, or is it purely a therapeutic way to vent?
I think it was just a therapeutic way to vent. I’ve never been good at arguing. In high school I felt like writing was away I could stand on my point without interruption.
Sonically and structurally, how does “Socialism Ditty” push the band forward compared to the energy of your previous single “Letter To Elon”?
Socialism Ditty reminds me of older music I would make, very tongue-in-cheek attitude, while letter to Elon was more of a posh dig. When I was writing socialism, the point was to make it a powerful form of protest by making this song catchy and danceable. It’s not pointed at one person in particular, but you can guess that it’s pointed at a group of people in our economy. The “me” was more metaphorical to “us” in the song.
Your other recent singles, “IDRW” and “Eat Chips and Talk Shit,” have very distinct titles. How do those tracks set the stage for “Socialism Ditty,” and what does the new single reveal about the EP that the others didn’t?
I am honestly not sure, I wrote both of those songs during a time of stress. Chips was about talking amongst ourselves and secluded circles and IDRW was about feeling isolated. Socialism Ditty in a sense is still feeling isolated, but putting a sarcastic grin on its face.
“Letter To Elon” really introduced listeners to your off-kilter, noisy catharsis. Did the underground response to that track change how you approached finishing the rest of the EP, or did you stick strictly to your original DIY instincts?
No, we made at least 12 songs with this recording session. This song is a taste for upcoming songs for future releases.
Your sound pulls from garage rock, post-grunge, and lo-fi punk. Who are some of the foundational bands or records that inspired you to embrace this raw, uncalculated style?
I was listening to a lot of old British punk at the time such as new model army, and the Sex Pistols. I was also listening to a lot of folk like Crosby stills and Nash and Neil Young.
You’re releasing this EP through Futureless. How has working with the label helped you preserve the unpolished, immediate vibe of your recordings?
We didn’t record through Futureless
Once R.I.P.T. is out in the world this June, what are the next steps for Mr. Dinkles? How do you plan to bring the chaotic energy of this EP into a live setting given the distance between LA and Seattle?
We’ve been playing it live for at least one year now, we’re excited that it’s finally coming out.
That’s it. Thank you for your time. Anything you would like to say to our readers in the end of this interview?
Thank you so much for taking the time and talking with me!
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