At Least There’s Fest

1.41: Joystick

Greetings and welcome back to another episode of At Least There's Fest. Our guests for the show are Duck and Becks from the NOLA band, Joystick. The band has been playing their unique blend of ska, hardcore, punk, and jazz for over 15 years. They will be playing Fest for the sixth time this fall.
Duck shares about how they moved to NOLA and knew they wanted to start a ska band. They were able to fill the group out quickly given the amount of musicians and shows in New Orleans. Becks joined years later and has helped fill out the horn section from their home base in NJ. 
Hear about the start of the band, the challenges of traveling as a ska band, how having a huge band is really great in many ways, the must see bands at Fest this year, new music, and much more.
Check out the band as they tour their way East to Fest starting in TX. They are playing shows with Omnigone, Jer, and Hell Beach. 

1.40: Steve Brewer of Distants

Joining the show today is Steve Brewer of Distants. The Michigan band has played Fest the last few years and will make the long trip south again for Fest 23.
Steve tells us the story of the band, their process for making new music, how breweries make a perfect home for local punk shows, and why this year's Fest will be a special show for the band.
You can find their stuff on Bandcamp and at Fest this year. Check out their most recent record "LP", it's a good one.

1.39: Miller Lowlifes

Joining the show today are the guys from Miller Lowlifes. The Tampa band is a recent Fest fixture, but their members have been in bands playing Fest for nearly twenty years.
Mario, Matt, and Richie talk about being a Florida band, how this project started, baseball history dating back over a century, being at the FIRST Fest (we think?), their full length "Pinch Hitters", and much more. 
The band is playing a Thursday night pre-Fest show with Dead Bars and others at The Atlantic if you are heading into town hear. You can also head to Bandcamp to pick up their full length or any of their killer merch.

1.38: Qwam

Welcome back to At Least There's Fest. We're only about a month away from Fest 23 and my hope is that this podcast has helped you feel connected to Fest and also helped you learn about some new bands. If you've enjoyed the podcast at all, please take a moment to rate and review on your podcast platform of choice.
Joining the show today is the Brooklyn-based band, Qwam. The band has been around for several years, but this is their first album in some time and it represents a serious shift in lyrical content and musical styles. 
Four out of five members of the band are on the pod, led by front person, Felicia Lobo. They discuss the formation of the band, the addition of some new members, balancing life and music, their new sound and and how they got here, and why they are excited to all make the trip to Fest for the first time.
The bands newest album "girls aren't afraid of blood" came out on August 1st and it's a great record. I'm looking forward to hearing it live at Fest. 

1.37: New Junk City

I've enjoyed doing every single one of these episodes, but this is one I was looking forward to a great deal. New Junk City is a Fest institution at this point. They are playing for the ninth time this year and you don't want to miss it.
The whole band sits for this one and we discuss how they got the band together out of a solo project, their strong merch game, why playing in a band is so important to them, Fest, and NEW music (!!!). 
You can catch the band at the Loosey's Pre-Fest show on Thursday night (sold out in 24 hours) and on Friday at the Heartwood. You can pick up their records and the aforementioned killer merch by stopping by the band site.

1.36: Chance Smith of Kerosene Heights

On today's episode I am joined by Chance Smith of Kerosene Heights. The band just released their terrific sophomore full-length, Blame It On The Weather, on Sideonedummy. 
Chance talks about how he started writing songs for Kerosene Heights right at the start of Covid on his phone and how he would go on to add band members to make the songs a reality. Over the years the band has continued to produce music and has toured relentlessly. 
We also discuss the new album more in depth and the bands first appearance at Fest. 
Kerosene Heights will head out on a national tour right after Fest, including their first ever west coast dates. Check them out.

1.35: Worlds Scariest Police Chases

Today were are joined by Worlds Scariest Police chases. The Pittsburgh band has been making their own unique brand of punk for fifteen years. They release their first full length in seven years on September 26 via Say-10 records.
The band talks about how they got together, how the band has evolved from a "joke band" to a band that "tells jokes", where they got their name, tales from as far back as Fest 2, and much much more. 
You have two chances to catch the band at Fest this year. They're doing a Police Chases set and a "Blonde Ramones" set. I try to get them to share about that set, but they were quite cagey, particularly on what they'd be wearing.
You can pre-order the new album in all of the obvious places or pick it up at Fest. Stay on the pod until the end when they accidentally a pretty big tour they'll be going on later this year.

1.34: Nat Gray and Becky Fontaine of The Iron Roses

Today's episode is our second with a band that is NOT playing Fest this year, but we're giving The Iron Roses a pass. They played Fest the last three years and hope to be back in the future. For now, they are making new music and hitting the road.
Nat and Becky discuss how the band started, how important it is to keep going, the REAL value in always being yourself, the benefits of releasing music on your own and on your terms, plus the joys of touring.
The Iron Roses are hitting the road later this month with Bad Cop Bad Cop and their new 3 song EP, Agitpop, had it's final song released yesterday. Follow the band and it's members on Instagram to keep up to date on new music and new dates. They intend to stay busy.

1.33: 430 Steps

Fun show today! We are joined by the group 430 Steps. The Orlando band has been making grungy, groove-filled, skate punk inspired hardcore for nearly a decade. They have new music out in two days and will be playing Fest for the 7th time this fall.
The whole band was here for the visit and talked about how they got together out of the ashes of an older band, growing up watching Suicidal Tendencies on late night MTV, the pure joy of making music with your brothers and friends, and how they pack as much energy into every single show as they possibly can.
The band has a full discography that you can find on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms. Their new record will be on streaming services on September 12 and will be available in physical form as soon as humanly possible. Check them out during their late night set at How Bazar on Saturday night at Fest.

1.32: Fat Heaven

Today we are joined on the show by Gayla, Travis, and Jack from Brooklyn's Fat Heaven! The band's last full length came out via Sell the Heart in 2023, but they have some new songs coming out ahead of Fest and a new record in the works after that.
Fat Heaven is the rare band with ZERO band member turnover. Forming over a decade ago the trio talks about getting together, moving in together, throwing house shows, debating exactly how influenced they are by The Misfits, and much more.
The band has dates at the end of the month in Philadelphia and Brooklyn with Guttermouth and The Raging Nathans. You can catch them at Fest on Friday night at Vivid. They promise it'll be a good time.