The ska explosion in the mid-’90s led to the genre getting into the mainstream. Unfortunately, it died as quickly as it rose to the top though. While the mainstream moved on, ska kept going. Bands continued to form. The community became closer. And arguably, the music got better. We’re at a point now in 2021 where ska music is even more exciting than it was way back when. One of those newer bands keeping the scene fresh and exciting is Wisconsin’s Courtesy of Tim.
Soon, they will be launching their Kickstarter for their upcoming full-length, Tomorrow, Again. Recently, a few of the folks from the band sat down to let us know a bit more about the Kickstarter, as well as their new EP releases with Meskales, and what bands are catching their ear lately.
Below, check out what Joshua Storer (bass, vocals), Ric Chapman (Flugelhorn, back up vocals), and Jeremy Gartzke (guitar, vocals) had to say.
Earlier this year, you released a new split EP with Meskales. How did that collab come about?
Jeremy: The very first time we played with Meskales, I was talking to Salvador at the merch table and we decided it would be really cool to cover each other. We talked about it every time we played together after that, too, but it took until the pandemic to actually get around to fleshing out the idea and getting it done. We decided to each do one original and also do a cover of each other in the tradition of a lot of ‘90s punk splits, like the Alkaline Trio/Hot Water Music split on Jade Tree.
On the EP, you’re both dealing with issues hitting us today. Your track focuses on police violence and the protests that took place all last summer. What was it about those protests that motivated you to speak out?
Ric: It’s important for us as white people to remember that racism never took a break. It’s been present in the US since the country’s beginning, and will persist unless we actively work to end it. While disparities in police violence provide the most visible display of how racism has permeated our society, black people have been denied the same access to housing, education, healthcare, and other amenities that white people are afforded. This isn’t to say that no white person has had it tough; it’s to say that they haven’t had it tougher solely because of the color of their skin.
For me, this summer was a catalyst that primed me to try to educate myself more deeply on the issue of systemic racism, to donate to organizations which promote racial equity, and to seek more ways to get involved. One way of getting involved is to help other white people learn more about the history of racism in our country and how it still profoundly affects black folks today.
Writing a song on this issue seemed like a good step toward spreading that message. We’ve posted some educational links with our lyric video.
Since you did the split with another band, tell me your favorite thing about Meskales.
Joshua: They’re just such wonderful, good-hearted people who love to play fun music. A couple years back, their bass player had to step out for a few months after they had already scheduled a show in NYC. With only a couple weeks to prepare and only having met a handful of times, Salvador reached out to me to ask if I would be interested in filling in. I was ecstatic. We practiced as a full band only like three times before piling into a car to make the long journey.
They had never been to NYC before, but had a friend able to take us around exploring the city. It was an incredibly fun adventure that ended with playing an absolutely killer show to a packed house full of people dancing and having a great time. We’ve all been friends ever since. Definitely had a few after-parties in their practice studio when our bands have played shows together back home!
You’re also working on a Kickstarter for your next release. What can fans expect from your new music?
Jeremy: More variety in the horns and more space for individual instruments. One thing we’ve been really aware of as we’ve done more demos and worked on our writing process is that we sometimes don’t leave enough space for the listener to hear all of the cool things that we’re trying to do, so we’ve actually focused on trying to create space for every instrument in our songs. Whether it’s the occasional solo or having the guitar drop completely for sometimes an entire verse in order to make sure things pop and have a lot of dynamics.
What made you want to use Kickstarter to help finance the album?
Jeremy: We really want to put this one out on vinyl. It’s been a labor of love, but it will all be worth it. The songs are big and bold, and they’re more than just ska punk songs. We’ve got a pretty diverse range of influences in the band, so all of that comes out to play and it makes for a really unique experience. We also worked with a really great producer for the record who was able to push us to make these songs the best they could be. We do need to pay for the cost of producing vinyl, however, which is not cheap. And we need to pay ourselves back for the cost of recording, which we ended up borrowing from guys in the band.
Do you have any fun or unique pledge levels you care to chat about?
Joshua: One idea we came up with was for me to do like a video chat cooking lesson. I went vegetarian about a year ago, so that combined with spending a lot more time at home with quarantine and all, I have been expanding my culinary knowledge by learning new approaches to preparing and thinking about food. I’m certainly no chef or any kind of instructor, but we thought it would be fun if I could teach people how to make one of my vegetarian dishes!
For folks who may not be familiar with Courtesy of Tim, how would you describe your sound?
Joshua: It’s certainly one that has changed and matured over the years. I actually started this band to be a three piece punk band, but got really excited to invite some horn players to practice and accidentally started a ska band. Some of our earlier stuff could be likened to a more traditional third-wave ska sound or even punk with horns, but since then it’s gone in other directions.
Bringing in our drummer Taylor was probably the start to having a major change. We went from Tim’s metal style punk with blast beats to having this not-punk, ska-hating drummer whose favorite band is Rush. Our music started to become more intentional. Jeremy did a significant deep-dive into learning and implementing music theory. Jake really unified the horn section to play more intricately. Our music is definitely still ska-based, but it’s kinda started to become its own flavor with various influences. Some punk and ska here, some proggy stuff there, a touch of emo.
If you could only hook folks on your band with one track, which one are you choosing?
Ric: For me, this would be “Human Resource.” It’s a really great mix of the different sorts of styles that we play. It has a mellow, swingy intro going into an upbeat, oh-so-danceable ska feel, with a killer punk chorus ending with a frantic horn feature. The anthemic bridge and the race to the end make this a song that keeps building on prior energy and I find it so fun to listen to. Lyrically it’s a defiant rebuke of late-stage capitalism and toxic corporate hustle culture, which are themes we touch on in multiple songs. It’s the whole Tim package.
Where do you see ska’s place in the musical food chain these days?
Jeremy: I think the ska scene is expanding again and becoming a powerhouse in a better way than it was in the late ‘90s. A lot of bands are doing really great at supporting each other and helping expose their fans to their friends’ bands, which I can honestly say has helped us grow a lot. I think that the way that ska lifts each other up places it in a unique place in the musical food chain. There’s just so much crossover between pop punk and hardcore and other styles with so many of the bands coming up now that I think it lifts the whole scene in the eyes of people who would have laughed at ska even just five years ago.
Who are some of your favorite bands these days?
Jeremy: I’ve been hooked on the last single from the Flying Raccoon Suit album. I haven’t had a chance to download the record yet, but I can’t wait until the vinyl shows up in the mail. I’ve also had Bad Operation on repeat. It’s just such a fun record. And I’m super excited for the Half Past Two record later this year. I’ve been loving every single they’ve put out recently, so I think this will be an album I pre-order.
Joshua: I’m really into Must Build Jacuzzi. Those guys have some killer songs with heavy breakdowns and great horn lines. Super fun to play a show with, and nice people. My favorite local band is this awesome office-punk band Help Desk. First show they have after this pandemic, I’m there in a heartbeat.
Ric: My current album on repeat is Five Iron Frenzy’s Until This Shakes Apart. It’s an album full of heartfelt messaging and catchy, often groovy hornlines, but still brings that punk energy. I recently discovered The Best of the Worst, who are awesome if you like your hardcore with a hornline. I’ve been a relatively longtime fan of Kill Lincoln, and am also from the DC/MD/VA area originally, so I feel like I need to give them a shout out as well. It’s really cool to see them becoming one of the big names in new ska-punk.
The pandemic is looking like it’s getting more under control. What are you most looking forward to when life is back to “normal?”
Ric: I think we all can’t wait to get back to playing and going to shows. I have to imagine that everyone will have a lot of pent up energy to get out! I’ll also be super excited to travel again. We had been planning on a cross-country tour during the Summer of 2020; hopefully we’re able to resurrect that sometime soon.
What is the best thing about being from Wisconsin?
Jeremy: Seeing as I’m the only one of us three actually from Wisconsin, I’ve got to say it’s the number of breweries for me. Or at least it was before discovering I have celiac. Now I’m getting to know the different cideries in the state, of which there are a surprising number.
Any last words or plugs?
Jeremy: We’re just really excited to get this new music out for people to enjoy. We are doing a live stream on May 15th through thespaceship.tv. Our friends in Meskales and No Comprendo did a live stream with them that you can check out on their website. We’re planning to play the album, the new EP, and probably a few deep cuts. Hopefully there’ll be at least one brand new, unreleased song on that stream, too.