If you were to follow the Family Tree of some of the best current ska punk bands in the scene today, chances are most of the branches of that tree would flow through to Washington DC’s Kill Lincoln. Embracing the true DIY ethos of independent music, Kill Lincoln lead singer Mike Sosinski founded Bad Time Records in 2018 and started surrounding himself with some of the best ska punk bands to come out in decades.
The one thing missing on the label up to this date is a new full-length from Kill Lincoln. That changes this summer though. In August, Kill Lincoln awakens like a sleeping bear and roars back with Can’t Complain – an 11 track ska punk masterpiece. It clocks in at just around 30 minutes and can go up against any of the ska punk staples from the mid ’90s, while also sounding completely fresh.
Kill Lincoln Hype Man (that’s right, Kill Lincoln is epic enough to have one) Drew Skibitsky, and drummer Tyler Rodgers recently sat down to tell me their thoughts on a few topics different topics, including what it’s like to record an album during a pandemic, and the state of modern ska music.
What is it about 2020 that just screamed “break our five year hiatus and drop a new full-length”?
Drew: Even though we haven’t released an EP or album in half a decade, we’ve actually been pretty active. We’ve toured the country multiple times, been to Japan, played some great shows with huge bands, and even had a few lineup changes. All of this has been super invigorating and we’re so excited to keep up the momentum with Can’t Complain as an album, and as a new version of our live show.
Tyler: We’ve stayed pretty active during that whole time, but there have been stretches where we’ve been spread out geographically, and there’s only so much you can do in the finite time we have together. It’s hard to divide that time between rehearsing/writing/recording. I think we reached a point where we felt like we owed it to ourselves and our fans to produce something new and keep things fresh.
Speaking of how 2020 has been, how are you and how have you been coping with such weird times?
Drew: First of all, we’re very thankful that we were able to record this album at all. It was all put together in San Jose right before everything totally shut down. Coincidentally, a lot of the themes on the album are ones that have been amplified since we finished recording. In particular, the importance of continuing the fight for civil rights and trying to tackle that huge goal while maybe having a tough time internally. As a community we may know the way forward, but as individuals we can be overwhelmed, lost, and scared. Can’t Complain works to tie this all together and because of the efforts we’ve put in, the album has been a source of catharsis for us personally when we need it most.
Tyler: I think like many others, just trying to take it a day at a time. Checking in with family and friends more often and keeping social connections strong despite the distance, trying to maintain positivity as best as possible.
What’s helping you make it through the day? What are you doing for fun?
Drew: I try to get some exercise in most days, even just going for walks and taking bike rides goes a long way towards inner peace for me. It helps me stay positive mentally and the physical aspect reminds my body of what it feels like to perform or attend a show, which I am having a tough withdrawal from. For fun I’ve been running, kayaking in the Baltimore harbor, unicycling, biking, even skydiving, just trying to stay moving mostly.
Back to the new record, you just released your first single as a preview of things to come. How have you felt the reception to “Confession Obsession” has been?
Drew: We’ve been completely blown away by the reception since “Confession Obsession” was released! We got great feedback from our long standing fans and supporters but we’ve been shocked at how many newer folks are sharing the song, pre-ordering the record, and mentioning the release online. For a band that hasn’t released an album in a long time, the pre-orders are a real vote of confidence that we didn’t totally expect.
Tyler: We’re all so grateful for the response to not just the single but the album overall. There has been an incredible amount of enthusiasm for the record and for people to be so supportive given the circumstances is very meaningful for us.
How have you changed as a person and as a musician since Good Riddance to Good Advice?
Drew: It’s hard to compare who we were versus who we are but I can say there has been a ton of growth for us as people and musicians since the release of GRTGA. We’ve had weddings, cross-country moves, career changes, and our own personal battles. As musicians I don’t think our edge has ever been sharper. We’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of other groups the past few years which has been awesome. Food has played with Skatune Network, he recorded on the Dave McWane produced “Save Us All” album by Be Like Max, he’s been playing with DC/Baltimore bands like Scotch Bonnets and The Players Band. Mike has single-handedly created a dream ska-punk label with some fantastic bands like Catbite, Grey Matter, Omnigone, and We are the Union. Tyler has been holed up at 7 Drum City in DC and I think that shines through on Can’t Complain. Tyler’s drumming is really something else on this record. Then we’ve got brand new members on bass and trombone, CJ and Ume respectively, who are both incredible at what they do and bring a ton of excitement to the record.
Tyler: In a strange way, this record feels like the band’s biggest progression while simultaneously staying true to who we are. Given the amount of time since the last recording I’d like to think we’ve matured not only as musicians but as people, and I think all of that is reflected in what we produced.
The record is called Can’t Complain. Is that a response to something folks have been complaining about in recent years, or is that just an overall observation on what your mindset is these days?
Drew: There is a lot a person can get hung-up on mentally in any given day but given the greater issues at large, it’s important to step back, register our individual privileges, and see what is really important in the world and what deserves our attention and energy. When innocent people are being murdered, when families are starving, when disease is everywhere, simply complaining isn’t appropriate. We need to take action and create the world we want to live in and the world we want to pass down.
What was the recording process like – any ring rust of sorts or was it like riding a bike?
Drew: A lot of the writing was done by Mike and Food over the last year. We had our last live show on Feb. 29th with Big D and Reel Big Fish in Baltimore. The next day we holed up in Ume’s basement for 48 hours of fleshing out the tracks and putting some demos down. The next thing we knew it was two weeks later and we were all flying in and out of California to record our parts. We were watching the news daily trying to see if it would even be possible to get the East Coasters back home once recording had finished. Thankfully Ryan at District Recording is a total gem and with his help we finished the record in a week and everyone got home safe.
Tyler: Recording itself I think was like riding a bike. The hardest part is we were literally in the studio as the true severity of the pandemic was becoming apparent. We were recording in San Jose, and a few days after we started, the seven Bay Area counties announced their shelter in place policy. We talked with our engineer and all decided to continue with recording, as we had already been together and so this essentially became our bubble. We’d drive straight to the studio each morning, hole up for the day, and drive straight back home. On the one hand it offered this bizarre respite from the world around us to lose ourselves in the music. On the other hand, during any breaks it was impossible not to immediately check for updates and try to wrap our heads around what was happening around us and around the world.
Tracks like “Ignorance is Bliss” and “Well Spent; Wasted” feels like they have a bit of that DC Hardcore influence. Even though you’re in a ska band, how has growing up in the DC hardcore scene influenced how you write music?
Drew: I think the energy of hardcore shows and the crowd participation is something that we really strive to replicate at every Kill Lincoln show. We love a lot of the hardcore dance moves, especially the Jersey two-step and you can hear a lot of those beats in the songs on the new record. The tracks on Can’t Complain are also shorter, more to the point, than a lot of what we’ve done in the past, kind of in a parallel to traditional hardcore structure.
Tyler: We love DC hardcore, don’t get me wrong, but I think the New Jersey scene that a few of us grew up in has had a much larger influence on the band’s sound. In central Jersey in the early aughts, seven or eight band bills with all local bands were a regular occurrence. The sounds were pretty diverse, and you had ska bands mixing with hardcore bands and everything in between. Bands like Folly laid a blueprint for how you could incorporate ska into your hardcore band or vice versa. But we’re also just into incorporating the sounds of a slew of different bands we admire that aren’t ska, such as Lifetime.
Aside from you, Scotch Bonnets, and Pietasters, what other DC ska bands should folks know about?
Drew: We’re so lucky to call the DC/Baltimore scene home. A few acts I would recommend checking out are The Skluttz – female fronted third-wave ska. The Upstarters are phenomenal and really have their own style and awesome live show. I play guitar now for Josh Douglas’s band, Urban Crater, who do the hornless ska thing. Also can’t forget The Fuss who Andi Leo fronts.
How strong is the DC ska scene considering hardcore punk and emo is what folks think about when different independent scenes are brought up?
Drew: I think a big thing that separates ska scenes from general punk/emo scenes is how tight-knit the community is. In DC it’s no different. One of our favorite things about the DC scene is the monthly Bluebeat nights that Andi Leo puts on. It’s basically like a monthly DC ska family reunion. You’ll see Pietasters there, long time ska fans there, rudies of all genders and colors, even people who like 2nd wave getting along with the 3rd wave crowd. It’s one of the times that our local contingency catches up (Tyler, Ume, Drew, Food) and always reminds us how good we have it here at home.
Speaking of ska, what is the state of ska music in 2020 in your eyes?
Drew: I haven’t been this excited about ska since I first got bit in 1996. There is a real feeling of this being a new beginning across the world right now. I think that the fourth wave will be global and we’re witnessing it form right now.
I’ve been a fan of ska music since right before the Orange County scene hit it big. There seems to be a whole segment of my peers who haven’t embraced the newer ska bands that came out after that bubble burst. I honestly don’t get it. There’s a strong ska scene filled with energy out there led by you and a lot of the Bad Time roster and it seems like the gatekeepers of the scene refuse to acknowledge that ska has evolved since 1999. Why do you think that is?
Drew: I think part of that is fear. It can be intimidating to introduce yourself to a new ska scene, especially if you think ska died when you stopped going to shows 20 years ago. Some of those fans don’t want to face that they left the genre and it has kept evolving without sacrificing quality. It’s easier to continue believing that they witnessed the golden age of ska than it is to invest time in checking out new bands and confronting your ska biases.
What can we do to reach across the aisle to the gatekeepers and help them understand just how good ska is these days? Or, are they just too toxic?
Drew: We spent a long time trying to convince third wave ska purists and bands that we’re producing something great. At this point we’re tired of that fight. If the old guard doesn’t believe in us, we’re not going to fight to force them. I don’t know that I would say they’re toxic for it, but they’re also not building a better world through their scene which is a bare minimum objective for any band on the Bad Time roster.
Ska music has long taken on hard social, political, and cultural topics all the back to the ’60s. With how things are in the world today, what role do you see modern ska having in speaking truth to power about movements like Black Lives Matter and LGBTQIA+ rights?
Drew: I think the modern wave is full of bands that view their role in the community as more than just entertainers, but also that of organizers and agents of change. It’s great seeing the fundraisers for civil rights causes, but I also love seeing bands like Catbite who are actively spreading information for their fans to know where to protest, how to protest safely, etc.
With touring pretty much shot for 2020, what plans do you have to support the record and get the word out?
Drew: We’re of course bummed to have had to cancel the summer tour we had planned but we cannot wait to perform again as soon as it’s safe. For now, we’re trying to put out fun videos and connect with people on a more personal level. My favorite part about the online live shows has been talking with everyone in the chat. It’s the closest thing I’ve been able to experience to being at a real show and just catching up with everyone in the scene.
What are you the most looking forward to when you can finally be in a sweaty room filled with people singing along and going crazy?
Drew: I am dying to mosh in a room full of friends and friends-to-be.
Tyler: The camaraderie that we all share as members of this scene, and the vital release it offers to put aside your cares and live in the moment.
To prepare folks who may be seeing Kill Lincoln for the first time, what can they expect from your live show? What do they have to look forward to?
Drew: Many of us grew up in sweaty Jersey basements and all ages clubs. I think our shows try to capture that energy in the sense of it being chaotic, fast, and surprising. You’ll find people skanking, you’ll get stage divers, anyone is welcome to steal a mic. As Hype Man, my goal is to make sure that everyone in the room has a memorable experience and I think that goal is usually achieved in one fashion or another.
What are some ways that your fans can support you until that magical day returns?
Drew: Pre-order Can’t Complain from Bad Time Records. We’re just about to run out of the first pressing of vinyl so hopefully there is still some available when this interview gets printed. We can’t wait for you to hear, we can’t wait to perform it live!
Any last words?
Drew: Hep hep, pick it up, can’t complain. Thanks for the great questions.
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