There are times in life when you realize something special is about to happen. You can sense a feeling of excitement surrounding the moment and you just need to experience it to the fullest. I didn’t think I would find a moment like that in 2020, but here they are. The torchbearers for the future of ska music are here and their name is Bad Operation.
Hailing from New Orleans Louisiana, Bad Operation calls their brand of ska, New Tone. Harkening back to The Specials and 2-Tone, Bad Operation is re-emphasizing ska’s roots with their music. The first wave and 2-Tone eras of ska is music born out of revolution and equality. While there are exceptions to the rule, modern ska music isn’t as in tune with those roots. Instead, the focus is on party and dance music. Bad Operation’s new album proves you can focus on both.
With four singles on YouTube and various streaming services already, the band has been teasing folks for months. However, the full force of Bad Operation will be felt on December 18th with the release of their self-titled debut.
Bearded Gentlemen is lucky to share this interview with the new trailblazers of ska. Greg Rodrigue (Bass, Backing Vocals) and Daniel “D-Ray” Ray (keyboards/trombone) answered some questions for us. You’ll find out more about the band, Community Records, DIY ethos, New Orleans, and self care during COVID times. Also covered is the story behind their partnership with ska punk label, Bad Time Records.
Mark my words, this album is going to be special. Get to know Bad Operation before it does.
First, can you tell me a little bit about Community Records? How did you get your start?
Greg Rodrigue: We started back in 2008. I had done an internship with Asian Man Records in summer 2007 while I was finishing up school, and working with Mike Park that summer gave me the inspiration to want to start something. D-Ray and I teamed up through our work with Fatter Than Albert to put up a website and release the very first Community Records Compilation. That was a ska-core album that featured bands like The Flaming Tsunamis, The Fad, Public Access, Tusker, Stuck Lucky, Arm The Poor, Fatter Than Albert, We Are The Union, Safety, and Brunt of It.
We always wanted to be more of a collective than a “record label,” therefore we named it Community Records. We don’t own the masters to anyone’s music, we give the downloads away for free. Try to keep everything to a handshake deal, and we always split the money 50/50 with bands if there are any profits. We’re always just trying to promote good music and hopefully break even.
How important is having a DIY sensibility for you as a label, and as a band?
D-Ray: From what I’ve experienced, no one is going to hand you a completed puzzle and say Good job! You did it! You have to be resourceful and driven to accomplish your goals. That’s not to say that anyone is an island and doesn’t need help from others…nor should it neglect the fact that some of us have more access to resources depending on when and where we were born.
It is our individual resourcefulness and drive that makes teamwork stronger. This release wouldn’t have been nearly as successful if it had only been BAD OPERATION or only Community Records or only Bad Time Records working to release it. It went off as well as it did because we all have our strengths and we trusted each other to excel in our areas of expertise. I definitely feel like the DIY mentality is actually closer to a Do It Together mentality in reality.
When you formed and it was time to release a record, what made you contact Bad Time Records to co-release?
D-Ray: We knew that Mike was doing an absolute killer job with Bad Time and if we wanted to get what we think is an incredible ska record in front of the most ska fans as possible, we knew we wanted to work toward that goal with him. SO glad he was down!
Greg: Seeing the work that they did for the Kill Lincoln record really inspired me, you could just tell that they were doing it right. As well as, I knew Mike was friends with and fans of a bunch of Community Records bands, so it seemed like a good idea to try to team up. We are just thankful that Mike said yea! You rule Mike!
New Orleans has a rich musical history. Did the city have any influence on your decision to start a ska band and make music as Bad Operation?
D-Ray: Short answer: Not really. We started this band to have fun. No strings attached. Play one show and maybe that’s it. Did the events in our lives in New Orleans at the time push us together and did we need that sort of outlet musically? Absolutely.
If you really want to get into it, considering we’ve all spent our entire lives in New Orleans, I feel like there’s no way our city wouldn’t influence most of our decisions regarding art. When you’re a band or musician from New Orleans, you, and others, hold your music to a different set of standards. Whether you like it or not, you’re thrown into the same category as some of the most influential musicians in modern history. You ride upon the shoulders of such giants as Louis Armstrong, the entire Marsalis family, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, the entire No Limit and Cash Money catalog, Allen Toussaint, Ernie K. Doe, Big Freedia, and of course the Jamaican ska influencer and rock and roll catalyst, Fats Domino.
When your musical education and surroundings are steeped in that energy, it instills a deep sense of pride and longing to hopefully get close to representing your city as well one day.
What other bands from New Orleans are out there that people need to know about?
D-Ray: Literally all of them. There’s so much great music happening in New Orleans right now. Special Interest just put out a new killer record! Definitely check out that band if you haven’t heard of them. THOU is constantly releasing new music it seems. Casual Burn rules. Joystick. High, AF THE NAYSAYER, Little Death…honestly anything on the local label Strange Daisy is incredible. Also, Dominic Minix, (our singer) has an incredible solo project.
As a label, we at Community Records work with Dominic along with Lawn, Pope, Sharks’ Teeth, Xavier Molina, and more. It’s also been so weird and tough to gauge how active people are without live shows. I know I’m forgetting like 20 bands, but I’m both always and never surprised at the caliber of bands coming out of New Orleans at any time.
The band’s members come from a rich group of diverse musicians. How did all of your different backgrounds gel to make your sound?
D-Ray: Ya know, it all clicked pretty effortlessly. Me, Brian, Rob, and Greg have all been playing music together in different projects over the years between The Rooks, All People, and Keeping so the rhythm section was already a pretty well-oiled machine. Even though this is Dominic’s first time putting down his guitar and solely focusing on being a singer in a band, I think he not only knocked the ball out of the park, he brought a vocal style to the music that is both timeless and unique.
A huge reason we’ve been able to gel so well is everyone’s immense amount of experience as professional touring musicians. We all have a ton of respect for each other as musicians, so it’s easy to trust one another and let everyone do what they do best.
Greg: Yea, we have been in each other’s lives for a long time. Fatter Than Albert was playing together starting 2004, and D-Ray and I have been a team since 2007. Rob, Brian, and I started The Rooks in 2008, and I’ve been friends with Dominic for going on 10 years or so. The first “BAD OPERATION” practice was actually a practice for The Rooks, it was just obvious that BAD OPERATION was something different and new, with two additional members, hence a new name and a “NEW TONE.”
Unfortunately, your first show was canceled due to COVID-19. Have you been able to perform live as a band yet or are you still waiting?
D-Ray: We have still yet to perform in front of a live studio audience. We talked about trying to maybe put together some sort of live stream thing for the album release, but I think we’ve decided against it. It would feel like such a watered down experience to debut these songs live to anything but a packed room full of people ready to dance their troubles away. However, we’re not totally opposed to the idea. If the right situation comes along, I’m sure we would consider it.
Greg: Our first show was supposed to happen March 12, 2020. That was planned for right when more precautions started being taken for the pandemic. We had put a lot into preparing for that performance, and the work we did to try to play is reflected on our debut album. We are really happy that we got the chance to document our songs, and that so many people have responded positively to it.
What’s been the best self-care to get you through such trying times this year?
D-Ray: BAD OPERATION. I’ve been spending more time in front of my organ, writing ska music than ever before and it’s felt so good. Working on any aspect of BAD OP has consistently been an enjoyable experience.
Also, I feel like the best self-care is to reach out to someone else in need, so I’ve been trying to become more involved in mutual aid efforts around the city.
I’ve also been doing a lot of self reevaluation…trying to consciously remove any unnecessary sense of urgency and perfection where possible. Pretty sure most of my life, any unhappiness has been rooted in never being the best or feeling like there isn’t enough time in the day. I’m trying to free myself from unnecessary, capitalist expectations and honestly, it’s doing wonders for my mental health.
Greg: Going on runs, and skating. Trying to spend time with family whenever possible. The BAD OPERATION album has certainly been a ray of light in an otherwise shit year.
When Bad Time announced your record, they said you mixed the best parts of The Specials and Op Ivy. What’s it like being compared to such iconic bands?
Greg: I don’t think we are on that level, but damn makes me feel like we accomplished what we were trying to do, and hell yea, thanks Mike! We were trying to write ska-punk without the punk parts. The energy and grit of a punk band, but keep it to just the ska riffs.
A lot of things I’ve seen written about you has coined the phrase “New Tone” to describe your sound. What does New Tone mean to you?
D-Ray: NEW TONE to me has a lot attached to it, so I’ll try to make this clear and concise. It’s kind of taken up most of my brain space lately. Sonically speaking, it’s a reference (and a rhyme) to the TWO TONE movement in England with a little bit of New Orleans grit thrown in the mix. It’s got the upbeat tempo, it’s a product of the working class, and it’s politically outspoken.
On a deeper level, for me, NEW TONE is more substantial and timeless than a fad or a wave or a bandwagon. It’s about setting a NEW TONE in the way we occupy public space with our music. Through our upbeat joyous music, we want to create real change within people’s consciousness and actions. To me, that means being outspoken about racial injustice. It means being an active part of your community and taking part in local politics. It means committing to a lifelong fight for unity and equality for all.
But again, that’s just my perspective, I don’t want people to think there’s some sort of constraining definition that must be adhered to. The hope is that NEW TONE inspires others to explore what that looks and sounds like to them.
What are you the most looking forward to when people can finally get their hands on your debut album?
D-Ray: I get really excited about the sequencing part of making an album! We put a lot of thought into the track order, exactly how each song flows into the next and especially all the sound clips. I feel like the album as a whole has a great rhythm to it and is a fun ride all the way through.
Greg: The album is really dancy. That was certainly intentional. I hope the album makes people wanna move.
When the coast is clear, which songs are you most excited about playing live?
D-Ray: I honestly can’t pick one. They’re all equally my favorite songs and since we’ve never played any of them live, they’re all on equal ground as far as me wanting so badly to play them all live…however, I suppose if I had to pick, I’d say “Brain” and “Fish Out of Water” cause there’s more trombone than organ on those and I can jump around more.
Greg: For me it’s the title track, “BAD OPERATION” has an epic feel to it, and is very fun to dance to. The horn line is amazing in my opinion, and the lyrics are some of my favorite on the record. Can’t wait to burn down capitalism.
Looking at how things are now and into the future, what are your thoughts on the ska scene in 2020? Where do you think it’s heading in the next five to ten years?
Greg: Everything feels so temporary and like some sort of twilight zone episode right now in light of the pandemic. I can’t really say what the next five to ten years might look like. BUT I can say there is more amazing energy in the ska scene than what I’ve seen in the last 20 years.
Everything is cyclical, and the timing just feels right, right now. I hope that energy says up! We are thrilled to be one part of it. The Ska Against Racism Compilation has been a huge bright spot, and the work that folks like Bad Time Records, and Skatune Network are doing (amongst many others) has us all very excited.
D-Ray: Agree with Greg on all that for sure. It’s tough to even imagine what tomorrow will bring at this point. Currently, I think the ska scene is stronger than it ever has been. Or rather it feels like I always imagined any of the other ska movements must have felt like when they were happening.
Any last words?
Greg: We are absolutely floored as to the response to this project so far. It’s had us beside ourselves in positivity. All of our years of working on music, this has just been a ton of fun to experience the good energy around BAD OPERATION. We are just thankful. Thank YOU to anyone who is reading this, and to everyone who has ordered a record, streamed or shared a video or song. We love you.
You can pick up your own copy of Bad Operation’s self-titled debut by clicking HERE.