Back before the days of Spotify, I bought albums because of recommendations, or because I heard them on comps. In the case of Link 80, I heard “Up to the Top” on Misfits of Ska 2 and fell in love. Asian Man Records is one of my favorite labels, so I knew I was in good hands if Mike Park liked them. I immediately bought 17 Reasons, and Link 80 quickly became one of my favorite bands.
Omnigone mastermind Adam Davis joined Link 80 in 1997 and remained with the band until they eventually went on hiatus in 2002. From there, Adam played in two bands that were the polar opposite of Link 80 – DESA and Gnarboots.
As the story goes, Adam realized how much he missed ska punk music when he played with his Link 80 bandmates at the 20th Anniversary Celebration for Asian Man Records.
With a newfound ska punk itch needing to be scratched, Omnigone was born.
Joined by Link 80 bandmate Barry Krippene and a veritable all-star cast of ska punk musicians, Omnigone burst onto the ska punk scene. Signed to Bad Time Records, Omnigone released their debut album in 2019. No Faith is the kind of album that feels like an old friend coming to say hello again. You definitely hear hints of Link 80 from time to time, but don’t think this is a nostalgia act. Omnigone is a refreshing entry into the world of ska punk.
Almost 20 years after Link 80 dissolved, Adam Davis is back where he truly belongs. The prodigal ska punk son returns, and we’re all the better for it. Adam took some time to talk to Bearded Gentlemen Music about all things Omnigone and ska punk. If you’re ready for one of the most heartfelt and sincere love letter to ska punk, then keep reading.
Ska now more than ever.
What is it about the East Bay that resulted in it being such a hotbed for ska punk bands?
There is a through line running from 924 Gilman, through Operation Ivy, into Rancid, directly to Link 80 and on down to Omnigone. Without Operation Ivy and 924 Gilman, you would have a large void in ska & especially punk music. The East Bay was also a much more reasonably affordable place compared to San Francisco. When I first moved to Oakland, my rent, plus utilities, was $400 a month! You could spend a lot of time working on your band, working a part time job, and still make ends meet.
Currently, I’m not sure the East Bay is really a “hotbed” for ska punk, but I would love to be proved wrong. I don’t know of any other ska punk bands in the East Bay besides us. Anyone that wants to prove me wrong totally should.
Your musical journey really took its first major step with Link 80. What are your fondest memories of those days?
I remember being on a ferry somewhere in Europe, and looking down over the edge of the boat into the water, and the water was thick with jellyfish. I remember thinking at the time, “you’d better stay out here and appreciate this, because how many people get to see something this cool?”
Literally just all the time I spent with those dudes was great. Even looking back on the bad parts, it wasn’t so bad. We spent the night in the Sultan of Oman’s London house. We wandered the streets in Japan and accidentally went into a weird Satanist clubhouse. We got in a fight with a legless man. We traveled above the Arctic Circle. Looking back on the way we travelled now, it’s a little frightening, but I wouldn’t trade those years for anything. I have so many stories that I’ve told a thousand times, and others that I forget until they get triggered by an event or a picture. Being in Link 80 was incredible.
When Link 80 dissolved, you went onto DESA and Gnarboots. Both of those bands were pretty big departures from Link 80. Was that a conscious decision, or just where you were musically at the time?
DESA felt like the most genuine evolution we could make at the time. It’s all the same guys that were in Link 80 at the end, but Steve Borth joined RX Bandits and the rest of us were pretty burnt out on playing ska punk. We were listening to a ton of new music and wanted to try something different. We felt like it would be disingenuous to call ourselves Link 80 when making such a conscious shift away from the music we had been playing. We learned a lot in DESA, but ultimately it just never manifested in a singular united vision. It eventually just fizzled out.
Gnarboots was a reaction to the time spent in DESA. I was entering my 30s. I was angry that I had spent so much time on a band that disappeared. I wanted to create something that made people hate music. I wanted to bum people out. Gnarboots initially was meant to be every dumb idea possible put into action. Play the same song three times during a set? Sure! Play super sloppy and out of tune? Why not! Get banned from a venue and make other bands hate us? Sounds like a blast.
Now, eventually, that changed. Somehow all the weirdness and lack of caring created something else. We evolved, we became cult-like, our music became weirder. Gnarboots taught me that a lot of the beliefs I had held during DESA were incorrect. It taught me the boundaries are way farther out there than I expected.
With Omnigone, it’s almost a return to your roots in a way. What made you get back into performing ska punk again?
The Link 80 reunion in 2016 made me realize how much I missed playing this music. However, I knew we would not be doing Link 80 anymore. It’s become unwieldy. There is too much history. All the members have their own lives and obligations. I knew I wanted to play hardcore-influenced ska punk again, but if I was going to do it, it had to be my own band. It took me three years to come to terms with that idea, but I couldn’t be more happy to be back playing music that I love. That said, I’ll never fully close the door on Link 80. If those guys ever want to play again, I’m there. They are also all welcome to play in Omnigone.
I feel like I hear a few nods and homages to Link 80 from time to time on No Faith, especially on “Horizontal Aggression.” Did that happen naturally during the songwriting process?
There are very intentional nods to Link 80 on No Faith, and some others that just seeped in. On that album, in addition to myself, you have Steve Borth and Barry Krippene, who both spent a good amount of time as members of Link 80. So, one half of the final six members are on this album, playing the same type of music. It’s bound to sound similar. There were also moments when I would say to myself, “What would we have done in Link 80?” and that would inform a decision made in the songwriting process. You have to keep in mind, 17 Reasons is one of my favorite albums. I came into that album as a fan. Seeing that line-up was a life changing moment. I wanted to be in that band more than anything.
Omnigone is essentially you, with a rotating group of featured players. How does that work when it comes to recording and shows?
In addition to me, the bass playing is always handled by Barry Krippene. I trust Barry as a person and musician, he has proven himself to be extremely loyal. Beyond that, after playing music for 20 plus years, I have enough friends I have made through music to piece together a band with. It’s fun playing with different friends, some of whom I’ve played music with for years, and others I have never shared the stage with.
Recording is probably my favorite part about this band. Usually, we hit the studio with at least two different drummers, the advantage being that we can switch drummers when one gets tired. I was originally doing it because I thought the different drummers would play in different styles, but everyone has really stepped up and played anything that is thrown at them. I’m constantly impressed by all the different drummers who have contributed to the band.
Do you ever see yourself having a permanent lineup for Omnigone, or does it keep things fresh for you?
I would love to have a permanent lineup. I love the camaraderie built in a band. However, I don’t see that being feasible for Omnigone. Most of the other members have their own bands, families and lives. No one can commit to always being available, but with this set-up, no one has to! Keeping things loose allows for so much more flexibility, and having this larger group of members is exciting!
We are a collective, a secret society where there are members who have never met one another! As the band continues, as our ranks increase, the idea of a worldwide group that exists, connected by this music, sounds incredible to me.
Being in the ska punk scene for over 20 years, you’re on a label with bands with members around your age when you first got started. Is that a weird feeling or is it cool?
Brent Friedman summed it up for me the other day: “All of my friends are the same age as me.”
I never think about our age differences until someone’s birthday is brought up. Link 80 was on the younger end when we started, so all of the bands we made friends with were five to ten years our seniors. Those people feel the same age as me. Band members in their 30s feel the same age as me. Jer from Skatune Network (they are 25) feels the same age as me. I constantly feel like time is an illusion.
How has your perspective on making music changed since the Link 80 days?
I’m not sure my perspective has changed, as much as it has deepened. I think I am more willing to give things a chance I would have once hated on. I can see that being in a band is not a competition, we are all in this together, and there is enough room for everyone to succeed. Someone else having success with their music does not negate my own success.
“Against the Rest” in Link 80 very much meant “Us against everyone else” but now, I would see “Against the Rest” as existing outside the norm, allowing yourself the latitude to take chances and continue to follow your path. I also still think breakdowns and fast punk beats with screaming are cool.
Omnigone is on Bad Time Records, which is the gold standard for ska punk these days. What does it mean for you to be on that label?
I couldn’t be happier with where I have landed. Bad Time Records is the best label I could imagine for this band, and Mike happens to live just on the other side of town! One of the hardest things about the pandemic has been not being able to be more involved in the label, but I am honored anytime Mike hits me up for art or to talk about another project in the works. As soon as we are vaccinated I am determined to be the first employee at Bad Time, even if Mike doesn’t pay me. I believe in the vision of the label. No one has ever done a label that is strictly ska punk, and it’s working! The other bands on the label are all incredible and I constantly feel pushed to make the next batch of Omnigone songs the best they can possibly be.
Outwardly, it seems like all the bands on Bad Time are just one giant family. What are the dynamics between the bands and Mike that make that possible?
Mike only puts out bands that he is 100% a fan of. He only works with people he knows he can trust. He gives every release his full attention and a window of time for proper promotion. None of this is totally groundbreaking, but keeping things simple, sticking to the plan, that’s what sets this label apart.
In turn, we are all invested in this label. We all want to see Mike succeed and feel thankful for all of Mike and Zalina’s hard work. Also, all of the bands genuinely enjoy each other. Back in Link 80, there weren’t a lot of bands trying to do what we were doing. Now, I feel like bands like Stuck Lucky, Still Alive, Kill Lincoln, The Best Of the Worst, We Are The Union, and Dissidente all share musical DNA with my band. Bands like JER, Bad Operation, and Catbite are pushing the music into fantastic new territory I couldn’t have even imagined.
Beyond the label, there are so many bands following their own vision, being creative and filling out our scene. Flying Raccoon Suit combining chiptune and indie rock with ska! Half Past Two being the shiniest happiest band possible, but still playing the same gnarly punk clubs the rest of us are playing! The amazing Dal Santo in Australia sounding like a ska-grunge band! I can’t say enough nice things about the current batch of ska punk bands. When we can have shows again, it’s going to be pretty incredible.
How did you get the idea to work with Catbite to do a split covering music from each other?
I wanted to cover “Scratch Me Up” as a surprise, to let the band know how much I like them. I hadn’t met anyone in Catbite (still haven’t) but their album was one of the main reasons I wanted to put out a record on Bad Time. It’s so good! So, my plan was just to release it online at some point and have them find it. I had already recorded a Quentel The Cryptid cover (“If You Lived Here”) and a Vantana Row cover (“On Wednesdays I Am Going To Make It”), both bands I adore, so this was already something I was doing.
Mike wound up talking to Tim from Catbite about doing a 7″ and Mike told him about the song, and it was Mike’s idea that they cover our song! I’m really happy with how the 7″ turned out, and even though we haven’t had the chance to hang out in person yet, I feel like Catbite are some of my best friends. They were supposed to come out to the West Coast on the way to Japan this last September, but as we know, everything is cancelled.
Even though some people think ska punk is dead, I disagree, and feel like it’s more important than ever. This generation’s bands just seem to give a shit and are writing songs that have important messages. How do you feel about ska punk’s place in 2021 and beyond?
I’ve already kind of answered this in a previous question, but I will just re-iterate: this is the best the ska punk scene has ever been, in my opinion. Especially if you like skacore or crack rock steady or whatever you want to call it. Black Sky from Indonesia, Corrupt Vision and Noise Complaint from Southern California, Upfux from New Jersey. I’m constantly stoked whenever I find out about new bands. The Fad needs to reunite. That band never got the recognition they deserve!
No Faith has a lot on it about time passing and getting older. “Rewrite History” seems to be the realization that you can’t dwell in the past because time is finite. “Obituary” hits that point even more directly because it’s pleading for folks to live without regrets. It’s a kick in the ass I think we all kind of need. Were these songs inspired by the Link 80 reunion show and the lack of ska punk in your life?
When you have kids, you start to really feel your mortality. My kids have only seen me play with a band once, and that was Link 80. I don’t ever want to be a “used to,” I want to be “doing.” As long as I am alive, I will continue living on my terms, creating art and music that I can feel proud about, until I physically can’t. I exercise, eat right and continue to be straightedge because I want to be able to continue well into old age. Old age is going to come for all of us on a long enough timeline, so just keep going.
You’re always extremely vocal about pushing your new and favorite bands. Who should readers check out today?
Shit. I really want to put a huge list of bands here but I know I will leave someone off. I’ve already mentioned a lot of bands I’m excited about. I’ve for sure forgotten some. Here’s what I would like people to do: go buy every record Bad Time Record puts out. I just realized which Bad Time band I haven’t mentioned yet – Grey Matter. They rule. Also, here’s a non-BTR band that you should check out – Poindexter. There’s literally so many rad bands right now. I just checked the BTR site, I forgot to mention Free Kick and Thirsty Guys! Ok I’ll stop there.
What are you most excited to do once the world gets back to “normal?”
Get a burrito from my favorite taco truck in Oakland, Tacos Mi Rancho. Eat it in the Mountain View Cemetery with my friend Carolee. Hear all the BTR bands play these songs live and probably cry a bunch while moshing and skanking. Take my kids to the pool. Go to the Madonna Inn with my wife. Go to England. Go to Australia. Go to Japan. Play Fest. Hug all my friends.
Any plans for any new tunes this year?
We have a bunch of tunes recorded, some of it is finished, some of it needs mixing or vocals. We have a bunch of new material written. I don’t really want to put out an album during COVID, but maybe we’ll put some of this stuff out? I really don’t enjoy recording music alone at home (too much self doubt), so we’ll need to be vaccinated so we can hit the studio again. As soon as we are, you can expect us to book studio time.
Any last words?
When this is all over, support live music. Don’t stay home. ATRC FOREVER.
