When I think about the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, my mind immediately goes to the tragedy, sadness, divisiveness, and isolation it caused. But while it feels wrong to try to put a positive spin on a global pandemic, the shutdowns did lead to new opportunities for some people. In the case of punk rock veteran Serge Verkhovsky and singer-songwriter Mary Diridon, it meant forming the Bay Area band Beneath You. The band’s first release featured Verkhovsky, Diridon, and session musicians. Since then, they’ve added two permanent members – Jason and Gavin Hammon of Dance Hall Crashers fame – and recorded a debut full-length. On Friday, November 21st, 2025, the band will release that album, General Hermitude, on Sell The Heart Records.
While Dance Hall Crashers and Limp (one of Verkhovsky’s previous groups) both have a well-known sound, Beneath You borrows from a multitude of influences. The result is an eclectic album that draws from alternative, emo, punk, pop, ska, and more to create a refreshingly original sound. To celebrate General Hermitude, Verkhovsky and Diridon spent some time answering some questions about the music, the new album, and what it’s like to be in a band in the year 2025.
The isolation during the COVID pandemic allowed so many to find new passions and connections. How did the pandemic influence the early days of the band and the music you created?
Serge: Yeah, it definitely flipped everything around. I think prior to ‘Rona, if you were starting a band, you would get a song or two and then start looking for members so you can develop enough songs to play live. Since that wasn’t an option, we thought, “Well, let’s write enough songs for an EP, and we can use that to find members when we can be around others again.” So, that’s what we did.
Mary and I wrote a bunch of songs, used Fiverr to hire musicians to play what we wanted want, and recorded those songs. Then, we found an awesome engineer to mix and master, and boom, the album was done. The biggest challenge was the lack of outside creative input. So all the initial songs sounded similar and not like what the full band ended up sounding like. I’m a huge proponent of collaboration, so that was tough.
Mary: For as awful as the shutdown was, it actually helped me a ton as a musician. I’d been writing songs for most of my life but never performed live because of intense stage fright. But when the pressure to perform wasn’t looming, the idea of it somehow started to lose its power. And then, when Serge and I started making music together, I realized I’d need to eventually find the courage to sing those songs live or be OK with someone else doing it, and FOMO is powerful, man! Having an opportunity like that staring me in the face was great motivation to figure my shit out. So after a bunch of progressively less awful open mics, my very first real show ever was Beneath You’s first show in July of 2024.
The band’s lineup wasn’t really cemented until things started to open up again. How did it feel that first time Gavin and Jason were in the room?
Serge: Oh, it was awesome. Gavin, Jason, and I had been talking about playing together for years. And we actually tried to put something together like seven years ago, but schedules got in the way. I’ve loved them as people and as musicians for decades at this point, so being able to play with them was a treat. Additionally, not only did they understand the songs immediately, but they changed them for the better. It’s been really great.
Mary: Yeah, they’re such pros and so creative that everything just flows. We don’t need to over-talk or explain a lot. We just start playing and it usually comes together.
What does their experience with Dance Hall Crashers add to the music Beneath You creates?
Serge: Well, I mean, years of experience in every aspect of music. It’s great because we didn’t have to work too much shit out. It was like, we all got in a room, and everyone knew what to do.
Mary: Ha! Not everyone. I sometimes feel like a deer in headlights, but I’m a quick learner and super eager, so that goes a long way. I still wonder what good deeds I must have done in a past life to have my first band be with these three guys.
For folks who are familiar with Unhinged, how has the band evolved between that first record and your upcoming full-length?
Serge: Oh, it’s a totally different sound. Unhinged was limited by the fact that Mary and I don’t really know how to play guitar or drums. So, a lot of what we asked for was pretty straightforward. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Unhinged and the sound it had, which was more basic pop-punk. But I think General Hermitude is so much more diverse in sound and style, and as a result, the songs are a lot more fun to play and listen to. The best example of that is the song “Happily Never After.” That song ended up on both albums, but it’s completely different on GH and way better, in my opinion.
Mary: Yes! “Happily Never After” is my favorite song off of the EP, but it didn’t really fit with us as a band. I’m super-stoked with how we’ve been able to keep the powerful message but change it to fit us now.
Knowing that your band contains members of Limp and Dance Hall Crashers, is there any kind of pressure to create music that will appeal to those fan bases, or are you strictly focused on forging a path forward as Beneath You?
Serge: Nah, I don’t think there’s any expectation there. I think the sound will naturally have aspects of those bands, but we’re not trying to copy them in any way. If people want to hear Limp, they can listen to the old records, and Dance Hall is doing stuff again. Our main goal is to write the songs we would want to hear and play and to execute them well. The rest will fall into place.
Also, those two bands are not our only influences. I was in Year of the Fist for years, Ken Yokoyama band, etc. Jason and Gav have an awesome almost country-like band called King Cab they’ve been in for a while. Mary has been writing her own songs for years. We definitely draw from all of those places as well when creating songs.
What can folks expect from General Hermitide?
Serge: I think the best thing about General Hermitude is the diversity of the songs on there. I don’t mean one song is country and the next song is funk, but within our genre, the songs ended up sounding eclectic. As a result, we released four singles before the album release, and to me, they all sound totally different. Also, there’s a rad 15-minute bass solo in the middle of the album. I’m kidding … I’m kidding … don’t run away!
If you only had one song to pick from that album to hook someone, which would you choose?
Serge: Oof, yeah, that’s a tough one, because I do feel the songs are varied, and we all have our favs. With that said, I would say “Summer Days,” if you just need an amuse-bouche (amuse-douche?)
Mary: That’s such a hard question! “Summer Days” is fun and light and nostalgic with that catchy riff. But for something angstier, “Lizzie” really hits hard.
Most of your touring has been in the Bay Area. Do you have any extended touring plans to support the new album?
Serge: No, not really, but maybe a run here and there. We do have a lot of friends who are still touring and love playing with them when they come through the Bay Area.
What is a Beneath You show like?
Serge: Like GG Allin meets Save Ferris. No, I’m kidding. I don’t know, I suck at describing those kinds of things. I leave that to the professionals. They’re super-fun from the stage, and I hope the audience feels that as well!
What is the most enjoyable thing about being in a band in the year 2025?
Serge: How many tools there are out there to get your songs written, recorded, and distributed. When we started, in the in the late ’80s and ’90s, to demo a song you had to record it through some shitty tape machine. The number of distorted boom box demos I had was astounding. And to record and distribute even a demo felt insurmountable. Now, there are so many ways to get things done, I’m shocked when I hear people say that they’ve been “trying to put something together” for years and are still not able to.
Mary: It’s all so new to me. I’m still amazed I actually get to do this! So I guess experiencing everything for the first time feels really sparkly and fun.
What about the most challenging?
Serge: Social media. Full stop. Or I should say, being old on social media. With that said, Andy from Sell the Heart has been helping us figure out how to get the most out of it.
Mary: Yeah, social media is a love/hate thing, for sure. It’s a great way to connect with people and get our music heard, but the effort takes so much time and energy away from actually creating music.
What types of things are the most helpful when it comes to fans supporting Beneath You?
Serge: Oh easy: Come to shows. That to me is the biggest thing. Short of that, throw us on your playlists and give us a listen from time to time. We would be grateful.
Mary: And follow us on the socials, ha! Also, there’s a limited vinyl pressing of General Hermitude, so any vinyl lovers out there can pick it up from Sell The Heart Records.
Any last words?
Serge: Thank you very much for this. We are so stoked to be able to still do this after so many years and so many miles.
Editor’s Note: This interview was lightly edited for clarity.