Boss’ Daughter (out of Reno, Nevada) set out on a spring tour they humorously labeled “This Tour Is Hopefully Not Going To Get Canceled 2022.” Ironically, midway through, the band were forced to cancel the tour themselves after catching COVID.
I had planned to see Boss’ Daughter at a small venue in a suburb of Detroit where I hoped to interview them in person, but that Michigan show was just one of the tour cancellations. Recently, I had the opportunity to catch up with band members Chris Fox (guitar, vocals, and brass instruments), Danny Paul (bass and vocals), and Jamie Locks (drums and vocals) who graciously responded to my questions via email.
“It was a huge bummer to cancel the rest of the tour because touring means so much to our band,” Chris says. “The early part of the tour was incredible! We played eleven shows in nine days before we started showing symptoms after our day off.”
“It hit us right when we were heading into new territory too,” Danny adds. “We were all so excited, then BLAM, sick.”
“I had the Melvindale (Michigan) show circled on my calendar, so I was especially bummed to miss that show,” says Jamie. “We love playing in the Detroit area.”
“It felt like we were sticking our tail between our legs a bit on the drive home, but the whole time we just saw band after band doing the same,” Danny shares. Ultimately, the band realized they had made the right decision.
Boss’ Daughter have been playing together since 2014, releasing the Songs are Songs album in 2015, and the Sleep EP in 2016.
“After playing many shows together with our other bands,” recounts Chris, “Jamie and I started talking about playing some music. In 2014 we finally played some tunes together in a basement. We needed a basser and Danny said he wanted to play with us. I knew him from one of my all-time favorite bands, Blorgalakt.”
At the time, Jamie was also a big fan of Danny’s band. ”I was really excited when Chris talked him into playing with us,” he reminisces. “The three of us have a really cool thing going.”
Listening to Boss’ Daughter, you can’t help but notice that these guys are all remarkable musicians. The brass instruments heard in some songs add to their distinctive sound.
“I started playing trombone in sixth grade up until freshman year of high school,” Chris recalls. “I picked it up again to learn the trombone part in NOFX’s “The Decline.”
“I started playing guitar around twelve years old when I learned how easy Nirvana songs were to play,” he adds. “I took jazz guitar lessons from middle through high school and in college, I studied classical guitar.”
Danny remembers having the option to join the school band in the fifth grade. “My young brain, already obsessed with rock ‘n’ roll, was imagining just that, a rock band. When I figured out what it actually was, I was a little disappointed, but I picked the clarinet and loved it.” After playing friends’ guitars for a while, Danny eventually convinced his parents to buy him one.
Jamie also became involved in music due to his love for Nirvana. “For some reason, they made being a rock star seem more accessible and I wanted that,” he says. After playing guitar and bass for a while, Jamie asked a friend to try out his drum set. “That was 17 years ago, and the rest is history.”
It’s hard to compare Boss’ Daughter to another punk band. They deliver their music with incredible passion and dynamic energy. With a style that ranges from melodic pop punk, to ska, to hardcore, they possess a truly unique sound.
“We’re a punk band, whatever that means to you,” Chris explains. “Sometimes I’ll say melodic skate punk, like ’90’s Fat or Epitaph. We are influenced by bands like Propagandhi, Lagwagon, and Mad Caddies.”
Often referred to as “The Biggest Little City in the World,” Reno has no shortage of punk rock bands. “Reno has a great punk scene!” raves Chris. “There are a ton of wonderful bands. 7 Seconds have long carried the torch for Reno. Fall Silent is active again, which is amazing. Machine Gun Vendetta is a rad band that’s been around forever. Elephant Rifle is another one of my favorites.”
Danny agrees that Reno has an amazing music scene, adding, “More often than not, shows will have vastly different sounding bands sharing the bill and everyone there has a great time.”
“Sadly, we’ve lost some venues due to the pandemic and house show spots due to gentrification,” Jamie tells me, “but there is always a plethora of really good bands.”
“Watching ‘hometown heroes’ like Cobra Skulls, go from playing the college watering hole to the main stage of festivals around the world is pretty dang neat,” he adds.
Boss’ Daughter has an album set for release in 2023 that will appear on a new record label. When pressed for details about the new label, the band remains tight-lipped, as a formal announcement is still under wraps. “Give me a couple beers, and I might spill the beans,” Jamie jokes.
“We recorded the new full-length at Pus Cavern in Sacramento, California, with Joe Johnston (Cake, Deftones, Cobra Skulls). It was mastered at The Atomic Garden in Oakland, California, by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Jeff Rosenstock),” Chris says. “We worked on it between July 2020 and January 2022. For the first time ever, we actually took our time in the studio to track and mix the album over a handful of sessions. As a result, I am very proud of this album.”
A new song released by Boss’ Daughter in early 2022 titled “Bouts With Bummers” has garnered huge success as a single. The song appears on the 4 way split 7” album titled Old Friends, released on Iron Fest Records, which also contains songs from OC45, 500 Miles to Memphis and Typesetter.
“We’re pretty stoked that people have been digging “Bouts With Bummers,”” Chris comments. “It’s the first one that we all three contributed lyrics to, which is super cool and exciting. I think it’s a good blend of catchiness, fast tempo, melody, and a positive lyrical outlook. It has a familiar feeling but is also new and exciting at the same time.”
With a planned tour in fall 2022 which will include a set at the infamous Gainesville, Florida’s punk rock festival “Fest 20” in October, Boss’ Daughter is on the move. “Once the new record is out we’re planning to tour a ton to support it,” Chris reveals. “We’ve also got the majority of another record in the demoing process. We plan to stay very busy and productive!”
Watch the video “Bouts With Bummers” here:
For more from Boss’ Daughter, find them on Facebook, Instagram, and their official website.
