The Scottish power pop/jangle pop band Teenage Fanclub put out one of the genre’s best albums in the early 1990s with Bandwagonesque. They are also responsible—at least partially—for the founding of Near Beer, a brilliant trio that blend punk rock, power pop, and the odd Brit pop influence for one of the best debut LPs of the summer.
“I think it was 2017, and I’d just gone to see Teenage Fanclub at the Teragram,” says Joey Siara, vocalist and guitarist for Near Beer. “And that band brings me such joy. Despite being the kinda grumpy band-dude who stands in the back, something about Teenage Fanclub just makes me smile and sing along. So, yes, after seeing Teenage Fanclub, I think the next time I saw Jeremy (Levy, bassist) at a backyard party, it was like, ‘We’re doing this. Teenage Fanclub made me realize how much happiness I get from music. We have no choice. We’re starting a band.’ But then I think it was another few months before we finally got our act together and practiced.”
Five years later, the band are finally out with their first full-length, a self-titled affair released July 15 via Double Helix Records. The band draw from bands like The Replacements and Guided By Voices, as well as some less obvious inspirations.
“I think all my favorite bands are in those tunes,” he says. “I think that the main circles of influence for the band are in that classic, guitar-heavy indie rock à la Pavement, Built to Spill, The Wrens; then the punkier stuff that I’ve loved forever—Descendents, Hot Snakes, Jawbreaker; then the classic rock I grew up on by default—The Kinks, The Who, The Byrds. All of those are united by prominent guitars and most of those bands are pretty melodic I’d say. I guess the other, maybe less obvious, influences are in the more distinctly British realm. Pulp is easily one of my favorite bands, and they were on my mind when I wrote a couple of these.”
There is also a fair amount of 12-string guitar on the album. This is not a surprise, as Siara cops to being a sucker for records with jangly guitars—from Tom Petty and Echo & The Bunnymen to The Church.
Lyrically, he looked to the New Jersey ’90s band The Wrens for inspiration.
“Lyrically or thematically or whatever you want to call it, I constantly go back to The Wrens album The Meadowlands. That album is perfect to me. When I first heard it, I was 21 years old. So, hearing this record about dudes in their 30s dealing with all of these personal and professional heartbreaks, working day jobs, sorting out their family-lives—At that time, it felt like a glimpse into a heavier, very adult future. And now, doing this Near Beer record with very similar themes, at pretty much the same age that The Wrens fellas were when they did The Meadowlands, I feel this renewed kinship to that album, and in some ways The Wrens’ record almost seems, dare I say, prophetic? But I am happy to at least feel like our record is like a 2nd cousin twice removed.”
Though the band was founded in L.A., Siara has since moved to the opposite coast, so Near Beer is already planning some West Coast dates to start showing off these songs and are in the process of booking some East Coast shows as well.
“After that, I can’t help but write more,” he says. “I moved to New York last year and now have a new batch of songs that were written out here. Hoping to get into a studio in a few months and dump them out.”
Watch the video for “Mixtape Generation” here:
For more from Near Beer, find them on Instagram and their official website.
Photo courtesy of Brad Coolidge
