It’s not a phase. Does the statement even carry the same sentiment as it did before? Once a defiant rallying cry for pop punk, it definitely has a different context now that the 90s are becoming distant memory and you look at the likes of Descendents, Alkaline Trio, and New Found Glory who are not only ageing gracefully, but also releasing some of the most energetic and inspired music of their careers. Another band that needs also to be mentioned is Laramie, Wyoming’s Teenage Bottlerocket, who, after 25 years as a band, are releasing their 10th record, Ready to Roll on Sept 12 on Pirate Press Records.
“It’s cool to look back and see all the records. I laid them all out in my kitchen for my family the other day to see all ten of them at once. And I was proud of us. I am proud of us—I’m real proud of us,” says vocalist and guitarist Ray Carlisle from his home in Wellington, Colorado.
Bassist Miguel Chen nods in agreement. “Yeah, it’s really cool,” says Chen, from Montreal where he owns a yoga studio. “It occurred to me that during my first record or my first tour with the band, I was 19 years old … wow. Suddenly I’ve done this band longer than any other thing in my life.”
To reach number ten is no small feat for any band, especially one that has experienced tragedy like losing their drummer and Carlisle’s twin brother, Brandon, ten years ago this year. Through a united effort of perseverance, determined trial and error—as well as some proven, committed steadfast rules—the band have managed to not only stay together as a functioning unit. And also have fun doing it.
“We’re lucky enough to have overcome a lot of obstacles and a lot of trauma,” Carlisle says. “A lot of everything, you know … it’s a band. And to just keep persevering is just all part of ‘the rock.’ It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock ’n’ roll.”
“Whatever challenges we’ve been through, we kind of have this baseline of like, ‘Oh, we’re going to figure it out or we’re going to fight through this,’” Chen adds. “Even when Brandon passed away, like the next day, we were talking about how to keep doing the band. So, yeah, it’s a good instinct for us to have. That’s how we’ve made it this long.”
One of those resolute rules and secrets that they have developed and committed to over the years is touring for only ten days at time apart from their young families—a rule they have stuck to and has paid off with more band-life balance so that their “kids actually remember their names.”
“We’ve screwed up pretty much everything you possibly could screw up,” Carlisle says. “But that’s how we’ve learned how to actually do this to have such longevity. One of those boundaries we learned is that we only tour for ten days at a time, ten days a month. That’s about our limit, as far as being away from our families and being around each other and it keeps it fun.”
While, they clearly have lots of fun on stage and with their song content like live favorites “Bigger Than Kiss” and “They Call Me Steve,” the band have a serious, progressive side and work ethic which can credit their longevity to as well.
“We love the music a lot. We love each other a lot. We’re not afraid to continue to learn,” Carlisle says. “I want to be a better singer. I know I’ve been singing for 25 years in Teenage Bottlerocket, but I still feel like I could sing better. And I could be a better guitar player. And so it’s about not being comfortable and having a progression to it; not just in the way we’re making music, but in the way we’re being husbands and being dads and helping out with the dishes.”
Adorned in the signature skull-and-crossbones and in University of Wyoming’s colors of brown and gold, Ready to Roll is the fast, fun TBR that you want—but more than you would expect. Long-time bass player Miguel Chen also contributed three songs, singing for the first time and adding a new exciting dynamic to the vocalist-writing team of Ray Carlisle and Kody Templeman.
“I had a bunch of songs. I sent them out to Ray and Kody, and they pumped me up to sing them,” Chen explains. “And I hadn’t it really considered doing it, but I’m stoked. I’m so happy about it.”
One of the songs he wrote and sang is called “Taquero,” a high-energy, retro-punk banger about beautiful childhood memories and aspirations.
“I was born in Mexico City and would always spend my summers there with my grandparents,” Chen recalls. “There’s a real culture of people devoting their lives to one thing—like a bad-ass guy making one type of taco. I always kind of pictured, in the back of my mind, that if I had to do something else, it might be that.”
In addition to Chen’s underrated vocals, Ready to Roll also has some surprising new wave moments to break up the pop-punk energy and expectations.
“We’ve never really been afraid to have at least one unorthodox song on our records,” Carlisle says. “We’ve been known to sway away from the Ramones three-chord formula. I’ve always thought about it like, there’s two types of music. There’s good music and there’s bad music—not if it’s punk music or not. But are we going to have a bunch of synthesizers and put on a Cure-light show with the light set? Absolutely.”
Ready to Roll is out Friday, and you can preorder it from Pirates Press Records. Follow Teenage Bottlerocket on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for future updates.
Photo Credit: Kev Kirchner
