Interview with CH3 vocalist/guitarist Mike Magrann | By Hutch | Photo by Alan Snodgrass
Channel 3 – also known as CH3 – began in Los Angeles in 1980, and in 1981, they stoked the scene with a self-titled 7”. In the following years, they continued to drop classics on Posh Boy Records, including the Fear of Life LP in ‘82 and the After the Lights Go Out LP and I’ll Take My Chances 7” in ‘83. Each subsequent release pushed their abrasive audio agenda further.
Now, the band have written a harsh but catchy album in Put ‘Em Up, released on TKO Records Aug. 18. An elder of the scene, vocalist and original member Mike Magrann explains the glory of still screaming punk anthems. He pulsates with energy about the band’s first album in 15 years. “It’s great to get back and do a complete top to bottom project!” he says. “We’ve been releasing sporadic singles and videos the last several years, but this year, we decided to sit down and write a fully connected record—really, the first time since our days on Enigma Records back in the ‘80s.”
Channel 3’s legacy—with songs like “Manzanar,” “I’ve Got a Gun,” and the anthem, “Strength in Numbers”—relied on its rougher sound, emulating U.K. buzz guitars but with a SoCal backbeat.
The OGs in Channel 3 have been busy this year already, playing large fests and small bars like Denver’s Streets of London Pub. “Denver was a blast! We love playing intimate bars, especially out of town,” Magrann says. “It really lets us connect with the local fans, many of them still supporting us after we first visited three decades ago.”
“We’re very fortunate to get invited on these major festivals too,” he adds. “A fest setting really gives a band the opportunity to play in front of a huge crowd who may be unfamiliar with your band. Although those bigger stages may be removed from the immediate crowd, the amplified energy is still a thrill.”
Put ‘Em Up was inspired by the writings of author Jim Harrison, known for “Legends of the Fall” and “Farmer,” which was adapted for film as “Carried Away.” While these grand novels seem distant from punk, Magrann connects the two. “Well, Jim wrote in a very sparse, direct style; not a lot of time for flowery bullshit, you know?” he explains. “So, he wrote in almost a hardcore punk style: clean, short, and direct. But he never shied away from any theme or extremes of appetite, and that goes along with the punk rebel stance as well.”
Put ‘Em Up continues the CH3 legacy, punching and jabbing against society and its hypocrisies. The current miasma of vitriol and spite unearths Magrann’s ire and suspicions. “I do think the political and cultural climate seasoned each track,” he shares, “and though some songs are overtly political and some songs unashamedly romantic, they share the same sense of space.”
Magrann’s humility manifests an appreciation. It also motivates the band’s rebellious urge. “We have been writing and recording for quite a long time and never take for granted how fortunate we are to still be allowed to do this,” he concludes. “We celebrate rage against the daily madness as well as the storms raging within the heart on this one. So, we hope it will get through to some people!”
