The Drowns' Rev & Andy Wylie Talk About Under Tension, Working with Producer Ted Hutt, The Seattle Kraken & More (The Witzard Interview)
"I first met Rev when his band, Success, were supporting my pals, 7Seconds, on a West Coast/Pacific Northwest tour during the Summer of 2015. I was tagging along for the California dates and had the pleasure of getting to know the guys from Success over those few days. I remember, after they played their set in Reno, Rev was so excited that there was a pit during their set. They brought so much excitement and positive energy to the tour and were absolutely solid dudes all the way. I did everything that I could to catch up with Rev & The Gang anytime they were in town after.
Over the next few years, I had heard that Rev was working on another band called The Drowns and when he sent me the demo for their first record, View from The Bottom, it was clear that something special was about to happen. The Drowns have their own style and sound that would appeal to any Punk & Oi! crowd and beyond. It wasn't long before they were picked up by Pirates Press and I knew that we were all-in for something great. That greatness came soon after in the form of their sophomore record, Under Tension."
- Penned By: Robert Taylor (@rtaylor138)
I. What might you cite as some of your most unlikely sources of inspiration and influence while writing and recording Under Tension?
Andy Wylie: Lyrically, I would say we were heavily inspired by the political and social climate we are living in, at the moment, and the way that it has affected us as people, as well as the world around us. Musically, we drew on a lot of different influences. I, personally, was listening to a lot of Agent Orange, The Damned, Buzzcocks, C*cksparrer, and a bunch of old Rock "N" Roll stuff, like The Zombies, Dave Clark Five, Warren Zevon, and Tom Waits.
Rev: We're both huge 50's Rock "N" Roll fans. There is definitely a lot of that in there. Those are, actually, my favorite elements of our songs. And, obviously, a bunch of Street Punk & Oi! Vanilla Muffins, Stiff Little Fingers, and Blitz are big ones for me.
II. How did you guys initially get in touch with Ted Hutt (Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, The Gaslight Anthem) to produce your sophomore album, Under Tension?
Rev: Our drummer, Jake [Margolis] has worked with Ted before when he was in the band, Madcap. Jake reached out to Ted about The Drowns and he was totally into it.
Wylie: Not only is he a brilliant producer, ho has made a lot of our favorite records, but he, also, knows his stuff when it comes to making great Rock "N" Roll. The guy is the epitome of cool!
III. Who's part of the current line-up of The Drowns and what's each members' role in the band?
Wylie: Rev is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter. I (Andy) play bass, sing secondary vocals, and write, as well. Jonny [Wade] plays guitar and sings back-up vocals. Jake [Margolis] plays drums.
Rev: Andy brings the cool. Jonny chugs the beers. Jake tells the dad jokes. And I look for fast-food places to stop on the road haha.
IV. What have you guys been up to since Nation-wide quarantine/lockdowns started... any signs of new Drowns material?
Wylie: We've been doing a lot of writing and passing song ideas back-and-forth. Rev & I did several acoustic livestreams on our social media pages, so we could continue to do what we love and connect with all of our friends that we were planning to see on the road this year, before everything went sideways. Jake has been posting his excellent drum covers on his Facebook & YouTube pages. Other than that, we've mostly just been trying to stay safe and healthy and spending time with our families.
Rev: Haha, ya. I've, also, I've taken it upon myself to get pneumonia for over a month, which I wouldn't recommend. But other than that, like Andy said, we always try to write. And it has been nice to settle for a minute and focus on family life, though. That sort of thing can be rare for us.
V. What made you decide to release "Demons," "Black Lung," and "Wolves know The Throne" as stand-alone flexi-disc 7-inch singles on Pirates Press Records and why this unique format?
Wylie: The single choices were decided collaboratively between the band and the label. As far as the flexi format, Pirates Press are very good at utilizing that technology in cool ways. They have been doing really interesting flexi-singles for other bands on the label for years to great success and we were really excited that they wanted to do some very creative and visually stunning flexis to promote Under Tension. They, also, created a fantastic printed 12-inch vinyl single for Hold Fast/Demons that dropped before the full-length that just blew us away. For my money, no other label can touch Pirates Press, when it comes to vinyl innovation.
Rev: Ya, Pirates Press really took the lead on that. They are great a knowing what songs need a little more attention on a record. And we fully trust their opinion. They are more involved than any other label we've ever worked with and we truly appreciate how much they care about what they do and our music.
VI. How would you, personally, say The Drowns' sound, style, and overall aesthetic as a band has changed and progressed since 2018's View from The Bottom?
Rev: I think, we had a sound in our heads that we wanted to convey and we've gotten closer with each recording; but we've really loosened up and just let it rip this last year.
Wylie: I think, we found our musical direction while touring on View from The Bottom. We learned what elements work better than others live, what seemed to resonate with audiences, and how to play to each other's strengths. That helped us refine and guide our writing. As far as style and aesthetic, we just do what appeals to us. No costumes or gimmicks. Just Working-class Rock "N" Roll.
VII. How do you guys feel about Washington's newly-announced hockey team, The Seattle Kraken? What Drowns song would you suggest they chose as their team anthem?
Wylie: We are stoked! Rev, especially, is a big hockey fan. He got us all watching the games while we are on tour. I'm looking forward to seeing The Kraken in action! As for an anthem, I think, "The Sound" would be a great one. It's a love letter to Seattle and has an anthemic feel. The closing song from Under Tension, "Battery Street," would, also, be a solid "team" song. Big sing-able chorus, plenty of Seattle love in the lyrics.
Rev: I'M BEYOND HYPED!!! I'm a huge hockey fan and a born Washingtonian; I've been waiting for this my whole life. I've already got tickets! I'm taking the whole band to games! And I agree, I think, "The Sound" would be perfect for a "goal" song or when they come out on to the ice. "RELEASE THE KRAKEN!!!"
VIII. Now that Under Tension has been unleashed into the terribly unsuspecting world, what do The Drowns have planned next?
Wylie: We had planned to do a lot of touring this year to support the record. Unfortunately, COVID put a stop to all that, so we are focusing on writing new music. As soon as it is safe, we will be getting back on the road, as much as possible.
Rev: We have a ton of plans for next year (all things considered.) We will have some announcements coming soon enough. We don't stop working. Fortunately, we are stubborn.
IX. We've been running a recurring column called Guts of The Ice focusing on Puck Rock/Hockey-core (or Hockey Punk) bands on our site these past few months. So, assuming you guys are hockey fans, what would you consider some of your personal favorite Hockey Punk anthems and rink-rousing classics?
Rev: My team was The Bruins, until a few days ago, so "Time to Go" by The [Dropkick] Murphys, for sure. And "I've Got An Ape Drape" by The Vandals is an unsung hero of Hockey Punk songs.
Wylie: I don't have a particularly deep knowledge of hockey-themed Punk... Hanson Brothers are cool.
X. What's the meaning behind your band name and what were some of the runner-ups before you guys settled on "The Drowns?"
Wylie: It's fairly open to interpretation. To me, it evokes a feeling of being overwhelmed or enveloped. To give in to something completely, whether that's a feeling, a sound, or an experience. The only other name that I remember kicking around was "Bakersfield," but once "The Drowns" was suggested, that was it.
Rev: Ya, we knew immediately when we heard it.
XI. So, Under Tension plays out perfectly and is sequenced wonderfully, in my opinion! I've always been curious: how did you decide on how exactly to sequence the album's tracks? About how many tracklists did you go through before settling on the final sequencing order?
Rev: We really, really focused on it for a while. There was, also, a lot of back-and-forth between the whole band and Ted [Hutt]. We really valued his opinion on that; but we, probably, take that kind of a thing way more seriously than most bands these days. We still believe an album should be an ALBUM, not just a collection of songs with no flow.
Wylie: We listened to the songs in every conceivable combination to find the best sequence. Each of us came up with our preferred sequence, then, compared and fine-tuned until it sounded right. We made a conscious effort to structure the songs in a way that would lend itself well to vinyl. We wanted a strong opener and closer for each "side" with a natural flow between songs. As record nerds, it was important to us to make the kind of record we would want to listen to on our turntables at home.
XII. Can you tell us a little bit about the Under Tension album artwork? What's the white part in the middle intended to signify/represent? It kind of evokes some Damaged-era Black Flag vibes, too!
Wylie: This record is very much a love letter to our favorite early British & American Punk Rock influences and we wanted the art to reflect that. Rev worked closely with our friend, Curtiss, who, also, helped with the View from The Bottom artwork, to create something that is eye-catching, simple, but immediately recognizable. I can't, personally, speak to the symbolism, but, I think, you know what you are going to get when you look at this album cover. Gut-punching, high-octane Rock "N" Roll.
Rev: You nailed it. We just wanted a harder-looking cover for the serious nature of some of the lyrics and to catch the eye of folks, who might dig what we do. It's, also, an homage to records we love. We really have Curtiss Lopez to thank for the art and concept. When you need a curmudgeon of a man and one Hell of a designer, he's your guy. (Love you, Curtiss!)