Matt Korvette of Pissed Jeans is used to hearing noises like static and feedback, but our phone conversation started off with too much of what is normally a good thing to the band's lead singer. The Allentown, Pennsylvania, noisy punk(ish) band makes its first trip to Phoenix on Friday, November 7, and according to Korvette, "we're pretty stoked" about their show with local power house Gay Kiss and Tucson mind-blowers, Lenguas Largas.
Up on the Sun caught up with Matt as he prepared for the early tour dates, and he talked about the band, influences, and life as a part-time noise rock superstar.
Up on the Sun: Hey...apologies for the bad connection, but you must be used to some feedback at the volume you guys typically play at.
Matt Korvette: (Laughs) Haha, yes. I'm finally in my element.
So tell us about Pissed Jeans.
Matt Korvette: Hmmm, I don't know. I guess we are just kind of a representation of all the things we tend to gravitate towards in the last 30 years of loud guitar music. Just kind of fun. There is a pretty wide range of things we're interested in and we're not trying to recreate any one particular thing. Pissed Jeans are all about just trying to be in the vein of bands we really enjoy.
So what are some of the bands you were interested in when you all got together?
When we first got together, it was very much let's do something in the vein of Flipper, the Crucifucks, Stickmen with Rayguns. Bands who were kind of in the slower vein of punk music. Fang, for sure. We have definitely branched out a bit but we've stayed under the blanket of different loud rock music. From mainstream shit to super obscure stuff.
Is being loud important to you?
Matt Korvette: It is. It is fun to really feel it. I guess we're just used to being loud. I don't know how important loud is, but we're just always that. I don't know if we've gotten quieter over the years, but we've gotten maybe a little smarter over the years. When we first started our guitar player Brad [Fry] would have multiple stacks, but it was such a pain to bring those into basements or halls. We'll borrow gear here and there, and it's not like we have to have some certain amps or anything. We usually crank it pretty loud.
(Author's note: So bands looking to play with Pissed Jeans, be forewarned. They may borrow your gear and melt people's faces with it.)
We definitely understand and appreciate the idea of "let's bludgeon the audience tonight."
Well, it is just fun and makes everything more physical.
From the video I've seen, you guys seem to put it all into your performances.
Yeah, I try to.
How do you feel after two or three weeks on the road?
We never really go out for that long ... probably for that very reason that we'd just be fucking exhausted if we did. We go for like, nine days. We did three weeks once when we went to Europe. We have to take off work and such.
Do you all have day jobs? I think I read you all just recently became dads.
Yeah. We all actually became dads in the same year. We're all on the same wavelength...same orgasmic wavelength, actually. (laughs) It's fun and there's no odd man out. There is no, like, "single guy." It's kind of nice and I think it will help the longevity of the band. It's pretty nice. It kind of deepens the bond of the band.
Did you find parenthood working its way into your lyrics?
Uh, yeah. I think so. There is a lot of grief to be had as a parent.
How old are your kids now?
They're all between the age of two and three.
