Punk band The Peeps put on a party with every show
Band reaches out to punk community
Cecelia Martinez
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: Entertainment
|
"We're serious about everyone enjoying themselves," said guitarist Adrian Lopera. "It should just be about having a good time."
The good times began in December 2003 with the original 'Peeps' lineup, which included Lopera, bassist and now lead-vocalist Byron Gray, and then lead-vocalist Lachuza Noelle. In June 2004, Jonny Mehr, a business major at The College of Saint Rose, joined the lineup on drums. The band played as a four-piece for three years until Noelle left the band a year ago and Gray took over on lead vocals. All three members also contribute to the vocals of the band.
They all met in high school at Newburgh Free Academy in Newburgh, New York.
"It's a huge school, it's like the third biggest in the state," Mehr said.
Still, they managed to find each other.
"Adrian came up to me and said he was starting a band and needed someone to play bass," Gray said.
They went on to form a straightforward punk band with a focus on lyrics that they hope people can relate to.
"Back when the Clash was around, they had a lot to say," Mehr said, of one of The Peeps' biggest influences.
"A lot of our lyrics are more social," Lopera said. "We just use personal experience but a lot of it is simile and metaphors. We sing a lot of double meanings. It'll seem like a story about one thing but it can be relatable to every person. It's our stories written through our music."
For Mehr and Lopera, they have always been about punk music.
"I never liked [nu-metal band] Korn or anything like that," Lopera said.
Mehr shares the same sentiment.
"A lot of times people will give me music and say that it's really great, but I won't like it," Mehr said. "Once I got into punk music, there was no change to it."
Even though Mehr is a fan of punk bands like The Clash and Rancid, he isn't a fan of more classic punk bands.
"I was never into the Sex Pistols," Mehr said. "I always thought the first good punk band was The Clash, playing actual good music."
Be the first to comment on this story