Girl at the Rock Shows

I know that Haarlem, Netherlands is super far away from me here in Minneapolis, Minnesota but, the second I heard “Forget You” from Haarlem punk band Crash Exhibition, I felt so very close to them. It’s a fun little song that will make your soul dance while feeding your heart with this sense of loving care. It’s an odd thing but, while listening to “Forget You”, there were moments where it felt like this band was actually in the room with me (I promise that’s not just because I was blaring this as loud as my speakers could go). Obviously, a band that connects with me so quickly is a band I want to know more about so I was honored to get the chance to ask them some questions!

What was your “covid hobby”?

Writing this album and music in general, but I did some painting of little models too.

If you could have dinner with any musician, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Narrowing it down is so hard oh man. I’m gonna give one dead one alive. Dead, Elliott smith because his music is great and id like to talk to him about Melodys and Big Star. Alive, Jarvis Cocker, because he seems cool and This is Hardcore is one of the best albums ever.

Have you ever been able to finish a Rubik’s Cube?

Nope. My nephew is currently into them. There are like algorithms to solve them that you can learn off. Makes it seem more futile to me. I was a yo-yo kid. 

What’s your favorite video game and why?

Final Fantasy 7. It was the first game i got with my PlayStation, and I had never played an RPG before, didn’t know it was like, scores of hours long, and I didn’t own a memory card… It had so much depth compared to the kinda of games I had played up to that point. The graphics give me a massive nostalgia buzz. I probably won’t play the remake, it was a specific game for a specific time in my life and holds a lot of happy memories. There’s even a lil tribute to it at the end of “Forget You”!

Everyone says that every crowd is their favorite but, what city has the best audience and why is it Minneapolis?

Any city in Ireland. Cork in particular. Irish fans are notoriously fun for visiting bands, although I think local scenes struggle a bit. After that, probably Minneapolis. I’ve never been, but loads of great music comes from there so they must be cool, right?

What’s your go-to purchase at a gas station (outside of gas) when on a road trip?

Jellies. Haribo, or whatever they have. 

What’s the worst concert you’ve ever been to?

Saw Puddle of Mudd playing support to Korn at my first “real” gig. They weren’t great. 

Favorite lyrics of all time?

Good god. That’s almost impossible. Every Beatles song. I don’t rank stuff. Everything I like is my favourite… Kings crossing by Elliott Smith. There, band aid ripped. I resent you for asking me to pick. 

If you could compare yourself to an animal, what would it be and why?

A weird bird. Or just a crow. They’re too cool though. I’d be whatever bird is jealous of crows. 

If you were to rob a bank, what would be the song playing in the getaway car as you escape?   

Focus – Hocus Pocus, or Clash doing “I fought the law”

What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?

There have been so many it’s kinda hard. The Locust in Dublin, blew my mind, soundscapes were going through me. I just saw PULP this summer and they were amazing.

What’s your favorite method of listening to music (i.e. vinyl, cassette, 8-track, etc.)

I just listen on my phone with my earphones. Yes I know, this is awful and I am a terrible person. I own vinyl for the artwork mostly. Used to have a turntable but I left it in Ireland. 

What’s one thing I should know before listening to “Forget You”?

I’m not as negative as some of my songs might suggest. It’s the negative thoughts in my head, but they’re not necessarily true. So as a counterpoint: there are so many good people in the world. The universe is endlessly fascinating. Music does not mix the bourgeoisie and the rebel, but it’s great.

There’s something almost theatrical about this song to me so, with that being said, what’s your favorite musical?

I do like a good musical. Jesus Christ Superstar. It’s cheesy in the best way. I am an atheist of some sort, but I still like it.

Who would you say was the biggest influence when it came to writing this song in particular?

I listen to lots of ska and punk rock, but this tune I think is kind of like a mix of Madness, BTMI, Suicide Machines and Against Me!

Where were you when you wrote this?

I was at my desk in the middle of the night a while into lockdown. I remember getting the hook in my head and it wouldn’t stop repeating “your friends aren’t gonna forget you”. Most of this album was sketched out on that night.

If you had to assign a color to “Forget You”, what color would it be and why?

Red. It’s kind of angry right?

There’s a strong ska influence in this track which I adore but I also love metal so, if you had to have a metal band cover this track, who would you want it to be?

Carcass. They’re my favourite metal band. Any grindcore bands though, I want to hear what a grindcore version of this sounds like.

“Forget You” is a single off of your upcoming album ‘Alright’. Can we expect more fun little bops like this on that album

Yes!! The next single is out on January 24th and is more of my own brand of gloomy ska punk. COVID allowed John DeDomenici and Kevin Higuchi of Jeff Rosenstock’s band to help me out with some bass and drums which still blows my mind. The album goes on a fun journey through a bunch of sounds. There’s a tune I think sounds a bit like Springsteen, and another one that’s like a slow country waltz. There’s chord organ… I just try to make the songs in my head. 

When can we expect ‘Alright’

March! Date TBD but I’ll be letting people know on the socials in advance. 

Is there anything else you want everyone to know?

Transphobes, racists etc can skip my stuff. Also, people who get really worked up about what is and is not punk, you can feck off too. Follow me on Spotify/insta!

It’s true– it doesn’t matter what is and is not punk rock. All that matters is “Forget You”, and literally everything Crash Exhibition has put there, and continues to put out there is full of heart and spirit. Much like the answers to my questions, there’s something well thought out about everything that comes out of Crash Exhibition, yet, at the same time, there’s something accessible and relatable. This is a band you will instantly fall in love with, I just know it. So what are you waiting for?! Check Crash Exhibition out now and make sure to follow them on all of their socials so you don’t miss any announcements about their upcoming album ‘Alright’!

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