Pop-punk: an interesting and energizing way to take aggressive music to new audiences, or the candy-coated anus of a once-proud scene that’s more about fuzzy wristbands than interesting music? In the past two decades or so, the pop-punk genre has gone from a powerful driving force in guitar-based music to a cringe-worthy forefather of modern emo to a guilty-pleasure influence on rock’s next generation. But what about those bands who owe the genre their livelihood — do they perceive pop-punk as a noble endeavor, or something they once loved when they still had swoop hair?
On the latest episode of MoshTalks Cover Stories, Terry “Beez” Bezer sits down with none other than Jeremy McKinnon, frontman of pop-punk-influenced hardcore group A Day to Remember. And while Beez is very clear that he’s excited to be talking to Jeremy, he also makes a point of noting that pop-punk has not been at its strongest in the recent past.
“Over the course of the last five years, it’s my take that I don’t think any genre has had a worse last five years than pop-punk,” says Big Beezness. “It’s not been great, I don’t think. I love the genre, I’ll always rep the genre, and I’m always looking, but as far as bands emerging, things that have excited me, I think the genre’s had a hard time of it.”
“Look, I don’t know how long it’s been, because my life is legitimately flashing before my eyes,” says Jeremy. “Somebody told me we’ve been a band 18 years or something the other day, and I was like, I’m not even going to process that…I’m usually tunnel vision, and I have no idea when this band emerged as a number…but me, personally, with how much of an effect The Story So Far had on me as a listener…that band resonated with me deeply.”
Listen to the full conversation below:
***
Words by Chris Krovatin
