beatlanta.com

Band Profile and Interview with Atlanta band Seagulls

by Chris Fuller…
 

Seagulls is a four-piece, mid- tempo, gravelly pop punk band from the bustling metropolis that is Atlanta, GA. Formed in 2012 and fueled by cheap beer and questionable cylindrically-shaped gas station cuisine, they traipse through dive bars and divier basements throughout the southeast playing anthemic punk screeds meant for pounding tallboys and pumping fists. They’ve released 2 self-recorded EPs- ‘All the World’s Wars’ and ‘The Royal We’ (via Autumn and Colour) – and are currently  hard at work writing for their first full length.

Check out tracks from their recent album, ‘the Royal We’..

 

 

BeAtlanta – Who are the members of Seagulls and what do you play?

 

Scottie (Scott Lobster) Holzwart – Drums

Billy Duncan – Lead Guitar

Dom DiCecco – Guitar/vox

Steve (Steve-dad) (Steve-dave) Johnson – Bass/vox

 
 

B – What does the name Seagulls mean?

Steve- I’m going to let Billy take this one. I was pretty open to names so long as they were easy to remember and spell.

Billy- It’s from the book “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”.

 
 

B – What kind of music would you describe Seagulls as playing?

Steve- gruff, melodic pop punk.

Billy- punk rock, pop punk, melodic hardcore, orgcore.. take your pick.

 
 

B – What bands influenced you to write?

Steve- I steal most everything from Iron Chic, Nothington, Red City Radio, and Dillinger Four. Songs are based around 4 or 5 chords and then add a guitar and vocal melody over them. Throw in occasional harmonies and bam- that’s one in the can.

Billy- Hard question to answer.. Right off the top, Hot Water Music, The Cure, Jawbreaker, Smashing Pumpkins, and a bunch of 80’s shit.

Dom- Dillinger Four

Scott- Blink182, Yellowcard, Rise Against, and most recently The Wonder Years.

 
 

B – Do you have any pre-show rituals?

Steve- nothing out of the ordinary. Grab a couple drinks, tune, play. Drink some more.

Billy- Lots of Red Bull. Listening to Lamb of God in the van.

Dom- Pooping (very important), chugging energy drinks

Scott- Some warm-ups to get my hands moving and stretching.

 
 

B – What other bands have you been in?

Steve- In Alabama I formed a band called August Spies that is still going strong and is like a more country version of Seagulls. In Chicago I was in a melodic hardcore punk band called Fat Sally.

Billy- In ATL, Ricer.

Dom- None worth mentioning

Scott- A pop-punk band with some of my old friends. New Sound Accomplice. A few other smaller ones.

 
 

B – Where have you played recently, where do you like to play in Atlanta?

Steve- WonderRoot is pretty much our jam by choice. I do a decent amount of booking for small, but great, touring bands that are coming through and the small production costs at WonderRoot allow us to keep the costs down and attendance high.

Billy- We LOVE playing Wonderroot. Pretty much any DIY spot where you can bring your own beer. But now it’s summer and WR doesn’t have A/C.. so, we are trying to branch out.

Dom- Wonderroot is always a good time (shout out to Chopper Dave Sherman), 529 is the best sounding venue in ATL, Drunken Unicorn is a close 2nd.  Both are also great places to play.

Scott- Most recently Wonderroot. I haven’t really played enough places to give a good answer.

 
 

B – Do you have any CD’s or records out?

Steve- We officially have 2 digital EPs out- ‘The Royal We’ (through Autumn + Colour Records) and ‘All the World’s Wars’. Both are self recorded. Both are free on our bandcamp page (http://seagullsatl.bandcamp.com). Both are available just about everywhere online.

Billy- Only digital releases, at the moment. “The Royal We” just came out on Autumn and Colour and our first EP, “All The World’s Wars”, is available for free on our bandcamp page. (seagullsatl.bandcamp.com)

Scott- /\ What they said.

 
 

B  – If you could play anywhere(not a venue), where would you really want to play?

Steve- I’m from Chicago, so right now my goal is to get a tour booked up there to go play a show with the guys I played with in high school. We also had friends in Europe suggest we go over there and play, which sounds awesome but financially impractical.

Billy- THE FEST in Gainesville, FL. Maybe next year 🙁

Dom- Inside the sarcophagus in Chernobyl

Scott- Does Gillette Stadium count? Somewhere that’s not a venue…. An aircraft carrier.

 

What inspires the lyrics?

Steve- Life. Generally I try to keep them positive as I don’t do well with bands/people constantly bitching about their life and not doing anything to change it. Sometimes things suck, but there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.

Billy – Take it away, Steve..

 

 

B – What kind of equipment do you use?

 

Steve – My go to right now is a 2000 Fender pbass through an Ampeg SVT-2 pro out of an Ampeg 410hlf heritage cab. The most important part of the whole shebang is a tuner.

Billy- OOOOoooo, I love talking gear! Current setup: Mesa Boogie .50 cal head with a Marshall 1960 cab and a Fender Mustang with a JB Humbucker. We have too many amps/cabs laying around the practice space. Dom and I are always experimenting with different tones.

Dom- Gibson Les Paul Classic, Marshall JCM800, Orange 4×12.

Scott- A gretsch catalina club kit. Pearl 14” Ian Paice custom snare. Mix and match set of cymbals and hardware.I switch between evans and remo heads. Vater 2B sticks.

 
 

B – What is Seagulls next step in the Atlanta music scene?

Steve- Write good songs with our new drummer, record more, and stay relevant.

Billy- As a band, our main goal is getting a physical release out. Aside from that, Steve and I are working on the second Jabronifest and with the Blood Drunk Records dudes for Bummer Summer. Steve is usually busy booking shows at WR.

Dom- Hopefully not in a pile of dog shit

Scott- Writing, recording, and shows.

 
 

B – Anything you want to say to the fans?

Billy- Hey, Rick. Hope you are doing well.

Dom- Sorry.

 

 

Review of ‘the Royal We’ from Scene Point Blank:

‘The opening track , “The Implication,” is the perfect indication for what you can expect from the rest of the EP. It’s loud and boisterous. One of the better pop-punk songs I’ve heard this year so far. The rest of the EP doesn’t stray from the formula. “Darryl Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Close One” are rife with gang vocals and catchy melodies.’

From Rock Freaks:

‘think gravelly vocals, shout-along choruses, and infectious melodies that gain a great deal of character from the roared, edgy delivery of their vocalist Steve-Dave Johnson. It’s a sound that exhibits honesty and passion throughout, which is also why the band probably doesn’t give a shit that their sound is also very similar to the likes of Nothington, Bathurst and Nightlights.’

For more on Seagulls, check out their official site HERE, their FaceBook page HERE and their BandCamp HERE…