Let’s Talk Punk with Under Pressure
Interview By Lisa-PunkrPrincess
Punk Globe: Hi Thanks for chatting with us, can you give us a little band history?
Under Pressure: We all met around 1986/87 through mutual friends attending shows at CBGBs. I had played bass in a few bands and was looking to do something different. Vinny told me about jamming with Kenny and gave me a cassette they recorded in his basement with instrumental versions of “The Truth” and “Think Attitudes”. I had a lot of lyrics written down so I decided to give vocals a try. We set up a jam session at Future Star Studios in Staten Island and bounced around some ideas. We liked how things were sounding so we decided to put the word out for a bassist and start a band.
Punk Globe: Tell us about your new vinyl release. It’s great by the way.
Under Pressure: Through FB, I reconnected with Dom after 25yrs. He still had the master of the Vicious Bite Demo. We talked about releasing the demo on vinyl but the master was mixed to a 2-track ¼” reel. It took some time but we eventually found a studio that was able to transfer the audio to digital. When Dom passed in 2017, I stopped moving forward with releasing the demo. Fast forward a few years, in early 2020 Tommy Thunder (Vicious Bite Vocalist) reconnected me with Garrett (Vengeance Demo Guitarist) and Louie (New Breed Comp Guitarist) and we started jamming again along with Dino from the Murder Junkies on drums. To coincide with a reunion show, it was the perfect time to release both demos on vinyl, then covid hit. With the supply chain issues and an order backlog with the pressing plant, it took 2 years for the demos LP to be completed. Only 300 copies were pressed on green-colored marble.
Punk Globe: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Under Pressure: Everyone in the band contributed to the songwriting. Some members showed up with a complete song now and then, but for the most part, whoever came up with an idea we would just jam on it and build from it.
Punk Globe: Describe your local music scene.
Under Pressure: The NYHC scene is not what it once was. There is no venue like CBGBs, where everyone would meet up every Sunday. But over the years, there’s been a steady flow of many great bands coming out. Whenever there’s a show, no matter the venue, there’s always a nice crowd that comes out to support the bands. It’s great to see a new generation holding it down.
Punk Globe: Who or what are your biggest band inspirations?
Under Pressure: That’s a difficult one ‘cause I like a wide range of music and it all inspires me in one way or another. Some of my all-time favorites are New Order, Midnight Oil, Generation X, My Bloody Valentine, Bad Brains, Agnostic Front, Chemical Brothers, to name a few.
Punk Globe: What are the biggest obstacles for bands?
Under Pressure: I think it’s finding a decent venue to play in. Not many places want moshing or stage diving. When your town area only has 2 venues, that’s a major obstacle when trying to build a following.
Punk Globe: How do you describe your music to people?
Under Pressure: We’re a late 80s NY Hardcore band blending old-school hardcore, oi, and metal.
Punk Globe: Who would be your dream artist to rock a show with?
Under Pressure: OMG, I would love to open for Public Image Ltd. The Sex Pistols and P.I.L. were a huge part of my youth. It would be an honor to play the same stage with Johnny Lydon.
Punk Globe: What’s an important cause or issue you support?
Under Pressure: I’m not a major advocate for anything. I support a lot of different causes, but the preservation of historic sites and the environment are the ones I support the most.
Punk Globe: Strangest venue or gig you’ve ever played?
Under Pressure: A club called “Reds” in Commack, NY. The venue was located in a strip mall, the entrance were stairs going down into the basement, and the place looked like a fancy disco club with the DJ spinning Rick Astley. Amazingly, the show had a great turnout!
Punk Globe: Do you have any other projects you would like us to know about?
Under Pressure: Explosion Theory has always been my ongoing project and it’s still going! I have a few new songs in the works, stay tuned!
Punk Globe: What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?
Under Pressure: Be original, have patience, and work with other bands in your scene.
Don’t go at it alone, plan shows/tours with bands in your local scene.
Punk Globe: Any shout-outs you would like to make?
Under Pressure: Many thanks to all the bands we played with, in particular Killing Time for letting us open for them many times, everyone who contributed to Under Pressure especially Tom Blunt and Eric Mendeses, and our friends and families for the support. R.I.P. Jimmy Lien, Dom D-Rock, and Ameri-Ken.
Punk Globe: Where can we find your music? and how do we buy the album?
Under Pressure: The album was a limited edition of 300, we no longer have any copies left. RevHQ.com still has a handful of copies left and some record stores have copies for sale on discogs and ebay.
Punk Globe: Thanks for Chatting with us and thanks to all the readers.
Under Pressure: Thanks for having us!!
