Born Dad Will Break Your Stuff
Meet the DC-based punk rock band ahead of their single release today.
If you needed proof that the winter blizzard of 2016 was the best time to start a queer rage punk band with your roommates, Born Dad is that proof.
The band started out as a folk ensemble including an upright bass, acoustic guitars, and a fiddle, covering folky faves like Look at Miss Ohio and Landslide. Months later, when they hosted a Halloween party at their group house in Columbia Heights, the roommates played a hit rendition of Monster Mash and consequentially landed on a much grittier sound. Drums were acquired for Zach Knowlton, and guitarists Leah Douglas, Rae Gaines, and Katie Parker switched to electric.
Fast forward three years later, and while we can still hear a country rock cover from Sheryl Crow or Shania Twain from time to time, Born Dad’s chemistry is simple: 50 percent jokes plus 50 percent queer rage. With songs like DIY, Poly Lyfe, and Middle Class Women, the genre-bending group addresses key troubles and tranquilities of life as queer, feminist young people in the music scene.
This week, Born Dad released their latest single, called IDC, which is part of their forthcoming album to be released in March of this year. Recorded at Headroom Studios in Philadelphia over the summer, the track begins with a classic punk rock intro. About ten seconds later, once we’re fully emerged in head bobbing at our desks, Mary Alice Reilly comes in with the saxophone, quickly establishing the vibe of an apathetic anthem.
The first and second verses provide context on precisely what kind of person Born Dad truly does not care about. This kind of person stayed out all night, did something regrettable, and gaslighted us into thinking it wasn’t a big deal. This is where the queer rage comes in: We are going to tell your friends, tow your car, and call your mom.
Just before the chorus, singer Leah Douglass makes it plain: “It doesn’t matter to me how you feel.” The phrase becomes something of a mantra, until the chorus begins and names the song: I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care / I really, really, really, really, really don’t care”
Turns out, I care! To learn more, I asked Born Dad some questions:
Which songs do you enjoy playing more: The jokes or the queer rage?
Mary Alice Reilly: Both are really important! Jokes are a great outlet for expressing anger, frustration and/or disillusionment with the status quo. Jokes can also express nuance or land with an audience in ways that rage can’t. But rage, very importantly, offers an outlet for emotions that are often too raw and honest to grapple with on a daily basis.
Rae Gaines: I can really feel the energy shift when we play both types of songs. People seem to really respond to both our funny and our serious stuff, in such different ways. I really love feeling the audience response from both — the energy is equally palpable when MA is pouring her heart into the lyrics of our slow song, “What More,” as when the crowd is shouting “I’m a sack of trash but I’m not a trash fire!!!” back at us. There’s wild energy in different ways for both, and both experiences can make my heart race.
You really, really, really, really, really don’t care. What does not caring free us from?
RG: It’s funny, because while in this case we REALLY don’t care, in another song (“Quit Yr Job”) all we do is want to take care of our friends and community. I think choosing not to care about toxic people and situations (especially patriarchal, misogynist men) gives us space to feed that energy into caring about the people and causes we DO care about — like our pals, our community, and our music.
Favorite line in IDC?
MAR: 100% “gonna break your stuff with a baseball bat!”
Katie Parker: I really like “These days, it’s like everyone / doesn’t have enough time to get things done / so how did you find a way / to flirt with someone different every single day?” To me, it captures a very specific feeling about not feeling prioritized amidst hectic schedules.
Leah Douglas: “Gonna tell your friends / tow your car / call your mom.” Haven’t we all imagined calling some obnoxious ex’s loved ones and ratting out their bad behavior?!
Zach Knowlton: I also gotta go with “Gonna tell your friends, tow your car, call your mom” because I love the idea of the major inconvenience of getting someone who is being horrible to you’s car towed.
Any dc-based bands with whom you’re dying to play?
ZK: There are so many great DC bands making music right now, and we’re super lucky we’ve gotten to play with so many of them already, but definitely at the top of the list for me are Bacchae (who also have a new album coming out in March!) and Knife Wife! And if we’re reaching for the stars, just putting it out there into the universe, opening for Ex Hex would be a dream!
RG: Also can’t wait to share a stage with Pagan Reagan one day!
Do you stick to a writing process? What is it?
MAR: When I write a song, usually I bring a concept or a full set of lyrics to the band to try and add a tune that works for guitars. We are typically really collaborative! Other songs, like Sack of Trash & Poly Lyfe, are improvised on the spot during a practice or hang at a bar or at home.
KP: One of my favorite parts is after the song is written, we experiment and add more layers. We play around a lot with harmonies, experimenting with different parts until we find ones that click. This was also a really cool part of recording since we were able to add even more layers than we can perform live.
LD: I almost always start my writing process in the car, oddly enough. I’ll record a voice memo of a hook that I’m humming to myself, or a lyric that I think works well, and then go home and sit with my guitar and see what comes of it.
What’s the best way to listen to IDC?
You can download at our bandcamp, or stream on Spotify, Apple Music, & most other streaming services (except Amazon! #NoMusicForIce)
On Thursday, January 9, Born Dad will be debuting their latest single IDC at DC9 in Washington, D.C., supported by Chicx Guapx and Emperor Plum. If you need extra time to jam out to IDC, make it to their next show at Pie Shop on January 24 or for their album release show on March 21.
