WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.360 Imagine being at the absolute peak of your career. 00:00:04.660 --> 00:00:07.019 Right. You know, you spent years just grinding 00:00:07.019 --> 00:00:09.380 away. You are finally touring the world. You're 00:00:09.380 --> 00:00:11.980 selling records, playing these massive festivals. 00:00:11.980 --> 00:00:14.279 Well, chasing the dream, basically. Exactly. 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:17.440 And the entire industry is telling you that you 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:20.379 are on the verge of becoming the next massive 00:00:20.379 --> 00:00:23.210 thing. And then, well, you just stop. Which is 00:00:23.210 --> 00:00:25.449 crazy. Right. Not because you hate your coworkers, 00:00:25.989 --> 00:00:27.670 not because you've developed some destructive 00:00:27.670 --> 00:00:29.609 habit, and not even because you're burned out. 00:00:29.910 --> 00:00:32.149 You walk away simply because, you know, you want 00:00:32.149 --> 00:00:34.630 to go home and be a dad. Yeah, and in the entertainment 00:00:34.630 --> 00:00:36.850 industry, that is generally considered career 00:00:36.850 --> 00:00:38.969 suicide. I mean, the machine demands that you 00:00:38.969 --> 00:00:41.409 keep feeding it, right? Oh, for sure. If you 00:00:41.409 --> 00:00:44.189 step off the treadmill, the conventional wisdom 00:00:44.189 --> 00:00:46.270 says you are going to be forgotten in like six 00:00:46.270 --> 00:00:51.670 months. Well, welcome to today's deep dive. We 00:00:51.670 --> 00:00:54.850 are looking at the enduring three decade plus 00:00:54.850 --> 00:00:58.750 career of the California punk rock band, the 00:00:58.750 --> 00:01:01.250 Swingin' Utters. Such a great band. Well, absolutely. 00:01:01.729 --> 00:01:04.090 And based on the sources we've compiled, our 00:01:04.090 --> 00:01:07.569 mission today is to figure out how a loud, aggressive 00:01:07.569 --> 00:01:11.170 punk band manages to sustain that kind of longevity. 00:01:12.090 --> 00:01:15.689 Especially when they actively break the industry's 00:01:15.689 --> 00:01:18.090 golden rules. Yeah, it's fascinating. It really 00:01:18.090 --> 00:01:20.450 is. Right. Like how do they balance this blue 00:01:20.450 --> 00:01:23.709 collar grit with some truly surprising musical 00:01:23.709 --> 00:01:26.790 influences and most importantly with real life 00:01:26.790 --> 00:01:28.989 priorities? Right. The analogy I like to use 00:01:28.989 --> 00:01:32.469 is their career isn't this flashy volatile sports 00:01:32.469 --> 00:01:34.969 car. Right. It's much more like a long haul truck. 00:01:35.170 --> 00:01:37.870 Oh, I like that. Yeah. It's steady, it's working 00:01:37.870 --> 00:01:39.950 class, it's built for the long road and it's 00:01:39.950 --> 00:01:42.170 just totally unbothered by change. trends. That 00:01:42.170 --> 00:01:44.269 is the perfect way to describe them. And I want 00:01:44.269 --> 00:01:46.230 to say right up front to you listening even if 00:01:46.230 --> 00:01:48.629 you don't own a single studded leather jacket 00:01:48.629 --> 00:01:50.930 or you know even if you couldn't name three punk 00:01:50.930 --> 00:01:53.049 bands to save your life you should care about 00:01:53.049 --> 00:01:55.170 this story. Absolutely. Because what we are really 00:01:55.170 --> 00:01:58.349 looking at is a master class in career longevity 00:01:58.349 --> 00:02:01.790 staying radically authentic and completely defying 00:02:01.790 --> 00:02:05.140 expectations of how to scale a career. And To 00:02:05.140 --> 00:02:07.099 really appreciate what they achieved, you have 00:02:07.099 --> 00:02:08.979 to understand the specific ecosystem they came 00:02:08.979 --> 00:02:12.139 up in. The California scene. Right. The late 00:02:12.139 --> 00:02:16.039 1980s and the 90s in California produced an incredibly 00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:18.659 crowded punk scene. I mean, it was completely 00:02:18.659 --> 00:02:21.759 saturated. Everybody had a band. Literally. Every 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:24.259 kid with a skateboard and a cheap guitar was 00:02:24.259 --> 00:02:27.689 trying to start a band in their garage. So standing 00:02:27.689 --> 00:02:30.449 out in that environment required a highly unique 00:02:30.449 --> 00:02:33.409 sonic footprint. And a ton of hard work. Oh, 00:02:33.530 --> 00:02:36.250 a relentless, almost punishing work ethic. Yeah. 00:02:36.409 --> 00:02:38.389 If you're going to build a career that outlasts 00:02:38.389 --> 00:02:40.389 everyone else in a crowded market like that, 00:02:41.009 --> 00:02:43.650 you need a foundation that isn't built on fleeting 00:02:43.650 --> 00:02:46.370 trends. Exactly. So where did the Utters get 00:02:46.370 --> 00:02:50.889 theirs? Looking at their origins, they formed 00:02:50.889 --> 00:02:53.389 in the late 1980s in Santa Cruz, California. 00:02:53.819 --> 00:02:55.879 But originally, they were called Johnny P. Bucks 00:02:55.879 --> 00:02:57.680 and the Swing and Utters. Right, the early days. 00:02:57.919 --> 00:02:59.939 Yeah. And then they eventually moved to San Francisco. 00:03:00.620 --> 00:03:03.159 And in 1994, they dropped the first half of the 00:03:03.159 --> 00:03:05.930 name and become simply the swinging udders. Which 00:03:05.930 --> 00:03:08.069 is actually a really important detail. How so? 00:03:08.349 --> 00:03:10.650 Well, dropping the Johnny P. Bucks part of the 00:03:10.650 --> 00:03:13.069 name, it signaled that they were a unified front. 00:03:13.490 --> 00:03:15.810 It wasn't just a flashy front man and his backing 00:03:15.810 --> 00:03:19.270 band, you know, it was the statement of democratic 00:03:19.270 --> 00:03:21.930 working class solidarity right from the jump. 00:03:22.050 --> 00:03:24.909 That makes total sense. And that unified front 00:03:24.909 --> 00:03:28.939 paid off incredibly fast. In 1995, they have 00:03:28.939 --> 00:03:31.800 this massive breakout with their album, The Streets 00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:34.360 of San Francisco. A classic record. It really 00:03:34.360 --> 00:03:37.360 is. It actually wins Best Debut Album at the 00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:40.319 Bay Area Music Awards. And soon after that, they 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:43.319 are included on the very first Vans Warped Tour. 00:03:43.550 --> 00:03:46.710 Which is huge. Being on the ground floor of the 00:03:46.710 --> 00:03:49.210 Vans Warped Tour, I mean, it cannot be overstated 00:03:49.210 --> 00:03:51.250 in terms of punk rock history. It was the place 00:03:51.250 --> 00:03:53.849 to be. It wasn't just a concert. It was the traveling 00:03:53.849 --> 00:03:55.969 circus that essentially anointed the vanguard 00:03:55.969 --> 00:03:58.729 of that era's punk explosion. It was like the 00:03:58.729 --> 00:04:00.789 physical manifestation of the whole subculture. 00:04:00.969 --> 00:04:03.330 Yeah, it put them in front of massive crowds, 00:04:03.330 --> 00:04:05.449 and it obviously got the attention of the right 00:04:05.449 --> 00:04:08.789 people. Because in 1996, they signed to the legendary 00:04:08.789 --> 00:04:12.129 label Fat Rec Chords, releasing an album with 00:04:12.129 --> 00:04:14.039 maybe one of the most descriptive titles ever. 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:16.040 Oh yeah. A juvenile product of the working class. 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:18.860 Such a great title. And signing to Fat Records 00:04:18.860 --> 00:04:21.319 in 96, that wasn't just getting a standard record 00:04:21.319 --> 00:04:24.879 deal. What does it do? It was massive. That label, 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:28.519 run by Fat Mike of NOFX, was essentially the 00:04:28.519 --> 00:04:32.420 Motown of 1990s punk. That is a great comparison. 00:04:32.620 --> 00:04:36.019 It had a very specific ethos. It had this dedicated 00:04:36.019 --> 00:04:40.240 global fan base that would literally buy anything 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:43.399 the label put out sight unseen. And it had a 00:04:43.399 --> 00:04:46.060 built -in touring network. It completely validated 00:04:46.060 --> 00:04:49.160 you. OK, let's unpack this. Because the 90s were, 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:51.100 I mean, they were absolutely flooded with West 00:04:51.100 --> 00:04:53.810 Coast skate punk bands. trying to get that exact 00:04:53.810 --> 00:04:55.850 validation. Oh, totally. You couldn't throw a 00:04:55.850 --> 00:04:58.250 rock without hitting a band, playing fast power 00:04:58.250 --> 00:05:00.370 chords, wearing long shorts, and singing about 00:05:00.370 --> 00:05:02.149 girls who didn't like them. Yeah, the classic 00:05:02.149 --> 00:05:05.350 pop -punk formula. Right. So what exactly separated 00:05:05.350 --> 00:05:08.149 the Swing and Utters from those hundreds of other 00:05:08.149 --> 00:05:10.889 bands vying for a spot on that roster? What's 00:05:10.889 --> 00:05:13.490 fascinating here is their distinct musical DNA. 00:05:13.629 --> 00:05:15.769 They weren't just playing fast to be fast. Right. 00:05:15.930 --> 00:05:18.589 While their peers were heavily influenced by 00:05:18.589 --> 00:05:20.970 the sunny, you know, pop -leaning punk of Southern 00:05:20.970 --> 00:05:23.620 California, the Swing and Utters were channeling 00:05:23.620 --> 00:05:27.220 a very specific blue -collar street punk ethos. 00:05:27.420 --> 00:05:31.120 It's a much dirtier sound. Exactly. Critics heavily 00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:34.060 compared them to foundational working -class 00:05:34.060 --> 00:05:37.279 UK punk bands from the late 70s. Bands like The 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:40.620 Clash, Sham 69, and Stiff Little Fingers. Yeah, 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:42.540 I was listening to their early catalogue while 00:05:42.540 --> 00:05:44.459 reading through the sources, and that British 00:05:44.459 --> 00:05:46.920 influence is glaring. You can't miss it. Those 00:05:46.920 --> 00:05:49.240 UK bands grounded their music in storytelling, 00:05:49.980 --> 00:05:52.480 in economic frustration, and in absolute grit. 00:05:52.759 --> 00:05:55.500 It wasn't suburban teen angst, right? It was 00:05:55.500 --> 00:05:58.439 music about the harsh realities of working class 00:05:58.439 --> 00:06:00.600 life. And the Swing and Utters absorbed that 00:06:00.600 --> 00:06:02.920 entirely. They really did. They brought a traditional 00:06:02.920 --> 00:06:05.779 punk rock sound that felt lived in, worn out, 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:08.579 and genuinely authentic to a scene that was becoming, 00:06:09.060 --> 00:06:11.500 frankly, increasingly polished for MTV. Yeah, 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:13.819 they provided an anchor. As the genre started 00:06:13.819 --> 00:06:16.399 getting co -opted by major labels and polished 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:19.019 into pristine pop music, the Swing and Utters 00:06:19.019 --> 00:06:21.839 were this constant reminder of the genre's grimy 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:24.459 working -class roots. But there is another symptom 00:06:24.459 --> 00:06:27.660 I noticed while listening to them. Under all 00:06:27.660 --> 00:06:29.920 that distortion, under the aggressive drums, 00:06:30.540 --> 00:06:33.740 there is this weird bounce to their music. Oh, 00:06:33.740 --> 00:06:35.620 I know exactly what you mean. Yeah, it almost 00:06:35.620 --> 00:06:37.600 doesn't sound like punk rock at times. It has 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:40.139 this swinging, melodic rhythm. You're picking 00:06:40.139 --> 00:06:42.920 up on their secret ingredient. Okay. The element 00:06:42.920 --> 00:06:45.220 that truly makes them unique is that they are 00:06:45.220 --> 00:06:47.779 essentially playing fast folk and cow punk. I 00:06:47.779 --> 00:06:50.439 have to admit, when I read the phrase blue -collar 00:06:50.439 --> 00:06:53.339 pop influence punk in the CMJ New Music Report, 00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:56.259 I didn't immediately think of banjos and fiddles. 00:06:56.379 --> 00:06:58.180 Most people wouldn't. But then you look at the 00:06:58.180 --> 00:07:01.259 band's actual composition. Frontman Johnny Bonnell 00:07:01.259 --> 00:07:03.620 cites Celtic music as one of his major early 00:07:03.620 --> 00:07:06.040 influences. Yep. And then you have Darius Koski, 00:07:06.220 --> 00:07:08.459 the lead guitarist, who doesn't just play guitar. 00:07:09.060 --> 00:07:11.319 He famously plays the accordion in the band and 00:07:11.319 --> 00:07:13.699 even shares lead vocals. Just think about how 00:07:13.699 --> 00:07:15.819 subversive that actually is. It's wild. You have 00:07:15.819 --> 00:07:18.620 a band playing aggressive street punk in a crowded, 00:07:19.019 --> 00:07:23.139 sweaty 1990s club, and the lead guitarist straps 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:25.720 on an accordion. While everyone else is trying 00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:27.899 to sound like a buzzsaw, they are bringing in 00:07:27.899 --> 00:07:31.139 traditional, centuries -old folk instrumentation. 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:33.540 I love this quote from Darius Kandowski in the 00:07:33.540 --> 00:07:35.980 source material. He said, I've always thought 00:07:35.980 --> 00:07:39.720 of our songs as just loud, aggressive, and fast 00:07:39.720 --> 00:07:42.579 folk or country songs. It completely reframes 00:07:42.579 --> 00:07:45.019 how you listen to their entire catalog. It really 00:07:45.019 --> 00:07:47.519 does. It's like taking a traditional storytelling 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:50.079 Irish pub song and strapping it to a rocket engine. 00:07:50.220 --> 00:07:52.620 That's spot on. And if we connect this to the 00:07:52.620 --> 00:07:55.759 bigger picture, folk music and punk rock are 00:07:55.759 --> 00:07:57.920 fundamentally, they're the exact same thing. 00:07:58.199 --> 00:08:00.240 Wait, really? How could you say folk and punk 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:02.160 are the same thing? One is, you know, acoustic 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:06.000 guitars and 1800s Irish pub. And the other is 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:08.959 kids screaming into microphones in a 1990s skate 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:11.660 park. They seem like polar opposites. Sonically, 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:14.180 sure, they use different tools, but sociologically, 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:16.879 they are identical. I'm listening. At their core, 00:08:17.019 --> 00:08:19.839 both are the music of the people. They both rely 00:08:19.839 --> 00:08:23.800 on a DIY ethos, you know, three chords and the 00:08:23.800 --> 00:08:26.459 truth. You don't need a degree in music theory 00:08:26.459 --> 00:08:28.560 to play a folk song, and you don't need one to 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:31.199 play a punk song either. They are highly accessible, 00:08:31.420 --> 00:08:33.399 they are meant to be sung communally, and they 00:08:33.399 --> 00:08:36.059 are almost always born out of some kind of economic 00:08:36.059 --> 00:08:39.500 or social struggle. Oh, wow. So putting an accordion 00:08:39.500 --> 00:08:42.139 over double -time punk drums isn't some quirky 00:08:42.139 --> 00:08:45.440 gimmick. Not at all. It's recognizing that a 00:08:45.440 --> 00:08:48.240 19th century folk ballad about a striking coal 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:52.379 miner and a 1990s street punk anthem about struggling 00:08:52.379 --> 00:08:54.940 to pay rent in San Francisco, they are trying 00:08:54.940 --> 00:08:57.840 to achieve the exact same emotional release. 00:08:58.299 --> 00:09:00.139 That makes so much sense, like the kind of song 00:09:00.139 --> 00:09:01.919 where everyone has their arms around each other, 00:09:02.059 --> 00:09:03.679 spilling their drinks, singing about the struggles 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:06.500 of life. Exactly. And that completely explains 00:09:06.500 --> 00:09:08.820 their touring partners. You look at the early 00:09:08.820 --> 00:09:11.279 2000s and they are naturally pairing up with 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:13.860 bands like Dropkick Murphy's, Frank Turner and 00:09:13.860 --> 00:09:16.200 getting compared to the Pogues. They fit perfectly 00:09:16.200 --> 00:09:19.080 with acts that bridge that exact same gap between 00:09:19.080 --> 00:09:21.399 traditional roots music and modern aggression. 00:09:21.779 --> 00:09:24.980 And that unique, anthemic sound gave them a massive 00:09:24.980 --> 00:09:28.399 cultural footprint during that era. They transcended 00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:30.559 the niche club scene. They really did. They were 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:32.259 everywhere if you were paying attention. Right. 00:09:32.340 --> 00:09:34.539 And this is where the medium of delivery matters. 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:37.179 Because MTV wasn't going to play an accordion 00:09:37.179 --> 00:09:39.980 punk band on heavy rotation, but the video game 00:09:39.980 --> 00:09:42.519 industry absolutely would. Oh, the golden age 00:09:42.519 --> 00:09:45.039 of video game soundtracks. Yes. Their track, 00:09:45.100 --> 00:09:47.659 Five Lessons Learned, was featured in Tony Hawk's 00:09:47.659 --> 00:09:50.080 Pro Skater 2. Which is arguably one of the most 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:53.019 influential music curators of that entire generation. 00:09:53.179 --> 00:09:55.669 Without a doubt. For a certain demographic, that 00:09:55.669 --> 00:09:57.850 video game was their primary engine for music 00:09:57.850 --> 00:10:00.610 discovery? Absolutely. They also landed Stupid 00:10:00.610 --> 00:10:04.990 Lullabies in Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX, and they 00:10:04.990 --> 00:10:08.870 even won an AFIM Indie Award for the soundtrack 00:10:08.870 --> 00:10:12.250 to the 2001 film That Darn Punk. They were just 00:10:12.250 --> 00:10:14.529 crushing it. They had hit this incredible stride. 00:10:14.610 --> 00:10:16.389 They're releasing critically acclaimed albums 00:10:16.389 --> 00:10:18.990 like their self -titled record in 2000, which 00:10:18.990 --> 00:10:22.340 hit number 50 on the CMJ charts. Wow. They are 00:10:22.340 --> 00:10:24.659 touring the U .S. and Europe with absolute heavy 00:10:24.659 --> 00:10:27.519 hitters, legends like The Damned and Rancid. 00:10:28.139 --> 00:10:30.659 They are, by all metrics of their subculture, 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:33.320 on top of the world. Which brings us to the pivot. 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:36.059 And this is where the story shifts from a standard 00:10:36.059 --> 00:10:39.899 rock biography into a genuinely profound case 00:10:39.899 --> 00:10:42.519 study on priorities. Right. Because here's where 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:45.960 it gets really interesting. It's 2003. They release 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:49.250 the album Dead Flowers. Bottles, bluegrass, and 00:10:49.250 --> 00:10:51.429 bones. Great record. Yeah. They have all this 00:10:51.429 --> 00:10:54.450 momentum, and then they effectively step off 00:10:54.450 --> 00:10:57.049 the treadmill. Just like that. From 2003 all 00:10:57.049 --> 00:11:00.549 the way to 2010, they stop comprehensive global 00:11:00.549 --> 00:11:03.409 touring. They stop major recording. They limit 00:11:03.409 --> 00:11:05.429 their shows mostly to just the West Coast and 00:11:05.429 --> 00:11:07.990 Canada. They released, what, a live album? Yeah, 00:11:08.090 --> 00:11:10.730 Lev and a Dive and a rarities compilation called 00:11:10.730 --> 00:11:13.350 Hate a Scripps. But during that entire seven 00:11:13.350 --> 00:11:16.230 -year period, there are no new original studio 00:11:16.230 --> 00:11:18.649 albums. Seven years is an eternity in the music 00:11:18.649 --> 00:11:21.129 industry. I mean, it's multiple lifetimes. The 00:11:21.129 --> 00:11:23.409 half -life of a band's relevance is incredibly 00:11:23.409 --> 00:11:25.629 short. If you are listening to this on your commute 00:11:25.629 --> 00:11:28.230 right now or at your desk, think about your own 00:11:28.230 --> 00:11:30.970 career. Imagine being offered the promotion of 00:11:30.970 --> 00:11:33.649 a lifetime, the vice presidency, the corner office, 00:11:33.809 --> 00:11:35.909 the massive account you've worked 10 years to 00:11:35.909 --> 00:11:38.370 land. Would you have the guts to turn it down, 00:11:38.409 --> 00:11:41.110 to step away from the momentum, simply because 00:11:41.110 --> 00:11:42.929 it conflicted with your personal boundaries, 00:11:43.049 --> 00:11:45.230 because you wanted to be present to raise your 00:11:45.230 --> 00:11:47.690 kids? It's a huge question. Yet it's exactly 00:11:47.690 --> 00:11:51.450 the choice this band faced in 2003. Most bands 00:11:51.450 --> 00:11:54.450 ride the wave until it crashes. To step away 00:11:54.450 --> 00:11:57.789 for seven years to raise kids, that's the ultimate 00:11:57.850 --> 00:12:00.690 anti -rock star move, isn't it? It really is. 00:12:01.029 --> 00:12:03.090 And this raises an important question about work 00:12:03.090 --> 00:12:05.769 -life balance in creative industries. We are 00:12:05.769 --> 00:12:08.129 conditioned to believe an artist must sacrifice 00:12:08.129 --> 00:12:10.370 everything, their health, their relationships, 00:12:10.730 --> 00:12:13.429 their stability, for their art. The starving 00:12:13.429 --> 00:12:15.970 artist myth. Exactly. If you aren't bleeding 00:12:15.970 --> 00:12:18.610 for the crowd, you aren't authentic. But the 00:12:18.610 --> 00:12:20.690 swing and edders flip that completely. For a 00:12:20.690 --> 00:12:23.799 band that literally titled an album, a juvenile 00:12:23.799 --> 00:12:26.179 product of the working class, realizing that 00:12:26.179 --> 00:12:28.200 raising a family and being a present father is 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:30.340 more important than chasing fame. Yeah. That 00:12:30.340 --> 00:12:32.419 might be the most genuinely authentic working 00:12:32.419 --> 00:12:34.639 class thing they could possibly do. They treated 00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:36.820 their music like a trade. You know, a plumber 00:12:36.820 --> 00:12:39.340 or a carpenter doesn't abandon their family to 00:12:39.340 --> 00:12:42.200 plumb houses on the other side of the world for 00:12:42.200 --> 00:12:44.340 300 days a year. Right, that would be crazy. 00:12:44.519 --> 00:12:46.600 You work your trade and then you go home. They 00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:48.539 didn't burn out because they intentionally paced 00:12:48.539 --> 00:12:51.879 themselves. They chose the reality of human connection 00:12:51.879 --> 00:12:54.220 over the rock and roll myth. And the financial 00:12:54.220 --> 00:12:57.120 reality of that choice is staggering. Stepping 00:12:57.120 --> 00:13:00.139 away from global touring means stepping away 00:13:00.139 --> 00:13:02.879 from your primary revenue stream. It was a massive 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:06.120 risk. Oh, huge. But what is truly amazing is 00:13:06.120 --> 00:13:08.100 that the industry didn't punish them for it. 00:13:08.360 --> 00:13:11.899 The scene didn't forget them. In 2010, something 00:13:11.899 --> 00:13:14.700 highly unusual happened. The tribute album. Yes. 00:13:15.220 --> 00:13:17.399 A collective of other bands released a tribute 00:13:17.399 --> 00:13:20.679 album for them called Untitled 21. a juvenile 00:13:20.679 --> 00:13:23.080 tribute to the Swingin' Utters. Which is wild 00:13:23.080 --> 00:13:25.419 because usually a tribute album signals that 00:13:25.419 --> 00:13:29.039 a band is dead, retired, or entirely a legacy 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:32.080 act. It's a museum piece. Right. But here, it 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:34.659 acted as a resurrection. That tribute album seemed 00:13:34.659 --> 00:13:36.779 to spark something because right after it dropped, 00:13:36.779 --> 00:13:39.039 they ended that seven -year hiatus. They came 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:41.940 back swinging. Literally. They released a three 00:13:41.940 --> 00:13:45.159 -song EP called Brand New Lungs in 2010 and then 00:13:45.159 --> 00:13:48.460 a full -length album here under protest in 2011. 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:50.899 And they didn't stop there? No. They didn't just 00:13:50.899 --> 00:13:53.519 come back for a lazy nostalgia lap. They entered 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:56.539 a remarkably prolific period, dropping albums 00:13:56.539 --> 00:14:00.240 consistently, poorly formed in 2013, Fistful 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:03.340 of Hollow in 2014, and Peace and Love in 2018. 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:06.259 And they maintained that output even as original 00:14:06.259 --> 00:14:08.639 and longtime members naturally transitioned out 00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:11.139 over time. Yeah. Bassist Spike Slauson left in 00:14:11.139 --> 00:14:14.230 2011. Right. and co -founding drummer Greg McEntee 00:14:14.230 --> 00:14:17.629 left in 2015. But Johnny Bonnell and Darius Koski 00:14:17.629 --> 00:14:19.669 kept the core engine running with new members. 00:14:20.049 --> 00:14:22.330 It really proves that the foundational ethos 00:14:22.330 --> 00:14:24.669 of the band was incredibly solid. I want to back 00:14:24.669 --> 00:14:26.809 up a second though, because during that seven 00:14:26.809 --> 00:14:29.509 -year break from the main band from 2003 to 2010, 00:14:30.210 --> 00:14:32.470 these guys were restless creatives. Oh yeah, 00:14:32.590 --> 00:14:34.519 they weren't just sitting around. Right. Taking 00:14:34.519 --> 00:14:36.320 a break from global touring didn't mean they 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:38.000 just sat perfectly still in their living room 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:40.440 staring at the wall. That punk rock energy, that 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:43.200 need to create, it had to go somewhere. It did. 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:45.879 And it resulted in this massive, interconnected 00:14:45.879 --> 00:14:48.659 web of side projects that actually functioned 00:14:48.659 --> 00:14:50.879 as a brilliant survival mechanism for the main 00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:53.399 band. Look at this sprawling web. It's crazy. 00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:57.019 You have Johnny Bonnell, Darius Koskis, and Spike 00:14:57.019 --> 00:15:00.120 Slauson forming a group called Filthy Thief and 00:15:00.120 --> 00:15:03.039 Bastards. Yeah, great acoustic stuff. And Johnny... 00:15:03.070 --> 00:15:06.529 was singing for drug lords of the avenues. Guitarist 00:15:06.529 --> 00:15:08.870 Jack Dalrymple was involved in Dead to Me, One 00:15:08.870 --> 00:15:11.470 Man Army, and Toy Guitar. So many bands. And 00:15:11.470 --> 00:15:14.470 most famously, bassist Spike Slauson ends up 00:15:14.470 --> 00:15:17.190 fronting this wildly successful punk cover band 00:15:17.190 --> 00:15:20.000 called Me First. and the Gimme Gims. Me First 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:22.259 and the Gimme Gims is the perfect example of 00:15:22.259 --> 00:15:24.700 how this ecosystem worked. It was a super group, 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:27.899 basically, featuring members of NOFX, Lag Wagon, 00:15:27.940 --> 00:15:30.639 and the Foo Fighters. Just a crazy lineup. Playing 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:33.120 punk covers of show tunes and pop classics. It 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:35.539 was fun, it was low pressure, and it was wildly 00:15:35.539 --> 00:15:37.820 lucrative. It's like a Silicon Valley tech incubator, 00:15:37.940 --> 00:15:40.480 or, you know, a sprawling cinematic universe. 00:15:40.779 --> 00:15:44.200 One core entity that spun off a dozen successful 00:15:44.200 --> 00:15:46.240 interconnected startups. That's a great way to 00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:49.019 put it. But why is having a dozen different side 00:15:49.019 --> 00:15:51.899 projects a good thing. In a corporate setting, 00:15:52.179 --> 00:15:54.019 if your key employees are spending half their 00:15:54.019 --> 00:15:57.230 time launching side startups, Management usually 00:15:57.230 --> 00:15:59.549 panics and assumes they're losing focus. Right. 00:15:59.990 --> 00:16:02.809 But in creative fields, side projects prevent 00:16:02.809 --> 00:16:05.429 the number one killer of bands, which is creative 00:16:05.429 --> 00:16:08.690 burnout and resentment. Ah, I see. The reason 00:16:08.690 --> 00:16:11.409 most bands break up is because one member suddenly 00:16:11.409 --> 00:16:13.970 wants to, I don't know, experiment with synthesizers 00:16:13.970 --> 00:16:16.230 or write a country album, and the rest of the 00:16:16.230 --> 00:16:18.570 band refuses. That classic creative differences 00:16:18.570 --> 00:16:21.620 excuse. Exactly. But by creating an ecosystem 00:16:21.620 --> 00:16:23.919 of side projects, the members of the Swingin' 00:16:24.019 --> 00:16:26.519 Utters outsourced their creative wanderlust. 00:16:26.659 --> 00:16:29.240 Oh, wow. If you want to play purely acoustic 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:31.559 folk, you do it in Filthy Thieving Bastards. 00:16:31.679 --> 00:16:33.799 If you want to sing silly covers, you do it in 00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:35.879 The Gimmie Gimmies. That meant that when they 00:16:35.879 --> 00:16:37.919 finally came back together as the Swingin' Utters, 00:16:38.220 --> 00:16:40.340 they didn't have to force weird experiments into 00:16:40.340 --> 00:16:43.659 the main band. That is brilliant. The main band 00:16:43.659 --> 00:16:46.000 could remain pure and focused on what it did 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:49.279 best. Exactly. They cross -pollinated their ideas 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:52.080 without diluting the core brand. And it synthesizes 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:54.159 something vital about the fat -wrecked chords 00:16:54.159 --> 00:16:57.460 label and that specific punk scene. How so? It 00:16:57.460 --> 00:17:00.120 wasn't a cutthroat corporate industry where bands 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:02.440 were sabotaging each other for chart positions 00:17:02.440 --> 00:17:05.519 or hoarding their talent. It was a genuine community. 00:17:06.099 --> 00:17:08.440 Musicians subbed in for each other. They shared 00:17:08.440 --> 00:17:11.079 members. They supported each other's weird side 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:13.859 startups. That sense of community is really rare. 00:17:14.369 --> 00:17:18.369 And it culminated beautifully in 2015. The Swing 00:17:18.369 --> 00:17:20.289 and Utters were invited to tour with several 00:17:20.289 --> 00:17:23.549 other Fat Rec alumni to support the label's massive 00:17:23.549 --> 00:17:25.829 25th anniversary tour. Oh yeah, the Fat Tour. 00:17:25.950 --> 00:17:28.190 They toured the U .S. and took that whole family 00:17:28.190 --> 00:17:30.869 dynamic all the way to a show in Tokyo, Japan. 00:17:31.130 --> 00:17:33.309 You don't get invited to a legacy celebration 00:17:33.309 --> 00:17:36.390 in Tokyo unless you are a foundational, universally 00:17:36.390 --> 00:17:39.069 respected pillar of that community. Right. And 00:17:39.069 --> 00:17:40.849 think about how this applies to your own life. 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:43.380 You listening. Regardless of what field you're 00:17:43.380 --> 00:17:45.079 in, whether you're an artist, an engineer, or 00:17:45.079 --> 00:17:48.039 a manager, how does cross -collaboration, sharing 00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:50.279 your skills freely and pursuing your own side 00:17:50.279 --> 00:17:52.880 projects, end up fueling your primary mission? 00:17:53.220 --> 00:17:55.819 It's a great question to ask yourself. The Utters 00:17:55.819 --> 00:17:58.220 proved that sharing your expertise doesn't diminish 00:17:58.220 --> 00:18:01.200 your value. It enriches your entire network, 00:18:01.819 --> 00:18:04.700 which in turn keeps you inspired. for decades. 00:18:04.859 --> 00:18:07.140 It creates a rising tide that lifts all boats. 00:18:07.619 --> 00:18:09.619 When you aren't gripping your career so tightly 00:18:09.619 --> 00:18:11.980 that you strangle it it actually has the room 00:18:11.980 --> 00:18:14.819 to breathe and grow. So what does this all mean? 00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:17.440 We started this deep dive looking at a band from 00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:19.460 Santa Cruz that just wanted to play fast and 00:18:19.460 --> 00:18:22.220 loud in the late 80s. But what we found is a 00:18:22.220 --> 00:18:25.119 master class in endurance. Truly. The Swing and 00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:27.799 Utters survived and thrived for over 30 years, 00:18:28.140 --> 00:18:31.220 not by chasing MTV trends and not by acting like 00:18:31.220 --> 00:18:33.839 untouchable rock stars. They treated punk rock 00:18:33.839 --> 00:18:36.420 like a dedicated blue collar trade. Yeah. They 00:18:36.420 --> 00:18:38.960 took the aggressive speed of the skate park and 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:40.980 blended it with the storytelling heart of the 00:18:40.980 --> 00:18:44.029 pub. Most importantly, they have the immense 00:18:44.029 --> 00:18:46.789 courage to prioritize their real lives and their 00:18:46.789 --> 00:18:49.529 families over the relentless grind of fame, taking 00:18:49.529 --> 00:18:51.849 a massive step back right at their peak. Which 00:18:51.849 --> 00:18:54.430 takes so much guts. And through it all, they 00:18:54.430 --> 00:18:56.529 built a collaborative network of side projects 00:18:56.529 --> 00:18:58.849 that cured creative burnout before it could destroy 00:18:58.849 --> 00:19:01.210 them. It's a remarkable legacy that challenges 00:19:01.210 --> 00:19:03.490 a lot of assumptions, and I want to leave you 00:19:03.490 --> 00:19:06.059 with one final thought to mull over. building 00:19:06.059 --> 00:19:08.900 on their story. Go for it. We usually think of 00:19:08.900 --> 00:19:11.660 punk rock as a rebellion against the system through 00:19:11.660 --> 00:19:15.640 pure chaos. We picture smashing guitars, tearing 00:19:15.640 --> 00:19:18.500 down institutions, and general anarchy. Right, 00:19:18.740 --> 00:19:21.200 safety pins and mohawks. Exactly. But looking 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:24.000 at The Swing and Utters, a band that blended 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:26.440 their sound with traditional working -class folk 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:29.359 music and literally took seven years off during 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:33.259 their prime simply to be good parents, it reframes 00:19:33.259 --> 00:19:36.450 the whole concept of rebellion. Wow. What if 00:19:36.450 --> 00:19:39.349 the most rebellious, truly punk thing a person 00:19:39.349 --> 00:19:41.930 can do in today's hyper -capitalist, attention 00:19:41.930 --> 00:19:44.769 -obsessed society isn't to destroy anything at 00:19:44.769 --> 00:19:47.190 all? What is it then? What if the ultimate rebellion 00:19:47.190 --> 00:19:49.569 is simply prioritizing your family, nurturing 00:19:49.569 --> 00:19:51.890 your community, and dedicating yourself to steady 00:19:51.890 --> 00:19:55.230 craftsmanship over relentless, endless career 00:19:55.230 --> 00:19:57.890 scaling? I love that. In a world obsessed with 00:19:57.890 --> 00:19:59.789 burning out, building something that quietly 00:19:59.789 --> 00:20:02.109 lasts is the ultimate middle finger to the system. 00:20:02.359 --> 00:20:05.400 The long haul truck beats the flashy sports car 00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:07.740 every single time. Every time. Thank you for 00:20:07.740 --> 00:20:09.839 joining us on this deep dive. We highly encourage 00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:11.900 you to go explore the Swing and Utters catalog 00:20:11.900 --> 00:20:14.920 on your own. Maybe start with a juvenile product 00:20:14.920 --> 00:20:17.259 of the working class and see where the road takes 00:20:17.259 --> 00:20:18.680 you. We'll catch you next time.