Interview: The Porchistas To Release New EP // Take Aim At “Mister Chump”

Sometimes when examining the whirring machinery that is the monolithic music industry, we lose sight of what got us into the art in the first place. A sense of community from state to state, city to city and beyond are the real ties that bind when devoting yourself to music on some level, and the Montclair, NJ-based group The Porchistas have embodied that spirit from their inception.

The band is gearing up to release its latest EP, Axis & Allies, which adheres to no set genre, was conceived to address the turmoil of the current political climate and is just plain fun. To learn a little more about the EP, GroundSounds caught up with The Porchistas’ Alan “Sucia” Smith to go along with a stream of the Zappa-style, #45 resisting “Mister Chump.”

Check out Smith’s responses while listening to “Mister Chump” and keep up with The Porchistas here.

Hi, The Porchistas! Congrats on your new Axis & Allies EP. Can you tell us a little more on who you are and how you first came together?

We are a rock band from Montclair that incorporates a lot of different styles into our sound. We came together because I moved next door to a bunch of dudes on Forest Street. They were in a band called Davy and the Fat Boys – They taught me how to play guitar – We would spend days, weeks, months on my porch drinkin, smokin, playing our songs.

After about a year of that we started recording and playing out. But because we started on my porch, the name The Porchistas was formed. Also we’re a pretty political bunch, so the name has a political tone to it i.e. Sandinistas – but when our politic comes out in our music it’s usually satire.

Since becoming a band we’ve recorded a bunch of CDs; 4 full lengths and two EPs. I built an indoor and outdoor stage at my house so we host shows and events, which allows us to bring in a lot of bands from around the state and sometimes the country. The house is an awesome beat up, small colonial that was built in 1892. It has a lot of character and bands seem to enjoy playing here.

What’s your songwriting process like? Who are some of your biggest influences?

Adam Falzer and I write the songs. We are lucky to have a strong songwriting chemistry. I think our general rule is a song can be about anything, from a sex trip in outer space or a historical event like the Newark riots or the recent election. Sometimes either one of us brings a finished song to the table, but usually we come up with ideas when we’re hangin at the house – We schedule songwriting sessions, brainstorm and ideas come together.

Influences? Me and Falzer both love Ween so I’d say of famous acts, yeah Ween. But we have many friends who are songwriters and we get to hear their songs come together- watch and hear their processes. Thomas Wesley Stern, Accidental Seabirds, Jackson Pines, Bone & Marrow, all great song writing bands just to name a few- Falzer introduced me to Newman – We both love Cohen, The Beatles, The Talking Heads – But mostly our friends and lives.

What are some of the larger themes at play on Axis & Allies? It’s fairly political.

We knew we wanted to write a record that tried to get people dancing. So that’s the connecting principal to all the songs, at least in our heads. Most of it came together in the year leading up to the election.

“Mischief Night” explores the mind of a hit man from Newark, where I grew up, who kills for free once a year as a tribute to the job he loves. “Ebolabama” is a reggae tune that makes fun of the absurdity surrounding all of the conspiracy theories that surfaced about President Obama.

We never thought the perpetuators of that fake news cycle would end up taking the reigns of the country. What a fucking shame. Then when Trump won, we were so bummed we didn’t even think we could write about it – but then we were at the house and it came together quick. Jesus, Donald J Trump. How the fuck?

“The Tierneys Song” is about our favorite bar and came to be as a result of the SIMGE songwriting challenge and has islandy and punk rock influences. “Old & Gray” is an old timey duet that was written years ago by our friend Blythe Emigholz.

Could you describe each of the songs on the EP in three words or less?

“Mischief Night” – Local hit man
“Ebolabama” – Obama fake conspiracies
“Mister Chump” – Piece of Shit
“The Tierneys Song” – our favorite bar
“Old & Gray” – old timey duet

Any new Montclair-based artists/venues/purveyors of the arts you could turn our readers onto?

Well your readers are probably already well aware of Pinegrove but if they aren’t they should look them up asap. Evan Hall is a great dude and really connects to his audience through his lyrics. Bern & the Brights & The Defending Champions are a few badass bands that we’ve been playing with for years and we love them.

Venues? The Meat Locker and Tierneys are both institutions – they draw different crowds but both exemplify Montclair’s identity. There’s a great space on Pine Street called the 73 See Gallery run by our good friend Mary who uses the space to nourish the neighborhood and bring locals positive and healthy events. And as I mentioned earlier, The Porchistas Home Studio.

Also, our bass player Gerry Griffin has an amazing and comfortable recording studio in Verona called The Temple of Tuneage. His prices are very reasonable and he is a pro. Gerry records, mixes and produces all of our recordings at the Temple, including Axis & Allies.

Where can we follow you and where can our readers catch you live next?

Our next show is April 29th at the Historic Harsimus Cemetery in Jersey City NJ for their annual Mother Earth Festival. We have several videos on YouTube and you can find our Facebook, Bandcamp, Twitter and Instagram links on our website theporchistas.com – You can also find our summer show schedule there.

Any parting thoughts? Open platform!

Like it says on our website, we see music and art as community building endeavors. When we throw events and shows at the house we try to make them trash free or trash minimal at least. We make food and have pot lucks to try to stoke a sense of community. We try to do things a little differently to show that rock and roll doesn’t have to be a wasteful shit show. Caring about the planet and progressive politics are a part of who we are and I don’t want that to be separate from my music life.

Also, the best part of being in The Porchistas for me has been the lifetime bonds I have made; so many truly great friends and musicians. It’s been a great gift!