Ryan Allen Gets Real with Extra Arms and Releases a New Album this Saturday

Ryan Allen has been a staple of the Detroit music scene for the last 20 years. He has played every  venue, every big festival, and consistently put out new music with an assortment of bands, including Thunderbirds Are Now, Destroy This Place, and as a solo artist. He is always doing something different, trying something new, and challenging himself to be better. His latest project, Extra Arms, is taking his solo work to the next level by collaborating with a full band to write and record a new album that will be released this Saturday at Cellerman's in Hazel Park.

But before the big release, we wanted to check in with Ryan to find out more about the changes in the band, the new album, and his take on music after all these shows. Check that out and get details about the album release below! 

HID- What did you miss most about creating with others?
Ryan Allen- "I think I just kind of reached the tipping point with making records on my own as Ryan Allen and His Extra Arms and wanted to explore the idea of collaborating with the guys who I'd been playing with for a year. I enjoy making records where I steer the ship the entire time, but after awhile you feel kind of stuck in a vacuum and can easily start repeating yourself. Everybody in the band kind of agreed, without really saying it, that we should function as a full-fledged band would, with everybody contributing ideas, giving their opinion, etc. and I think it worked out really great. Keep in mind I've made a bunch of records with Destroy This Place in between Extra Arms albums, but since we've been on a break, and I felt the need to inject some new juice in the Extra Arms project, making an album as a collaborative unit seemed like the natural choice."

HID- How do you think having the full band work together effected the final product?
Ryan Allen- "Completely and totally. This record would have been much different had I just made it on my own. It would probably have been a little mellower or dialed back. There would be less guitar leads and drum fills, that's for sure. And it wouldn't be as good. I credit the positive feedback the album has been getting so far to Ryan, Sean and Michael breathing new life into this project and adding their own colors to the sketches that I would bring in."

HID- Whats your favorite track off the new album and why?
Ryan Allen- "It kind of rotates all the time. Right now I'm really feeling "Old Heads"... it's a super short song and pretty simple structure-wise, but there's something about how it kind of subtly builds that I really like. I love the piano stuff that my brother Scott added to it, and by the end of the song, we are just bashing away, and it gives me a shot of adrenaline every time I hear it."

HID- Do you still perform your solo stuff live with the new permanent full band?
Ryan Allen- "Yeah! We've got a whole bunch of tunes in the rotation, and we're constantly adding things and taking things away. It's really fun. The guys enjoy playing older songs on records they didn't play on, and we've been having fun changing things up every couple of shows. It keeps it fresh and does justice to the other albums. Sometimes I want to gravitate to playing only new songs, so it's nice that these guys dig playing older stuff...that way it doesn't feel stale." 

HID- How do you think your musical writing has changed as you've gotten older?
Ryan Allen- "I think I've always kind of had my "thing". I try to write songs with meaningful lyrics that are catchy, crunchy and energetic. If anything, I think I just keep getting better by default. If you keep chipping away at something, you're supposed to get better, right? I think that's how it's supposed to work, anyway. I feel more and more confident with my songs while at the same time trying not to get too attached to them in case not everybody in the band likes them. These guys really pushed me this time and there were a few tunes that they weren't into that we ended up dropping that I may have stuck with if not for their opinions being voiced. And it was always for the better. I also really enjoyed writing songs that I felt played to the strengths of the guys in the band. So yeah, I just try and keep evolving, trying new things while still being me. But again, I give a ton of credit to Ryan, Sean and Michael for really helping to steer the direction of the album."

HID- What's your favorite part about playing live?
Ryan Allen- "I feel like when people really appreciate that you are giving it your all and leaving everything on the stage, it's a great feeling. You can feed off the energy of the crowd and it makes you play better. I try hard to keep my body in decent shape to be able to still go up there and jam my ass off, even at 38 years old. I just want to give a good show and have as much fun as possible. I don't take it for granted that people still come to see us play from time to time, and every once in awhile really dig it. As long as it's still fun, I'll keep doing it."

HID- Whats the meaning behind Headacher?
Ryan Allen- "I guess it's just more of a state of mind; kind of how I felt after the last presidential election...just this constant throbbing in my head that things were so immediately fucked. People can also be "headachers" I guess...people who are just spewing garbage on the internet or on cable news that is clearly ill-informed propaganda. The overall idea is that despite this, we have to do everything we can to fight against it - protest, make art, take care of our families, donate to worthy causes, get educated about things going on in the world and let people who are maybe of an older generation know that their bigotry and hatred won't be tolerated. I've tried to do a lot of that in the last year and a half while also maintaining my sanity, though I will admit to not being the most overly political person on the planet. Writing songs about some of this stuff has been cathartic, though, and I like to think of this record as my personal aspirin to fight off the headachers of the world.

There's also sort of a separate meaning to the term as well, at least for me, regarding addiction. I stopped drinking about a year and a half ago, and while I don't consider that feat to be heroic or anything, it's been very profound for me. Having clarity and seeing the world through sober eyes has really changed everything for me, and it's made me a better person. Not to say that if you drink or do drugs you are bad; I don't mean to imply that at all...shit, drinking rules and can be really fun. I just came to the realization that I'm not a person who should drink anymore; that I've lost my privilege. And I'm 100% fine with that, thought it took awhile to get there. So in a way, I've kind of rid myself of the headache that comes with drinking - both literally and metaphorically."

HID- You are always writing recording and putting out new music with at least one of your projects. How do you stay so focused?
Ryan Allen- "It's just something I do. It would seem totally unnatural to stop. If I'm not physically working on a song, I'm thinking about one. If I'm listening to music, I'm studying it and trying to find inspiration. It all comes as naturally to me as walking and talking; it's just ingrained in me and I love it. So it's easy to stay focused on something you love. The only real challenge is finding the time for it, but having other priorities actually really helps make the time I can spend writing, practicing, playing shows or recording totally worth while. I try not to take any moment for granted, and put everything I have into making whatever I'm doing count."

HID- If you could tell 20 year old Ryan something what would it be?
Ryan Allen- "Don't drink."

HID- Is there anything else you would like our fans to know?
Ryan Allen- "The new album is available on 10/12. They can still pre-order it now (here https://extraarms.bandcamp.com/album/headacher). Oh, and it rips."


You can see Ryan play with Extra Arms at Cellerman's this Saturday, October 13th. Reuther and Touch the Clouds will be opening the show and it's only $5 to get in the door! The show starts at 9 p.m.

~S

Win Tickets to See Pile at Marble Bar

Indie rockers Pile recently released their fifth full length album called A Hairshirt of Purpose on Exploding in Sound Records. You can check out their new music here. The band is known for never recording the same album twice, so it is always interesting to see how they have changed since the last album.

They are currently on tour in support of their new music and they will be making a stop in Detroit Friday night to play at Marble Bar alongside Gnarwhal and Destroy This Place. Tickets to attend the show are $10 in advance and $12 at the door, you can purchase advance tickets online here. Or you can enter to win a free pair of tickets to the show courtesy of Party Store Productions. If you would like to enter to win, place email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #pile. We will draw one lucky person this Friday morning and they will get to attend the show with a friend for free!

~S

Pig & Whiskey is This Weekend in Ferndale

This weekend the Pig and Whiskey Festival will return to downtown Ferndale. The three day event features BBQ, whiskey, beer and live music.

Some of this year's food vendors include Rock City Eatery, Mac Shack, Union Woodshop, Vinsetta Garage, and Zeke's Rock and Roll BBQ. The festival will also feature a wide variety of whiskeys, with this year's bar including pours of Bookers, Bulleit, Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Rebel Yell and many many more. The event will also feature a large beer selection from companies like Atwater, Blake's Hard Cider, New Hollands, and Shorts.  

This year's musical lineup features an eclectic mix of bands. Friday night will feature performances from Le Voyage, Holy White Hounds, Stone Clover, and Electric Six. Saturday night will feature music from Goober & The Peas, The HandGrenades, Earth Engine, Ohtis, Honeybabe, The Blue Flowers, American Mars and The Sugarees. And, finally on Sunday, the festival will feature music from Mustard Plug, Joe Heartler & The Rainbow Seekers, Beggars, Tart, Jill Jack, Mega Weedge (a Ween tribute band), and Kevin Thibodeau & The Cast Iron Horns.  

All ages are welcome and the festival is free to attend. The party will run form 6 p.m. until Midnight on Friday, 11 a.m. 'til Midnight on Saturday, and 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Sunday.  

The Loving Touch will also be hosting after parties on Friday and Saturday night. Friday night's party will feature music from The Scrappers, Destroy This Place and YUM. Saturday night's after party will feature music from Queen Kwong, The Erers and Minihorse. Both after parties are free to anyone 21 and over. 

This year's Pig & Whiskey festival will also feature skating demonstration from the kids over at Modern Skate and Surf.  The demonstrations will take place on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

To learn more about Pig & Whiskey festival please visit their website here.

~S

Catch Destroy This Place wsg Malo Konjche and Siamese

Rock and Roll might be dead in most places, but here in Detroit it's alive and well. There are still quite a few bands that still work really hard to write, record, and perform live music. Destroy This Place is one of the bands that is making sure rock doesn't die anytime soon. They practice, write, record, and perform as much has four dudes with decent full time jobs can.

Their latest album is their third release, it's called Animal Rites and it can be heard here. Their latest music video is called "The Bees", you can check that out here. They will be playing their official release show this weekend alongside Malo Konjche and Siamese on Saturday, November 7th at The New Way Bar. 

It's ten bucks to get in the door for this show, but you also get a copy of the new record on vinyl with a digital download. If you come as a couple and only want one copy of the album, you can both get in for only $15! Doors for the show are at 9 p.m. this Saturday.

~S

Destroy This Place Gears up to Release Their Third Full Length Album this Friday

We've been following Detroit's Destroy This Place since the beginning of hipindetroit.com. In the last four years they have released two full length albums, a couple of music videos, and ventured out on a few short tours. They are on the brink of releasing their third album so we thought it was time to check in and get an update on DTP. This time we reached out to John Nelson, one of the quietest rock stars that we have ever met. He might play very loud music, but he is a very calm and soft spoken person.

The band will release their new album this Friday, October 23rd and they will have an album release party at The New Way Bar on November 7th.

HID- How does the band prepare for the release of a new album?
John Nelson-" This time we hooked up with Brixton Agency to do some promotion and help get the record out there. We'll do a release show in Ferndale a couple weeks after the record comes out and then we'll play shows in Chicago and New York. "

HID- Why did you name the new album Animal Rites?
John Nelson- "It sort of originated from a different title and artwork idea. There was a name we had in mind, but there was some potential of getting sued. Since we didn't want to deal with that we came up with something else."

HID- Why did you decide to put this album out on Forge Again Records?
John Nelson- "We've known Justin Wexler (FAR bossman) for a long time. He put out a split we did with Chicago band Hospital Garden a few years ago. He's also done records by some other Detroit bands we're friends with (Child Bite and Old Gods). When we sent him demos from the new record, he liked what we were working on and wanted to be a part of it. "

HID-Why are you releasing this record a few weeks before the show?
John Nelson- "It's just how it worked out. It should be a good thing. People will have a few weeks to listen to the new stuff and hopefully enjoy the show more."


HID- How does this new album differ from the last two?
John Nelson- "The first two were recorded at Russian Recording in Bloomington, IN. With the first record (Resurrect the Mammoth) we were trying to get a bunch of songs together as quickly as possible. Some of the songs were written before we formed and were probably meant for New Grenada or Friendly Foes. The goal was to capture our live sound so we recorded it pretty quickly.


The second record was more collaborative. We'd been a band for a couple years at that point and had played a lot of shows. We were more dialed in with each other and had more of a vision for what we wanted the record to sound like.

For the new one we took a trip out to Sonelab in Easthampton, MA and recorded with Justin Pizzoferrato. He recorded Speedy Ortiz and some newer bands like California X and Pottymouth. He's also worked with Dinosaur Jr and Sonic Youth. The process was pretty much the same as the last record but we spent a little more time on this one. Justin was real positive and fun to work with and it was a really good experience overall."

HID- Tell us a little bit about the writing process.
John Nelson- "Usually Ryan or myself brings in a new idea to show the rest of the band. It could start with a rough demo of a song or just a riff or verse. We might spend several practices working it out. The end result might resemble the original idea, but a lot of times it will evolve into something pretty different. Everyone in the band has a lot of input and it takes time to get it right."

HID- There has been a lot of talk lately that rock and roll is dead, do you agree with that statement?
John Nelson- "Not totally, I think there are a lot of good new bands. I can see why people say that, though. It seems like the majority of big rock or metal bands that play larger shows and still sell records have been around for 20 plus years. On a positive note, there are way more festivals now than there were 10 years ago, lots of places to go for music online, streaming, etc. Vinyl seems to be selling really well. Record Store Day has been pretty successful. Rock isn’t dead, maybe just more underground."

HID- Who did your latest promo photos with the black and white background?
John Nelson- "Brian Rozman aka Carjack (brianrozman.com). We spent a few hours in Hamtramck and that mural was one of the spots he wanted to photograph. The mural was painted by Victor Reyes."

HID- Who have you been listening to lately? Got any sweet bands we need to check out?
John Nelson- "Locally, Malo Konjche, Monarchs and Braided Veins are all really good and worth checking out."

Check out the latest music video for "The Bees", the first single off the new album:

Mark your calendars, we will see you at the release show at The New Way on the November 7th! 

~S 

Devious Ones "I'm Allergic To You" Release Party

This Friday Detroit four piece Devious Ones will be releasing a brand spanking new album. The 7" is called I'm Allergic to You and it is being released by East Grand Record Company. If you haven't heard Devious Ones before, you can check them out on bandcamp or listen to their track "Stylus to Speaker" below.

We first gave Devious Ones a listen because we're friends with the guys in the band and knew them from other projects (like Bill Bondsmen and The Dewtons). But, once we saw them live, we were hooked. And we're sure you will be hooked too!

Devious Ones' record release show will take place at Small's this Friday, August 28th. Also on the bill are a few other guys we know and that we think you will like, Radio Burns, Destroy This Place and The Idiot Kids. Doors for this show will open at 8 p.m. and $7 will get you in. The music is set to start right at 9, so don't slack! Get there early! For more info on this show and to hear some more music from Devious Ones and the other bands, head over to the Facebook event page here.

~C

We Wish that Every Day was Black Christmas

Friday night the Majestic complex was full of people that had enough family time over the holidays and were ready to party. Black Iris Booking took over all three stages for their 3rd annual Black Christmas. This year's lineup was as bad ass, with a few legendary Detroit bands on the bill too.

Two of the most talked about bands on the lineup were Fordirelifesake and Telegraph, who were both reuniting for the event. Both drew huge crowds of fans that definitely got their money's worth. FDLS played with as much precision and energy as they did when the guys were all 20 something. Telegraph had fans dancing and singing along to old favorites and even a few off of Switched On, the album the band claims that everyone hates. Judging by the crowds response, I disagree. Telegraph announced at the show that they are giving the band a run for one more year, which was quite the Christmas gift for their fans! So keep an eye out for more shows and possible new music from them. And, in case you didn't know, Fordirelifesake also has recorded a few new songs. Head over and pick those up here.

We managed to get video of songs from both of these bands' sets. The crowds were a little rowdy, but we held strong to make sure to at least get you a glimpse of what happened.

The crowds also went crazy for a lot of other bands Friday night. Some of our favorites were the Koffin Kats, Destroy This Place, Wilson, and of course, The Suicide Machines. These bands never disappoint, but they all definitely brought their a-game for this show.

Other bands that we regrettably didn't catch, but heard also put on amazing sets were The Meatmen and Negative Approach. But, with a stacked lineup from start to finish, it was hard to catch everyone.

We applaud Sarah and Ramona of Black Iris Booking for another stellar show and one of the best lineups ever. We don't know how you pull this off every year and manage to make it bigger and better every time. We've heard a ton of people saying they wish they could relive Friday night or go to a show like that every night and we agree with them. Although Black Iris doesn't put on shows this huge every night, they put on amazing shows all year long. If you haven't already, make sure you head over and "like" them on Facebook so you don't miss out on one of them! While you're at it, head over to our Facebook page to see more pictures from Black Christmas 2014!

~C&S

The Kids Are All Right

 The Hard Lessons brought their son out to say 'hello' 
to a sold out crowd at St. Andrew's

Life seems to move faster and faster with every year that goes by, it seems like it gets harder and harder for me to get things done. Some days I can barely manage to get myself through the day, which is why I am perplexed by people who have children. How the fuck do they get everything done, work, and take care of  all the needs of another person? It seems nearly impossible to me, and yet I have been watching a lot of my friends pull it off flawlessly. This upcoming week I have the holidays with the family and then a lot of events to attend, including a few x-mas parties and a few shows. I''m sitting her feeling overwhelmed and the fun hasn't even started yet! It occurred to me that a lot of the people who are playing these shows also happen to have children, which made me ask the question, how the hell do bands keep it going once they have children?

We all know that being in a band is a lot more than getting on the stage and rocking out. Practicing, writing, recording, booking shows, playing, marketing, and the making and selling of merch is all part of the job. What if you also had to find a babysitter? I decided to talk to a few local musicians who made quite a name for themselves over the years before they had kids, and somehow kept it going. I talked to Monday Busque and Ryan Allen of Destroy this Place and Augie and Korin, a.k.a The Hard Lessons. Destroy this Place will be playing Black Christmas on the 26th at The Majestic Complex and The Hard Lessons will be headlining their annual Post Christmas Blowout on the 26th at The Loving Touch. Both bands are not only active but have a pretty solid fan base that expects them to come out and show the fans a great time. What I found is that not a single one of these people see having a child as a roadblock to music, instead this life change gave them new reasons to make music.

 Check out my interview and make sure to head out and support one of these great bands this Friday!

Santino playing drums with his dad

HID- What band are you in?
Augie- "The Hard Lessons"

HID- How long were you in a band before you had a child?
Augie- "8 years"

HID- How many children do you have and what are their ages?
Korin- "Our first son Santino is three and a half and we have another on the way due in May.

HID- How do you think having children has changed your ability to be in a band and play music?
Augie- "Our band is an extra unique situation because mom AND dad are both in the band. I have some musician friends who are married and don’t have to get a sitter every time they rehearse or play a show. With us, it is a huge ordeal to do any band-related activities because we have to make serious arrangements for the little man!"
Korin- "It is ironic because the both of us being in the band is what saved our relationship. We got to tour Europe together, instead of one of us partying in France while the other was going to school and working two jobs. Constant touring was never a strain on our relationship."

HID- Have your children ever seen you play live?
Augie- "Our son Santino was at DIY Street Fair when we played last year and at some point in the set I pointed him out and said hello and he did the most perfect little parade wave to the crowd. It was hilarious."
Korin- "I think our son thinks everyone’s parents have records and sing songs and are on the radio. We were watching YouTube videos and a Hard Lessons video was recommended for us and he watched it and was so matter-of-fact that it was his parents."

HID- What do your children think of your music when they hear it on the radio?
Augie- "At first Sonny didn’t like music. Or he knew that it would hurt me to say that! He looked at me at the kitchen table one day and said, “Papa, I NO like music." My heart broke! I started imagining I was going to have to learn how to play sports."
Korin- "We recorded a song about Santino called “My Kind” and pressed it on a one-sided vinyl 45. On the blank backside we had him stamp his foot. It is an incredibly special song for us, and we made it available to our fans as well in limited quantity. I hope one day he realizes how much we love him and wanted to do something super special for him."

Santino putting his footprint on every copy of The Hard Lessons Nirvana inspired cover

HID- Do you tour?
Korin- "We toured for 6 years straight. We were being gone for more and more time, but deep down we knew we wanted a family. The turning point for us was getting asked to open a couple months of shows for They Might Be Giants. When we turned that down, we knew we had drawn a line in the sand and were easing away from that life."
Augie- "Since our son’s birth we’ve been to New York, Chicago, and around Michigan and Ohio playing shows, but long-term touring is not an option for us anymore. We just sold our van to The Beggars. We’re happy to see it live on."

HID- If you tour, how does that work with children?
Augie- "I do have to say I’m so sick of people asking us why we don’t tour WITH our kid and then getting told the insert-some-super-rich-band does it. When we toured we played late, got wild, and slept on floors. Not really the types of places where you set up a Pack-N-Play."

HID- What advice do you have for musicians that are also planning on having a family?
Augie- "Get your priorities straight. I have to be honest, at first it was a really hard transition for me to leave the late nights behind and dive into fatherhood. But three years later, I look forward to getting up at 6:00 a.m. and putting on some T. Rex while my son dances in his pajamas."

HID- Do you hope that your child plays music someday?
Korin- "I pushed for us to get a real piano in our house. Santino is just old enough to reach the keys and he loves banging on them and singing. I would absolutely love for him to learn some of the instruments we have lying around the house. If he learns drums, we can really keep the band all in the family."

HID- What is the one thing that no one prepares you for as far as having children goes?
Augie- "Everything."

HID- Anything else that you want us to know about playing in a band and having kids?
Korin- "There are so many cool moments raising kids with music. One of my favorites has to be the video Augie took of Santino mis-hearing the lyrics to The Stooges and singing “Happy Alright” instead of “I feel alright.” Kids are so innocent and pure. It’s a good reminder to leave behind some of the cynicism and frustration that comes from years of playing in bands or in a scene."
Augie- "Yes! He’s made us appreciate what we have with our band, and not just because he’s made it so much harder!"

Ryan Allen with his son Emitt

HID- What band are you in?
Ryan Allen- "Destroy This Place"

HID- How long were you in a band before you had a child?
RA- "I’ve been playing music live since I was around 15 years old, so a pretty long-ass time. Destroy This Place started in August of 2010. My son was born July of 2011."

HID- How many children do you have and what are their ages?
RA- "I have one insanely awesome little dude. His name is Emitt, and he’s 3 1/2 going on 13."

HID- How do you think having children has changed your ability to be in a band and play music?
RA- "To be honest, it’s only changed it for the better. Instead of practicing “whenever,” we practice once a week, usually the same day at the same time (typically on a weekend, when he’s napping). It’s made it easier to commit to a schedule and in turn, we’ve been pretty productive.
It’s also helped us make better choices. It’s tough to play a Tuesday night gig as it is sometimes, especially when you also have a full-time job. But when a 3 year old is up at 6:30 and wants to watch "Superhero Squad", you better get your ass up and help him out.
The last thing I’d say is that having dudes with multiple kids in the band helps us make good choices about the things we want to do and the things we don’t. We have to be a little more selective, which typically works out in our favor. It also really motivates us to put all our energy into the things that we do get to do because we are spending time away from hanging out with the kids while we do silly band shit. In short, it helps us be smarter."

HID- Have your children ever seen you play live?
RA- "Yeah! Both Monday and I have kids, and they’ve all seen us play. Usually our slots at DIY have been early enough where the kids can come and toddler-mosh to our jams, which usually results in them stealing the spotlight from us - and we’re very much ok with that."

HID- What did they think?
RA- "I think they really dig it. The older Emitt gets, the more he gets into music. Recently he’s been super obsessed with the band Ex Hex. He likes to watch live videos of them playing, and even knows the people in the bands’ names. He thinks they are infinitely cooler than we are (which is true). But generally speaking, he knows I play guitar and sing and go to band practice and do gigs and he’s into it - unless I’m strumming my six-string while he’s watching an episode of “Wild Kratts”…then it’s “DADAAAAAA! STOP SINGING!""

HID- What do your children think of your music when they hear it on the radio?
RA- "That’s assuming anybody in their right mind would play us on the radio (well maybe they would if it was the 1996 version of 89X). But if it’s ever on in the car or the stereo at home, he usually can pick up on the fact that it’s “us.” There’s two singers in the band, and it’s pretty wild to hear him pick up on what songs I sing on as opposed to which ones John sings. He’s very observant, and his ability to differentiate something like that blows my mind."

HID- Do you tour?
RA- "We’ve done a few out of town things since he’s been born. It’s really not a huge deal to be away for a few days here and there. We wouldn’t really be able to tour for weeks or months at a time, which is fine, because at this point, I wouldn’t want to be away from him that long anyway."

HID- If you tour, how does that work with children?
RA- "Again, we’ve done a few out of towners (actually quite a few 2 summers ago when our last album came out) and it’s totally fine. We’re all lucky that our wives are cool with flying solo for a few days. At this point in life (aka mid-30s), it’s actually a lot more sane of a move - financially and mentally - to just do a long weekend, rather than be gone forever."

HID- What advice do you have for musicians that are also planning on having a family?
RA- "Don’t stop playing just because you have a kid! My son is an endless source of inspiration, and has only made me a better musician and songwriter. Sharing your love of music - listening and playing - with a child is one of life’s greatest gifts. I think people use the “I have a kid now” excuse to just stop doing the things they love, and all that does is make you resent your kid. Who wants to do that? Make time for yourself and your family and you’ll be a happier person."

HID- Do you hope that your child plays music someday?
RA- "Of course! But if he’s not into it, I’m not going to force him to be. Growing up, my dad played music around the house, and let me fuck around with his instruments, but NEVER sat me down and said, “I’m teaching you how to play guitar now.” He let me discover it in my own way, and when I was ready to have him help me figure out how to play guitar, I approached him and he was more than happy to help. I plan on approaching it the same way. Emitt has a guitar and my parents just got him a drum set, so that stuff will be out and there for him to mess around with, but I’ll never make him play it if he doesn’t want to. Bob Pollard from Guided by Voices has kids, and I’m pretty sure they don’t play music. They are like all-star sports guys in college or something, and it’s cool, because even though their dad is like, a rock legend, they are doing their own thing. I’m down with that approach."

HID- What is the one thing that no one prepares you for as far as having children goes?
RA- "Picking one is nearly impossible, but I’d say there’s no way to prepare yourself for how quickly it all goes by. It seems like one second they are this little beautiful ball of flesh, crying and shitting everywhere, and the next, they are this opinionated, hilarious, and brilliant little person talking to you about the craziest stuff. It’s all pretty awesome, though."

HID- Anything else that you want us to know about playing in a band and having kids?
RA- "Get them some awesome protective headphones so they can come watch you rock out and don’t have to worry about damaging their l’il ears in the process."

Monday's two little wrestlers

HID- What band are you in?
Monday Busque- "Destroy This Place"

HID- How long were you in a band before you had a child?
MB- "I've been in bands since I was 17 years old, and I had my first kid when I was 32…so a long time!"

HID- How many children do you have and what are their ages?
MB- "I have two boys, ages 5 and 7. I also have a 17 year old stepson."

HID- How do you think having children has changed your ability to be in a band and play music? MB- "It certainly makes me have to divide my time a lot more, but my wife is pretty awesome and supportive so having kids really hasn't affected my ability to be in a band. It actually makes me more appreciative of playing."

HID- Have your children ever seen you play live? What did they think?
MB- "They have seen my band play at DIY Festival. They thought it was pretty fun and they danced around in front of the stage."

HID- What do your children think of your music when they hear it on the radio?
MB- "We haven't been played on the radio, but we do have a music video on YouTube for our song "Graves", and they giggled a lot."

HID- Do you tour?
MB- "Not in the traditional sense. In the summer of 2013 we had three different stints of 3 to 4 shows over weekends. If we totaled our shows for that summer it came out to about 10 out-of-state shows. We play out of shows when we can, but it's not as often as we would like."

HID- If you tour, how does that work with children?
MB- "Again, my wife is pretty rad, so she has no problem taking care of the kids while I'm gone. I do miss them terribly when I was away, but in our age of smartphones it's pretty easy to see their faces and talk to them."

HID- What advice do you have for musicians that are also planning on having a family?
MB- "It can totally be done, having a family and having a band. And having a family makes you work harder and appreciate your band time. Also, it's important for your kids to see you as someone more than just a parent."

HID- Do you hope that your child plays music someday?
MB- "Absolutely. I'd sorta be sad if they didn't at least play in a school band or orchestra. Music is really important in our house."

HID- What is the one thing that no one prepares you for as far as having children goes?
MB- "You can read all the parenting books, websites and advice columns you want, but kids will find a way to confound and challenge you, but it's rewarding all the same."

HID- Anything else that you want us to know about playing in a band and having kids?
MB- "Make sure your kids don't listen to shitty music."


Apparently having kids is not a excuse to keep on rocking in the free world, it is a reason to do so! You can purchase tickets to The Hard Lessons - Post Christmas Blowout here. Tickets to see Destroy This Place at Black Christmas are available here.

~S

Win Tickets to Black Christmas!!!

December 24th and 25th are two days that most of us spend with family and friends exchanging gifts, eating meals, and sharing some holiday love. But, after two days of being nice, we're all going to need to get naughty and we have the perfect place for all of us to gather to behave badly this holiday season, Black Iris Booking's Black Christmas!

For the third year in a row some of Detroit's best bands will take over The Majestic complex and we will all get unruly and have a good time! The 2014 lineup includes The Suicide Machines, Mustard Plug, Negative Approach, Telegraph (20 year reunion), The Meatmen, Fordirelifesake, Wilson, Koffin Kats, Walls Of Jericho, The Creepshow, Fireworks, Hellmouth (Detroit), Mrs. Skannotto, PEARS, The Dewtons, St. Thomas Boys Academy, Destroy This Place, Poison Tongues, Tharsis They and CbJ. This year they will also be a featuring an art show inside the Majestic Cafe, featuring works from artists at Signature Tattoo and Big Top Tattoo.

The night will kick off at 6 p.m. and the event will feature three stages. Tickets are $20 for the first 250 people then they will be $25 in advance. They will go up to $30 on the day of the show. We also  have one pair of tickets to give away to one lucky reader courtesy of the ladies over at Black Iris Booking. We love these girls more than they will ever know! They bring some of the best bands to town and take care of our readers by making sure that at least one of you gets in the doors for FREE.  To enter, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Black Christmas in the subject. We will draw a winner the day before the show and email them details on how to claim their prize.  

Good luck! This is a do not miss event, so we expect to see all of you there. Let's drink whiskey and get weird together this holiday season!

~S

Win Tickets to See The Buzzcocks

Punk rock legends The Buzzcocks are returning to Detroit this week and having two of our best local acts open up the show for them. Detroit locals Destroy this Place and The Ill Itches will be opening the show. This is a pretty special lineup for anyone that loves the sound of a gritty guitar and great vocals. We love seeing two great locals get a chance to open for a legendary band when they come to town.  This will be a great show from start to finish.

Tickets are only $29 in advance and can be purchased here. We also have two pairs of tickets to give away to the show courtesy of Live Nation Detroit. To enter to win a set, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com. We will draw two winners a few days before the show and email them with details on how to claim their prize.

~S

Saturday Night at the New Dodge!

It's pretty often that we talk about a show and say that there is a "solid lineup" from beginning to end. What can we say? There are a ton of great bands in this city and those bands get together and play some really stellar shows. Well, we may have found the solid-est of all lineups. This Saturday there is a show at the New Dodge that has an amazing bill. It makes so much sense, we can't believe it hasn't already happened 20 times. But, some musical genius just finally put it all together for tomorrow night.

Saturday night at the New Dodge Lounge you can enjoy a wonderful night of music provided by My Pal Val, Destroy This Place, The Paper Sound and Touch The Clouds. That's right, some of the best bands to come out of Detroit over the last few years, each with just the right amount of '90s influence, are hitting the stage together. See, you're thinking it too... why hasn't this show already happened before? Who knows! But, we do know you should definitely head out to it on Saturday night!

$5 will get you in the door and 21+ are welcome. The New Dodge is located at 8850 Joseph Campau in Hamtramck. Doors open at 9 p.m.

~C

Speedy Ortiz Returns to Detroit with Destroy This Place!

Attention Detroit! Speedy Ortiz is coming back to town for a last minute show at Jumbo's this Wednesday, June 18th. Their recently released EP, Real Hair, has been tearing up the indie charts on satellite radio. Their last full length album, Major Arcana, was reviewed by Pitchfork when it was released in 2013. They have been touring with everyone from the Breeders to Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks. Plus, their lead singer is named Sadie and she has the sexiest little voice. Check out their music here.

Destroy this Place will be opening this show. If you haven't heard of this band, they are one of my favorite local Detroit acts. Not only are they extremely talented musicians, but they have just enough of that grunge rock feel that I yearn for to make the music seem classic and fresh at the same time. If you haven't heard DTP, check out their latest full length album here.

You can pre-order tickets online for $8 ($9.27 with service fees) here or try your chances at the door the night of the show. Speedy Ortiz is one of those bands that has been really picking up steam, so we expect a pretty big turnout for the show. Make sure, if you don't have a ticket, you get there early and do not miss a note. 

Jumbo's is located at 3736 3rd Street in Detroit and doors open at 9 p.m. sharp.

~S

Officially Blown Out

It’s Sunday night and Im sitting on my couch reflecting on Blowout 2014. I ran around three cities getting as many pictures and videos as I could while trying to have fun and say hello to friends. This year they switched it up by having shows in three different cities over four different nights and in turn we switched up the way that we were going to cover the event. Usually we would have booked a lot of interviews with bands, but even when the event was solely in Hamtramck, that was tough. The new format would make it nearly impossible, so we left the weekend open and decided we would try to get as many live videos as we could instead.




Christie and I got to kick off the event together at The Magic Stick on Wednesday night and we saw all sorts of great music including killer sets by Snakewing and Size Queen. In fact, those were the two most rock and roll shows that I caught all weekend. Drew Podgorski kills it on guitar and makes other players look bad. Snakewing got very loud and crazy and I'm pretty sure that Cris Golan ended up in the hospital with a broken toe. I also enjoyed a electronic set from a band called Adele Jazeem, they kicked off the night with some dance tunes and a lot of John Travolta.

My favorite set of the weekend was Tunde Olaniran at The Rust Belt Market. The lighting in there was pretty intense and it went well with his show. I saw Tunde for the first time two years ago and he made my jaw drop then. Somehow no matter how many times I see him perform I still leave with the same shock and amazement. I also loved James Linck's closing set on Saturday night. I expected the space at Union Street to be pretty lame and was disappointed when I heard that James was playing there. But, it ended up being one of my favorites places to see a band all weekend. James played with a full band, the place had great sound, and I totally felt like I was part of an elite group hanging out in some sexy speak easy in the 20s. I'm obsessed with his new track "Lights on Rider Anthem" and he performed it live with Doc Waffles and Eddie Logix that night.

I think that this year's Blowout brought an entirely new set of fans out to see a lot of the bands that we see every weekend. I stopped a lot of people and asked them why they came out, who they came out to see, how they heard about Blowout, and how long they had been coming to the fest. Most of the people I talked to were newbies, so Blowout was a great time to win some new fans. In fact, I caught Destroy This Place open up the night at The Loving Touch on Saturday and the line was so long at the merch table after the show that I couldn't even go over and say "hi" before I had to head across the street to see Alexis. I have no idea how Matthew dances so fierce while he sings so well, but I was glad that I caught their set.

I also enjoyed partying with the Co-Ownaz who had a showcase above Como's on Friday night and I stood in awe at Rachel May as she belted her lungs out with Broadzilla at Small's on Saturday night.
I thought Jax from Flint Eastwood did a great time entertaining the crowd at The Rust Belt on Friday night and Augie and Ko aka The Hardlessons played a great set to a crowd of people that were loving every second of it. My biggest regret was missing The HandGrenades on Friday and Nice Hooves on Thursday, I heard both of those sets were great. (Don't worry, Christie got video of the HG’s.) Christie said the highlights of her weekend were Snakewing and Size Queen at the kickoff, Axe Ripper at The Painted Lady and Zander Michigan at The Library. If you didn't check out his set, you really missed out.

The new format made it harder to see as many bands during Blowout, but it also gave you a lot more bands to choose from. It also seemed like the sets were longer this year, so when you did catch a band you got more than 20 minutes of music. Blowout was a great example of Detroit music at its best. The biggest problem with the festival was picking which good band to see in which city and thats a pretty good problem to have.

We hope all of you had a blast at this year's Blowout. If you didn't catch everyone you wanted to see this year, hopefully we caught a video from their set. You can check out all of our footage from this weekend below.

~S 

Bars of Gold and Destroy This Place at New Way Bar!

The New Way in Ferndale is becoming a hipper place, they have been booking better shows and the last couple of times we visited, we had a great time. This Friday, February 21st they are having one of their best shows yet! Detroit favorites Bars of Gold and Destroy This Place are playing with Multicult and Roomrunner (Ex- Double Dagger).

Bars of Gold was recently featured in AP and has been getting a lot of positive attention for their new album Wheels put out by Bellyache Records. This is their first show since the release in November.

The show starts at 8 p.m. and cover is only $5. The New Way Bar is located at 23130 Woodward in Ferndale.

~S

Creepy Cheapy

When I was younger I fell in love with a woman named Courtney Love. I fantasized about what it would be like to be her, to be married to Kurt Cobain, singing, writing, and touring on Lollapalooza, and generally being the most badass girl in rock and roll. I sat in my room and screamed out the lyrics to Live Through This on a near daily basis. My brother can literally sing "Miss World" because he heard me sing it so many times, he wouldn't be happy to admit that. I always wondered what it would be like to do my version of Courtney in front of a crowd, but I never dreamed I would get the opportunity to do so.

At Hip In Detroit's one year celebration I got the chance to sing "Violet" with Destroy This Place at the end of their set. It was by far one of the coolest moments I have had since we started this website. Who knew that it would open up the opportunity to actually perform as Hole at this year's Creepy Cheapy at The Crofoot. That's right kids, I will be joining Destroy This Place this Friday, October 25th on the stage and doing a set as my idol. I can't wait to do this, I've been practicing for months. But, there's one thing I need to make this dream a true reality, I need a crowd there screaming along with me! I need everyone of you to bust out Live Through This and give yourself a quick refresher of the lyrics. Let's make this one big 90s tribute to the queen of grunge! But, unfortunately for me the show is not all about me.there's also a lot of other great cover bands playing.

This year's lineup also features members of the Grande Nationals as Motley Crue, Search The City as Jimmy Eat World, Chase Morris as Ludacris, The Hounds Below as Pavement, Lord Scrummage as Ween, Flint Eastwood as The Ramones, El Dee as No Doubt, and many, many more. For a full list of acts go here.

The best part about Creepy Cheapy is that tickets are only $5 for a regular or $10 for the enhanced ticket. The enhanced ticket gets you quicker access to the show. If you've been there before you know that the line can get long very quickly. In fact, I think the show was completely sold out by 10 o'clock last year, so you may want to think about starting your night earlier than you're used to or risk the chance of not being able to get in on the fun. Throw on whatever costume you want get there early and let's party!

~S

Child Bite Split Release Show with We Are Hex!

Child Bite is one of the best bands in the area with some of the best beards in the business. Their music is just the right mix of crazy and bad ass. Over the past year they have not only been wowing crowds across the country, but also around the globe. They are a band that we are extremely lucky to have hail from the Detroit area and have the pleasure of seeing perform a few times a year.

This Friday night, September 27th, Child Bite is releasing a new 12" split with their pals from Indianapolis, We Are Hex. We can only imagine that the music on this album is going to be as amazing as the artwork on the vinyl. Vocalist Shawn Knight designed the album, that we're sure many will pick up for the art alone.

Speaking of which, $10 gets you in the door to the show and gets you a copy of the album. So, those of you starting your own Shawn Knight gallery at home won't feel too guilty about picking up 2 albums (one for the wall and one for your ears) since the first copy is free with admission. Joining Child Bite on the bill are the other artists on the split, We Are Hex, along with Destroy This Place and Palaces. The release show is being held at The Loving Touch in Ferndale and doors open at 8 p.m. You can preview a song from both bands off of the split here.

~C

Our DIY 2013 Recap

This weekend DIY brought together some great bands and artists and it seems as though it also brought fall with it. The three day festival is usually one of the marks of the end of summer in the area. From what I remember, last year's fest was pretty hot. But, as Detroiters do every fall, we all layered on the clothes and shivered in the 50 degree weather that felt more like 30.

Despite the low temperatures and rainy skies, the spirits were high at this year's DIY and it was a blast. This installment of the event featured one of the best lineups I can remember to date, with bigger acts like The Suicide Machines and Death, paired up with first timers like Ojala.

Friday night kicked off DIY with what Sadie and I agreed from the beginning was the best bill of the weekend, and now that it has passed we still maintain that statement. Things may have gotten off to a rocky start with George Morris getting pushed back, moved to another day, then moved again, along with some malfunctions during the Flint Eastwood set, but after that the stages and bands were all smooth sailing. At least from what the crowd could tell. On the WAB Stage, Alexis got things started off great and got the crowd moving, as always. Tunde, The Suicide Machines and Child Bite were just a few of the other acts that played outside, while The ILL Itches and Electric Corpse played inside The Loving Touch.

We were really shocked to see that The Suicide Machines were playing this event and curious as to what it would be like. Tons of people crawled out of the woodwork to see them, the jokes about playing an art fair in Ferndale were limited, and their set was as awesome as ever. The band even gave a shout out to Sadie for her birthday mid-set, which was pretty awesome and our 15 year old selves probably would have died.

With that being said, our coverage and pictures are lacking a bit from Friday and Saturday due to the mass amounts of partying going on. Regardless we can tell you these few things. The Suicide Machines were awesome. Tunde played at the same time, so although we were unable to catch him this night, we heard people talking about him and witnessed people coming up to him all night raving about his performance. Child Bite was excellent as always and The ILL Itches killed it. If you missed out on their set, you really need to make a point to catch these guys soon.

Saturday night's highlight was the reunion of Thunderbirds Are Now. Lucky for us and everyone else that missed this once in a lifetime reunion, the band filmed their set and will be releasing a video soon. If you also didn't get a chance to check out our interview with Ryan Allen about this reunion show, make sure you take a minute to read that here. We hear we really missed out on a hell of a show and a great time.

Sunday we were dead set on getting our absolute fill of the DIY Street Fair. This was the first chance we had to actually check out all of the amazing artists and of course some more great bands. Alongside the numerous Detroit t-shirt stands, there were truly some spectacular artists that come up with the craziest ideas utilizing cassette tapes, records, wood, paint fabric, and pretty much anything you can think of in the most creative ways. Most booths were reasonably priced, so it makes it difficult to not run around and buy a ton of stuff. Although there were MANY great tents, my favorite by far was the 18X24 Detroit Tent featuring some amazing show posters and other prints. Make sure you head over and check out 18X24 and all of their artists here.

Sunday was the rainiest of the 3 days, but the music still killed it. James Linck sounded bigger and more amazing than ever with a full band on stage with him. Then Destroy This Place played a great set, that was slightly overshadowed by the cute kids in the crowd, but still pretty sweet. Later in the night Bars of Gold played an incredibly energetic set. And then the crowd got to end the night with the highly anticipated debut of Ojala. This band was completely different than any of Chris Jarvis' other projects, but just as amazing. Make sure you check out our interview with Chris about Ojala and check them out online here. 

Overall this year's DIY was better than ever. There were some bands we were surprised to see on the schedule, some great new food trucks, and artists that were both new and old, but unlike those at your mom's art fair. One band joked about playing an art fair saying their career must be over, while others took it as a huge honor to start off at this highly regarded festival. Despite the jokes, we're sure everyone that was a part of DIY, whether in a tent or on the stage, was honored to be included in it and we know we are honored to have such great people in Detroit that are willing to work their butts off to put this event together every year. Definitely one of the best ways to close out the summer or kick off the fall, whichever way you want to look at it.

~C