Remove caught up with Rae to catch up on their new band Zip-It, booking for Gay House, being raised on punk, and much more.
I recently just started a new band called Zip It!, and of course there's Pineapple Hill. Josh and I have been talking about starting a country band for a hot second, but it's yet to happen. Sorta like if Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash had two punk kids. I also just started booking shows at Gay House with the help of my roommates, Madi and Dylan.
What are some of your musical influences?
God, there's a lot. I was raised on SoCal skate punk and NY hardcore, so a lot of what I like to write stems from that. I still listen to bands like Fabulous Disaster and Tilt on the regular- in fact I have a Tilt tattoo. Once I was out of high school, I gave up on the whole "I'm too cool for pop music" thing and recently I've really been enjoying Jessica Hernandez and The Deltas, Stef Chura, and of course, Mitski. In terms of newer punk, Mannequin Pussy, Amyl and the Sniffers, and FEA are just killing it. Clearly, I tend to look up to strong, openly emotional, femme vocalists.
What's the status with Pineapple Hill?
We're sitting back for a moment. There's seven of us, and being able to coordinate can be difficult, but we're still here! Earlier in the year we put out a single called "He's a 'Good' Guy" that's about the lack of accountability for abusers in the scene. I'm really proud of it, and I know the rest of the band is. Jack Reed of How Rad Recording out in Canton mixed and mastered it for us and it sounds great. It was the first time I had ever recorded anything for real and had it like put on streaming services, so of course it's special to me. Pineapple Hill is special to me.
Zip-It is sort of a supergroup. Tell us how it came together.
First, I want to establish that yes, "supergroup" went right to my ego so thank you. It was sort of my doing, I suppose?I've wanted to front a punk band since I was a kid. I can't imagine doing anything else. I knew Kyle (of The Waterheads) was interested, and Dylan started learning bass. After recording a song we had wrote at practice, Mikey asked if he could join on drums, and then we asked Dee to join in on synth. Kyle and I work really well together, and writing with her is the most fun I've had in a hot minute. We seem to be on the same wavelength and I truly feel blessed to have met her and call her one of my best friends and bandmate.
What can we expect from Zip-It’s live show?
Spooky surf punk? I think Mikey referred to it as goblincore? I really like what we have going on, and I think other people will too. We have a lot of fun practicing together and just hanging out with each other in general and I think that positive energy with transfer on stage.
You booked and ran Shangri-La house? Was that your first experience with booking shows? what did you learn from living there?
I definitely had a part in booking at Shangri-La, but none of it would have happened without the help of Josh and Alex! They both have supported me in booking and music in general since I started, and I really appreciate that. The first show I ever put together was there, and until the very last day, it was where I felt most comfortable holding shows. They both let me run shows out of there- even after I moved out- and were always by my side to make sure things ran smoothly. I think the most important thing I learned from booking there and with them is the importance of teamwork, and having people to trust and rely on. As cliche as it sounds, I've always been a "if you want it done right do it yourself" kind of person, and having them around really taught me that it's okay to have people help you.
What’s the most important part of booking shows? What kind of space do you aspire to create?
Well, of course, you want people to show up. You want donations- especially for touring bands- but at the end of the day it's about the music. Not to sound like a boomer, but in a world where the success of a musician is often determined by streams and social media following, having this authentic and analog experience is really important. When you're booking or running a space, you play a big part in facilitating that. It's all about creating a space where people can be comfortable and just enjoy the music. At our first Gay House show, we had a touring band from Pittsburgh called "Lem" play in our living room and it was just such a wholesome experience. That's what I want. Good people playing good music to other good people.
What’s your dream band to book?
I really love booking, and I'd love to book tours etc., but I don't really look at bands I admire and think "holy fuck let me book you." There are definitely bands I'd love to play with though! I'm really loving what Destroy Boys are doing, and of course Mannequin Pussy. Seeing them live was really inspiring. I would love to book out in L.A. with Crawl Space Booking- who books all sorts of bands from Negative Approach to Bongzilla- although that's just a pipe dream.
What does DIY mean to you?
Ah yes, this has been heavily debated recently hasn't it? Again, I think DIY is really about that analog experience. Like, of course stream your friends music! Follow their social media! but for me, DIY is all about the shows. It means more to me to see someone singing along to 'My Kind of Scum' in a crowded basement than it does to watch our monthly listeners go up on spotify. I don't think I'm the only one that feels that way. DIY isn't a genre, it's a community of people supporting each other's hard work. Lately I've seen a lot of people argue that you aren't "real DIY" if you would sign to a label and personally? I call bullshit. We all love music, We all want to get our work out there. We all want to reach our own definition of success. To some, that means getting signed. To some, it means playing house shows and producing their own music forever. There is nothing wrong with either. One is not better than the other. It's easy to feel like you're competing with other local acts- which I think is where the whole "gatekeeping DIY" thing comes from- but reality is you aren't. The scene can't possibly become over-saturated. That just isn't going to happen. Go to shows. Support your friends. Stream their content. When it comes down to it, all any of us want to do is play music.
(questions by Joey Molloy)