There’s no doubting that with the times we’re in, everyone is feeling a little more blue collar than they may be used to. But there’s an artist who shines the light on these frustrations and attitudes seldom heard in music: Mike McColgan. Formerly of the Dropkick Murphys, McColgan sings for the Boston-bred punk group Street Dogs. I had the opportunity to speak with him about their next album, playing for multiple continents of fans, the state of punk rock, and, of course, the Red Sox.
You guys are in Colorado Springs today, right?
Yeah we are; we’re actually in Denver right now, getting ready to leave for Colorado Springs. We’ve got a show there tonight, and then on the 10th we start recording at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins.
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Cool, so you guys are getting ready for a big tour of Europe at the end of this month?
The tour commences at the end of March in Europe — before that we have a date that we’re going to play in the US, on March 13th in Washington DC, The Shamrock Festival.
How does a European audience compare to an American audience? Are they easier to please?
No, I don’t think so. Fortunately for us, we’re doing well here and there, and people seem to be able to identify [with us], and relate to what we’re saying, how we’re saying it, and how we’re playing it. It’s gone over well here and there, so we’re grateful for that.
Describe to me, head to toe, your typical Street Dogs fan. Who’s the guy under the headphones, listening to your songs?
You know, I’ve tried to do that a lot in my own mind, and I think, luckily, we seem to reach a wide variety of people in as so much as fans are concerned. We have punk rockers, kids who are into hardcore music, and just everyday people who come to our shows. I couldn’t really come up with a stereotypical breakdown of a Street Dogs fan. I think one thing that we get is people identifying with what we’re saying. Times are tough…and they’ve been tough for a while. They’ve been tough for a lot longer than most people are willing to let on about. A lot of people are living beyond the breaking point, just scratching pennies at this point to get by. I think to some measure we’ve always sung to that, and people who are feeling that and come across our music seem to identify with that message.
Exactly. I mean, punk has never been without some sort of political undertone and attitudes towards current events. Do you think the new album will have anything that speaks to the frustrations of a 21st Century American citizen?
I think so. I mean, we’re not politicians, so we’re not preaching from a bully pulpit, and people can think and feel what they want to — but the same time we have our own perceptions and views of things and feelings, and we’ve always committed that to song. And I don’t see [any] reason why that will be any different with this next record; I think we’ll be doing [it] the same — I think this time we’ll be doing it with a little more ferocity, and a little more anger, and sonically it’ll be a little more faster and meaner than State of Grace was.
Speaking of State of Grace, could you talk a little about the cover of that album? I’ve been looking at it the last week or so and I’ve been trying to wrap my head around what the image actually is. It’s so…not “haunting,” but it’s this strange image of these kids so happily embracing falling off the side of something. Could you shine some light on that?
I think, the picture represents innocence and craziness of youth, and the picture spoke to us. It’s actually a picture of kids jumping off a building at Council Estates in England. Gavin Watson is the guy who took the picture. When you’re that age, like those kids are, you have a feeling of “everything is okay, we’re having fun, and we’re playing,” and the complexity of the world hasn’t come down on you at that age. That spoke to us and it grabbed us and jarred us, so we felt comfortable making that the cover of our record. Easily our best cover without a doubt!
Could you talk about your songwriting process? What makes a good day in the studio for you guys?
With this record we’re more prepared than ever. We’ve had four separate rounds of preproduction and the songs are good to go as soon as we walk through the front door of the studio. We’re more prepared and we’ve done our homework moreso than we have on any other record, like Savin Hill or Back To The World, Fading American Dream, or State Of Grace. I think this record is going to be our best one, and all bands say that — all artists say that when they make a record. I’ve probably been guilty [of] saying that about some of our other records in the past. Honestly to a man, or a woman, to a fan or a potential fan, I know this will be our best record.
Where does punk rock stand as a genre? Do you feel it’s appropriately represented in the mainstream?
That’s a difficult question…I don’t think its ever been appropriately represented in the mainstream — even when it’s been up there with the resurgence in the ’90s, or when The Clash brought it to the world. I think there’s always been an uneasiness about punk just being there. Even today, the bands that are in the punk genre — and it’s the media who puts the bands there — I think the bands that are doing it now just play, sing, do whatever the fuck they want. No two people are going to have the same interpretation of what the meaning of punk rock is. My way has always been just [saying] whatever you want and [being] emboldened. Question the answers, and question authority, in place of freedom of speech. Just be little abrasive and a little incendiary, and get out there and shake it up a bit. Wear it on your sleeve, you know? Not everybody is going to love your band, and I’m totally fine with that. We’re gonna do what we’re gonna do, and we’re gonna do it on our own terms.
Do the Red Sox have any hope this season?
I think there’s a lot of hope with the acquisition of [John] Lackey, and Daisuke [Matsuzaka being] healthier at the start of this next season — hopefully we sign Beckett for a long term deal. They have a pretty full staff with Lester pitching, and they’ve made a few acquisitions for the infield that are going to help them. They’re going to be a competitive team, and defensively they’re going to be way better than they were last year. They have the offensive capability, thats clear. I think they’re going to be competing for the division or the wild card, they’ll be in the playoffs. When you’re a baseball team, how healthy you are by the time the playoffs start will dictate how successful you are and that’s going to be a big thing with the Red Sox, I think.
I ask only because I know I’d get in trouble with some friends if I didn’t ask you specifically.
No, thats fine. I love talking about sports. I grew up in Boston watching the Bruins, the Patriots, the Celtics, and the Sox. It’s just a part of who I am and it will always be that way.
You think you’re going to wind up doing the national anthem again at any point?
If I get asked, it would be an honor, and I’d be there and give it everything I have. I would love to sing the national anthem at Fenway Park again.
Any music that’s under the radar right now that you’ve been interested in? Something our readers might want to look into?
I heard this really, really good band from Minneapolis called Off With Their Heads that are really good. We played with them on the last Riot Fest in Chicago, they really impressed me. Bands like Far From Finished, they always impress me, and they have a new record coming out. Those are bands I would definitely watch for. And there’s a band from Boston called The Snipes that are really good too. They played with us on our Wreck The Hall show at Paradise. Those are bands to watch for sure.