A Little R&R

“It allowed me some much-needed time to reflect on my life, which is important,” explains lead singer Matt Caughthran from LA. It’s a quiet Wednesday morning and he sits on his sofa at home under a wall of impressive framed-prints. “Life is so hectic and crazy and stressful and gut-wrenching, and being forced to reflect and having time to be alone with yourself and isolated and really look inward was a gift.”

While each band member may have taken something different from the long stretch of gig-free days, for Caughthran the time was not only restorative, but allowed him to take a step back and shift his perspective. “It was something that I really benefited from because I’m pretty hard on myself and a lot of times I tend to beat myself up,” he explains. “I definitely did that in the pandemic, but then it was almost like a means to an end. Because once you get through that, you’re able to come out the other side of it and realise that the good far outweighs the bad. I’ve been so fortunate in my life to be able to experience everything that I’ve been able to experience, and to accomplish everything that I’ve accomplished. It’s all a gift and I’m grateful for all of it.”

Founded in LA in 2002, the band received industry attention from their first live show, signing a major record deal after only twelve gigs. “It was the times,” laughs Caughthran. “It was the last of the old school record deal waves, and it was still riding on the cusp of labels throwing money at anybody that was remotely connected to At The Drive In. It was so funny.”

The members of the original lineup had all been active in different bands around the city. Caughthran had been playing with guitarist Joby J. Ford in a band called The Drips, a now side-project they rekindle from time to time. Ford suggested Caughthran join him to sing on a new project, and The Bronx was formed. “The energy just clicked right away and those guys had enough experience in the industry. We had three or four songs, we got them to the right people, and those people were able to create a little bit of buzz between these record labels that were foaming at the mouth to just throw money at bands,” he laughs.

Taking their cues from their city’s history for an independent ethos and ideological creative freedom, the band formed their own label White Drugs for their first release, an imprint they still maintain to this day. “We knew that we wanted to have something to ourselves, that’s something you learn from the punk world,” Caughthran explains. “Growing up and seeing the DIY ethics and the independence of the punk scene was really important to us. Anytime we felt like doing something a little weird or left of centre, we wanted to be able to put it out on White Drugs.”

From their formation, the band has brought a dimension to their output that’s felt genuine and innovative. From self-releasing, to their artistic collaborations, to the formation of Mariachi El Bronx, an alter-ego embracing most members of the band performing original and traditional mariachi music in full regalia. It’s testament to their willingness to experiment with ideas and do things differently.

For their second album, the uniformly titled The Bronx (II), the band released via Island Def Jam reaching international audiences and playing to bigger rooms. “We got a record deal and it was a smart one, we had good people looking out for us at the time because we didn’t really know the ins and outs of the music industry,” says Caughthran. “We got a smart deal, got put out on the road, got our teeth wet and spent a lot of nights just blacked out playing rock n roll and just doing whatever the fuck we could do to experience life and play music, and that formed the band.”

Over the next decade the group released a further three albums as The Bronx, and three Mariachi El Bronx records. They were constantly on the road playing blistering shows with an impressive tenacity for embracing any stage. They thrived on the energy of live, their performances visceral and thrilling. Caughthran is one of the few artists who enthusiastically welcomes playing back catalogue across consecutive nights and years, and he speaks excitedly of touring and reconnecting with friends and acquaintances around the globe.

At the start of 2020 The Bronx were readying the release of their sixth studio album, recorded the previous autumn in Pasadena, California. But for a group that’s so active on the road, the inability to promote a record through live was a tough concept to hold. “It was all done,” laughs Caughthran, shaking his head. “We started hearing rumblings of OK, well these shows we’re going to do might not happen and this festival in Australia’s getting cancelled, and this festival. No one really thought things were going to get shut down the way they did, but we just decided, let’s wait and see what happens before we put this record out.”

Speaking to Caughthran now, it feels like he has one eye on the future, which is hardly surprising having spent the best part of two years sitting on an album. However, he’s thankful for the way things played out and how they allowed the band to record in-person and together. “Having it done and in the bag was the best thing for us, because during the pandemic there was so much other stuff to focus on, honestly just getting together as a band in a time like that, to record the way we record, the way we write music, as much as you wanna think it would have been cool to have bonded together, the reality of it is it just wouldn’t have been fucking possible,” he explains.

During the worst stages of the pandemic and its enduring lockdowns many artists found it difficult to work or be creative. But for The Bronx, having that time out meant funneling their energy from admin and scheduling and into artistic ideas that could support the album’s release. Keeping The Bronx quiet and focusing on the upcoming record, as Mariachi El Bronx they released two volumes of covers and rarities titled Música Muerta. “I’m very fortunate that we had it done, that we had the experience of writing and recording it together, and then we were fortunate enough timing-wise to be able to hold it and spend some creative energy to focus on how to roll it out and to do something creative with singles and artist collaborations and put some energy into it that way, instead of thinking about what tours we’re going to do,” says Caughthran.

Sticking with their systematic titling, The Bronx VI is a riotous and exhilarating listen that acts as a call to arms for anyone feeling a little hesitant to get back into a live space. For Caughthran, it’s quite literally a much needed release. “It just feels so good releasing the record,” he smiles. “Having to sit on it throughout the whole time was frustrating to say the least, but so many bands went through a lot of tough experiences, so we got lucky in a lot of ways. We have a great record that we’re just getting out now and the world’s getting back to somewhat a normal mentality and hopefully that continues and we can play some music live.”

Alongside longtime members Ken Horne, Brad Magers and Ford is Joey Castillo who joined the band in 2018 having previously played in Queens Of The Stone Age. This is the first Bronx record he’s written and played on. “He’s an animal, he’s a fucking animal and that’s what we were so excited about,” laughs Caughthran. “It brought a lot of energy to the band, a lot of energy to the writing process too. You have Joey joining the band and being on this record, you have Ken and Brad contributing songs for the first time, so there’s a lot unfolding creatively in the band and it feels really, really good.”

A formidable powerhouse of a drummer, Castillo’s arrival also brought a change in dynamic which helped lift the other band members during the album sessions. “The writing process for The Bronx VI, it was a lot of fun working on music together,” smiles Caughthran. “We’ve known Joey for a long time, we know he’s a fucking badass drummer, we know he’s fucking great in The Bronx, but we’ve never written a record together. So when you do that, and that happens, you’re clicking on all facets and you come together as a complete unit. And that’s super exciting, that’s what being in a band is all about.”

Listening to the album as a whole, there are themes of claustrophobia and wanting to break-out which play into a pandemic lens, and Caughthran forgives my presumption this was a lockdown album. “Lyrically there’s a lot of escapism in the record, wanting to manifest being in a better place,” he nods. “At the time of writing that record, I was trying to get myself to a better place. I just wasn’t really where I wanted to be mentally. As a human being I just felt that I could be better, be a better person. I just wasn’t really tapping into my full potential and it was really weighing on me. I think that there is a lot of that in the record. At least lyrically, there’s a lot of really wanting to get to where I see myself.”

For Caughthran, the time subsequently spent in lockdown with space to dig deep and reset his path was a blessing, and he looks back now with the benefit of hindsight. “I could see the future as far as where I wanted to go, and I was just so frustrated that I wasn’t there,” he explains. “I just felt a little stuck and in those moments when you’re writing a record you tend to reflect on stuff like that, and for me I always look inward and try to find a creative way to project that outward. There was definitely a fair amount of wanting to get out, of feeling that need to arrive at the fucking destination.”

As well as frustration, there’s a lot of hope in the record, and even a little humour. “Songs like “Jack Of All Trades”, that song’s based out of that Logjammin scene in The Big Lebowski, that porno where he shows up to fix the cable,” laughs Caughthran. “It’s a fun record. I think sometimes, at least for me personally, I can get so bogged down in trying to figure out everything that’s wrong with me or wrong with society or wrong with the world. You get so caught up in that bullshit sometimes when you’re making a record. It’s like, just fucking relax. That song makes me laugh, just makes me smile. Songs like those are really important to me to balance out the heaviness of being so introspective as an artist.”

The record is bright and explosive from the off, mixing intricate guitar work with a relentless rhythm section and an abundance of yell-along choruses. On recent single “Curb Feelers” Caughthran wrenches, “Every day starts off the same, I wake up looking for my brain. It's not at the beach, it's not in my bed. The panic sets in that I might be dead.” The record’s themes are bare and apparent, Caughthran’s delivery vital and visceral across the more immediate tracks. But it’s not abrasive, instead the dynamics are inviting, allowing you to embrace each twist and turn.

The album is full of clever hooks and adrenaline drive with tracks like “Watering The Well” spacious and instant, the production playful and wide open. “Peace Pipe” sounds like the summer, light and hopeful. The record is an easy listen, putting melody first across its eleven tracks. Even on the darker songs, it still feels like the band are having fun as guitar and vocal lines twist and play off each other and choruses arrive with intent.

Produced by Joe Barresi (Tool, Melvins, Bad Religion), The Bronx sort him out for his tonal talent and knack for using sound to inform structure. “Joe’s the fucking man. He’s such an audiophile and such a badass producer,” Caughthran enthuses. “We’ve done records where there’s such a mental aspect to it, or there’s guys that are more about the sound than necessarily about the song production, but Joe has a really cool style of producing the song side of things through the audio side of things. When we were doing vocal takes he would make me more conscious of what I was singing on a note-by-note basis. Really taking the time to dissect the melody and the lyrics, notewise, which was really cool.”

Across their discography, The Bronx have favoured working with a new producer for every record in an effort to keep things fresh and constantly evolving. But the partnership they struck with Barresi is one Caughthran won't be quick to relinquish. “You learn something from every producer and every record. It’s a lot of fun as an artist to dive into it and you learn something new every time,” he smiles. “Recording with Joe was an honour to be honest with you, and I would love to make another record with him. With some records, in maybe a bad way, you get every single thing you could out of the experience. And with Joe I think it’s one of those relationships where it’s such a good connection, you also realise that you could do a lot more. That there’s more music to be made. But then you get to the point where you’re ready to make another record and you kinda wanna try something new. So we’ll see what happens.”

All the tracks on the album will be given their own release as limited edition 7”s complete with bespoke artwork by an array of handpicked artists, sold via the band’s website. “We were like, OK, if we can’t really tour the album, let’s do something that we can pour some effort and time into in the release of. So we came up with the idea of releasing each song on its own and doing a mini record campaign based around every song,” Caughthran explains.

It’s one of their many ideas concocted during lockdown and has given Caughthran and the group a reason to reconnect with old artistic acquaintances as well as discover new talent. “When the band first started we very much tapped into the LA art scene at the time and we had a bunch of friends that were doing really cool stuff that we would collaborate with. So, we wanted to tap into that with this record and get back into that,” continues Caughthran. “We reached out to a bunch of friends that we have that we’ve made over the years, artists that we love and respect and reached out to a bunch of artists that we didn’t know personally and just made some new relationships and really put the focus on collaborating creatively to do some really cool stuff. Just to give each song on the record its own little spotlight. I think a lot of times you can get so wrapped up in your own existence because life is hard, especially as an artist or someone who is making their own way. I think sometimes you forget about the community and the fun of working with other people.”

For Caughthran, the past eighteen-months have given him the time and space to reflect on the way he works and creates, and how that impacts the people and communities around him. “There was a moment of just pure humanity re-set that was so beautiful, it was crazy. You could just feel everyone being forced to put things in perspective and it was amazing,” he says. “I was able to really learn a lot about myself and really just be thankful for what I’ve got. There was a lot that came out of the pandemic for me. Being able to get some real rest off of fifteen years of touring, and reassess my life and my career and what’s important and what’s not. Being recharged creatively and being able to focus that energy into putting together cool projects for the band and releasing a record, and ultimately being able to go back out on tour and reconnect with everybody. Life is really special and it feels good to be reconnected to that feeling again and not just feel like you’re running around aimlessly trying to keep up.”

With a UK tour announced for next year and a lengthy trip across the US planned for this autumn alongside Dropkick Murphys and Rancid, The Bronx are back and raring to go. While the break may have afforded them time to recharge and adjust their perspective, it’s now the return to some kind of normality that feels like a welcome change. “It feels really good to be busy and it feels really good to be looking down a road at scheduling so you already have the skeletons for next year all set up and ready to go,” Caughthran smiles. “I like being busy. It’s good busy, it’s not stressful. It’s productive, creative, inspired busy and it feels really good. I wanna tour, I wanna promote the fuck out of this record, of course. There’s a lot to be excited about.”