While their prior EP, Hope Like Hell gave us an infectious nostalgic pop-punk look into what Sucker Punch had to offer the scene, their new single, "Worse Case Ontario" provides a different kind of narrative storytelling and sonic dissonance to their soundscape for their new four track EP, Better Pleasures, debuting fall of this year.
When it comes to bands in the pop-punk genre, no band is more authentic and lets things come organically to their sound than Sucker Punch. When the band dropped their first EP, Hope Like Hell, the band shows an arsenal of artistic potential with their yesteryear appeal spiked with a contemporary pop-punk flavor. Remaining tried and true to their craft, their new single, “Worse Case Ontario” delivers a fresh and exciting contour to the pop-punk genre.
We just wanted a challenge with new subjects to write about and have some fun with! In all, most can relate to having their heart ripped out, the message is universal, and the song plays on the literal part of it to tie in the themes from the movie.
Always pushing the envelope of their sound, Suckerpunch is always letting their musical influences drive what fits the moment to create something fresh. Based on the universe of Jennifer’s Body, Sucker Punch dives narratively into another world of songwriting of lust and betrayal. While just a taste of what’s to come with Suckerpunch’s new and evolved sound, “Worst Case Ontario” is part of another emerging 4 track EP release, Better Pleasures dropping in the Fall. While this may be a blank slate for the pop-punk act, what they have detailed with their new single only shines a light on a new, more thrilling listening experience to come from the band.
Sucker Punch has been making music since 2022. When you dropped your Hope Like Hell EP, you guys proved that the band had more in your artistic tank left to explore with a yesteryear guise and an energetic contemporary pop-punk perspective. Always remaining genuine and vibrant to your craft, your new single "Worse Case Ontario" shows that we are only just getting to know Sucker Punch's sound. What motivates you to continuously develop your sound in fresh and thrilling ways while still retaining that nostalgic quality in your music?
Andy Katz: Thank you! It really comes down to just feeling out each song naturally and letting it organically run from there. We never have an intention of what we are trying to go for in a song, we are just being us and doing what feels best in that moment. We absolutely have our influences, and we tried to really push the envelope and our sound on this EP. We are all into hardcore and heavier music, so it made sense to not box ourselves in creatively and let those influences drive certain parts of the record. We ultimately want a sound that is unique to us. We hope we are getting closer to that with every song being written.
How was this creative process instrumentally different from Hope Like Hell? "Worse Case Ontario" has this aggressive edge yet still has these pretty melodic touches that mesh well together. One doesn't overpower the other in that sense with these kinetic and emotional vocals and guitar riffs that nicely play off each other.
Andy Katz: Thank you so much for listening and enjoying the song! This EP was way more collaborative among everyone in the band. While we do have that pop-punk sound in everything, it is a genre that could be molded and changed in so many ways. We tried to do that with WCO and the rest of the record. No song sounds the same as the other, but they all feel cohesive. We really looked into bands like Thursday, Silverstein, Terror, and even Heavy Heavy Low Low to exist in our emerging sound at various parts of the record in all.
Lyrically "Worse Case Ontario" dive into themes of betrayal and that momentum before all of that sets in. You guys were inspired by one of my favorite horror cult classics, Jennifer's Body, or at least the universe the film, a temptress luring you in. I love the character, Jennifer, because of her duality. Someone who is beautiful and intelligent works to her advantage because no one sees past her looks, but she works that to her advantage. In many ways, if you think about it, she's already doomed before she is sacrificed in the film because no one sees beyond her exterior. But at the same time, it is what makes her so alluring as a character. A person that has that kind of power over someone makes you lose all sense of self before the rug is ripped out from underneath you. What made you guys want to use this concept for "Worse Case Ontario?" In what ways was this process different from your last EP?
Andy Katz: We all love that movie too! We wanted to challenge ourselves with new prompts and material. Our aim was to actually write about something quite a niche with its own universe. Jennifer's Body has a cult following and since we are fans of the movie, we just said to hell with it (no pun intended) and wrote about it.
We honed in on the part about getting your heart ripped out, and just like in the movie, it was both literal and metaphorical. The song is based on that premise, with lyrics relating to both the literal and metaphorical themes found in the movie.
Is this new single part of a larger project? Can we talk about that more?
Andy Katz: Yes! The single is part of a new EP. I am not sure if I can say when it will be released, but it will be in the fall!
What have you taken from this that you didn't take from your last EP experience?
Andy Katz: This EP really felt like a blank slate. We had a sound slowly starting to form on the previous EP, but we could really take this in any direction, and that is what we will always do. We didn’t stick to a playbook or anything. We just had fun and how we felt in the moment made it onto the record.
I know once you release a single, what they take from it is ultimately up to them, but if there is a message that you hope people take from this single, what would that be?
Andy Katz: We just wanted a challenge with new subjects to write about and have some fun with! In all, most can relate to having their heart ripped out, the message is universal, and the song plays on the literal part of it to tie in the themes from the movie.
What is next for you guys moving forward? Any shows?
Andy Katz: We have a really big show announcement regarding our EP release show that will be taking place this November. We are very excited about the venue and who will be sharing the stage with. We also have a number of different short runs to new cities with our longtime buds in Dear Spring, our friend, Gina Fritz, and the awesome dudes in What Makes Sense. These runs will be starting in September and taking place throughout this fall.