This interview was done over email with Chad. The Wallys are a pop punk band from Denton, Texas. I was able to see them open up for The Beatnik Termites, Marky Ramone and the Intruders, and FYP over the summer.
SS: HOW DID THE BAND GET STARTED?
CHAD: The band started when I (chad wally) met James Danger at college. I think we just started talking to each other for an excuse to hang out,cause we were both new and didnt have any friends. I soon found out that Danger liked the Ramones and Screeching Weasel and had played in a couple of punk bands. At the time, I was spinning my wheels playing in a ska band, so Danger and I just pittled around playing oldies songs super fast and some stuff that he had left over from his other bands. We found a guy named Dave Weiner to play bass, but he turned out to be a dud and after our summer tour we kicked him out. By this time Danger had written about a gabillion songs and the set is now basically originals with a couple of fun covers thrown in for good measure. We then enlisted Mikey Makeout to play drums and now I play bass rather drums. This lineup started playing publically in October. Things have been going fairly smoothly and we are going on a tour of the Midwest the week of March 12-20.
SS: HAVE YOU GUYS PUT ANYTHING OUT, ARE YOU GUYS PUTTING OUT ANYTHING NEW SOON?
CHAD: We've put out a couple of demo tapes and are in the process of self-releasing a CD. The CD which will be titled "This is the Savage Young Wallys," will have 15 songs and should be out by mid-March. It will be distributed through Amp Records out of Canada and I think Mutant Pop out of Oregon. After the CD is released we are heading directly back to the studio to release a 7". I think we've found a label that'll put that out, but nothing's concrete yet. We are also on a couple of comps., only one of which has been released. "Absolute Pleasure," A tribute to the Rocky Horror Picture Show has just been released and is pretty rocking. We do the tune "Damnit Janet" and the Emma Peel Advocates, Darlington, Kung Fu Grip and Misletones also have cool tracks.
SS: WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST SHOW YOU'VE EVER PLAYED?
CHAD: We typically don't play big shows, but shows that are intimate and a blast. I guess the biggest show we played was opening up for Marky Ramone and the Intruders, FYP and Beatnik Termites. We've also played some fairly big shows with the Graduates, Darlington and Riot Squad in Dallas. How big a show is doesn't really matter....I look at it as if one person sees us and likes us, then it was worth the trip.
SS: WHAT WAS THE LAST SHOW YOU GUYS WENT TO?
CHAD: I suppose the last show we went to was to see the Darlingtons in Ft. Worth, but those little bastards cancelled because of the weather. It was rainy a little earlier in the day, but I think they were just being wussies. Instead we went to a carnival and I had a sno kone and we rode the bumper cars and some little kids started talking shit to us saying "Im taking you, you and you down!" It was pretty funny. Also our friend Keira ate a candy apple and a funnel cake and then rode a ride called the Orbiter, one of those tri-circular rides that plays "Dont Fear the Reaper" for the background music. By the time it was over, she didn't look so good....I really think if the ride wouldve gone for 10 more seconds she wouldve barfed. Geez that would have been funny.
SS: WHAT WAS THE LAST CD YOU BOUGHT AND WHY DID YOU WANT IT?
CHAD: Personally I get a ton of new CDs and records each week, so I'm not sure about which is the last one I've bought, but lately I've purchased the Sweet Baby/ Brent's TV split Cd on Lookout and the Buzzcocks "Singles Going Steady." Both are very good and they should probably be in every punk's record collection. Brent's TV is the precusor to the Hi-Fives and Sweet Baby rocks. If you don't know who the Buzzcocks are, you should probably stop reading right now. I also stole a bunch of old 45s from my ex-girlfriend. Cool original pressings of some Buddy Holly and Elvis stuff. She didnt need them anyway.
SS: WHY SHOULD A PERSON WHO HAS NEVER HEARD YOUR BAND, GO TO YOUR SHOW OR BUY YOUR STUFF?
CHAD: I guess people should buy our stuff so we can stop paying for gas money out of our own pocket. Nah. If somebody's into pop music with hook after hook then they should check it out. The production on the CD is fantastic and I think anybody who is into oldies rock and pop punk like the Ramones or Queers would definitely be into it. Live, I think we're pretty fun....we stick to the no bullshit on stage kind of thought. So if you wanna bop the night away then bring out your steady and join the sock hop..
SS: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF PUNK NOWADAYS AND THE STUFF THAT'S COMING OUT?
CHAD: Punk these days, especially in the DFW Metroplex, is such a hit and miss thing. One week it couldn't get any better and the next it couldn't get any worse. I'm a little confused about the whole emo trend. Some of those bands are real good, but as for considering it punk, I would have to disagree. There is a lot of good pop punk coming out these days and hopefully we will be part of that revival cause this is what we want to do. Mutant Pop puts out some pretty bitchin' stuff and then there is the whole self-release/DIY circuit. No matter what, people should support the independent bands cause they eat a lot of money.....most bands have their hearts in the right place and that's what really matters.
SS: WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS?
CHAD: First and foremost we need to get this CD out. After that we have the March Midwest tour and upon returning will head back to the studio to record a 7". This summer we are talking to a band from Switzerland called the Hymans and will most likely do a three week tour of the East Coast with them. Other than that, just playing weekend roadtrips and tyring to get the word out.
SS: HOW'S THE DENTON SCENE DOING?
CHAD: I'm sorry we are not allowed to discuss the Denton scene, the only thing I Can tell you is that the rumors of radioactive material mutating our population into rock n roll heroes is in no way true......and no we dont glow in the dark.
SS: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF SPINAL TAP?
CHAD: TAP TAP TAP! thats all that need to be said.
THE END