Brisbane’s pop-punk upstarts Two Times Shy are soaring lofty heights as they let loose their …
Meet The Camel City Blackouts: the US-based band who’ve described themselves as a happier version of Alkaline Trio.
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Since joining forces in 2015, the pairing of Ryan Sizemore (guitar/vocals) and Derek Gilreath (bass/vocals) have dropped a stack of tracks, and most notably, their debut LP, Possession. Now, they’ve shared Wild Card, a three-tracker that proudly celebrates punk rock. We caught up with Sizemore to chat about how it came together.
Hysteria: Tell us about how the band came together and what inspired the band name.
Ryan: The band came together in 2015 after Derek reached out to me about playing in a punk band. He’d just seen the Dropkick Murphys, and it inspired him to want to play punk music.
Our band name comes from two different stories. “The Blackouts” came from our love of drinking, partying, and forgetting, but we agreed we needed something more in the name to diversify ourselves. We decided to incorporate the city of Winston Salem’s nickname “Camel City” because that is where we started jamming together. Thus The Camel City Blackouts were born.
Congratulations on the release of Wild Card. Is there an overarching concept there?
Thank you! I think this EP is an extension of our last one, 13. When I write songs, I try to exercise the demons I’m feeling. All the songs on this EP were just that. The lead track, Swing or Sway, is about trying to find someone who will stick it out with you through thick or thin. The main riff in the song has a More Than a Feeling (Boston) vibe. The second song, Memory, is about missing someone and hoping they never forget you. Our last song, Packin’ Up, was inspired by The Circle Jerks and my hatred of working nine to five at my current job.
How’d it come together recording/writing-wise? Can you share any standout moments?
Writing-wise, the first two tracks we sat on for over a year. I wasn’t ready to expose those personal feelings for a while because I thought they would be rejected. The last track was made to counteract the vulnerability I felt with the first two tracks. It was built to be aggressive, and lyrically it felt poetic.
The standout moment from our recording session was our mismanagement of time. We weren’t rushed, but we intended to be cleaner. Maybe it worked in our favour, or maybe it didn’t. I’m still proud of what we captured.
We are calling 2021 “The Year of The Camel” because Derek and I agreed to push the band further than ever. We want everyone to at least know our band’s name.
[ Ryan Sizemore ]
We know it’s like asking you to pick a favourite child, but can you pick a favourite song from the project?
I would choose our song Memory because I wrote it about someone I loved who passed away some years ago. Lyrically, the song was written as if the person still existed somewhere in the world, and there was hope of seeing each other again. Writing that song helped me cope with my loss. It is also the song most people have told us is their favourite on Wild Card.
Who are some of your musical influences?
My influences change from week to week, depending on who I am listening to. But my biggest influences are Alkaline Trio, Rancid, The Killers, Tegan and Sara, and Blink-182. Derek’s influences are NOFX, Rancid, and Antiflag.
How would you describe your sound to your grandma?
We live in the bible belt; I would tell my grandma these are songs they play in hell. If I had to describe our sound to someone else, I would say we are a happier version of Alkaline Trio.
What’s in store for the rest of 2021?
We are calling 2021 “The Year of the Camel” because Derek and I agreed to push the band further than ever. We want everyone to at least know our band’s name. I’m continuing to write songs that we hope to release by the end of the year, if not by the beginning of next year. Derek and I will also be shooting music videos for all the songs on Wild Card, and we plan on playing shows if covid restrictions don’t ramp up.
Anything else you’d like to share?
We hope you enjoy our flavour of punk, and we want everyone to know they can reach us and get updates from our Instagram page @camelcityblackouts. Lastly, if you have a label, our door is always open to talk.
FOR FANS OF: Alkaline Trio, Blink-182, NOFX
