I sat down with my friends from Philadelphia’s self described “drunk punk” band Uncle Dan. The band consists of Kevin Bradley, Shawn Wiseley, Mitch Millard, Eric Mohrman, and Chalie Robinson, a bunch of great dudes making music for everyone out there who likes to get rowdy. The band’s first album “Make Yourself at Home” was released this past July 2017, and you should go take a listen!
Tunes: https://itsyeruncledan.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItsYerUncleDan/
Instagram: @itsyeruncledan
Booking: itsyeruncledan@gmail.com
Loco Mag: How long have you guys been making music and how did Uncle Dan get started?
Shawn: Kev, Mitch and I have been writing music together since high school. Once we got to college we decided we really wanted to start playing shows. Eric lived across the hall from me my sophomore year and later became my roommate and Uncle Dan’s second guitarist. I met Chalie at a music festival in New Jersey and he quickly became my best bud and Uncle Dan’s drummer. The rest is history.
Loco Mag: How would you describe Uncle Dan’s musical style to a new listener?
Chal: Our friend Bob came up with the term Drunk Punk and that’s the genre we’ve been labeling ourself as. Half of our songs are just about the struggles we all face in life. The other half are goofy songs about drowning your sorrows in booze and being reborn as a cat.
Loco Mag: What’s it like being a part of the up and coming Philly music scene? What stands out to you about Philly’s music scene?
Chal: Uhh the music scene is tough, it can really rip you to shreds. It’s not as friendly and welcoming as they display themselves to be. The whole DIY conclave is just a front for some shitty people. We just want to play music and have a good time, but found out how much god damn politics there is.
Shawn: Yeah obviously when it comes to new music, Philly has some great talent and I’m grateful to be in this city but we’re learning the hard way that in this particular music scene some of these “safe spaces” aren’t exactly as accepting as they say. It can be really hard to get a gig and just associating yourself with someone the venue doesn’t like or not being familiar
with a certain setting can be reason enough for a promoter or venue owner to be unresponsive to a request to play.
Loco Mag: What’s the pre show ritual/How do you prepare for a show?
Chal: [laughs] We don’t have a pres how ritual other than drinking, possibly too much. We’ll try to throw a party together to make a show a thing. We listen to our favorite songs and pace around the room trying not to freak ourselves out. Performing in front of an audience is a lot harder than I thought it would be.”
Shawn: “What Chal said. I gotta get that perfect amount of drunk that i don’t puke from being too nervous, but also don’t puke from being too trashed.”
Loco Mag: What’s the wildest (or funniest) thing that’s happened at a show?
Shawn: Most Uncle Dan shows end with everyone being far too intoxicated. We brought a party bus full of our friends and a keg of beer to a show once. Hell our last show ended with the crowd holding me up for a keg stand before the last song. This one show in Manayunk was the absolute worst though. We headlined and played with this awesome band called Ditz. I got shitfaced and blacked out before we went on. I woke up, asking why the show was cancelled, but they informed me that it wasn’t in fact cancelled and I did indeed perform… horribly, may I add… lying on the stage… remembering very few lyrics.
Loco Mag: If you had the chance to arrange your dream lineup to tour with, who would you pick and why?
Chal: My logical dream lineup would be opening for Pup and The Menzingers. Illogically, I’d love to open up for a huge classic rock band like AC/DC.
Shawn: Like Chal said, The Menzos[Menzingers] and Pup would be amazing to play with. I’ll even add Iron Chic and I Am The Avalanche into the mix. The number one band I want to play with is The Bennies from Australia though. Those guys seem like they know how to party.
Loco Mag: Do you have a favorite song to cover?
Chal: My favorite song to cover is legit tattoo gun[by The Front Bottoms]. I think we put a good spin on it and it’s great to play on the drums.
Shawn: Gotta be Joyce Manor’s “Catalina Fight Song” Gets me so pumped up. I keep trying to convince the boys to cover Taylor Swift’s “Better Than Revenge,” but I don’t think they’re gonna cave.
Loco Mag: What’s in the future for Uncle Dan?
Chal: We’re working on new stuff and we’re trying to record it ASAP. Record it legitimately too. That and obviously play as many shows as possible.
Shawn: Yup, we got like 4-5 new songs done and working on more. I want to get them out to people’s ear holes as soon as possible.
