By Keith Walsh
Often a first reaction to the sound and concept of punk rock is that it’s an offensive genre. After all, the roots of punk rock are in the 70s, when hordes of rebellious young musicians picked up instruments, put on outrageous clothing and hair styles, and unleashed a torrent of often vulgar music. Scores of bands from seemingly everywhere on the planet that a guitar and electricity were available made reputations and in some cases small fortunes with their antics and sounds. But vulgarity and offensive lyrics and attitudes are not mandatory in punk music. On the contrary, the only bands that have had wide commercial success have reined in their worst instincts in favor of catchy riffs and vocal melodies.
It’s a smart approach to punk – borrowing the catchiness and daring attitudes without resorting to bad taste. I had the opportunity to exchange emails with Eric Mattson, drummer of Orange County’s “Good Luck, Ugly!” about this and other topics. After listening to their upbeat and fun first two releases (a third is a work in progress), I asked him about the band’s approach to lyrics, and the lack of gross topics and obscenity.
Mattson describes the band’s approach as pragmatic. He writes: “We avoid offensive material because causing someone to feel deeply hurt, upset, or angry is contrary to always treating people with compassion, dignity, and respect. Offensive material with the intent to teach or get a point across to someone with a different viewpoint can provoke emotions, push people away, and goes against the principles regarding fraternal correction.
Mattson contines: “Since the intellect ought to always supersede one’s emotions then we ought to be careful not to provoke one’s emotions with illicit intent since we can then be partially culpable for that person’s wrongful actions that may arise from their anger. One of our primary goals is to attract people to our music and offensive language is contrary to the virtue of modesty regarding speech. This is because of the application of moral principles and a secondary positive effect is that it doesn’t limit commerciality.”
The name Good Luck, Ugly! comes from the same optimistic approach that is heard in their tunes, an approach that wouldn’t work with a meaner, angrier sound. Mattson explains: “When asked how Good Luck, Ugly! got its name, (vocalist/guitarist) Mike Alvarez mentioned that he guesses the idea of being told something similar to that his whole life … so he turned it into a band name to empower the underdog. He’s always felt like a nerd and had some rough times as a kid, and so the name made sense. He asked himself, ‘How do I turn a negative into a positive?’ So he wanted to take something that he may have heard as a kid and make it the name of the band to sort of spin it and say, ‘I’m still going to be happy and have a good life regardless of your opinion.’ … Or it’s just a stupid name he came up with lol!”
In 2016, after releasing numerous works with the (then on hiatus) Makeshift3, Mattson sought other like minded musicians and placed a classified ad, he explains. “I posted an ad as a drummer looking for a band in the musician community on Craigslist and Mike Alvarez (guitar/vocals) contacted me to schedule our first practice at Bomb Shelter Rehearsal Studios. Mike also invited his friend Chris Benner (bass) to our first practice. The members in Makeshift3 weren’t interested in being in an active band at the time so Good Luck, Ugly! was a great opportunity for me to stay active playing shows, recording albums, rehearsing, being involved with social media, and hanging out with good musicians.
When asked how they created their sound, Mattson has a list of faves that influenced them. He writes: “Definitely a result of influences such as Streetlight Manifesto, Less Than Jake, Blink-182, The Descendents, NOFX, Relient K, Masked Intruder, The Interrupters, MxPx, Can’t Swim, La Banda Skalavera, Goldfinger, Sum 41, Bowling For Soup, Brand New, Anti-Flag, Go Betty Go, Rancid, New Found Glory, Mad Caddies, Bayside, The Aquabats!, Sublime, Say Anything, and Five Iron Frenzy.”
The latest album by Good Luck, Ugly!, “Side Hugs And Back Stabs” features catchy guitar hooks and vocals from Alvarez, tight bass and drums by Benner and Mattson, respectively. There’s elements of ska and the smart pop punk that started in the late 80s/early 90s and continues to this day. In line with their commercial approach, the songs are between two minutes and just over four. Mattson points to their influences as inspiration but Good Luck, Ugly! have their own sound, based on the songs by Alvarez. “Mike writes all the songs,” Mattson explains, “and then texts a rough version to Chris and I via cell phone so we can rehearse and learn the song at home by ourselves individually. Once we are familiar with the songs we then meet at Chris’s home recording studio called BlueHaven Studios and rehearse the songs together.”
As one of their songs says, teamwork is necessary to make great music (“Can’t Do This”). Another one of my favorites is the radio ready “Am I Going Crazy?” Alvarez’s voice is pleasant, with hints of idealism and hope that go well with the pleasant distortion on the guitars, Benner’s solid, pulsing bass, and Mattson’s precise beats.
The band worked in the studio with Dusk Bennett, who did a good job of capturing the intensity of the band, in a polished form. “Dusk Bennett is super dedicated and passionate about his craft,” Mattson writes, “so working with him was a great experience in which I learned how meticulous someone could be in regards to the recording process. Dusk is a Grammy Award Winning Engineer and has managed to collect credits from Mötley Crüe, The Black Eyed Peas, Sixx AM, Mike Love from the Beach Boys, Chicago, Barry Manilow, etc. … Although I was nervous to work with someone of that caliber it put me in a more professional mindset which resulted in me doings things I hadn’t done before such as hiring a drum tech, rehearsing constantly to a click track, and trying to remain docile out of respect for Dusk’s subject matter expertise. However, he was a bit upset one time when we brought food from Taco Bell for him back to the studio and we had forgotten his hot sauce!”
The latest work in progress from Good Luck, Ugly! should be released this year. Marketing is the big variable that can make or break a band, but GLU continues to make an impact at clubs around the Southland on their own efforts. “Good Luck, Ugly! has about 7 new songs written so far and planning for a 2020 release,” Mattson says. “We are fortunate enough to record in Chris Benner’s recording studio but we will definitely reach out to records labels after we release the album DIY on all the major streaming platforms to see if there is any interest for the future. We are always open to working out a record deal with a good label should the opportunity arise given the promotion, physical distribution, and other perks associated with being on a record label that we can’t do ourselves. But until then we are very happy with the momentum we’ve achieved thus far by ourselves with the DIY route.”
Making a living in music, despite the stereotype of instant success and fortune, takes a lot of work, the kind of work this trio seems to be willing to do. Mattson, a firefighter and father of three (so far), also has a background in competitive snowboarding and BMX that, along with his musical experience, may give him an edge in promoting Good Luck, Ugly!
Mattson plays a tight four-piece Pearl Vision set, with Zildjian cymbals and a DW bass pedal and throne, along with Mapex Armory hardware. Mike Alvarez plays a Fender Mexican Strat and a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amp. Chris Benner uses a Sire P7 5 String Bass with Gallien-Krueger amps.
Check Out Part Two Of My Interview With Eric Mattson of Good Luck, Ugly!
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