Interviews

Fresno punk rockers TRASH N’ PRIVILEGE premiere “Best That You’re Dead”, talk about the city’s DIY scene

1 min read

The song we’re pleased to premiere today is written from the perspective of the person doing the cutting off. That’s the angle Trash n’ Privilege take on “Best That You’re Dead”, their new single out May 1st.

“The song is from the point of view of the person rejecting a friend & removing themselves from a relationship because they no longer share the same views,” guitarist and vocalist Steve Shepard explains.

“We all have seen it, experienced it, maybe done it. Rejecting a close friend or family member as if they died over an opinion is bonkers to me. Opinions change, people change. Let’s not be so fast to write one another off.”

The track pulls from a specific pattern Shepard keeps seeing — people pushed out of families and friend groups over politics or religion. “Which I find completely and inherently antithetical to politics and religion,” he says. “We have to be able to agree to disagree.”

For the Fresno trio — Shepard alongside Charles McClelland and Jim Chaffin — “Best That You’re Dead” lands a year after their full-length “Commence With The Bum Out”, which spent its runtime on 24-hour news cycles, big tech, and personal struggles. The reference points sit somewhere between Ramones, Social Distortion and Quicksand.

Shepard also takes a minute to talk about Fresno itself, which he sees in the middle of a revival. “There are a lot of bands and promoters right now doing good things – here’s a few examples that I like: Out of the Ring, Calaveras, It’ll Grow Back, Lucky 13 Promotions and so many more. These bands are putting on DIY shows or playing at one of the numerous tap rooms.”

Trash n Privilege

He gives a nod to Ragin Records too: “Ragin Records has been doing in-stores for years to keep the scene alive as well. Fresno’s music scene is as diverse as its populations. We have a lot of great musicians and fantastic bands. I hope Trash N Privilege is contributing to this resurgence.”


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Karol Kamiński

DIY rock music enthusiast and web-zine publisher from Warsaw, Poland. Supporting DIY ethics, local artists and promoting hardcore punk, rock, post rock and alternative music of all kinds via IDIOTEQ online channels.
Contact via [email protected]

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