Fresh off their recent release of the new EP “Who’s The Enemy” and their new split with NOT ON TOUR, we sat down with KIDS INSANE‘s Corey Ben Yehuda to get his thoughts about the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict in the Middle East.
A lot of misinformation has flourished on social media about the violence between Israelis and Palestinians, and more and mroe artists have spoken out about the ongoing conflict as well as protests taking place all over the world. We encourage you to join the conversation and share your thoughts on this difficult issue through our pages.
“๐โ๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ค๐’๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.”
– says Corey.
“I have to admit, after living in this country for 32 years I’m not surprised we’ve come to this.” – he continues. “There are too many people in control that are making sure Israelis and Palestinians are separated and hate each other, unfortunately they are doing their job too well. What I really can’t stand is when I see journalists say things like:
“๐ป๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ?” “๐ป๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐?” ๐๐๐ข โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐คโ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐’๐ก ๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.”
“Stay safe and fucking love each other no matter who you believe in for fuck sakes.”
On the new EP from KIDS INSANE, you can find songs about politics, relationships, and the inner scene politics of a punk band from Tel Aviv. With the help of producer Yotam Ben Horin (from Useless ID) who has produced and worked on various Fat Wreck Chords releases (such as The Bombpops – Death In Venice Beach, NOFX, and many more). Yotam helped Kids Insane trim what was in the way to define a more accurate sound for this release.
After a decade of 4 releases (including reissues of the debut album โAll Overโ by Redfield Records and collaborations with Italian band โSlanderโ) and endless tours. The band now feels like they have reached a stage in defining aspects of the band in this release with a new drive.
The release opens with a statement, with the song โWonโt Stop Nowโ that declares that after all these years of the band, they are sure not compromising for anyone, if its world problems such as the economy and political structure crumbling or even having small problems like their van getting stuck on tour, this wonโt stop Kids Insane from creating and the commitment to share that with the world.
โWhoโs The Enemyโ suggests that maybe instead of fighting each other in the small communities we need to remember to ask ourselves who is the real enemy, and what brought us to demand social and political justice in the first place?
Once it is safe to do so, Kids Insane is looking forward to going back on the road to play at festivals in Europe and the rest of the world like they did before. In the meantime, they are working on a new full length that will be out by next year.
Useless ID’s Most Useless Songs is out now on Fat Wreck Chords!
Thereโs something inherently futile about creating โbest ofโ albums, which feels more futile the longer a band has been together. How do you accurately capture a bandโs evolution, what makes them special? Maybe you donโt overthink it and just look at a setlist.
Thatโs kind of what Useless ID did. The Israeli punks have been together since 1994, releasing eight full-lengths and a slew of EPs, singles, and compilations. Thatโs a staggering number of songs to pare down into some kind of โdefinitiveโ portrait of the band.
โIt was hard for us to narrow it down since we think there are a few more songs that couldโve been on the โbest of,โโ says songwriter, bassist, and vocalist Yotam Ben-Horin. โBut we thought, โWhat if we released an album of the songs we play live and in the order we do them? How would that go?โ
It would go like Most Useless Songs (Fat Wreck Chords, May 7). Ben-Horin describes the collection as โsongs that work best live, songs that have stood the test of time, songs that carry an interesting story, and songs that have been regulars in our sets throughout the years.โ (First track and fan-favorite โState of Fearโ usually closes sets, not begins them, but you get the point.)
Most Useless Songs reaches as far back as the 1999 Fat Wreck Chords compilation Short Music For Short People (โToo Bad You Donโt Get Itโ), but otherwise draws from the bandโs 2000s output, such as No Vacation from the World (2003), Redemption (2005), The Lost Broken Bones (2008), Symptoms (2012), and State is Burning (2016). The liner notes feature commentary about all 16 tracks from Useless ID, which also includes guitarist Ishay Berger, guitarist Guy Carmel, and drummer Corey Ben Yehuda.
โI think this compilation shows our growth throughout the years,โ Ben-Horin says. โWe never stuck to one sound in punk rock, and I think that’s what defines our band as well. We can do a simple pop-punk song like โNight Shiftโ and still be able to play something like โIsolate Me,โ and it won’t be weird because it’s the same band with the same sound.โ
That sound continues to evolve, as shown on two new tracks exclusive to Most Useless Songs: the soaring, hopeful โSame Old Revolutionโ and โInto the Exquisite,โ a blistering track thatโs classic Useless ID.
โWhen we recorded the new songs for the โbest of,โ we were reminded how much fun we have making music together,โ Ben-Horin says.
That means more new material in the near future, but in the meantime, Most Useless Songs captures the evolution of, and whatโs so special about Useless ID.
