San Diego’s anime and j-punk influenced pop punk rockers WATASHI WA DANCE PARTY are back this summer with their new EP, Skate Pop Suicide on Hidden Home Records, and it’s a power jam that gets you through a work week with some positive energy and a little reminder of early BLINK-182’s back catalogue. The record serves as an incredibly eclectic mix of different sounds taken from all around the punk rock hemisphere – an achievement especially credible to the band’s international influences and homage to Japanese punk rock – or J Punk – such as Dustbox, Keytalk, and Dizzy Sunfist.
The four-piece started in 2015 and have been pushing the limits of American suburbian punk music ever since. Though Southern California without a doubt has a rich skate punk history, WATASHI WA DANCE PARTY has set out to do it harder, faster, catchier, and smarter. Did it work? That’s up to you to decide, but one thing’s for certain: Skate Pop Suicide is anything but the lackluster and formulaic plague that’s settled in American punk rock, and if you’re looking for something inspired, these guys got it. Check it out below and see our exclusive track by track feature below!
Daylight
This song is about that feeling when you finally get to embrace something that you have been missing in your life. I wrote this song after being hospitalized for 7 days during the summer of 2017. It captures the moment when I was finally wheeled out of the hospital and felt the sun on my skin. Feeling that warmth left a lasting impression. – Wade (Vocals/Guitar)
Mio
Turning older, I started running out of ideas for songs to write about. It becomes even more true when you are in a good place and pretty happy with your life. Why do people wanna hear about how happy you are? So when I get in a rut I just start writing songs about my favorite animes. This song is about the bass player, Mio Akiyama..from the show K-On. Her bass tone rips and lines fills are legendary, so this song is for her. – Eric (Drums)
Really Over
This song came out all at once when something made me say “when you see the pictures, you know it’s really over” out loud, which became the chorus of the song. The rest of the music and lyrics just flowed naturally from reminiscing about a terrible time that was finally over. Framing the whole thing in the context of this silly band ultimately makes the song feel more like a sign of relief than a lamentful bummer jam, which is what Watashi Wa Dance Party is all about. – AJ (Vocals/Guitar)
Halle
Halle is the title of one of my favorite Casiopea songs, Halle. I didn’t know what else to call this song..so there it is. This song is about coming to terms to the end of a relationship and moving on. – Eric
Ruminating
This song is about living with anxiety and depression. Like many people, I tend to have memories or thoughts that cycle though my head. These always happen when we least expect or want them to. “Why here? Why now? What the fuck do other people think about?” are all questions that I have asked myself while ruminating over intrusive thoughts. After the second chorus the song goes into an instrumental section that represents a mental breakdown. It is followed up by a sudden stop and a “heavenly” sounding guitar lead. I like to think of this section as the clearing of the clouds, that moment when you are able to finally breathe after a panic attack. It is a reminder that these thoughts, as intense as they might be, do not last forever. The song was written to be relatable and optimistic to people who also live with these intrusive thoughts. – Wade
My Lava Lamp
This is the weirdest song I’ve ever written. I was experimenting with midi drums and strange guitar voicings before practice with my other band while a couple of the members sat around listening. The concept behind the lyrics came later. I was thinking about the question of “would you go back in time to your childhood to relive your life, but with the knowledge you have now?” What would keep me from hitting the reset button is the fact that I might not cross paths with certain important people who are in my life purely because the new choices I’d make might not lead me to them. A lava lamp in our practice space died the day I started working on the song, and I missed having it, so I named the file “My Lava Lamp,” and just kind of kept it as the title. I thought maybe the person you’d miss in your second life would be like the lava lamp that isn’t in the practice space anymore. – AJ
WATASHI WA DANCE PARTY live dates:
6/29 San Diego, CA @ The Tower Bar
6/30 Rendondo Beach, CA @ VFW Hall (2828 1000 N Catalina Ave)
