“Still Spitting Blood” marks THE RAGING NATHANS‘ 5th full length album and it will be released on Rad Girlfriend Records November 21st! Recorded by Luke McNeil (The Copyrights, Hospital Job) in 2021, the album clocks in at a little over 20 minutes long and showcases their ability to switch up their style from song to song while staying true to and maintaining their sound that they have become known for.
To celebrate, we have teamed up with the band to give you an early listen of their second single, the title track “Still Spitting Blood”, and share some more details about this new release through an interview with guitarist and vocalist Josh Goldman, conducted by Peter Tanski from The Book of Very Very Bad Things Podcast.
Formed in 2009, the Raging Nathans have become known for their prolific recorded output and tight live performances. Over the last decade, the Nathans have released four LPs, a score of EP’s and split 7″s, two Singles Collections and are about to embark on an ambitious new plan to release a new song every two weeks, culminating in the release of their newest LP “Still Spitting Blood”.
Following in the footsteps of their predecessors but always blazing their own path, the evolution of the band is on constant display on every release, always looking forward but never forgetting their roots. From high-speed hardcore to complex guitar driven jams, the Raging Nathans always put the punk before the pop and have unapologetically cemented themselves as one of the most hardworking DIY bands of their era.
Here’s our special interview with THE RAGING NATHANS’ Josh Goldman, in 1990’s Fanzine Format, with the grizzled host of The Book of Very Very Bad Things Podcast, Peter Tanski (as he channels the dusty and mildly beguiled cadence of Al Pacino):
Boys… Men. Men, you are the second best Punk band in Dayton. You have just released your second “Sordid Youth” collection this summer, and now you are “Still Spitting Blood”? An allusion to Gene Simmons? Gingivitis? What’s it (the song) all about, Alfie?
I think at this point we probably are the best punk band in Dayton but you wanna leave room to grow, right? Yes, we just released our second singles collection and are compiling songs for the third volume. Still Spitting Blood is a reference to a song on our first album called “Tooth Song”. It’s a nice little throwback for people who have been listening to the band since then. Kinda like, we’re still here doing our thing and we aren’t going away. The song itself is really about my general disdain and hatred of authority. Never been a big fan of being told what to do, especially by those kinds of figures. As I get older I’ve just found better and more effective ways of dealing with those feelings than when I was younger.
A large swath of artists are offering up records that are in direct result of the Pandemic, the Lockdowns, and the malaise thereafter. Is that the sort of energy you are bringing to this record?
This is the second full record to come out of the pandemic for us. The album isn’t about the feelings we had during that time period, its more just a direct result of having the time at home to write. We couldn’t play shows so we used that time to write as much material as possible. It was kind of cool actually, I loved Covid. We were very productive. More pandemics please.
How do the Raging Nathans of the “Losing It” differ from this one?
We’ve all grown as people and songwriters. The line up has changed, our attitudes have changed as well as the things that are important to us and where our priorities lie. For me. “Losing It” is a great starting point for us because we didn’t have too many goals or ambitions, we just wanted to record a punk rock record with some good songs and I think we succeeded in that. There are some raw songs and tracks and I don’t love all of them but that was exactly who we were at that time. I think that you can see the band evolve and progress through each release and the main thing that stays the same is the feeling of honesty. We aren’t ever trying to be who we arent. So, some songs are good and some aren’t so good but that’s us and that’s ok. I will say that I do think each release is better than the previous one in different ways and I think that rings true with this new album as well.
With each record, you seem to become a bit more serious. Almost darker. More deadly. Is this something you have worked up to, or is it a subconscious progression?
With each record we’ve just learned to be as real as we can about ourselves and what we write. Goofy songs are fun and for me,a lot easier to write when I was younger and didn’t have as many responsibilities. Also, the last few years have been a lot darker in general. In terms of our personal lives, the political and social climate of the US and the rest of the world… things are fucked up and honestly I just don’t really know how to write a “happy” song. We write about personal things that are going on in our individual lives and I think that writing about the serious things is a way for everyone in the band to deal with what’s going on in life at that moment. When things are great, I don’t want to write songs. I want to hang out with my kids and family.
In summation, “Still Spitting Blood” is a real paint peeler. Ferocity abounds. Does the rest of the record keep in the same spirit? The same vicious thrust?
This record covers a lot of ground in a very short amount of time. I’d say that about a third of the record is pretty ferocious but we also have some kinda more straight forward, poppy tunes, some mid tempo serious jams…. there is something for everyone on this record. Every song is different but I feel like we somehow were able to make a very direct and cohesive record out of it. Punk bro! You’ll hate it!
Thanks a million, everyone!
“Still Spitting Blood” is the Raging Nathans 5th full length LP being released on Rad Girlfriend Records.
