When Three One G does something, they don’t just do it—they swing for the fences, and then set those fences on fire. As the legendary San Diego label celebrates an astonishing 31 years of genre-bending, boundary-breaking, sonic chaos, they’re rolling out announcements as only they could: with a reissue of The Locust’s iconic Peel Sessions LP and a fresh, sharp-as-a-razor tribute to Swing Kids’ “El Camino Car Crash” by Deaf Club (watch the video above).
Three One G is Justin Pearson’s brainchild (see our interview HERE) — a label that grew from the sweaty DIY basements of 1994 into a cornerstone of hardcore and experimental music. What began as a teenager’s wild-eyed mission to release his own band’s music has since become a temple for the gloriously unhinged.
Over the years, the label has offered a platform to the likes of Unbroken, The Blood Brothers, Metz, and of course, Pearson’s own incendiary acts Swing Kids and The Locust. Three One G has long been the torchbearer for chaos in the name of art.
This month, they revisit the madness that is The Locust’s Peel Sessions LP. Recorded in 2001 during a no-nights-off UK/Europe tour, the sessions are a snapshot of the band in a whirlwind transition. As Justin Pearson recalls, “Recording a Peel session for John Peel was one of the many surreal things that The Locust got to do during its lifetime.
In hindsight, I wish we had planned more accordingly when we got the opportunity, as we sandwiched the session in among a no-night-off tour… However, it turned out very interesting as this was a document of old and new tracks with a major lineup change.” That lineup change—Gabe Serbian’s move from guitar/vocals to drums—redefined the band’s sound and pushed their chaotic brilliance into new territory.
Now, with Nathan Joyner’s expert remastering and two limited-edition vinyl variants (“Skin Graft” metallic silver and “Sexually Transmitted Disease” clear with white), this release is both a monument to the past and a challenge to the present. It’s chaos redefined, ready to burn through turntables once more.’
And then there’s Deaf Club’s blistering cover of Swing Kids’ “El Camino Car Crash.” Pearson, ever the provocateur, explains the genesis of this homage:
“Deaf Club was asked to play a show with the legendary Unbroken at the Che Cafe in San Diego about a year ago. It was bound to be an absurd show due to one of the musical mayors of the city headlining the tiny punk venue,” shares Pearson.
“I asked Deaf Club if we could cover a Swing Kids song, since my previous band and Unbroken shared a member, Eric Allen, who has since passed away. As odd as it is to have a current band I am in to cover a band from the past that I was a part of, it uncomfortably made sense in some way. Now it’s being released as a stand alone single in relation to the birthday and survival of Three One G, and maybe weird San Diego art in general. Also it’s a nod to Eric Allen, who was so important to me, Three One G, and San Diego punk and hardcore.”
Swing Kids, one of Pearson’s earliest bands, existed briefly in the mid-‘90s, releasing a handful of songs that combined punk, hardcore, jazz, and a peculiar San Diego ethos.
Their final track, “El Camino Car Crash,” has remained a touchstone of the era, influencing heavyweights like Refused and Jeromes Dream.
Deaf Club’s new version, recorded by Alex Estrada, mixed by Daniel Schlett, and mastered by Joyner, bridges the past with a fucked-up present. It’s not just a tribute; it’s a battle cry.
But Three One G isn’t content to sit on nostalgia. Alongside The Locust’s reissue and Deaf Club’s single, the label is dropping a reissue of Cattle Decapitation’s brutal debut, Human Jerky, and repressing Deaf Club’s ferocious debut album Productive Disruption. Add in new signings like Haunted Horses (see our recent feature HERE) and Venus Twins (see our interview HERE), and you’ve got a label that’s still swinging hard—and swinging weird.
What sets Three One G apart? It’s their willingness to mash genres and break molds. It’s Kool Keith rubbing elbows with Metz. It’s a Queen tribute featuring Weasel Walter that’s somehow equal parts reverent and reckless. And above all, it’s the label’s steadfast commitment to doing things their way—no compromises, no apologies.
Three One G’s 31-year journey is a testament to the power of community, the beauty of chaos, and the stubborn thrill of carving your own path. As they blow out the candles and light up the amps this December, the only thing certain is that the future’s going to get louder, weirder, and far more interesting.
Long live Three One G!
The Peel Sessions Track List:
1. How To Become A Virgin
2. The Half-Eaten Sausage Would Like To See You In His Office
3. Kill Roger Hedgecock
4. Straight From The Horse’s Mouth
5. Moth-Eaten Deer Head
6. Priest With The Sexually-Transmitted Diseases, Get Out Of My Bed
7. Cattle Mutilation
8. Perils Of Believing In Round Squares
9. Twenty-Three Lubed-Up Schizophrenics With Delusions Of Grandeur
10. Stucco Obelisks Labeled As Trees
11. Skin Graft At Seventy-Five Miles An Hour
12. Get Off The Cross, The Wood Is Needed
13. Who Wants A Dose Of The Clap?
14. Wet Nurse Syndrome (Hand Me Down Display Case)
15. Gluing Carpet To Your Genitals Does Not Make You A Cantaloupe
