Ahead of their eagerly anticipated EP, I WANT TO MOVE, Bad Friends With Black Cats shared insights into their evolving sound. From acoustic beginnings to a dynamic full-band experience, the group delves into how they’ve layered darker, more vulnerable lyrics with robust energy, underpinned by acoustic rhythms. The lead single, “OKAY, BYE,” encapsulates key personal milestones, setting the tone for the EP’s raw, candid vibe inspired by influencers like PUP and The Front Bottoms. This conversation invites listeners to peer deeper into the essence of their music, promising an intimate connection forged through shared struggles and high-energy anthems.
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Bad Friends With Black Cats, thanks for the opportunity to sit down with you ahead of the release of your EP, I WANT TO MOVE. Can you walk us through the journey of your sound evolution leading up to this EP? What elements did you experiment with or push to the forefront this time around?
Well up until this EP, everything released had only been acoustic demos. So the biggest step we took was definitely incorporating the full band sound while still maintaining an acoustic rhythm guitar driving it. Marcelo couldn’t have written better drums to the tracks and was able to always push the energy and keep attention on the song. The lyrics continue to get darker and more vulnerable while keeping a sense of relatability, leaning on heavy influences from bands like PUP and The Front Bottoms.
What’s the story behind the lead single of the EP? How does it encapsulate the essence of the entire project?
“OKAY, BYE” is a song about meeting my partner, Melissa, in Ottawa back in 2017. It describes several aspects of our lives over the first 2 years of our relationship. It touches on my state before meeting her, my anxieties of living in a new city, and the struggle of finding a place to live. It is literally about the stage of my life where I found the music that would go on to influence this entire project (The Front Bottoms, Modern Baseball, PUP) and for that reason I think it’s the perfect introduction to the new era of Bad Friends With Black Cats.
What lies behind your motivation to deliver raw and candid music?
It’s what I’ve always connected with and listened to personally. I’ve always gravitated to the lyrics and meaning of a song and really loved when it was vulnerable and authentic. Bands like PUP, who deliver such high energy and emotion despite yelling about everything they hate, have always hit home for me and have been my preference; it only makes sense that would bleed over into my writing and what I want to make.
Which artists are the most influential on your sound, and where else do you pull inspiration from?
The biggest influences on our sound are bands like PUP, The Front Bottoms, Jeff Rosenstock and Modern Baseball. However, I have gone through so many phases of my life listening to different styles, and I believe they all play their own part on influencing our music. (Green Day, MCR, Avenged Sevenfold, Mumford and Sons, Aesop Rock)
Growing up, Blink 182 was also a huge influence on both Marcelo and I. You can really hear Travis Barkers influence on the drumming as well as the idea of not taking ourselves to seriously with the lyrics.
How do you hope the EP will resonate with your audience or shift listener perceptions about your music?
I really just hope listeners find the struggles in daily life relatable and worth yelling with us about. I think we touch on a variety of very relatable insecurities while delivering high-energy tunes that people can enjoy.
How do personal experiences and emotions feed into your songwriting and music production?
Paul: That’s really the driving force of our music. Our music starts and ends with the struggles we face every day. It’s the reason I pick up the guitar and start writing. Personal experiences and emotions are what sparks creativity, at least for my personally.
We’d love to know the story behind your endearingly unique artist name, and a little bit of the band’s history and inner workings.
I originally started this band with a high school friend, Connor Ratayczak. After going 5+ years of barely communicating and being flakey, we reunited to try and start a band. We each had black cats and thought the idea of being “bad friends” had a ring to it. I think it really fits the “goofy punk” band name style and fits the brand very. My black cat, Shady, is also my best friend (concerning, I know) and having her incorporated somehow makes me happy. I got Shady at the beginning of the toughest phase of my life, so she’s been through it all too!
Looking beyond this EP, how do you see your music evolving in the future?
It’s hard to say. Obviously we’ll strive to improve our sound and quality and take another step forward in the next recording venture. But in terms of style and inspiration, I don’t think we know. We have a ton of songs we’re sitting on that fit this style that we’re so excited to start recording, but it’s hard to predict what we’ll write next. I’ll continue to listen to amazing artists that inspire me to create.
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Listen to Bad Friends With Black Cats on Spotify.
Follow the band on Facebook and Instagram.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast