As one of the most iconic examples of the ’90s punk scene, Lagwagon sparked serious pandemonium among fans when they not only announced the follow-up to 2015’s Hang served (their first studio album in nine), and an Australian tour.
Released today, new LP Railer, produced by Cameron Webb (Alkaline Trio, Motörhead), marks a welcome return to the frantic, visceral tracks of old.
Stream Railer below:
In the track-by-track below, frontman Joey Cape takes Tone Deaf through Railer, which was written in an incredibly condensed period of time, in an attempt to capture the spirit of the band’s prolific early days.
Track #1 – Stealing Light:
Stealing the spotlight. In any time of great change, it is essential to remember we all deserve the same freedoms and compassion to become the best we can be, while retaining our individuality. Some are interested in the spotlight for the thrill of righteousness.
Some suffer afflictions, physical and psychological, that warrant some special consideration. Some are starved for the attention that other extraordinary groups receive.
Being outraged is advantageous and neurologically addictive. Identity is everything.
Finding the path forward becomes more difficult as real problems become diluted. People act divisively rather than effectively caring for each other.
Track #2 – Surviving California:
Two words that do not go together. In the land of bliss there is stark contrast, a contrast between the California that is sold and the one we experience by calling it home.
There are multiple messages in this song: the cultural, the economic, the ecological and the personal. Yes, California has elements of a paradise but it is overpopulated and there are many issues as a result.
A land so desirable brings pockets of wealth, “debtors of the dream”, people who gentrify areas and turn towns into gated communities. Later the wealth crest spills and pushes into less affluent areas.
Standards for wealth reflection are lowered and people living beyond their means are priced out of their homes. There are also not enough homes in California to house all its citizens. And it’s not just the mentally ill who experience homelessness and the sharp end of the housing crisis.
Many people lose everything and the state’s moderate climate sets the stage for a very Californian lack of empathy and sympathy. Smiling under the high-priced sun, they write off the suffering of others in their bubble of relative comfort, given the utopian climate.
Ecologically speaking, we are waiting for the inevitable giant earthquake while we try not to lose our belongings or die in wild fires. That is dramatic to say but it also feels true.
Track #3 – Jini:
Jini is the name my daughter gave to one of our cats. I think it’s from Harry Potter. This song is for the unconditionally loving but speechless Jini, and complains about economic woes that are too widespread to be able to be brought up in conversation with other adults.
It’s about problems that are too common to be interesting. The lyrics are a bit tongue-and-cheek. I wanted an anthem with comedic levity.
Track #4 – Parable:
The cycle of abuse that is indoctrination. The damage that is done to the innocent. The destruction of wonder and ultimately trust. The hand-me-down that gifts little more than disappointment, as it is first received at a young age. Indoctrination tears through generations. It starts with devastation of the individual, then goes tribal where the outcome is predictable and the cycle repeats.
Track #5 – Dangerous Animal:
Human beings are dangerous animals.
Track #6 – Bubble:
A song about Lagwagon. Any band that has been active for a long time is categorized and historically stamped. You reside in a bubble by design. You cannot take it personally. You have to have a sense of humor. The song is about embracing that bubble as your home. It may not always suit you but at least they built it and perhaps that is something to be thankful for.
Track #7 – The Suffering:
It begins with a Bertrand Russell quote. He’s a philosopher that I have grown very fond of in recent years. The premise of the song is somewhat different from the actual beliefs behind his quotes but it seems any of his quotes are somehow pertinent to any of my more recent songs.
My friend Jason Simpson is the reader on the track. He has one of those voices that has an earnest nature and soothing quality to my ears. The song more specifically speaks to empathy for the suffering of the world as you grow older and gain perspective on your own painful experiences. Suffering can be beautiful in that it gives us the opportunity to relate to others in their need for recognition of their own struggles.
Track #8 – Dark Matter:
I see a shrinking fascination with scientific discovery. People seem to fear the unknown and for many, something that is not conclusively explained by science will cause them to hastily determine cause by supernatural force.
Scientific wonder has guided us for thousands of years. We have found cures for deadly diseases and solved planet-threatening mysteries. Still, some see no room for theory, study or scientific phenomenon.
The fascinated mind that takes pleasure in the search for knowledge is losing the battle to maintain widespread reason. Information for many is superficially derived from senses and faith.
Faith can turn the senses into a cage and limit reality while scientific method seems to have the opposite effect. Some say science is faith but its job is to rewrite itself.
Track #9 – Fan Fiction:
The song is about any band’s or artist’s triumphant return after being inactive for a period of time. When they return to tour, fans often speak of their early career with great exaggeration and sometimes pretend to have loved the band always. When, in fact, they just recently discovered the band and grew to appreciate the music in the interim between the active days and the present reunion.
Followers fan the fire of a reunion. I used a space and star analogy for this one. Space statistics are mysterious and entrancing. The analogy and imagery are fun.
Track #10 – Pray For Them:
The lyrics reflect my belief that many of faith believe their prayers absolve them from further responsibility or accountability for the suffering of others. Most of us feel powerless at one time or another in our lives. The minimum effort of prayer is all many see themselves capable of.
Track #11 – Auf Wiedersehen:
It’s a letter to a nemesis. A peer that gives you equal amounts of grief, anxiety and healthy competitive inspiration. We all have had one or two of those. Exiting the contest seems like the only way to peace but there are other reasons you participated as well.
Many experiences have inspired you. There is no shame in moving on but you persist because you fear you will not find another bridge.
Track #12 – Faithfully: Well, obviously this is a cover, originally by the San Francisco-area group Journey. We all grew up listening to the songs by this band. I have always thought this song in particular would make a great punk song. For years I pitched it to Me First and the Gimme Gimmes and it wasn’t enthusiastically received. All good! It works well for Lagwagon and most of us are actually fans of the band. I like it as the album’s closer. It is a nice departure from the rest of the album and brings a bit of levity on our way out.
RAILER TRACKLIST
1. Stealing Light
2. Surviving California
3. Jini
4. Parable
5. Dangerous Animal
6. Bubble
7. The Suffering
8. Dark Matter
9. Fan Fiction
10. Pray For Them
11. Auf Wiedersehen
12. Faithfully
Lagwagon Australian Tour 2020
Friday, March 13th, 2020
Metro Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Saturday, March 14th, 2020
Triffid, Brisbane, QLD
Sunday, March 15th, 2020
170 Russell, Melbourne, VIC
Wednesday, March 18th, 2020
UniBar, Adelaide, SA
Thursday, March 19th, 2020
Capitol, Perth, WA
Tickets on sale through SBM Presents
