As you all know, it always brings me great pleasure to talk local music. Every once in a while, there is a band that does something huge, even outside of the local scene. This time around, I am talking about Asbury Park natives Lost In Society, who are straight-up punk with no gimmicks. Having toured the country on the Vans Warped Tour and opening up for national acts such as Taking Back Sunday, this trio is well on their way.
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Zach Moyle, the electrifying frontman for Lost In Society, about their up-and-coming stint at the annual Bouncing Souls Home For The Holidays showcase at The Stone Pony. As a fan of punk music, it’s obvious that the Souls have had an influence on Lost In Society, and they aren’t shy to admit just how excited they are to be a part of such a well-known showcase. Check out our interview below:
Hey Zach, thanks for taking the time to chat. I know you’re on the road and very busy, so I will get right to it! Having been a fan of Lost In Society for quite some time now, it seems as if you guys keep accomplishing more and more. From tours, records, videos and even opening for national acts, what would you say has changed the most since this time last year?
No problem, of course! I would say that nothing has really so much changed rather than we are just building off of the hard work we have been putting in. We consider ourselves a relentless band that never stops. We plan our years six to eight months in advance so there are never really any soft spots for us as far as touring, recording or releasing new material goes.
I think people are really starting to take notice of our work ethic, and that goes along with us getting on national shows and getting more exposure than previous years. It’s a long building process and we are still on the ground floor, working our way up.
As I mentioned, you’re currently on the road. How has the tour been thus far?
The tour has been amazing so far, definitely our best yet. We toured down the East Coast to play The Fest 12 in Gainesville, FL, and it was an absolute blast. We had never been [to The Fest] as patrons or performers, so it was an eye-opening experience to one of the best punk festivals in the world.
After that, we drove through the panhandle and played some shows before getting to open for the Misfits at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, TX. It was a ridiculously fun time. We hit the stage first and the crowd was extremely receptive and was eating it up. Probably one of my favorite out-of-town shows to date. It’s definitely between that and The Fest.
I am currently sitting in a kitchen in Hot Springs, AR. I really love it here. Top three favorite cities in the U.S. Savannah is hovering in that top spot right now.
Speaking of performing live, you guys will be on the bill for one of the most well-known showcases at The Stone Pony every year, The Bouncing Souls’ Home For The Holidays. How excited are you to be a part of this?
Oh jeez, where do I even begin? I haven’t missed a HFTH since its inception and I don’t ever plan to. I have seen The Bouncing Souls over 40 times and it never gets old to me. So I guess you could say that I’m pretty excited.
We have become pretty close with [Bouncing Souls guitarist] Pete Steinkopf since recording with him back in 2011, so we all thanked him a bunch of times for putting us on the show. It’s going to be an amazing weekend and I’m thrilled to actually be a part of it this time. Although, just because I’m performing doesn’t mean you won’t see me in the crowd rocking out during everyone else’s sets.
Which date will you be playing? And what will your setlist be like?
We are actually playing the first night, Dec. 26. That’s right, we are going to be the first band to hit the stage and introduce everyone to this year’s HFTH. How rad is that?
Our set will most likely consist of old, new and newer stuff. We definitely plan on playing some unreleased tracks at this show to give people a little taste of what is to come next. But we won’t forget to play the old standbys, of course. I expect a loud, “Fuck you too!” from our hometown crowd.
I will be sure to yell at the top of my lungs! For those who have never been to a Home For The Holidays show, can you describe the energy and atmosphere?
It’s honestly just the best time ever. Everyone is in a good mood due to the holiday spirit and getting ready to eat and drink as much as humanly possible before they make a New Year’s resolution never to do that again, only to break that the next time a cool show comes around the area.
So it’s really an amazing time. Everyone is there for the same reason: to watch some of their favorite bands play their favorite songs with their friends.
Being one of the most dominant punk bands in the local scene, I think it’s safe to say that the Souls have to be one of your biggest influences, being from Jersey especially. Would you agree?
Yes, absolutely. The Bouncing Souls & Co. are what we in Lost In Society look up to. They aren’t huge rock stars bringing in millions of dollars, but they make a good living and have the best time doing it. They get to tour the world and play their music to thousands of people every night, and they have stayed extremely humble through it all. A lot can be learned from people like them, and if more people were like them in the music industry, it would be a whole different world. I love them very much.
Have fans ever compared you guys to them?
We haven’t been compared to the Souls too much—maybe here and there. They are definitely an influence, but the sound comparisons haven’t come in too often.
What’s the plan for some new music? Is there another full-length in the works?
While we were down at The Fest, we actually recorded two songs with Steve Rizun and Reiss Zurbyk, who work out of Drive Studios in Toronto. So expect two new songs to come out sometime in the first quarter of 2014. I have lots of juicy details, but you’re going to have to wait to hear them.
As far as a full-length, we will be recording a bunch of new songs with Pete Steinkopf at Lakehouse Studios, owned by a close friend, Jon Leidersdorff. Once we have those tracks, we are going to start the tireless search for a label to back it up and put it out. We want someone to put us to work, put us on the road, and everything they can throw at us.
For those who aren’t really down with the NJ punk scene, what could you say to sway them to the light?
Well, when we first started playing in ‘04-05, there really wasn’t much of a local punk scene here. It was us playing with metal or emo/screamo bands. Not bashing their music, but other than a couple friends’ bands—The Creetons, The Scandals and Off 537—we were it.
But it does seem that the trend toward punk is heading toward a slight renaissance, and I’m really happy to be a part of that. There are a lot of great bands around here nowadays, and I’m happy to say that I have shared the stage—and many drinks—with a lot of them. Also, punk shows are a lot of fun. What else needs to be said?
You can catch Lost In Society on night one of the Home For The Holidays showcase with The Bouncing Souls at The Stone Pony on Dec. 26. For more information, visit lostinsociety.com.
