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METAL PULP AND PAPER: Hello Laurie. So glad to be catching up with you. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us here at Metal Pulp And Paper. We appreciate it.
First, everyone grab a beer, or your favorite drink, pull up a chair, it’s time to dive head first into the shallow end of the pool and get this started. So, how are you, how has 2019 been for you, so far?
LAURIE LUV: 2019 has been a blast. We've been playing shows and working on new songs. We'll be playing our first out of state show in March in Vegas.
MPAP: Before we go any further, let’s first introduce your band to everyone that’s reading this that just might have heard of you yet, shall we? Tell us a little about Cunt Punch? What do you want everyone to know?
LAURIE: We're an unusual mix; while generally considered punk, we also feature strong guitar leads in most of our songs. Our guitar player is stupidly good, so we occasionally take the leash off and let him run wild. Lyrically, we have a definite political edge and a whole lot of anger.
MPAP: And then your partners in crime, please introduce the rest of the band and tell us what they do, along with yourself as well too?
LAURIE: Daryl Danger on guitar, Anthony Fury on drums, Eddie English on bass, and myself on vocals. The guys are the ones who put the music together, then hand it off to me to come up with the melody and lyrics.
MPAP: You’ve been described as original punk rock, but there must be more than that? What can we expect when seeing Cunt Punch play live?
LAURIE: We deliver the full package. Our shows are extremely fast paced, energetic, and angry. We hear a lot of people after shows say they weren't expecting what they got. I use music as an outlet for my anger and frustrations, and that all comes across during shows more than it does on a recording.
MPAP: When I mention bands like New York Dolls, Ramones, The Clash, or the Dead Kennedys, do you see Cunt Punch continuing with the punk music genre legacy that started in the late 70s, early 80s?
LAURIE: I fucking love all those bands and would be hugely flattered to ever be compared to any of them. We definitely have a little bit of rock to our sound, like the Ramones and The Clash. We like to say that we're rock enough for the punkers to hate us, and punk enough for the rockers to hate us! Lyrically, we touch on many hot button topics which I believe is the backbone of punk- anger at the establishment and wanting to change it.
MPAP: Continuing with that, what are you hoping the new listener comes away with after hearing your music? Are there any expectations you might have?
LAURIE: I hope they come away liking it, but even more than that I hope some of our songs make people think. Women are initially turned off by the name, but many of our songs are actually for them. I love to see women that start off disinterested get pulled in during our set as they realize I'm there for them and screaming their anger too.
MPAP: Tell us why we should listen to some of your songs like "Perfect Dolls," "Lovestruck," or even "Party Girl"? What can you tell us that will grab the attention of our eardrums and want to listen?
LAURIE: "Perfect Dolls" is one of my favorite songs to do live. We do it early in the set, specifically to give people an idea of what they are in for. Most people have the idea that a chick on stage wearing what I wear is going to give a certain type of show, and we enjoy blowing that out of the water. "Perfect Dolls" is one of our heavier songs, and its loud and aggressive- 'Your idea of perfection comes in a box, an emotionless sex doll that never talks. Keep telling me how my rage is bad, cause all you're doing is making me mad.' "Lovestruck" is all about being fed up with the double standard when it comes to sex; men are studs and women are sluts. It's all about how I, and all women, enjoy sex and don't have to feel guilty about it. Sex is fun and you don't have to pretend to be in love with someone to justify having sex with them. It's an extremely fast song that drives all the way through. "Party Girl" is one of our earliest songs, and probably the most 'radio friendly' out of our set.
MPAP: Are you working on anything? How long until your fans can expect a new release?
LAURIE: Our next cd, Stay Angry, should be completed in the next 2-3 months! And our website is currently being built and will be live in a few weeks at cuntpunchband.com.
MPAP: Here’s a lyric taken from a recent Cunt Punch song, "it’s time to eat the rich and roll out the guillotine." Tell us more about that? What is the message that you are trying to get across here?
LAURIE: Our current government and ruling class have repeatedly shown how little they care for the working people. Access to medical care is only for those who can afford it, and people are dying because they can't afford necessary medication like insulin. Rich politicians are paying for their mistresses to have abortions while passing laws to restrict reproductive care for others. People who rely on their tax returns are getting screwed this year so that major corporations can have tax breaks. The divide between the haves and the have-nots is getting wider, and it reminds me of what happened when the people of France became fed up. The guillotine was the symbol of the French revolution, and it endures as a revolutionary symbol today. If the rich politicians won't listen, then its time drag them into the streets and make them listen.
MPAP: Punk music since its beginning has always been about anti-establishment, anti-authority, anti-government. What turned you on to wanting to be a part of it, since the genre is not mainstream.
LAURIE: When we were putting Cunt Punch together, I had multiple people warn me to avoid politics so we wouldn't alienate potential fans. I just thought fuck that, I'm angry about what's happening in the world. Punk isn't supposed to be about playing it safe. The roots of punk are in people being fed up with what they're told they have to accept. If we can't change the world, then we'll have to burn it down.
MPAP: What about the mainstream punk bands of today like Green Day, Blink-182, The Rancid, and even the Offspring? How do you feel about them?
LAURIE: They're doing their thing and good for them. I'm not the arbiter of punk and creating rules of what is and isn't punk is opposite of what punk is supposed to be.
MPAP: Now, Laurie, let’s go back to the beginning for a moment. Who started the band? What made everything start falling into place?
LAURIE: Daryl (guitar) and Anthony (drums) have been playing together in bands for longer than they would like to admit. They had some success with a couple of those, but the personalities in the bands always ended up clashing. The two of them were again looking for band members and stole Eddie (bass) from a band Anthony was in at one point. I came in and we just goofed around to see how it would all work. It was when we came up with "Feline Dentata" that we realized we had something good going.
MPAP: And continuing with this, of course, we must bring up the name, Cunt Punch.Tell us about that? Tell us the meaning of it and what made you decide to use it as a band name? Is there something personal behind it?
LAURIE: Anthony was the one that threw out the idea one night while we were sitting around at rehearsal, and I just fucking loved it. Why should slang for my genitalia be the worst word in American English? I'm taking it back. People assume it's referencing punching a woman in the cunt, but actually I'm a cunt and I'm the one that's punching out.
MPAP: When you decided on that name, everyone automatically knew you would get little to zero radio airplay, or even maybe even taken seriously, right? Did that not even matter to you at all at first?
LAURIE: Eh, how much airplay do any punk bands get? And if we have songs people like, it wouldn't matter. The two most played songs by NIN on the radio are "Closer" and "Starfuckers," so swear words can be bleeped out. Plus, with Sirius radio and internet radio, the whole idea of having to be radio friendly is outdated. As for being taken seriously, if people can take bands like Kiss seriously, who have songs like "Lovegun," I think we'll be fine.
MPAP: On behalf of myself and Metal Pulp And Paper, I’d like to thank you, Laurie, for doing this interview. We look forward to what Cunt Punch does to finish out 2019 and beyond.
Any last words you’d like to say before we bring this to a close?
LAURIE: Just to encourage everyone to go out and support their local music scenes. You never know what kickass bands could be right in your own backyard.
Laurie Luv-Cunt Punch/ March 2nd, 2019/ Interview #140