(EDITOR’S NOTES — Buffalo punk band Pretty Good State University is dropping its first album tomorrow — Friday, Sept. 13 — titled ‘Freshman Year.’ With a reputation for energetic live shows, the band has been gigging tirelessly and recently dropped its first two singles from the LP, ‘Anteater,’ and ‘Who Needs a Liver When You’ve Got a Blue Suit?’ We spoke with PGSU’s Tobias Prey (vocals, guitar), Vinnie Lema (lead guitar) and Clayton Duffy (bassist) about the record. The band also includes drummer Noah Logan who recorded and mixed the new album, which you can pre-save HERE. PGSU is not only an excellent band, it’s made up of some excellent humans and we’re happy to bring you our interview below.)
Walking in the garden
With the sun upon my skin
My reflection in the water
Gets distorted by the wind
And it’s nice to find some respite
From the weight of all my sins
—The Garden, The War (from 'Freshman Year')
1120 PRESS: Thank you for speaking with us and congrats on the new album, the band’s first full-length release! How does it feel to have this out in the wild finally?
TOBIAS: It feels really fucking good! It’s crazy, yknow? Some of these songs I have had written for years, and to finally have them as a complete collection — not just of my songwriting, but of OUR music — is kind of surreal. Before we were Pretty Good State University, we used to be ‘America’s Hottest Most Luxurious Premier Number One Top Christian Youth Rock Band for Kids and Children of All Ages’ (Orphans, if You Will), and then ‘Headspace.’ And ‘Headspace’ was cool, but it’s got nothing on PGSU. PGSU is, I think, a very honest and authentic reflection of all four of us as friends and as artists, and to have this album as the sort of culmination of our metamorphosis is something we’re all incredibly excited and proud of.
CLAYTON: To have this out in the wild is like passing a test that you studied for last night! Nerve-wracking but exciting!
1120: In terms of putting together and releasing a full-length, was there anything the band aimed for in terms of musical direction; or is there anything you guys hope to convey to the listener through these songs?
TOBIAS: Truth be told, it was kind of a directionless project until we really settled on the release date. Before that, it was a series of demos we recorded primarily as a practice tool because the four of us don’t really make a lot of time to get together and practice. But once we settled on the release date, I think we all kind of kicked it into gear, and Noah more than all of us. He carried the entire album on his back. He recorded and mixed the entire album himself in his home studio, and we would have NEVER gotten to where we are without all his hard work. I would say, throughout the recording process, the album really took shape as an ode to ourselves and our band and all the music that we love as a group. This album is full of ridiculous little inside jokes, and little nods and references to some of the all-time greats that we aspire to emulate, all while, ideally, capturing some of that quintessential punk angst that defined acts like Green Day and Blink 182 for a generation.
CLAYTON: I think because we always use our live shows as experiments to our sound, we’re able to bring a sound to a record that is more akin to records of the 90s.
1120: The band gigs relentlessly and is getting known for its live performances. Do you have a sense the work is starting to pay off? The single ‘Anteater,’ in lead up to this album, was particularly well received.
TOBIAS: You know, man, my instinct is to be humble and stay grounded; but we actually turned heel earlier this year, and to be completely honest, FUCK YEAH, it feels like it’s paying off. we feel like we’re about to bust through, y’know? We can’t deny that we’re super excited and honestly a little surprised to see how well ‘Anteater’ has been doing; and our other single off this album, which we lovingly refer to as “Blue Suit” (for brevity’s sake), is also doing really well right now. It’s given us a chip on our shoulder for sure, because I think we want to prove to ourselves that we’re as Pretty Good as we think we are, and as Pretty Good as maybe some other people think we are.
CLAYTON: Gigging like we do allows us to bond and grow as a band in every way. Playing with our best friends helps. We hope people know that our live shows are not to miss.
1120: You guys are marking the occasion with an album release show Friday night at Mohawk. What do you want people to know?
TOBIAS: This show is something we’ve put a lot of time and effort and thought into. We are really stoked and grateful to be able to have this show at Mohawk Place. It’s a venue we know and love. And after our 3-Day Camp ‘Hawk Residency’ there earlier this summer, it feels like we’re playing with a home field advantage. We’ve got some amazing musicians in Prairie Pavement, Little Liar, and one-of-many Ryan Terry outfits, HitGRL, from Fredonia, supporting. So, it’s sure to be a really full and enjoyable night of music. As was mentioned earlier, we kind of pride ourselves on the reputation of our live shows, and this is the first show we’re organizing ourselves, and “headlining” in any meaningful sense. So, if you’ve never seen us before, I think this is an EXCELLENT introduction to the PGSU experience. And if you have seen us before, you haven’t seen anything yet! $10 at the door. Doors are at 7 pm. Music starts at 8. It’s sure to be a Pretty Good time!
1120: Is there anything you want to say that we haven’t touched on?
VINNIE: While we don’t often take ourselves too seriously at Pretty Good State University, we did put a lot of care and love into this record and had a blast doing it. We managed to capture a lot of the spontaneity and freedom of our live shows, but with the new sheen of studio polish. I believe that we’ve created something quite magical here! The spirit of rock-n-roll is alive and not just well — it’s Pretty Fucking Good!
TOBIAS: We just want to say thank you. We’re really excited and grateful to have this out in the world, and we’re excited to see what comes next! Fall Semester of your Freshman Year begins Friday, September 13!
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