Dreams of Puke, artwork by @gregory_jacobsen.
Squid Pisser, formed by Tommy Meehan (guitar, voice, bass, noise, samples) and Seth Carolina (drums, voice), is a duo where the daily expression derived by the previous sonic experiences (GWAR, Cancer Christ, Starcrawler, Deaf Club) exacerbates with a nihilistic violence in association of plasticity and ugly, multi-coloured aesthetics which oscillates between death metal and noise rock. In opposition to the more corservative sound which charactieses Deaf Club in particular, in sight of evident punk shades in addition to an impressive creativity focused to videoclip production, a constant claustrophobic feeling permeates the Squid Pisser poetry with an added touch of originality, as the writing and performances in their releases have exhaustively proved. Their records are: My Tadpole Legion (an album for Sweatband Records, Three One G Records, 2023), Dreams Of Puke (album, Sweatband Records, Skin Graft Records, 2024), Vaporize A Neighbor (an EP, for Skin Graft Records, Sweatband Records, 2024) and Vaporize A Tadpole (a compilation, for Skin Graft Records and Sweatband Records, 2024).
We interviewed Tommy Meehan about their last releases published in 2024. Following our conversation, where Tommy reported his thoughts between free speaking and irony.
From 2023 to ‘24 four releases (two albums, one compilation and one EP) were published on your behalf, in a sign of the regular DIY Stakhanovite productivity which also characterizes technical aspects in your playing and your past and present history (any examples: GWAR, Cancer Christ, Deaf Club, Starcrawler). So how did these different intentions happen?
“Seth and I were talking about this recently. In addition to everything else that we both do, we need Squid Pisser. It scratches a particular itch. It’s a vehicle that we’ve created which allows us to fly a very specific flag and tap into a very specific part of our primordial selves. We hope that it makes people think. We hope that it helps people lose themselves. It does those things for us.
“I’ve been planning Squid Pisser in the background of my mind for many years so there was a heavy build up and anticipation that fed directly into the writing and execution of this music. A pent up surplus of energy for the project. We are happy when we are pouring ourselves into this work.”
Squid Pisser band, credits by @dancefloormurder.
In Vaporize a Tadpole the relative sonic flow varies in intensity, like a visual pattern where different figures and colors alternate. A specific leitmotif could be found in the idealistic iteration of finding a balance position and the consequent loss of the cited condition. Moreover beginning and ending are iconically the best part of your effort, whereas the middle appears more homogeneous. So can you talk about how these elements happened?
“Maybe what you’re saying is that our album is similar to Metallica‘s “Saint Anger“. A lot of people were excited to embark on that journey. Picking the record up at Tower Records. Pressing play in their CD player. The anticipation. I don’t know, I wasn’t paying attention at that point. I’m not saying I was too cool for it. But jeez, man. After all those pinstripes and bellybutton piercings and cigars and flying V’s with flames on them and the Little League™ dad gas station sunglasses. Metallica probably wore Oakleys™ though. Those guys are wealthy as fuck. Do you remember those wild Maynard James Keenan edition Oakleys™ with the built in leather helmet and the Predator™ dreads? What the fuck?! I want those so bad right now.
“But the best part of “Saint Anger” was probably when the album ended. Or when you hit “stop” on the boombox. I’m guessing that’s what you mean. Unfortunately, I still haven’t listened to the entire album. I do try to get through it about once every 3 years or so.
“I love “Load“. And recently I’ve been getting into “Reload” more. Have you ever listened to “The Unforgiven II” with headphones? The production is ripping.
“As Squid Pisser, once we take off, we lose ourselves. We whip ourselves into a frenzy and we become frantic and it’s impossible to stop the ride. There are no rests. Life is unrelenting. It’s short and annoying and it pummels you constantly. Squid Pisser imitates life. I hope we get to do our own “St. Anger” someday.”
Lord of the Frog, which is a remix by DJ Embryonic Petit Sac, recalls in the first moment the iconoclastic Comb, a song by Butthole Surfers, but then it appears as an interference between distant sonorities, which is an element with an avantgarde matrix. So, let’s talk about the ideas behind this track which are characterised by a heterogeneous noise sound and an extreme experimentalism.
“I know a few people who really like The Butthole Surfers. I did own a cd copy of Electriclarryland when I was in middle school but I haven’t really listened to much of their stuff. I need to dive in someday.
“”Lord Of The Frog” is a remix of “Lord Of The Slog” which came out before “Lord Of The Slog” came out.
“DJ Embryonic Petit Sac has never failed to impress me with his fucked up ideas and sonic destruction. I’m not sure how much experimenting he did with this track specifically. I’ve seen him work and, to me, it looks like he’s just breathing. It’s natural for him to sound that fucked up. He is a being built up of a truly amphibious circuit board. Topped with evil tadpole jelly. His live performances continuously surprise and shock anyone who witnesses them.”
In My Tadpole Legion collaborates Yako from Melt-Banana, and how it happened for the Japanese vocalist, a heavy texture is the landscape for disharmonic singing, which is off-key in every hook. Can you explain your choice to Yako for this track, which gives a more innocent touch to your violent sonorities?
“Melt Banana is a one of a kind band. Yako is a one of a kind musician.”
Marching for Trash with Arrow de Wilde is your most pop song in this work, which is characterized by your musical rage and guitar fluidity, in addition to the Starcrawler vocalist melodic voice. A track that would be an outlier with a more consonant approach. So how did this accessibility happen?
“Right before going into the studio to track our albums, Seth and I decided to do our own version of “Marching For Trash”. The Crucifucks are a largely underrated band. Doc Darts voice is one of a kind and their music is fucked. Arrow knocked it out of the park. The video was fun to shoot.”
The following release, Vaporize a Neighbor, is signed by a further complexity which taps into a prog creativity, and which prefigures the organicity of Dreams of Puke (the EP self-titled track is contained in the cited following release). Its short length offers more compactness and much freedom to its expressionistic death-metal-like texture, with a grotesque and blunt aesthetic. So, what were the intentions behind this work and the instantaneous and diversified concept?
“”The only prog band I know of is Dream Theater. I heard that they’re prog but I haven’t listened to them much. I learned some nice exercises from watching their guitar player’s instructional video one time. Exercises that I still use to this day to warm up and keep my finger dexterity.
“I think Rush is prog too right? I’ve never listened to Rush either. I think Les Claypool likes Rush though and I do enjoy the “The Seas Of Cheese” album from time to time. The bassline for “Is It Luck” is really really cool.
“An attempt to satisfy ourselves is at the forefront of all of the creative decisions we make. I’ve learned to simply commence and not think too much about things. There’s a feeling you get that guides you toward what you end up doing. You’re carving. You’re whittling. You’re fiddling until you feel like the thing is done and along the way, there are paths which become illuminated. You follow them… It takes time to develop your method and you’re always refining it. You can’t be afraid to develop and refine your method.”
Dreams of Puke is represented by a purely cacophonic and elastic death metal sound in comparison to the other works; here your heavy poetry appears as grotesque and stereotyped, giving a sense of sarcastic claustrophobia. This conservatory approach conveys visceral feelings, offering a physical and nihilistic perspective. So how did this violent concept happen?
“What could be construed as seemingly nihilistic is likely to be told by way of a definite and uninterrupted protagonist of ultra-purpose. Finding purpose is the most important thing you can do. You know what they say about “Idle Hands”. Have you watched that movie recently? Kinda still doesn’t hold up but it’s almost an interesting study of that era. As cringe-inducing as it is at times.
“I do like the idea of Squid Pisser being categorized as having a death metal sound. The only death metal band I really know about, though, is Cannibal Corpse. I’m not super knowledgeable of that genre in general.”
I have always liked to try and make music that is appreciated by a younger generation. The youth is kinetic and angsty and I must involve myself with sounds that combust in these familiar ways. These types of characteristics are signature to the types of music that had affected me so profoundly during my own years of initial and deep appreciation and forming.
“I’m glad to hear that the record feels claustrophobic. Perhaps the next collection of songs will come off as that but even more so. But maybe it won’t!”
The first track in Dreams of Puke, Heaven’s A Place On Earth, is characterized by stretched electronics, evolving onto asymmetric stop-and-go riffs with deformed shapes. A homogeneous introduction to the violent impact of the album. In this case, should your intention be giving a calling card for more organic nihilism which emerges on the associated core?
“Thanks for noticing. In my experience, it’s been extremely difficult to find musicians who are willing to face asymmetrical structures and shapes head on.
“In the rare but true occurrence of stretched electronics, you are correct. For Dreams Of Puke, I used my KORG Electribe MX-EMX1 on a few songs… “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” is one of those songs. I’ve had my Electribe for 19 years now and it’s one of my favorite pieces of gear. A really fun sequencer. The SX-ESX-1 is also really cool because you can put your own samples into it.
“A violent impact is what Seth and I were aiming for with Dreams Of Puke (the record) so we appreciate your observation there.
“Associated core of any kind usually causes me distress because I’m not well learned in the realms of punk or metal history. I’m more of a passive fan of both genres and I’m really only familiar with a small selection of artists. I do spend a lot of time listening to acts like Garth Brooks and Tegan and Sara. Not sure if they’re considered core or not. If I had to list some core bands, I’d choose to only list one and say that Nuclear Rabbit is my favorite.
“Squid Pisser is far from nihilistic (in ways)… But kind of nihilistic (in other ways)… Juxtaposing as we do, we are hoping that those who are willing to decipher the ins and outs of our hidden messages will enjoy doing so for years to come.”
Thrash elements in Splatter the Master are recurrent in the guitar part, with a peculiar physicality and at the same time a conservatory approach which is familiar in this contest. We could say less elastic creativity is less perceived when the music is more violent and properly bellicose. Do you share this opinion about your creative writing?
“I have heard Slayer before and I’ve heard that they play thrash music. Honestly, it’s all confusing to me. Genres, I mean. I hope to never be associated with any genres, but I understand that this is difficult to accomplish. Everybody wants to compare something to something else so that they can describe whatever it is to whoever they’re trying to explain it to. That’s okay! I’ll try and keep trying.
“I hope that all art can be it’s own thing but sometimes we (humans) like things to be comparable so that we can categorize. Who is better at writing songs than Blink 182? Probably nobody. But pop punk can’t just be one band! So there are others who do their own thing. I don’t really know. Motion City Soundtrack writes really great songs too though. They’re pop punk I guess but they have a synth player. Call it whatever you want to. It’s good!
“Many of my Squid Pisser guitar parts are physically peculiar and I’m hoping that they can be perceived at some point eventually by large quantities of people. Maybe it takes an observer several listens (or years) in order to register these guitar parts to a particular status (for themselves). Most likely it WILL be a guitar player of some type who observes and reports how peculiar the guitar parts are. More importantly, I think it’s important to try and do things with your guitar parts that are different than other peoples guitar parts. As often as possible anyway.”