No Trigger has played at almost half of the Fests so far.
In addition, the band releases a new album, Dr. Album (out August 26 on Red Scare Industries).
We asked the band about the new album and their favorite Fest activities.
Learn about love, LSD, a growing Fest family and the new Dr. Album from vocalist Tom, below.
Scene Point Blank: Dr. Album comes out next month after a long break for the band. How does it feel and what songs are you most excited to play live?
Tom: We wrote and recorded these songs over the course of the two-year pandemic, so it feels pretty surreal being almost at the finish line. We wrote like 15 new songs total, but I think the ones I’m most looking forward to playing live are "No Tattoos," "Brainwashed," and "Too High to Die."
Scene Point Blank: “Antifantasy” was the first single and is the first song on the record. What about that track really set the tone for you? When did you write it (in relation to the rest of the record)?
Tom: We wrote all the songs together in a pandemic blur, and this was just one of them. I remember coming up with the opening riff/lyrics for that one and sending it to everyone and they were like "Yessssssss." Haha. Lyrically it’s pretty charged and heavy, but it came from a real place and from real events within a pretty fucked up country so we decided to write it and stick with it.
Scene Point Blank: Your videos are great. Do you enter them with an idea, or do you give full control to the director?
Tom: We recorded all of our most recent videos with Dan O’Connor from Four Year Strong. He is amazing at coming up with cool and fun additional ideas once we give the initial premise. After that, we both helped fine tune it and film it all. The videos came out pretty damn fun, I gotta say myself.
Scene Point Blank: Do any of you having acting or stage backgrounds?
Tom: Absolutely not! Haha.
Scene Point Blank: You balance humor and politics well, where many bands try to do both and fail. Is there a secret to your formula to make sure one doesn’t overshadow the other?
Tom: This record we wrote and recorded completely on LSD, and something about that experience made me want to twist some humor into very real, personal subjects. It also made the song writing more layered and intricate, as folks will see.
Scene Point Blank: How many Fests have you played? What was your first Fest and (not counting Fest 20) what was your most recent Fest?
Tom: I believe this upcoming Fest will be our ninth performance at Gainesville Fest. Our first Fest ever was Fest 5 in 2006, and our last one we played was Fest 18 in 2019.
Scene Point Blank: Do you remember your first impression or the first band you saw at your first Fest? What stuck with you?
Tom: I honestly have no idea who I saw at that first fest back in 2006, I just remember we played at 1982 with The Flatliners. Or was that the year after? It’s all a blur!
Scene Point Blank: How does it feel to be a “large font” band on the Fest 20 flyer? Does that give you negotiating power or any backstage (playful) leverage with your friends’ bands?
Tom: I’m not sure we are a large font band, I think we’re squarely in the medium font category, but either way we don’t give a shit. Fest is the best place on earth and Tony and the folks running it have been treating us very well for years and years now. If we were the last band on the flyer we would still be psyched to play!
Scene Point Blank: Who are you most excited to see at Fest 20?
Tom: Paint it Black and Against All Authority.
Scene Point Blank: Are you touring on the way to Gainesville?
Tom: No, I don’t even remember the last time we toured down to the Fest, we almost always just take a flight down and play, then fly home because we stay and party for the whole weekend.
Scene Point Blank: Any secrets you can share about your Fest set (way, way in advance)?
Tom: By the time we play Fest I think there might be a few of the newer songs that I will play on guitar.
Scene Point Blank: I’m going to end on an email version of a TV “lightning round.” In other words, answer off the top of your head without putting too much thought into it:
Who is your favorite band you’ve discovered at The Fest?
Tom: How Dare You.
Scene Point Blank: What is your favorite Fest memory?
Tom: I have so many, but one time in like 2008, No Trigger played one of the legendary Fest warehouse shows at like 3am and that was fucking awesome. I also was there to see Paint It Black play in the parking lot in a U-Haul when the cops on horses pulled up and shut it all down. That was insane!
Scene Point Blank: What is your favorite venue to see a show at The Fest?
Tom: Really digging Bo Diddley these days, but for interior venues I think the High Dive has always been my top choice.
Scene Point Blank: What is your favorite (or most traditional) Fest food?
Tom: Five Star cheese slice, duh.
Scene Point Blank: One tip for a first-time Fest attendee?
Tom: Don’t shit your pants.
Scene Point Blank: Any parting thoughts?
Tom: I met my wife at Fest in like 2012 or so. It wasn’t until 2015 that we like re-met and dated and made it official and stuff, but we met at Fest. So….hell yeah, thanks Fest! And I guess now we have two kids ‘cuz of Fest too what the hell?!
