Pigeon Spins Folk: God Bless

"God Bless" encapsulates a satirical take on the encroachment of government into people's lives. Infused with the energetic essence of Southern Baptist church revivals, the track captures a chaotic yet captivating fervor. With its blend of alt-country and folk-punk elements, "God Bless" stands out as a punk anthem on Saint Nick the Lesser's eclectic album, "Growing up, growing out." The recording process at Sivraj Studios in North Hollywood, CA, added a unique touch, with the inclusion of spontaneous tambourine moments reflecting the raw energy and passion behind the music creation process.

(•)> Cru cru! What first got you into music?

Combination of necessity and interest. Music was a vehicle for me to help explore feelings, and lyrics specifically gave me a language to describe challenging emotions. It helped me feel less alienated as I understood that everyone experiences, in one form or another, their own sense of isolation, dissolution, interspersed with moments of lurid vivacity. Helped me to not feel alone essentially. Additionally, I’d actually wanted to be a writer before I got into music, but found that I enjoyed songwriter a bit more than writing, and stuck with it haha.

(•)> What's your favorite album of all time?

Admittedly, hard to narrow this one down. I’m a punk rocker at heart, and love singles, but as far as album’s go, Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” was instrumental in my formative years. I love(d) the dreariness of it, and the sweet melancholy present in many of the tracks. That, and I think what I love about it most is that it’s emblematic of what I’m trying espouse as an artist: personal growth, change, hope, etc. I like that album because of how the character changes, evolves, and grows, and ultimately reaches catharsis, only to have to it all over again. I think it’s a beautiful metaphor for life-Floyd drama notwithstanding.

(•)> What record from the 2020's do you replay the most?

2019, so not quite 2020’s: The Dreadnoughts, Into the North. Love the folk/punk vibe, and big fan of the maritime aesthetic.

(•)> What should the Pigeon listen to next?

The Stanfields-Road to Guysborough or The Boston States.

Two of my faves.

(•)> What memorable answers have you had to your work so far?

Tons, but one that’ll always stick out is this: I had just recently performed in Los Angeles. Someone came up to me, and thanked me for playing a particular song of mine called “21 Minutes” which is about my experiences with suicidality. They explained to me how it saved their siblings life who’d just gotten released from a hospital on a psych hold, and wanted to thank me for it. It was one of the most profound and humbling experiences I’ve ever had as a musician, and reinforced my desire to want to uplift others via music. That’s going to be my next and final single release from my upcoming album “Growing up, growing up” which drops later this year. Single to drop sometime in Summer.

(•)> Who is your inspiration when creating music?

Frank Turner for sure. He’s been such a huge inspiration insofar as melody, writing style, and overall vibe; also instrumental as being one of those musicians who helped give voice/language to some of my emotional experiences. Additionally, artists like Laura Jane Grace, Johnny Cash, Chuck Regan, and a lot of other folk-punk, anti-folk, or just traditional folk artists have had a huge impact on me.

(•)> Which film do you rewatch the most?

Man, that’s a rad question. I want to say Lord of the Rings, but realistically, it’s probably closer to John Carpenter’s The Thing, or the 80’s remake of The Fly with Jeff Goldblum. I love all things Sci-Fi, and dig body horror stuff, and feel like the tragedy of Seth Brundle is one the greatest stories in Sci-Fi.

(•)> How is your perfect day?

Winning the lottery followed by achieving Nirvana haha.

More realistically-waking up naturally, meditating, hitting the gym, working on new material, kicking it with friends (board game), playing a show, afterparty hangout.

(•)> Will you tell us something embarassing about you?

All of my baggage has been lyricized, put to words, and distributed online haha.

(•)> Do you sing in the shower? If yes, what's the setlist?

Usually just a bunch of humming, followed swiftly by waterbending and imaginary arguments. Also the occasional burst of frenzied inspiration which causes me to rush out of the shower and jot down or record notes.

(•)> What's your Hot Take - your most controversial music opinion?

I really don’t have any hot takes-music is music; art is art. This isn’t really a hot take, but more of anecdote which I remind myself from time to time: give yourself permission to write a shit song-it’s how you get better and get to the good stuff. If 4’33 can exist, then so can yours.