FOR FANS OF: PUP, All Time Low, The Dirty Nil
Meet latewaves, 3-piece punk rock band from New Jersey, who recently released tracks "Enough Is Enough" and "Sympathy (& Validation)" - two songs full of explosive guitar and self-reflective lyrics. latewaves are sure a band you'll love if you're into music that is honest and real. latewaves are made up of Shawna Grabowski, Mike Pellegrino, and Howie Cohen.
Read on to learn more about them and their music, and be sure to give their guest playlist a spin!
1) How did you meet, and why was latewaves formed?
Mike and Shawna have known each other well over 10 years. Mike (vocals, guitar) is actually married to Shawna’s (drums, vocals) sister, Ashley, and they have been friends since the very beginning of that relationship. The two of them had always had a pact to start writing music together, and once Mike’s previous project disbanded, they got right to work in 2016. About a year later after writing their first EP, Partied Out, Howie (bass, vocals) joined in just before their first ever show.
2) What is your songwriting process like?
While the easy answer would be “it’s never the same process twice,” we normally have at least a skeleton of a song before the three of us get together to really hash things out. That being said, plenty of songs off our upcoming album just came from a quick riff before a practice, that turned into a track we were sure we wanted on the record just a few hours later. I’d like to think that we go into each song with no intention other than writing something fun that we too would want to listen to with the windows down in the car blasting for everyone else to hear.
3) Can you tell us a bit about your two latest singles, "Enough Is Enough," and "Sympathy (& Validation)?"
Both of these songs are great examples of the tone of the record. They both attempt to play armchair psychiatrist to some degree.
Enough is more or less a commentary on how full of shit we all are. It’s about seeing a loved one in a downward spiral and how we all like to give advice from our high horses but who the hell is anyone to tell someone what they’re doing is wrong? We act like we don’t live in glass houses when we give advice because it makes us feel better to be the one in the “better” situation than the person receiving the advice. The message is that we should shut up and just LISTEN to the person instead of trying to make ourselves feel better, that’s what Mike means when he says “maybe we’re the ones that are fuckin’ up.”
Sympathy is another attempt at psychoanalysis but more self-reflective. If anyone’s experienced a panic attack, they can relate to the machine gun rapid fire of thoughts that zap our brains. The verses act as the inner monologues when we’re trying to tell ourselves what to do to feel better. “I gotta sober up replacing alcohol with weed.” You know, super compulsive thought processes. The chorus that reads like a love song “if you say I love you tonight then I will be right there by your side” is actually pointing out the selfish and needy behavior we enact when going through an episode. Latching yourself onto anyone that accepts you and says you’re worthy of love because we’re so desperate to feel ok. But in the end we have to be ok with ourselves as someone else validating you is only a band aid on a bullet wound.
4) What do you miss the most about live music?
EVERYTHING. Seriously. There is no connection and experience comparable to that for us. Truthfully, we miss seeing our friends and favorite bands (some of which are the same) play music just as much as we miss playing it.
5) Who are some of your musical influences?
Mike - I’d have to say my roots are in melodic and anthemic punk like Bouncing Souls, NOFX, and Rancid mixed with a lot of 90’s era rock like Weezer (mainly Blue Album and Pinkerton, Green Album has some sleeper hits in there) Green Day, Nirvana etc. But I’m influenced by people that think and do things for themselves. People that stay true to their roots and don’t pander to anyone. I don’t like artists that think I’m too stupid to understand that they’re going after my wallet. There ain’t nothin in there so play me some god damn good music, bucko.
Shawna - It’s hard for me to pinpoint musical influences because for me they are collected from everything I listen to. Whether it’s fast paced punk rock or funky head nodding hip hop beats I try to incorporate these different sounds to what I play.
Howie - I’m a sucker for true storyteller lyrics. Regardless of genre, that’s just what I’m always drawn to. The Get Up Kids, The New Amsterdams, Thrice, Into It Over It, The Weakerthans are huge ones for me.
6) Who was the first band each of you were obsessed with?
Mike - It’s gotta be Green Day. My cousin showed me Dookie in his room and when we went downstairs for dinner “Welcome to Paradise” was in my head and I was head banging to nothing but the memory of the song I had just heard and my mom thought I was having a seizure.
Shawna - The Used was the first band band I can remember that I was really into. Still surreal we got to share a bill with them.
Howie - This might be a bad look, but I gotta say it was The Ataris. I was at that Asbury Lanes show when Kris threw the drum set at the drummer and off the stage. But Blue Skies, Broken Hearts… Next 12 Exits, that record did something to me that can’t be undone.
7) Do you have any advice for budding bands?
Be who you are. Don’t look at streaming stats (yeah, okay we do too but don’t). Make music YOU are proud of creating, and your following will follow, one way or another. One of the most important things though, albeit cliche, is make friends and network. I (Howie) moved to Asbury Park knowing no one, in a very established scene and community. Truthfully, I felt like a bit of an outcast at first. I went to every local show I could, befriended bands, fans of bands, and venue’s staff. Before I knew it, I was immersed in that community and have dozens of lifelong friends and industry connections I can ask anything of. Turns out just being a nice person and talking to people can get your band a lot of opportunities.
8) If you could tour with anyone, who would it be?
Mike - I’d live to watch Minus the Bear every night for the rest of my life. I’d also say PUP but I’d be concerned with spiking my adrenaline to such high levels back-to-back nights.
Shawna - Foo Fighters/Charly Bliss/Pup. No need to explain why because they all rip.
Howie - Jimmy Eat World. They can’t write a bad song and I want to see them play them all.
9) What's the rest of 2021 looking like for latewaves?
Welp, our debut full length record Hell to Pay comes out on June 4th on Know Hope Records. We definitely see some real-life face-to-face shows in the near future throughout the summer and fall. Keep your eyes peeled for those announcements coming out soon! We’re ready to hit the road (safely) to support this record baby and are looking forward to hitting our favorite spots and new cities soon all around the US.
10) What do you love about music?
It’s why we do everything we do. There is a connectivity with people seeing, hearing, and enjoying music together that we are for lack of a better term, “addicted” to. We write music for ourselves, sure. But experiencing others have a positive reaction to that music, that’s what it all boils down to for us.
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