by Hugo Reyes (@hvreyes5)
Three records and a couple of EPs in, Notches has become one of the most consistent bands in pop-punk DIY at large. They create indelible pop songs that gnaw at you in the best ways possible. Their newest record, New Kind of Love is no different. It captures the best of the previous releases and melds it all together into a coherent thirty minute record for listeners to traverse through repeatedly.
I had the opportunity to speak with Ezra Cohen and Zac Mayeux, the two respective songwriters, about some songs that influenced the new record and their songwriting as a whole.
Fountains of Wayne - “Radiation Vibe”
Ezra: Dante and I dived into this band pretty hard around the tail end of writing our record. They write incredible pop songs. I’m a complete sucker for great melodies and their records are full of them. We talk a lot about the fact that a pop song can be incredibly written and completely overproduced at the same time. FOW has that going on big time. Their lyrics are also pretty cringe worthy at times, but again, they write amazing hooks.
Spit Take - “Our Room”
Ezra: This band and the folks in it are very special to all of us! They have a very similar DIY work ethic to our band and we’ve become very close friends over the past few years. I love this song especially because it evokes real emotions and paints a vivid picture lyrically. You really feel like you’re in that moment that Joe is describing. I love the way he plays the guitar as well. Incredible band that doesn’t get close to enough credit.
Rolling Stones - “Sway”
Zac: Here’s the thing, anything from the Mick Taylor era of the Stones is, to me, a hit (yes, this definitely also includes Goats Head Soup). I chose this song because I think every individual member of Notches had a huge revelation in the past couple years that the Rolling Stones are, indeed, the best band ever. You should give them a more serious listen, it’s quite a rewarding experience for them to click.
Growing up I was way more into the Beatles and I personally wasn’t raised in an especially musical household. I think that’s why I gravitated so much towards it though, it truly felt like I had found my “thing”. But other than some songs on the radio, I never really knew the Stones or even cared much for them. That changed in a big way about when I turned 23. I chose this one because the groove at the end is outstanding and I wish it went on for 30 minutes. Personally, it’s one of my favorite tracks of theirs. When we did our recent West Coast tour, I snuck into a Melvins show and they covered this. It was especially cool because I think we had listened to Exile on Main Street and Sticky Fingers all the way through on that particularly shitty drive. This and “Dead Flowers” are my favorite tracks on this album.
Blossom Dearie - “Everything I’ve Got”
Zac: My relationship with jazz, and frankly, lots of other types of non rock-n-roll/punk music dates back quite a bit. I was a record store rat as an early teenager and there was a fellow who played a lot of Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, and stuff like that. Classic Blue Note bop. Even though I didn’t necessarily “get” everything that was happening musically immediately, the playing appealed to me in a way that hardcore and punk was. So I started down that track… Blossom Dearie, though, is nothing like the artists I just mentioned. I believe Dante recommended this album to me, he’s certainly more into vocal jazz while I typically gravitate towards the more out there stuff… but the cadence and expression of her voice cut for me in a way that few others do, this album especially. That lyric, “I'm not yours for better, but for worse, and I've learned to give the well-known witch's curse, I've a terrible tongue and a temper for two, But everything I've got belongs to you” is something I wish I had written. Very spiteful and cutting and her expression just sends it over the top for me. This is honestly one of my favorite songs.
Teenage Fanclub - “I Don’t Want Control Of You”
Zac: This is another band I think we all simultaneously had a huge revelation on in the past year or two. I always liked Bandwagonesque but got into their other material a lot. I think they’re one of the biggest collective influences on this new record. I chose this song because Catholic Education isn’t on Spotify, haha. I actually wrote “Keep My Name” immediately after a drive to the practice space where I listened to that album twice in a row all the way through, in about 30 minutes. I dunno if it sounds like it, because I think their influence is, like you said, a lot more evident in Ezra’s more pop leaning songs, but that record getting that song out of me is just a fact, I guess.
The Weakerthans - “Aside”
Ezra: I honestly think I’m the only one in the band who’s a really big fan of this band. I feel like the other guys like them, but I dived in super hard, especially while writing this new record. John K is another person who just paints super vivid and descriptive pictures with his lyrics. He’s never overly complex with his stuff though. He always feels very relatable. I tried to really step up my lyrics on this record, and this band was a big inspiration for that.
Heavy Pockets - “Sucker”
Ezra: This is actually a band that Zac played in for a long time! We did our first tour with them and are very close friends. We all lived together in New Hampshire. Watching this band grow was really special and inspiring. All of the people who were in it continue to inspire me creatively. I think Shayla is a master at addressing mental health in songwriting. She pairs really meaningful lyrics with great pop hooks. Another band that is hugely under-appreciated. Shayla and Nate have two new bands, Captain Scrunchie and Yeehaw Junction, that folks need to check out if they haven’t!
Future Virgins - “Piss Ant Saga”
Zac: Another song I chose because the actual more influential, but similar, record wasn’t on Spotify, haha. Go listen to “New Hope For The Dead” by River’s Edge on Bandcamp or cassette if you can find it, that was a big influence of mine for the songs on this record. Ash Krey is just one of the most brilliant punk songwriters and extremely underrated. Sexy, Future Virgins, Basement Benders, all very influential to me. It’s pop punk with a huge chunk of soulfulness, something that the genre often lacks. The whole “Region rock” sound in general is a big influence on me and when my old band ended, [was] what I wanted to try my own whack at in my next project. We’ve obviously strayed from that a LOT but the influence, for me, remains. I like this band a lot more than Toys That Kill, I’ll just say that much. No knock to them, Future Virgins are just timeless.
The Figgs - “Gimmie Some Neck”
Zac: I think anyone who talks to me about music for more than 30 minutes will be punished about how the Figgs are one of the great unsung rock bands of all time. I could choose any of 100 songs of theirs, I just happened to be listening to my copy of Badger when you asked us to choose songs. Also, what the fuck, this song was recorded in 2001 but wasn’t released until 2014? No fair. They’re just effortlessly cool and put on one of the best live shows you could hope to see. Pete Donnelly is one of the most talented rock bassists you could ever hope to see. They’re another band I plucked out during my teenage record store rat days, I took home a promo copy of “Lo-fi At Society High” simply because the stereo had the Black Flag logo on the speaker… what I heard when I got home was pretty different than what I had expected but they slowly but surely became one of my favorite bands. The lyrics to this one are very simple and direct, pretty miserable as well. Gotta love that.
Nada Surf - “Clear Eye Clouded Mind”
Ezra: This is one of my favorite bands, for sure! I was always a casual fan, until two years ago when I saw them at a venue near us. This band’s records could probably be classified as “soft indie rock” or something like that, but when they play live they’re a real deal rock band. Tempos are kicked up and the guitars are loud. Seeing them live totally changed my perception on what this band is all about. Again, killer melodies and really meaningful lyrics. I picked this song of theirs because it shows off the bands more rockin’ side. This was the first record that Doug Gillard from Guided By Voices played on with them, as well. I’m a huge fan of his guitar playing.
Rick Springfield - “Love Is Alright Tonite”
Ezra: I actually found this song via a Fountains Of Wayne interview! Haha. It directly inspired me to write the song “New Kinda Love.” I love just a straight up pop jam. I try to hold back my cheesy pop tendencies, but sometimes you just gotta let them shine. This song definitely hit me at a time when I was searching for great pop. Love Rick!
The Muffs - “I’m Confused”
Zac: 90’s pop punk is one of my biggest musical influences and something I still hold very near and dear to my heart, though I have to say a lot of those bands have not aged well at all, for any number of reasons. The Muffs luckily have avoided that. I chose this version because, while the LP version is fantastic, I love how you can hear the joy and confidence Kim has demo’ing this version. It totally sounds like something that she probably banged out in an hour and just KNOWS is the shit. One of the best rock voices around and just timeless bad ass songwriting. I spent a lot of time driving around listening to Hamburger in my car on repeat this past year, reacquainting myself with them and falling in love all over again. RIP Kim.
Superchunk - “Rosemarie”
Ezra: This band is clearly an influence for us. I think if you listen to our music for even a minute, that’s pretty easy to figure out haha. I think this record is really special because of the time the band took off before writing it. They came back after years apart and wrote, what I believe is their best record. They’ve never been the biggest or coolest band in the world, but they clearly love playing together and making records. I’ve always loved that about them. Goes without saying, but they’re a very special band. Love the chunk!