Do you have a story behind your artist name?
There is an old rock compilation from the Netherlands called Dutch Nuggets. I have absolutely no idea how we came across it, but the name unconsciously stuck in the back of my head. For some reason, to me, it sounded like a silly ’90s punk band name, plus it had the same number of syllables as some of our favourite bands – Belvedere, Good Riddance, Lagwagon, Craig’s Brother, etc. Since we didn’t have any better ideas, we just decided to keep it.
Tells us a bit about your music journey. How has it shaped you?
We’ve all played in different bands that weren’t that serious when we were in high school. As far as Frank and I are concerned, we didn’t play real shows or have any real contact with the scene with our respective bands. When he and I first got together and started jamming with the idea of forming a band around 2007, the kind of punk rock that we loved seemed dead, at least from our outside perspective. It seemed like every band was either playing emocore, indie, or other sub-genres we weren’t super fans of. I think we just leaned 200% into the skate punk, Fat Wreck Chords sound because that’s what we listened to, but also as a reaction to what was going on in the scene at that time.
How would you describe your sound to someone unfamiliar with it?
If we could try to describe our sound, imagine the bands Cigar, Belvedere, and the Beach Boys all taking a freezing cold shower together while listening to some RKL in the background. I think what we play is mostly considered skate punk, but we try to have fun with it and not follow any particular set of rules.
What drew you to the genre /instruments you’re playing right now?
Gab: It is super cliché, but for me, discovering punk music in high school is what drew me to play the guitar in the first place. The game Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 surely must have also played a big part in it. I remember buying my first guitar at 12 years old, a cheap black Stratocaster knockoff, and spending hours on the internet looking at badly written guitar tabs, trying to play Lagwagon and Millencolin songs, even though my fingers were bleeding all over the strings.
Frank: I got into music at a young age, my mother having an old classical six-string guitar at home. The instrument, the mechanics, the shape, and the overall aesthetics always fascinated me. I loved to hold it and toy around with the tuning keys, which irritated my mom because she then had a hard time putting it back in tune. Holding that instrument instantly made me feel like I wanted to learn how to play and create music of my own. So I joined a music program throughout high school, where I learned to play the tuba and classical guitar. I even taught tuba for a short period during that time.
My best friends then were all into punk rock because they had older brothers who were also into the genre and lifestyle (mainly the skateboarding part and the cool-looking hoodies and jackets). I immediately loved the energy flowing through the songs we listened to and the fact that most of them were questioning our own existence, which I was doing by myself a lot back then (and still do almost every day). That gave me something to identify with. Among all kinds of music I listen to today, punk rock remains at the top. I fell in love with the scene and the community, and it just fits with my general mood.
What inspires you to write music?
A bit of everything, but mostly negative feelings that need some kind of outlet. I guess that’s why most of our songs aren’t so festive. Again, pretty cliché, but music really is therapeutic, at least for me, and being able to express emotions through chords and sounds is a way of dealing with those emotions, even if no one else but me or the band can relate to it that way. I find some kind of peace or closure in being able to externalize those feelings in that art form. Also, on a lighter note, just listening to bands that we love will inevitably inspire us to create something as cool and meaningful as they do, but in our own way.
Would you tell us about your current project, album/EP, or song you’re promoting?
Here’s the long version. We had been working on a bunch of ideas that would later develop into a couple of songs, not too long after the release of our first album, Nervous Wreck, several years ago. Initially, we considered making an EP, but the prospect of writing a full album soon made more sense to us artistically, even though we knew it would require more effort. Oh boy, didn’t we know what we were getting ourselves into, haha… Caught in the whirlwind of daily obligations, raising young children, recording ourselves at home, changing drummers, anxiety, perfectionism, self-doubt, and navigating a global pandemic, weeks quickly turned into months, and months into years. But hey, we pushed through, and we finally did it! It just took a bit more time than anticipated.
The result is a twelve-track record titled “Fishbowl’d!”, and we’re super stoked on it! As I said, it was recorded by us, and mixed/mastered at Black In Bluhm by the great Christopher Fogal, who’s previously worked with Pears, Cigar, and Bombpops, just to name a few.
Dead-Tired is the first single we chose off the album. It may seem an odd choice as it doesn’t fit your typical “single” structure – it’s quite short and doesn’t really have a repeating verse-chorus-verse-chorus, but that’s what we kinda liked about it. We wanted people to hear something a little bit different from what we did with Nervous Wreck, which had that more classic skate punk sound. This one leans a bit more on the hardcore side of the band, with more dissonance and a weird funky NoMeansNo inspired instrumental bridge. The reaction has been super positive so far, so we’re pumped and looking forward to releasing more singles.
What do you want listeners to take away from listening to your music?
For me personally, I’m always trying to write a melody or an arrangement that makes me feel something. Whether it’s a feeling of melancholy provoked by a lyric or a vocal harmony, or pure excitement induced by a fast riff or an insane drum fill, the main goal is always to stoke ourselves first. If the listener can identify with the songs or feel something similar to what we felt when we were writing the song, then I’d say that we succeeded.
Who are your favourite artists right now? If that’s not a fair question, what’s your favorite song right now?
I think I speak for all four of us when I say that one of our favourite bands is definitely Brutal Youth! In addition to playing kickass music and being the nicest guys, they put on the best live shows. Backflips, blood, short shorts, and Weird Al – what’s not to love!
Also check out our buddies Hate It Too from Québec City. They’ve just released a new single in French, and it slays!
What’s the easiest way for fans to connect with you?
Come say hi at a show, or follow us here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dutchnuggets/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dutch_nuggets/
Stream or new single on your favourite platform: https://bfan.link/deadtired?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR30FVanMzBN58tTJv3FfRalp5l2FmvQFAis0GQMuPKMYUNFdBnRPgVitIQ_aem_bxjJuvhHrMBQOq3rRYGUJw
Other links:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dutchnuggets
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5hj0PZQUuPLATf9xkHm1iF
What’s next for you?
We plan to drop a couple more singles/videos leading up to the album release, and keep playing shows as much as possible!
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
We’re super proud of our new album and we can’t wait for people to finally hear it! Thanks to everyone who’s stuck with us after all this time, you are the best! Follow us and Thousand Islands Records on socials for news and shit! Cheers!
Bio: Dutch Nuggets is a four-piece punk band from Montreal, Canada, that’s been around since 2008. Their first album, Nervous Wreck, quickly caught the attention of the punk scene upon its release in 2013 and was soon reissued by Japanese label Bells On Records and Bird Attack Records in the US. Known for their fast songs, energetic live performances, and signature epic three-part vocal harmonies, Dutch Nuggets quickly established themselves as a staple of Quebec’s local skate punk scene. Since their beginnings, they’ve had the opportunity to share the stage with heroes like Good Riddance, Belvedere, Brutal Youth, Pulley, Bigwig, and 88 Fingers Louie, among others. In recent years, the band has dedicated all their efforts to crafting their next opus. With the support of Thousand Islands Records, they are now ready to unveil the result of their hard work—a collection of 12 new ripping punk/hardcore hits in the form of a concept album titled Fishbowl’d!.
Dutch Nuggets is:
Francis Desaulniers – Guitar / Vocals
François Lelièvre – Drums
Gabriel Malette – Vocals / Guitar
Pierre-Luc Wagner – Bass / Vocals
