Who are you?
Ozone: Hi, I’m Ozone and I currently play drums in TeethOut.
Ira: I play guitar. Well, I attempt to. I am better at air drumming.
Do you have a story behind your artist name?
Ozone: Coming up with a band name is always a nightmare. When Ira suggested TeethOut, it just felt right. We later found out there’s a German hardcore band with the same name, but instead of fighting to the death, we became Instagram friends. We also dropped the space between “Teeth” and “Out,” so maybe that makes it different enough.
Ira: Yeah. I can’t remember if it was in a Conservative Military Image song or an interview I watched with them on a podcast but, I heard those words from that band and was like, “shit, that’s a cool band name, TEETHOUT”. I find it even better that it’s more for a hardcore or metal band and yet we are using it for pop punk/skatepunk.
Tell us a bit about your music journey. How has it shaped you?
Ozone: I spent the last half-decade playing with Trashed Ambulance and Loser Points, which gave me the chance to tour places I never thought I’d see. It was a wild ride and it connected me with so many incredible people in the punk scene all over the world. Last year, I moved across Canada to Prince Edward Island, and that’s when Josh, Ira, and I decided to start TeethOut. I also am a half owner of High End Denim Records, so the connections I had from that helped get us going pretty quickly. At the end of the day, we’re just a bunch of guys writing songs we like and trying to make the most of it. At this stage in life, there’s no pressure to do anything. We just want to play, write, and have as much fun as possible.
Ira: It all started when me and my cousin would stay up until midnight to watch LOUD on MuchMusic when they actually played music videos. Something I miss actually. One night Gob, Pennywise, and Nofx were all featured on the same show. I was hooked. Then I found out there was a punk scene here in PEI around 97/98 and took my first stage dive during a Bad Luck 13 show at the Arts Guild, next Bad Luck show I had my bottom row of teeth arranged.
How has it shaped me? Well, I guess I am an asshole from it all. That cranky “get off my lawn” guy, or that “you damn kids and your rap music, turn it down” guy. Really what the hell do people see in Kendric Lamar and Drake? They are the Beyonce of rap. They write 1 line, sing it over and over and make a couple million of people who think it’s art. Put your headphones in and listen to Nas, Mobb Deep, 2Pac, Warren G. LOL. Now I have the next generation in my one of my kids who is 10 wanting to go to all the punk shows and concerts he can now. Actually, he is in drum lessons now too, so pretty pumped to see what he and his friends will come up with for the next new wave of punk.
How would you describe your sound to someone unfamiliar with it?
Ozone: Fast, melodic, and packed with hooks. Think 90s skate-punk with some 2020s pop-punk sensibilities. If you’re into bands like No Use for a Name, No Trigger, or No Pressure, you’ll probably dig it. (I’ve used this joke like 100 times and I’m not stopping)
Ira: Annoying to those who don’t get it. Like eating a stack of fresh pancakes with butter and syrup to those that do.
What drew you to the genre /instruments you’re playing right now?
Ozone: I’ve loved the speed of skatepunk since I was a little kid and heard my first compilation CD. There was just something about the energy, the double time drums, and the catchy melodies that grabbed me right away. I’ve tried to write other songs, but they always end up coming back to skatepunk.
Ira: Just the raw aggressiveness of all punk in general. It’s a ”you mess up but it sounded cool so you keep it” type of deal.
What inspires you to write music?
Ozone: A mix of nostalgia and life frustration. Usually my songwriting comes in spurts. I’ll go months with no ideas, and then bang out 4 demos out of nowhere randomly on a Tuesday night.
Ira: 100% nostalgia. Punk is just something that I found a home in mentally. My Discover Weekly and release radar playlists on Spotify, and my wife. I know if it pisses her off, she rolls her eyes, or tells me to put the guitar away and that I am annoying her, it’s good. Oh and when I take a number 2. I will 75% of the time bring a guitar in with me because I know if I get a rumbling in the belly it’s at least 30 minutes. I would rather write music than be on my phone.
Would you tell us about your current project, album/EP, or song you’re promoting?
Ozone: Our new EP, Brittle But Elite, drops in April. We are excited for this one as it follows our debut EP, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, which came out in January. Brittle But Elite feels like a step forward for us as we solidified our lineup after the first EP, and that helped shape writing this new one.
What do you want listeners to take away from listening to your music?
Ozone: I guess we want people to enjoy it. Whether it’s getting hyped up, feeling nostalgic, or just having a good time. Quite often I’ll hear someone say “This reminds me of Tony Hawk” and that’s pretty much the best compliment I could get.
Ira: That life isn’t as hard as it has to be or what you make it out to be. Just have fun, get in the pit, punch someone in the face, lose a tooth, and encourage the next generation to do the same. The world without any form of punk will be a sad fucking place.
Who are your top three artists right now? If that’s not a fair question, what’s your favorite song right now?
Ozone: Tough question. I just switched from Spotify to Apple Music, so I’m rebuilding my algorithm and discovering a lot of new bands because of it. Bridge The Gap’s new EP is deadly. Tate McRae’s new album is pretty great too when I don’t feel like skatepunk. I definitely listened to way too much Youth Fountain in the last few years and don’t intend on stopping that.
Ira: Right now, If it’s the harder side of music, top 3 in no order would be, Desolated from England. They just released a new single called Bite Down and it makes the commute to and from work a little more interesting. The Follow ups, with whom we are playing 2 shows here in April with. I suggest that band to everyone I talk to. The third would be SLEEP TOKEN. Everyone should be listening to SLEEP TOKEN.
If it’s an easy listening side of things, Vance Joy, Morgan Wallen or Taylor Swift. Don’t care. I am a Swiftie thanks to my wife’s determination and playing her music 60% of the time.
What’s the easiest way for fans to connect with you?
Instagram: www.instagram.com/teethout902
Facebook: www.facebook.com/teethout902
Everything else: https://linktr.ee/teethout
What’s next for you?
Ozone: After Brittle But Elite is released we’ve got a handful of shows lined up. A festival or two this summer as well. Basically, more shows, more music, and probably more questionable life decisions. Probably a music video or two as well.
Ira: Get the new EP out, play some shows, buy more guitars I don’t need. Enjoy the summer drinking Truly’s, Whiteclaws, and Whiskey.
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
Ozone: Shoutout to Shawn at Hog Audio for making sure our songs actually sound good. If you need mixing done, he’s your guy.
Ira: 100% go check out HOG Audio and Shawn. Couldn’t talk to a nicer guy. Go check out Town City here from Charlottetown. Couldn’t have better people running that store. Parents. Take those damn scooters away from your kids, they are for snobby little shitheads, and get them onto a skateboard. Oh and go listen to Horror Section.
Bio:
TeethOut is a fast and melodic skatepunk band from Charlottetown, PEI, formed in 2024. Featuring Josh Lavigne (vocals), Ira Banks (guitar), Brandon Doyle (guitar), Pete MacDonald (bass), and Ozone (drums), the band blends 90s punk energy with catchy hooks and relentless speed. Their debut EP, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, dropped in January 2025, and their follow-up, Brittle But Elite, is set for release in April 2025 via High End Denim Records.
