Photo by Andrew CarverEver since meeting the East Coast hardcore punk band Pregnancy Scares, I get the riff to their song “Rattus Rattus” stuck in my head whenever I have to take a pregnancy test. That’s what they deserve for naming their band after one of the most annoying moments in a woman’s reproductive cycle. Every time I pee on a plastic stick, I picture Craig (vocals), Dave (drums), Davey (guitar), and Emmanuel (bass) smiling at me. Sorry, guys. Now you know.Pregnancy Scares just released a seven-inch on Deranged Records. Seeing as three-quarters of the band spend 80 percent of their lives touring with their other projects, Steve Adamyk Band and Crusades, releasing a seven-inch is equivalent of a double-disc full-length. To celebrate Pregnancy Scares' first official release, I interviewed them all separately about some logistical stuff, like who made up the band name, who they have impregnated in the past, and who they would like to impregnate in the future, (because talking about musical influences and drum fills is boring, especially when Davey’s impregnation fantasy features Sandra Berhardt, Mariah Carey, and myself.)NOISEY: Why did you name the band Pregnancy Scares? It's kind of a perfect name for a hardcore band of boys. I was surprised no one has used it before.
Craig: Emmanuel came up with the name before our first jam and it kind of stuck. We liked it better than "Free Cigarettes" or "Bad Babysitter" or whatever else had come up before then. For the record, I'd like to state that our girlfriends hate it.
Davey: I think the name has something to do with Craig and I's old band, Fucked Corpse. I also believe I came up with it, although Craig or Dave will take credit.
Dave: I don't know if everyone is like this, but if the four of us are together VERY often, in whatever context, Davey or Emmanuel will say, "That would be a great band name." It was one of those times and it just stuck.
Emmanuel: I came up with the name because I thought it fit the music well. We were wanted to write loud, nasty music that makes you just wish it was over. It’s a name that immediately bums you out, but I see a glimmer of hope at the end. A pregnancy scare implies that it was just that. A scare. It was a momentary fear, a sense of panic, but in the end everything is fine.Have you boys had any serious pregnancy scares of your own?
Davey: I have not, because I practice abstinence or jerk off and cry.
Dave: As far as I know, I have not, which is great. At the same time, it has kind of got me thinking that I might be sterile, which is worrisome. I guess it's something that just comes with the territory of wearing briefs for, like, a decade.
Emmanuel: What makes a pregnancy scare "serious" or not? You roll the dice, you pay the price. Protect your neck.You guys always produce very entertaining live shows. What's your secret?
Craig: Alcohol and ignorance. I completely tune out everything that isn't the rest of the band. Even then, I've unplugged Emmanuel's pedals more than a few times from getting a little "in the zone." He's pretty good about giving me a sweet kick to the chest or ass if I don't realize I'm messing with his shit. The vibe can be a little intense, so a sense of humor goes a long way. Most sets degenerate into a four-way spit-swapping pretty quickly.
Emmanuel: Playing live is the best part about being in a band. If you're only going to play 10-15 minutes after countless hours and hours of bullshit, you better give it your all and have fun while you're doing it. If anyone gets in the way, like Craig mentioned, that's their problem.
Tell me about the new music video. Who filmed it? When was it made?
Craig: We shot the video about a month ago on Dave's 28th birthday. There's a crew of party animal dudes that come out to shows and are always the first people to start stirring up shit, shot-gunning beers, and tackling each other. We'd been bouncing ideas around and agreed to make the whole process as cheap and painless as possible, and figured these goons were the perfect hosts. Their “Fun Boy Clubhouse” is something out of a movie—half pipe in the backyard, a bar on each floor, beer cans everywhere, dudes shaving their pubes in the bathroom…you get the picture. Anyway, we threw Dave a birthday party, got our crew and theirs together, and had a blast. Our friend Travis shot and edited the whole thing, and did a great job. It was his first music video.You guys have all toured a lot as individuals with your other bands, what's the plan for PS?
Craig: Crazy month-long tours have never appealed to me, personally, but a smattering of shows in the Eastern US and Western Canada are in the cards for the New Year. I really just want an excuse to catch up with our friends' bands and hang out.
Dave: This comes up a lot and as much as us piling into a shitty van and touring for a month is sometimes tempting, I don't think it really makes sense for us, considering how much other shit we all have on the go.
Davey: I don't have time for this band. I don't care about it. It's my burden. Next.
Emmanuel: To quote Brutal Knights: "If tour, you dumb." Definitely not interested in doing big tours. Weekends here and there are fun. The only place I would tour would be in Europe, because they treat bands very well over there.If you could hit any woman in the world with a pregnancy scare, who would it be and why?
Craig: Urgh….
Dave: ELIZABETH JANE ZOE BITZE
Davey: Sandra Bernhardt, Mariah Carey, or Mish Way. It’s all the same to me. It’s a real mish-mash up there. I had a dream about it.
Emmanuel: I wouldn't hit any woman with anything including a pregnancy scare. Also, pregnancy scares are a two-way street, not just something you hit-and-run someone with. You asked about the name earlier and I'm bummed if our name gives off a dumb douche bag DUDE vibe. You mentioned it being a perfect name for a "band full of boys." That's definitely not our deal.Okay, "hit" was definitely the wrong word to use.Pick up Pregnancy Scare's self-titled seven-inch, out now on Deranged Records and feast your eyes on their video for "Cross Eyed Man" below:@myszkaway
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Craig: Emmanuel came up with the name before our first jam and it kind of stuck. We liked it better than "Free Cigarettes" or "Bad Babysitter" or whatever else had come up before then. For the record, I'd like to state that our girlfriends hate it.
Davey: I think the name has something to do with Craig and I's old band, Fucked Corpse. I also believe I came up with it, although Craig or Dave will take credit.
Dave: I don't know if everyone is like this, but if the four of us are together VERY often, in whatever context, Davey or Emmanuel will say, "That would be a great band name." It was one of those times and it just stuck.
Emmanuel: I came up with the name because I thought it fit the music well. We were wanted to write loud, nasty music that makes you just wish it was over. It’s a name that immediately bums you out, but I see a glimmer of hope at the end. A pregnancy scare implies that it was just that. A scare. It was a momentary fear, a sense of panic, but in the end everything is fine.
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Davey: I have not, because I practice abstinence or jerk off and cry.
Dave: As far as I know, I have not, which is great. At the same time, it has kind of got me thinking that I might be sterile, which is worrisome. I guess it's something that just comes with the territory of wearing briefs for, like, a decade.
Emmanuel: What makes a pregnancy scare "serious" or not? You roll the dice, you pay the price. Protect your neck.You guys always produce very entertaining live shows. What's your secret?
Craig: Alcohol and ignorance. I completely tune out everything that isn't the rest of the band. Even then, I've unplugged Emmanuel's pedals more than a few times from getting a little "in the zone." He's pretty good about giving me a sweet kick to the chest or ass if I don't realize I'm messing with his shit. The vibe can be a little intense, so a sense of humor goes a long way. Most sets degenerate into a four-way spit-swapping pretty quickly.
Emmanuel: Playing live is the best part about being in a band. If you're only going to play 10-15 minutes after countless hours and hours of bullshit, you better give it your all and have fun while you're doing it. If anyone gets in the way, like Craig mentioned, that's their problem.
Craig: We shot the video about a month ago on Dave's 28th birthday. There's a crew of party animal dudes that come out to shows and are always the first people to start stirring up shit, shot-gunning beers, and tackling each other. We'd been bouncing ideas around and agreed to make the whole process as cheap and painless as possible, and figured these goons were the perfect hosts. Their “Fun Boy Clubhouse” is something out of a movie—half pipe in the backyard, a bar on each floor, beer cans everywhere, dudes shaving their pubes in the bathroom…you get the picture. Anyway, we threw Dave a birthday party, got our crew and theirs together, and had a blast. Our friend Travis shot and edited the whole thing, and did a great job. It was his first music video.
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Craig: Crazy month-long tours have never appealed to me, personally, but a smattering of shows in the Eastern US and Western Canada are in the cards for the New Year. I really just want an excuse to catch up with our friends' bands and hang out.
Dave: This comes up a lot and as much as us piling into a shitty van and touring for a month is sometimes tempting, I don't think it really makes sense for us, considering how much other shit we all have on the go.
Davey: I don't have time for this band. I don't care about it. It's my burden. Next.
Emmanuel: To quote Brutal Knights: "If tour, you dumb." Definitely not interested in doing big tours. Weekends here and there are fun. The only place I would tour would be in Europe, because they treat bands very well over there.If you could hit any woman in the world with a pregnancy scare, who would it be and why?
Craig: Urgh….
Dave: ELIZABETH JANE ZOE BITZE
Davey: Sandra Bernhardt, Mariah Carey, or Mish Way. It’s all the same to me. It’s a real mish-mash up there. I had a dream about it.
Emmanuel: I wouldn't hit any woman with anything including a pregnancy scare. Also, pregnancy scares are a two-way street, not just something you hit-and-run someone with. You asked about the name earlier and I'm bummed if our name gives off a dumb douche bag DUDE vibe. You mentioned it being a perfect name for a "band full of boys." That's definitely not our deal.Okay, "hit" was definitely the wrong word to use.Pick up Pregnancy Scare's self-titled seven-inch, out now on Deranged Records and feast your eyes on their video for "Cross Eyed Man" below:@myszkaway