Image: Mabel SuenTrauma Harness’ first show was in the basement of an all ages DIY venue that vocalist Josh Jenkins helped book in Belleville, Illinois, a town that is best know in current punk circles as being home to Lumpy and the Dumpers. The basement was called Tarpland on account of the amount of tarps set up. You can imagine that things got messy.Since that initial show, the three piece have played many more basement gigs and released a number of tapes on labels including Jenkins’ Dingle records, but the band are moving on and are set to release their first LP Tried My Hardest. Said to capture the gloom and doom encompassing our inevitable dystopian future, the album tweaks out with lo-fi fits of energy and synth lines reminiscent of Joy Division and 80s television.We premiere a track from the album and catch up with Josh.Noisey: The song we are premiering is called "Accounting'. Is a career as an accountant the most symbolic of the conservative, boring and stale world of the 'system'?
Josh Jenkins: Not at all. The power of the accountant is something of technological respect, utilising the computer and technology to send and receive. As seen in our band favorite video "S.O.S" by Family International, only the purest of corporate are allowed to bow to the machine. It's something to be envious of.You get described as 'gloom punk'. Would you rather not get described as 'gloom punk'?
Gloom punk is pretty cool. I suppose you could look at it as either being a mindset or a misty Borders parking lot at 2 am (RIP).Did you catch up with Austmutants when they passed through St Louis?
They were very cool and we talked about The Gordons for a couple seconds. I broke a string during our set and they let me bum their guitar. Very nice folks and fantastic music.Are Lumpy and the Dumpers bigger than the Cardinals in St Louis nowadays?
Yes the Dumpers are much bigger than the Cardinals. Hopefully a Lumpy Blvd. will be made downtown.
April 14 - Atlanta at 529
April 15 - Hazard KY at Cuddle House
April 16 – Richmond at VSC
April 17 - Washington DC at TBA
April18 - Baltimore at Barclay House
April 19 – Philadelphia at Wolf Cycles
April 20 - Columbus at The Summit
April 21 - NW Indiana the Rail Yard
April 22 - Chicago at Club Rectum
April 23 - Bloomington at Madison Square Garden
April 24 - Louisville at New Vintage W/ Black God
April 25 - Saint Louis MO at Melt'Tried My Hardest' is available April 25 from Rat King Records and Lumpy Records.
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Josh Jenkins: Not at all. The power of the accountant is something of technological respect, utilising the computer and technology to send and receive. As seen in our band favorite video "S.O.S" by Family International, only the purest of corporate are allowed to bow to the machine. It's something to be envious of.You get described as 'gloom punk'. Would you rather not get described as 'gloom punk'?
Gloom punk is pretty cool. I suppose you could look at it as either being a mindset or a misty Borders parking lot at 2 am (RIP).Did you catch up with Austmutants when they passed through St Louis?
They were very cool and we talked about The Gordons for a couple seconds. I broke a string during our set and they let me bum their guitar. Very nice folks and fantastic music.Are Lumpy and the Dumpers bigger than the Cardinals in St Louis nowadays?
Yes the Dumpers are much bigger than the Cardinals. Hopefully a Lumpy Blvd. will be made downtown.
Catch Trauma Harness playing with Shaved Women in April:April 13- Nashville at Primitive Prison
April 14 - Atlanta at 529
April 15 - Hazard KY at Cuddle House
April 16 – Richmond at VSC
April 17 - Washington DC at TBA
April18 - Baltimore at Barclay House
April 19 – Philadelphia at Wolf Cycles
April 20 - Columbus at The Summit
April 21 - NW Indiana the Rail Yard
April 22 - Chicago at Club Rectum
April 23 - Bloomington at Madison Square Garden
April 24 - Louisville at New Vintage W/ Black God
April 25 - Saint Louis MO at Melt'Tried My Hardest' is available April 25 from Rat King Records and Lumpy Records.