Ska as pop music in the year 2025 w/ Catbite and Sarah Tudzin
When people say they want ska to come back, what they’re really saying is they want ska music to be pop music once again. If that ever happened again, it wouldn’t sound like 90s ska-pop (ie Reel Big Fish, Save Ferris, Mighty Mighty Bosstones). The reason: Pop music has completely changed. So, would kind of ska would fit into the current stratosphere of pop?
This is the theme of our conversation with Catbite and producer Sarah Tudzin as we discuss their new EP, Doom Garden. The record is incredible, and in my opinion, fits the sound of current moment of pop, while also honoring the traditions of ska. I have no idea if the EP will reach a pop audience, but I do think it warrants a conversation about its pop elements.
The producer, Sarah Tudzin is a former guest of the podcast, plays in the band Illuminati Hotties, and has produced big indie artists like Weyes Blood, Boygenius and Speedy Ortiz. So we get to analyze the EP from all angles.
Plus, we talk about Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump’s feature on “Tired Of Talk,” how they nearly got Tierra Whack on the record, and the influential role that Ashlee Simpson and “Jingle Bell Rock” played.
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If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music.
Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024.
Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023.
The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.
Sign up for the Patreon to support the podcast and get access to our extended conversation with Rob Harvilla.
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