A Chat with Brandon Kellum of American Standards
American Standards have been a critical and fan-favorite hardcore band ever since they first formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 2011. While keeping true to hardcore’s original punk roots, American Standards have incorporated heavy metal influences backed by a technical skill not usually associated with bands in the genre. With emotional and high-octane level live shows and socially conscious and anti-corporate lyrics, audiences have come to respect American Standards’ raw sound and artistry. The band’s latest release is the LP Dopamine Dealer. Brandon Kellum, founder and vocalist of American Standards shared his thoughts with Death Moth Press on writing the new album, his musical influences, and the state of underground music.
Can you describe the Phoenix music scene for those unfamiliar?
Arizona has no lack of musicians, bands, venues, or shows. It’s been home to emo/indie rock groups such as Jimmy Eat World, The Format, and The Maine to more metal artists like The Bled, Job For A Cowboy, and Gatecreeper. Not to mention personal favorites Life In Pictures, Hour Of The Wolf, and The Stiletto Formal. We’ve even got a pretty solid rap/hip hop scene with Mega Ran, Mouse Powell, Dropout Kings, and The God Samaritan making waves. The list goes on.
As with any major city, saturation makes it easy to start a music project but difficult to build an audience. If you’re doing something niche, you can really tap into specific communities, but I see a lot of artists struggle to grow beyond them. Coming off the pandemic, it almost feels like a reset though. Seeing more cross-genre collaboration and acceptance of the eclectic. American Standards has always been a huge advocate of mixed-genre shows and unexpected features.
American Standards have been active since 2011. What do you credit for staying active and relevant?
American Standards may be active but saying we’re “relevant” is debatable. I think our longevity can be attributed to not knowing when to quit. We’ve had our fair share of peaks and valleys. Through it all, we’ve tried to be upfront with each other on our goals and always set realistic expectations. It never feels forced or disingenuous.
When we first went into it, we were completely content with playing DIY shows with our friends. Everything that came after was neither expected nor have we ever felt like we were owed anything. Over a decade later and we’re still putting on the same show whether there’s 5 or 500 there to see it.
I think it’s wild when bands get caught up in their own hype. Social media makes it really easy to do that. You see a band have a song that gets a little traction, or they get asked to open for a larger band and suddenly they start acting like they’re the next big thing. They basically become the gatekeepers that they once complained about. It’s important to stay humble and realize that there will always be ups and downs. Keep your focus on what matters.
Political lyrics have always been a part of American Standards. It seems though that the trend for many punk bands, especially the emergence of pop punk, is to avoid the political. Why do you think it's important to stick to the political protest history of punk and how do you maintain that stance without succumbing to softening for mass audiences?
That’s an interesting question. I never really thought of American Standards as purely a political band. We’re just a band that’s true to itself. To say we aren’t all affected by what’s going on in the world today would be a lie. Our first album ‘Still Life’ was written in 2012 and ‘Anti Melody’ in 2016. Both being election years, there was a lot of political strife and tension that fueled the lyrics. I think some bands tread lightly on the subject for fear of alienating any potential listeners. No hate on making music as an escape but I’ve always personally looked at it as more of an emotional outlet.
American Standards have been known to add a noticeable metallic influence on the music. What attracts you to metal and what metal bands do you think punks should listen to?
We grew up during a weird time. Elements of 80s rock and 90s grunge were still in the mainstream but the first music I think we really called our own was pop-punk and nü metal. That was what was on the radio at the time and was slightly less polished than the Top 40s pop. As we got into stuff like System Of A Down, Rage Against The Machine, and Deftones, they really became the gateway into more underground stuff. Being the early 2000s though, you’d basically find new music through your cooler friends, the “thank yous” in the album liner notes, or those little “for fans of” stickers on the CDs. Investing $20 into new music as a broke teenager meant you would really get your spins in on everything you bought. That said the most formative early influences were probably Poison The Well - The Opposite Of December, Zao - Zao, mewithoutYou - A to B Life, Every Time I Die - Hot Damn, and Alexisonfire - Alexisonfire.
What are your thoughts on the current underground music scene in America?
Not dissimilar from the over-saturation that major music hubs experience, having every piece of media at your fingertips through streaming subscriptions has really changed all forms of art. It feels like you could hear the right album at the right time and it would stick with you. Now we’re all listening to our own self-curated catalogs and through that, the more global conversation and community built through it gets lost. It’s like we’re chasing oblivion with the very niche things we like and that hyper-concentration sometimes breeds art that feels insincere.
Your latest LP is Dopamine Dealer. Can you explain what the title is referring to and is there a theme uniting the tracks together?
Dopamine Dealer is about the things we do to chase happiness and the distractions along the way. We’re often pursuing the carrot in front of us, not realizing that happiness is a state of mind.
It only seemed appropriate that we release the ep as a slow drip of stand-alone singles to drive home the concept.
Your first single off the LP is the track "The Dealer." Any thoughts you want to share about the writing and recording of the song?
I’ve always wanted to do a spin on Doris Day’s 1950s song, ‘Que Sera’. I love how simple but introspective the lyrics are. Although I agree with the message of not worrying over things you can’t change, I wanted to challenge the idea of leaving it up to “fate.”
What are the future touring plans for American Standards?
We’d love to get a least one good tour for the West, Midwest, and East Coast by end of the year. We’ve pretty consistently played 40-60 shows a year for the last decade with the first few years being a little more. Naturally, that’s scaled back a bit with the pandemic and getting caught up with life but we really want to make each show count.
What are American Standards most looking forward to in the new year?
Dopamine Dealer came out on February 2nd, 2023, and we’re already writing for the next full length. I think we’ve found a good fit for how we record, and I’m excited about getting a little more experimental on the next record.
Any last thoughts you want to share with your fans?
If you’ve read this far, you’re the real MVP.
