Five Questions for Strung Out (USA) - 'Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues' NZ Tour

Exploding out of Simi Valley, California in the early '90s, Strung Out are the rare veteran punk act who can keep fans amped with brand new material as well as time-honoured classics. Since they last visited our shores, the Fat Wreck Chords mainstays released their 10th studio long player Dead Rebellion, and they'll soon be down under toasting the 30th anniversary of their landmark 1996 sophomore album Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues.

Dasha Koryagina volleyed a snappy selection of pertinent questions in the direction of guitarist / bassist Chris Aiken, who graciously shared his answers below. Don't miss Strung Out playing Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues in full alongside selections from their mighty songbook nationwide this September, joined for nearly all dates by The Vile Maxim — brought to you by Sticky Fingaz Tour Management...

Strung Out (USA)

Friday 11th September - Last Place, Hamilton w/ The Vile Maxim, Drop Off Point, Two Skinner
Saturday 12th September - Whammy Bar, Auckland w/ The Vile Maxim, Tooms
Sunday 13th September - Valhalla, Wellington w/ The Vile Maxim, Ricky Bobby, No Sector
Monday 14th September - Loons, Lyttelton w/ Fastplant, Crisis

Tickets on sale HERE via UTR

Dasha Koryagina: Do you remember making Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues? Where were you at in life as a band / individuals, and are there any stand-out memories from that time?

Chris Aiken: I didn’t play on that record, but I remember hearing it before it was even released. Tyler from Pulley and I weren’t in our respective bands yet. Jim Cherry had let Tyler borrow his copy of Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues, and Tyler burned it onto a cassette and played it for me in his car one day.

The first song I heard was 'Rotten Apple', and I remember asking, “Who is this?” Tyler told me it was the new Strung Out record, and I couldn’t believe how different it sounded from their previous material. To me, it felt like a completely new band. It instantly became my favourite band.

It’s crazy to think that just three years later, I would end up joining that band. At the time, I never could have imagined that the record I was hearing for the first time in Tyler’s car would eventually lead me to becoming a member of Strung Out.

Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues went on to become a punk classic. What do you think it is about that record that still resonates with listeners 30 years on?

For many of our fans, that record was their introduction to our band and to the broader punk scene. It was an exciting time, with the scene really taking off and bands from labels like Fat Wreck Chords, Epitaph, and Nitro Records gaining attention. Looking back, it’s amazing how a record can transport people back to a simpler, special time in their lives — and that’s something really beautiful.

You’ve played New Zealand a few times — you must like it here! What have your previous tours been like, and how excited are you to finally bring Strung Out to the South Island?

We've been coming to New Zealand for more than 25 years, and it's always been one of our favourite places to tour. The music scene here is fantastic, and the audiences have consistently been incredibly supportive. This is our third time performing on the South Island — we've previously played in Dunedin, Queenstown, and Christchurch, and it's always great to be back.

What's your telltale sign that the crowd is really enjoying the show? Is it the singalongs, the circle pit, the stage divers, or something else entirely?

You can really tell how a show is going by the energy of the crowd. If they’re going off, we’re going off too. And sometimes you have to win a crowd over, which can be just as exciting. There’s something really rewarding about building that connection and feeling the energy change throughout the show.

If someone coming to these NZ shows has somehow never heard Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues, what's the first track you'd tell them to listen to and why?

'Firecracker', it’s the first song and it’s the doorway to the journey Suburban takes you on.