Pittsburgh punk rockers The Gotobeds are back after a six-year absence, with a new lineup and a sharp new LP called Masterclass. After releasing a trio of formidable albums for labels like Sub Pop and Comedy Minus One — 2016’s Blood // Sugar // Secs // Traffic, 2017’s Fucking in the Future, and 2019’s Debt Begins at 30 — the Beds have returned to 12XU, which released the group’s 2014 debut full-length Poor People Are Revolting.
Masterclass is an album teeming with the natural growth that comes with over 15 years on the scene and the fresh enthusiasm of this updated version of the band, which includes founding member Eli Kasan on lead vocals and guitars, drummer Cary Belback, and new guys Zach Bronder on lead guitar and bassist Dane Adelman (who joined the group after the new album was recorded).
Songs like blistering opening cut “Starz,” album single “Goes Away,” and the brutal “Non-Fucking Fiction” are downright torrential in their sonic assault, while the likes of “Face Down” and “Second Sight” showcase the evolution in the band’s distinctive style, in a manner not unlike such Gotobeds heroes as The Birthday Party and Sonic Youth exhibited back in their day. (The LP was recorded by “My War” Matt Schor at the War Room, in Pittsburgh, and mixed by Matt Barnhart at Chicago’s Electrical Audio, with the gruff ghost of Steve Albini keeping a watchful eye for good measure.)
“We love anything shitty sounding.”
The Gotobeds will celebrate the release of Masterclass with a trio of East Coast dates, starting in Brooklyn, at Union Pool on May 29, before heading to Baltimore’s Metro Baltimore on May 30 and Comet Ping Pong in Washington, D.C., on May 31. Joining the band for all three shows are Brooklyn indie rock chameleons SAVAK and NYC skronk punkers Skull Practitioners.
The Voice had the pleasure of chatting on Messenger with Eli in the days before Masterclass hit your favorite indie record shop, on May 16, speaking with him about art, literature, and the state of punk rock in Pittsburgh — and America.
VV: What is the story behind calling this album Masterclass?
EK: Usually titles are something funny someone said at band practice or at the bar, so in this case, Cary gave it its title and we thought, “Yea, that’s what this LP is,” so it stuck. We had some lineup changes post-Europe tour and immediately into the pandemic, and the new lineup, uh, rocked. So the LP title had to reflect it. We love anything shitty sounding.
You released your first album with Gerard Cosloy and 12XU. What inspired the return to the label?
We were out of contract with Sub Pop, and 12XU was our fave label to both a.) deal with and b.) we buy most of their releases, so we were psyched to return. Don’t get me wrong, Sub Pop was great to us, and it was real fun, but we were a little out of our depth — we never intended the band to be anything more than a vehicle to play what we want, meet like-minded bands, have a drink somewhere else, etc.
How does Masterclass differ from your previous albums?
We went to Europe (our first visit there) for a month in November 2019, and immediately shed a member, gaining Zach on guitar and were planning on recording and touring back on Euro-land asap, then this thing called COVID hit Pittsburgh. Not sure where else it hit, but it fucked all our plans up. We ended up moving our practice space from a paid space in a real fire hazard of a building to the burbs at a coffee roaster [original Gotobeds bassist] Gavin [Jensen] was working at called 19 Coffee. Once things were relatively safe to meet up, we would go constantly and just dick around. A member shift will always alter the sound, and Zach is a shredder, so we leaned into the ugliness of the moment. I wanted the record to be free of nuance and maturity; as if we had learned nothing from being a band this long.
This new album was mixed at Electrical Audio in Chicago by Matt Barnhart. What’s your experience been like working there and did you ever have a moment with the late Steve Albini through the years?
Barnhart is the BEST, I hate mixing, it feels like foreplay after sex, why would you want to do that? We met him forever ago, and recorded with him once (my other band The Sewerheads also recorded our full length with him in 2022). Since I hate mixing and he loves it, we sent it to him to sculpt. Real limited interactions with Albini, whose ethics I admired much, but didn’t think I wanted to have a beer with, you know? A funny story though when we recorded Debt at Electrical with Barny: Shellac was practicing in Studio B and we were in A. First day there the light was off in B so we went in to look at the guitar pedals. And we hear “FUCK OFF I’M WORKING” and sure enough Steve is there mic’ing some drums and being filmed. So we leave. A few days later I’m in the main room in A trying to do “vocals” and Steve comes in the back. I turn and say “HEY, FUCK OFF I’M WORKING” to which he replies, “Doesn’t work on me.” Real funny and he was nice to chat with after that.
“I love NYC as one of the greatest cities on Earth.”
I never got into the writing of John Fante, but after hearing your song “Fante” I’m inspired to seek it out. How did you discover him and where did you start in his work?
Bukowski was a huge fan of Fante, and [through him] I ended up reading Ask The Dust and fell in love. Writing all of those lyrics during the pandemic, the last thing I wanted to do was write the obvious thing about being disconnected and afraid. So writing about other characters was a way to write without having my viewpoint central (though it could be argued I’m somewhere in there).
But for that song I took historical info about [Fante’s] life (some from Wikipedia), lines from his books and thoughts I had on him into one big stew.
The line “robbed of cash from My Struggle” is real — he was an unknown author and the first publishing house that published him very foolishly did a U.S. press of Mein Kampf (My Struggle) and ended up getting sued and lost all the royalties he would have earned.
And lines like “be careful where you tread // you’ll end up like Big Dick Bukowski” were me.
Actually, Bukowski was the one who had Sparrow Press re-publish [Fante’s] work, leading to re-examination.
The video for “Goes Away” is a hoot. Where was it filmed?
So that video was filmed in our space in 19 Coffee Roaster, on the roof, and at various locations around the city of Pittsburgh. Oddly after filming at some of the places (at My War Matt’s house where we’ve recorded the bulk of our shit), and some bars around town did I realize we hit most of the locations that were featured in the “NY’s Alright” video.
Speaking of which, is New York still alright with you?
The critique on NYC being a cultural center where the banal can make a name for themselves (in spite of themselves) stands. I love NYC as one of the greatest cities on Earth.
What’s the Pittsburgh scene like these days?
Some hope/some despair, but always a hotbed of fantastic punk music.
Who are some cool bands to discover in the Steel City?
Some PGH bands I like: Illiterates, Addict Brain, Larval State, Gina Gory, De Rodillas, Peace Talks, Snarling Dogs, Blinder. Oh, add Gaadge and Ex Pilots and Mento Fellini and Speed Plans to that list!
Not sure to be honest, usually people speak platitudes cause they’re worried about stepping on toes in town versus a real, thought out point of view. Like you always hear, “The PGH music scene is so hot right now!” And it ebbs and flows, but the sentiment stays the same. I’m not down on it by any means, just ain’t gonna suck its dick.
What are your thoughts on the punk movement of today? Do you still feel like the youth are still inspired by it?
Punk music changed my life, and it’s extremely heartening to see more diversity of shows. Goes to show the health of it. As far as the youth go — I’m no marketing person so I won’t weigh in on what the youth like or dislike.
How does making music help you during these uncertain times?
I was explaining to my girlfriend the other day that standing in front of an amp that’s cooking and the feedback vibrating the room is the most thrilling thing a person can experience. Akin to driving a car well above the speed limit on the highway. That is to say without it I’d be dead or in jail.
What are your touring plans and your thoughts on traveling to different states under the auspices of this current administration?
Well, if you see that we’re heading back to Europe in the fall for a few weeks vs. using that time to tour the States you can guess how we feel. Fuck this administration, fuck ICE, free Palestine and solidarity with all oppressed peoples. ❖
Ron Hart is the editor-in-chief of Rock and Roll Globe. As a freelancer, he has contributed to numerous publications, including Billboard, Spin, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Vice, and Relix, among others. Find him on X at @mistertribune.
