NEWS: Punk scene vets Pezz release first proper full length album since 2001
Pezz, Memphis’ longest-running socially conscious punk band, released their fifth proper full length album “More Than You Can Give Us” with an all-ages record release show 30 June 2018 at Growlers. The album will be available on all digital platforms on 25th August.
Five years in the making, More Than You Can Give Us not only addresses a mix of personal topics, but also has an overarching focus on many of the social-justice issues that the band has become known for championing over the years.
Stockwell, who wrote the album’s title track and related album statement, said the band always aims to make a larger point, collectively. More Than You Can Give Us album statement:
There is more to this life than what we see. We catch glimpses of it, and it beckons us, but for the most part, it remains just out of our reach. There is more than the world can give us, even if it wanted to. And there are things the world could give us, but rarely distributes fairly without a fight. Honour, dignity, justice, fair pay, equal treatment, the benefit of the doubt, a leg up.
If you are poor, a woman, homeless, mentally ill; if you are a member of a marginalized race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity; or simply young and vulnerable, you are often brutalized, killed, raped, cheated, conscripted, blamed, undervalued, objectified and treated as a means to an end. But every day, people are standing up and risking their lives and livelihood to demand what is due them and their brothers and sisters… their birthright as members of the human family. More and more, we are rising up, together. We are recognizing the oppressor, calling him out, and letting him know that his days are numbered, and that we have come for what is ours.
“More Than You Can Give Us” is an ambitious three-guitar record that features founding members Marvin Stockwell (guitar, vocals) and Ceylon Mooney (guitar, vocals) as well as Shawn Apple (guitar), Christian Walker (bass, vocals) and Graham Burks (drums). Walker and Burks have since left Pezz to pursue other projects, and longtime bandmate Anthony Siracusa, who left in 2009 to pursue a Watson Fellowship and Ph.D in Civil Rights History at Vanderbilt, has rejoined on bass. Mooney has returned to playing drums. The album was recorded by the band in January 2012 at its Crosstown practice space and later mixed by engineer Alan Burcham.
The record was mastered by sought-after loud rock mastering engineer Brad Boatright at Audioseige in Portland, OR, the lacquer was cut at Ardent, and the record was pressed at Memphis Record Pressing. Once the touring juggernaut, Pezz stays close to home these days and works to apply the ideals and concepts it sings about to work to improve its community. Mooney remains active in social justice causes, and Stockwell has focused his civic efforts on finding an equitable way to reimagine the Fairgrounds.
Stockwell said, “As a band, we’ve always tried not only to speak from the heart, but also to take action. Whether it’s Ceylon traveling to Afghanistan, Iraq or Palestine as a peace activist, Anthony making the case for biking and walking statewide, or me advocating for a transformative and equitable Fairgrounds redevelopment, we try to use our voices and work for change in our city and our world.”
Discography
Kite-Eating Tree demo (1991)
Jalopy 7″ EP (Truant, 1992)
Free Ride 7″ EP (Truant, 1993)
Livin’ the Life of Riley CD (Truant, 1995)
The Bittersweet Series, Vol. 3 split with 2-Line Filler LP/CD (Bittersweet, 1996)
One Last Look LP/CD (BYO, 1997)
Warmth and Sincerity LP/CD (BYO, 1999)
Split 7″ EP with Remus and the Romulus Nation (Soul Is Cheap, 1999)
And So It Stands 7″ EP (Soul Is Cheap, 2001)
With Everything We’ve Got LP/CD (Soul Is Cheap, 2001)
When Giants Walked the Earth split LP with While I Breathe I Hope (Makeshift Music, 2008)
The Wicked Leading the Blind 7” EP (Fat Sandwich, 2010)
Split 7” EP with Set Aside (7AM Vinyl, 2013)
More Than You Can Give Us LP (Truant, 2017)
PEZZ
Pezz was formed in 1989 by Marvin Stockwell (guitar, vocals), Ceylon Mooney (guitar, vocals), Nic Cupples (drums) and Scott Bomar (bass). The band cut its teeth as part of the all-ages hardcore/punk scene based at the legendary Antenna Club. The band recorded a demo in 1991 and two 7” eps in 1992 and 1993 before Bomar left to pursue other projects.
Former Sobering Consequences front man Roy Isaksen joined on bass after that, and in 1995, the band released its debut album, “Livin’ the Life of Riley,” on Isaksen’s Memphis-based Truant Records label and went on its first U.S. tour. Isaksen left the band in early 1996 and was replaced by Joey Mullinix. That year, the band released a split LP with Toronto’s 2 Line Filler, after which Cupples left the band to start a business.
After a brief stint as a trio (Mooney switching to drums), Chris Coble joined on drums in the summer of 1996. In the summer of 1997, Pezz signed to seminal LA-based punk label BYO Records and recorded its second full-length album, “One Last Look,” at Westbeach Recorders in LA with noted producer Steve Kravac.
Signing to BYO elevated Pezz’s profile nationally and the band began what would be a four-year stint of almost non-stop touring, first in the U.S. and Canada, but later in the UK and Europe.
Mullinix left the band after the recording of “One Last Look,” but Ben Nichols joined on bass for the tour and played with the band into early 1998 before leaving to form Lucero. After a brief stint with Brad Jackson on bass, Christian Walker joined on bass for the band’s summer 1998 tour but returned to other creative projects after that.
J.D. Reager joined on bass in late 1998, and after a winter tour in early 1999, the band went into Chicago’s Electrical Audio in the spring to record its third full-length album, “Warmth and Sincerity,” with noted engineer Steve Albini.
The band toured extensively in the U.S. and Canada throughout the summer and fall of 1999, but the touring took its toll. Reager left during a three-month summer tour, and weeks later Stockwell suffered a severe hand injury. Mooney had moved to bass so the band could continue on as a trio, but Stockwell’s injury forced the band to cancel the last few weeks of the tour. Coble left soon thereafter. For the band’s fall tour, Walker rejoined on bass, the band recruited Chad Martin to play drums and Stockwell went as singer only while he rehabbed his hand.
In the spring of 2000, Stockwell returned to playing guitar, and Pezz toured the U.S. with Wesley Willis, again with Martin playing drums. In the fall, Mooney moved to drums and the band recruited Grant Miller to play second guitar for a U.S. tour with BYO labelmates Leatherface
In the summer of 2001, Stockwell, Mooney and Walker went into Easley Studios in Memphis to record the band’s fourth full-length album, “With Everything We Got,” with engineer Stuart Sikes. Mooney pulled double duty playing drums and tracking the second guitar as well. In the fall, the band once again recruited Miller to play second guitar on what would be Pezz’s final tour, first in the U.S. and then in the UK and Europe.
After that, Pezz went on hiatus to start families, be peace activists, go to school and travel the world. The band kept in touch and played every once in a while, but became a truly active band again in the fall of 2006. That lineup included Stockwell (guitar, vocals), Mooney (drums, vocals), Walker (bass) and Anthony Siracusa (guitar).
In 2008, Pezz released a split LP with friends While I Breathe I Hope, and also released a video for the song “I Liked Your Rough Draft Better,” from the band’s fourth album. In June of 2010, Pezz released a 7” EP called “The Wicked Leading the Blind,” to mark the 20th anniversary of the band’s first show. The record features two originals and a cover of “Watching You Sleep” by former BYO label mates Leatherface. The band also produced a video for the EP’s title track.
After years of nonstop touring with the likes of Hot Water Music, At the Drive-In, Leatherface, 7 Seconds, Samiam, the Bouncing Souls and the late Wesley Willis, Pezz now stays close to its hometown of Memphis for the most part.
Pezz became a three-guitar band in 2010 with Stockwell and Mooney both on guitar and vocals, Walker on bass and vocals, Shawn Apple on guitar and Graham Burks on drums. In 2012, the band recorded its fifth full-length album, “More Than You Can Give Us” at its Crosstown studio. Engineer Alan Burcham was then brought in to mix the album.
Walker and Burks left the band in 2013 to pursue other projects, Mooney returned to drums and Siracusa rejoined to play bass. The band recorded seven songs in December of 2014 and have four additional unreleased songs from a summer 2009 session. In the fall of 2017, Siracusa completed his doctorate, got married and moved to take a job in Colorado. Walker rejoined on bass.
