Let’s Talk About It: American Television

Today I talk with DC-based punk band American Television about their new album “You Are Not Alone” (out NOW!), mental health on and off the road, and a FEST that has me considering going to Florida…on purpose.

Q: How has your proximity to Fedgov and DC  shaped your sensibilities and your music?

Steve: I grew up in NY, so musically, DC shaped me from afar - I read about Dischord a lot, and Minor Threat and Dag Nasty were in regular rotation on my CD changer.

Today, I appreciate that all ages shows can still happen here - NY doesn’t really have that. It keeps the barrier to entry pretty low. It’s great when you see young folks at shows. I take my son to a bunch because of that.

As far as my sensibilities go – I walk around DC and I see these monuments and buildings where they decide to spend billions on war and weapon production, then I see homeless folks living alongside of them. 

If they can pay for war, they can pay for health care and the safety of our citizens - they just choose not to … So, I say, you have to maintain a healthy distrust in all these politicians. Hold them to the fire. They shouldn’t expect your vote, they should be working to earn it every 2-4 years.

Chris:  I grew up on the edges of DC and Quantico, plus as an adult have worked on Capitol Hill and on a military base, so the government and military have always been right in front of me.  I have seen with my own eyes and unfortunately been a part of the out-of-whack priority lists and the wasteful spending from our government.  I never could understand why there is so much violence in the world, always some sort of hunger crisis, human rights violations etc… always seemed so easy to solve in my mind.  Just don’t hurt people, take care of them and lift them up instead.  Those simple thoughts were echoed in many of the songs I was listening to, and punk rock just helped me understand who I wanted to be. And, more importantly, who I didn’t want to be.

Q: How did you all find each other? What’s the origin story of American Television? 

Steve: Early members, including Bryan and Edwin, came through a Craigslist posting.

In 2012, I had written some songs about leaving NY and about my early experiences here in Virginia. I wanted to see what they’d feel like with a full band, so I was going to shows in the DC area to get into the scene and meet people, but most of the people I was meeting were already in bands. So, I turned to Craigslist.

I met Chris long before he joined in 2023 - he was running sound for a work conference I was at, and started playing Bouncing Souls between speakers. So I tracked him down and we became fast friends and eventual bandmates!

Q: “You Are Not Alone” really describes my own experience and relationship with music and the punk scene. Can you tell me about the process of writing that song? What are some experiences that led you there? 

Chris: Music has always been a constant in my life through all the ups and downs.  After taking some time off from playing and then joining American Television, I experienced a sort of new spark and reminder that this is an amazing community and that as long as I have the right song to get me through just about anything life can throw at me. I really wanted to share that reminder with everyone that may be feeling some kind of way about what's going on in their own lives, the state of our country or the world.

Steve: When Chris said, “we should write a song with the chorus ‘You Are Not Alone’,” I got excited. I immediately knew what it meant to me. Be it a lyric or a moment I associate with a song, music makes me feel whole and helps me process things.

Truthfully, music is how I met nearly every person I’ve been friends with in my life. It is the reason I’m not alone.

The writing process for this song was collaborative. Chris had many song parts and this lyric idea, and I worked around that. We passed a few ideas back and forth and refined it over a month or two. The end of the track where it fades to an acoustic guitar and a group of us singing includes our friends from 40 Reps and The Iron Roses. It felt cool to conclude on a group of friends having a sing-along.

In the studio, Pedro, our friend/engineer, pointed out that the guitar stabs in the pre-chorus were very Gorilla Biscuits-like. I like that he said that, because GB was one of the first punk/hardcore bands my friend introduced me to in 7th grade. It felt very apropos.

Q: You are currently on tour! How is that going? How do you look after your mental health when you’re traveling and performing? 

Steve: Tour has been great. We got to see a few new cities as a band and played with awesome bands each night. We saw a couple folks singing new songs already. That was fulfilling.

On this run, for mental health, we took advantage of being in Cleveland and spent some time on the shore of Lake Erie before the show. I always feel like watching the water brings some calm. We also all opted for salads that night, albeit at midnight. You need to eat healthy when you can, and you can feel the difference when you do.

Chris:  I always have a blast on the road, and this run is no different.  Seeing old friends, making some new ones, and a few sing-alongs on the new tunes have me super stoked.  Mental health-wise … ImmaMess! Trying to always be on and show up in every direction of life takes its toll. Breaks are necessary.  These runs, having fun with my dudes, and mentally checking out from work is therapeutic for me to say the least.  

Q: Tell me about FEST! What is it, what should I know? 

FEST is a multi-day punk rock festival in Gainesville, FL. The event is in its 23rd year, and this is our 4th time playing. It was started by Tony Weinbender of No Idea Records and the band Swank.

It has become a high point for American Television over the years. For one, it brings some of our old friends out of the woodwork for some hangs around the bands that brought us together - like, this year, we get The Get Up Kids, Dillinger Four, and Tim Barry (of AVAIL).

It also means the bands and people we meet from all around are there to see bands they love. This simple fact has given us some of our largest and most engaged shows.

Q: You are musicians but you are also parents and partners. How do you find balance in those two parts of life? 

Chris: Being the partner that my wife deserves and being a good dad are always my top priority.  We spend as much time on family adventures as we can.  We’re always out on the lake, taking weekend trips and most Sundays are spent cooking as a family (mostly me though, haha). We make bread and pasta sauce from scratch and then try to have a long dinner – taking our time talking at the table. Beyond that, I find balance between family, music and work at my own expense, constantly burning at both ends – but hey, it's a privilege to have all these people and experiences in my life, so trading a little health and sanity is a price I'll happily pay while it all lasts.

Steve: It’s important to fuel both.

I try to get outdoors with the family on weekends. We cook together, watch movies, and travel when we can. I try to keep that life as adventurous as my band life, but I couldn’t do that without my partner. She has planned so many incredible trips that have given us a lifetime of memories.

Writing music and all the tasks that come along with being in a self-managed band are projects that keep me busy. It helps my brain to have a project to focus on.

Sometimes one gets more attention than the other, and when I start to feel the imbalance, I have to be mindful about recalibrating. That could mean turning down a show or not finishing the song I’m working on in one session.

My son is 11, so there’s only so many summers left for family hangs - I want to make the most of those.

Q: It’s not a surprise that I find “Stronger” extremely powerful. Can you tell me how that song got written? 

Steve: Stronger is an ode to the often uphill battle of being a woman. I don’t know that battle first-hand, but I grew up in a house with my mom and sister after my parents divorced. I watched my mom punch her way through the glass ceiling and my sister start her own businesses, all while raising kids. Meanwhile, lots of men around them got the opportunities just by being a bro.

That, combined with the daily brushes with sexism, mansplaining, catcalling, threats to reproductive rights, and so on … it’s a fight.

Women deal with a massive amount of shit, and this is really just a song to say, “You’re strong and I see your power.”

Q: As a follow-up, the punk scene has not always been great at including women, people of color, queer people, or other minorities. Do you think it’s getting better? What has been your experience? 

Steve: I am seeing more diversity in the punk scene than ever before. I’m still a straight white guy, I can’t change that - but I have always taken the message of no sexism, no racism, no homophobia to heart - and I will not tolerate any discrimination. Never have. Never will.

A community is what you make it. I incorporate diversity into the shows I book, and I want people to feel safe and welcome when they’re there. 

If I hear or see some bullshit - I speak up. That’s what you need to do to push hate out.

Chris:  I agree with what Steve said.  I think the scene overall is smaller than it used to be, but very diverse and healthy.  Lots of great bands and messages from all kinds of people, and it tends to weed out the assholes pretty quickly, which speaks to how healthy it is. 

Q: Considering the state of the world and the country right now, do you feel a responsibility to speak up and be loud through your music? Do you think your upcoming album would be different if we were living in less chaotic times? 

Steve: I’ve always been socially conscious and concerned for human rights, so I’m sure I’d be shouting about some injustice. Freedom of speech means we have the right to speak up - and I’m a big fan of the First Amendment.

Would it be different … I don’t think it would. While the US has made slow progressive movement toward more equality through the majority of my life, there’s always more to be done. I know one thing - if you start moving in the other direction, as we are now, that is not the world I want. So I think I’d be singing similar songs.

Q: We found each other through PRSL. Obviously, mental health is a pillar of our mission.  I came up in the late 90s when the attitude was “shut up and have another beer”. Now that I’m a middle-aged sober mom, I can see that that was maybe not a GREAT way to handle hard things. How do you think the punk community is doing in supporting our own and each other’s mental health these days? What can we do better?

Steve: I’m 43, so I don’t know if it’s just my age, but one thing I like is that when someone says they don’t want a drink or doesn’t drink - you don’t see their peers pressuring them or poking fun at them. Sobriety has become much more normalized with the people in my orbit.

In general, mental health is being talked about more. I think it’s good that non-profits like PRSL and Feed The Scene table with literature about it. Bands are singing about it. Zines/Blogs are talking about it. This keeps the conversation at the surface and makes it easier to spot when someone needs help.

If there’s something we can do better, it’s just checking in on folks. Sometimes I say things like “How are you?”, “How is life?” , “Are things ok in your world?” … If someone shares tough stuff, be empathetic, actively listen, and let them know when their feelings or experiences should probably get some more specialized attention. It could be uncomfortable, but it could save them.

Chris:  I am 44, so old enough to know better, but maybe too old to change in some ways.  I feel like I’m set in my ways and still live by the shut up and keep going principle, at least internally.  Externally, I am much more aware and openly explaining to friends that it’s not just ok but necessary to set limits and focus on yourself.  It’s ok to be sober, it’s ok to be tired, it’s ok to need a change in your life. I think people, myself included, need to hear things and have the support of their friends, families, and even coworkers.  Hopefully, over time, we are collectively making an impact and changing the social norms and expectations for the better.

Q: This is the part where you tell us what you are up to! What’s next? What do you have that we should all look out for? How do we find and follow you?

Our record release show is October 18th at Jammin’ Java with Huntingtons and Celebration Summer! We’re happy to have Punk Rock Saves Lives tabling at the event. Tickets are here!

Then it’s off to FEST in Gainesville, FL

Friday - 10/24 - 4:30 @ Heartwood Indoor (American Television Set)

Saturday - 10/25 - 1:40 @ University Club (Green Day Cover Set)

Friday, December 12th @ The Vault in Tysons, VA 

w/ Kill Lincoln and Thirteen Towers

Find us on the internet:

Follow American Television on Instagram @amtvband 

Our new EP, You Are Not Alone, and merch are OUT NOW on Smartpunk Records: https://smartpunkshop.com/collections/american-television

Stream it Everywhere: https://ffm.to/yana-ep

American Television is a melodic punk rock band hailing from the Washington D.C. area. They merge a classic skate-punk sound with infectious melody to deliver anthems of resistance and resilience.

The band follows up their previous Smartpunk Records release SCARS with a high-powered, six-song EP featuring songs written to create a sense of community in these dark times, to empower those who feel unseen, and to serve as a reminder for us to work to live, not live to work.

With their new release, American Television wants you to know, You Are Not Alone.

FFO: Off With Their Heads, The Copyrights, Banner Pilot, Green Day