The Tracys Discuss Their New Single, “Bully Bully Blockhead”, And Its New Accompanying Music Video, Inspired By Sci-Fi And Horror Films
Iconic punk band The Tracys have been working tirelessly to release singles in anticipation for their upcoming album, Welcome To The Land Of Nothing. Their first single off the album, “A Soviet Mistake”, showed us jovial satire in the face of what could be otherwise perceived as a very serious story. Their second, “Bully Bully Blockhead”, shines a light on the epidemic of bullying in the United States alongside the repercussions that fostering such toxicity could bring. We got a chance to interview The Tracys and discuss “Bully Bully Blockhead”, the song’s new music video, and some of the inspiration behind both!
What was the inspiration behind “Bully Bully Blockhead”? Was there any specific inciting event behind it?
Band: Basically seems the last few years we have fallen into a bully culture. Anything you say or do that isn’t aligned with the hegemony of a particular group opens you up to ostracism at the least and sometimes public shaming, or worse. People are rewarded for being bullies by siloed social media and self righteousness .
Dave Klym: I was bullied once in elementary school but i retaliated with an encyclopedia over the head not a brick. I wasn’t bullied again! I think it’s important to understand that some bullies carry these tendencies into adulthood and into positions of authority.
How did you feel when filming The Sleep, the footage that went into “Bully Bully Blockhead”? How did your son feel about starring in it back in 2001 (and how does he feel about it now)?
Matt Ernst: It was a very strange time. I lived just a few blocks from Ground Zero with two young kids – my daughter, Odessa, was three and my son, Jonah, was six – and like so many others I was filled with anxiety and fear. We didn’t know what was coming next. There were tanks on the streets, military checkpoints and the air smelled acrid. There were daily threats on tunnels and bridges, rumors about dirty bombs and anthrax, a war was cranking up and through all of this I was just trying to make things as normal and fun for my kids as possible.
I decided to make this little film with my son for an upcoming exhibition as both a distraction for him and as a way to articulate the anxiety we were feeling. We had a ball doing it. The city was basically shut down. It was dead quiet. It felt almost magical.
When I re-discovered this film, it just seemed to make sense for the song. Like everyone, I suffered my share of bullies and I remember the dread I had going to school knowing I was going to have to face the torment. It was not unlike those days, weeks and months after 9/11 waiting for the other shoe to drop.
As far as Jonah’s reaction to the re-emergence of this footage, he seems genuinely pleased. As a side note, he now works in federal law enforcement – no doubt at least in part due experiencing these attacks up close and personally at such a young age.
Is The Sleep publicly available for view anywhere in full? If not, do you have any plans to make it accessible to viewers in the future?
Ernst: The Sleep is not currently available. It was made as a limited edition run of 100 DVDs – sort of like an edition of prints. I have no current plans to make it available but I do have a digital transfer of the film that I may upload to my fine art website at some point. If you’re curious about my work you can go to www.matthewernst.art.
There were a few 1950’s sci-fi and horror B-movies that may have inspired the editing of the video for “Bully Bully Blockhead”. What are your favorite films under that genre umbrella?
Ernst: As a kid, I used to love to watch a local show called The 4 :30 Movie. They had Sci Fi Week and Horror Week, Planet of the Apes Week, Japanese Monster Week, Vincent Price Week and so on. I remember Journey To the Center of The Earth, The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Sinbad the Sailor movies by Harry Harrihausen and a whole slew of Frankenstein classics by James Whale (with Boris Karloff) and others. These had a big influence on me.
What were The Tracys’ favorite parts of getting this song recorded and mixed?
Band: This record came together remotely – Dave was in Allentown PA and Mike [Abiuso] and Matt, Lar [Larry Mancini] and John [Payne] in Brooklyn. Dave sent the original stems for guitars, bass and vocals and Matt and Mike arranged, added drums additional guitars, bass and vocals with the other guys. On past recordings The Tracys typically would record live in the room and then add some overdubs, so this was a new experience. It was really satisfying to be able to pull this together and working with Mike and Behind The Curtains Media is always a blast.
What key messages are The Tracys aiming to convey through “Bully Bully Blockhead”?
Klym: It’s a fun song reminiscing about what happened back in grade school with a bully and being fully aware that it’s possible that that same bully might still use those ways in positions of authority like a certain ex president.
Ernst: Agreed, but I would add that there are bullies [running] amok on both sides of the political aisle these days.
