Exploring the artful and frenetic sound of Pardoner.

In this Q&A we speak with San Francisco-based rock band Pardoner. Formed in 2015 by Max Freeland, Trey Flanigan, and River Van Den Berghe during their time at San Francisco State University, the band quickly gained a reputation by playing punk shows in the Bay Area alongside esteemed acts like Meat Market, The Umbrellas, and Smirk, among others. Pardoner's music blends ripping guitars, pummeling drums, and catchy, lyrically thoughtful hits that defy easy categorisation.

Congratulations on the upcoming release of your new album, "Peace Loving People." Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind the album and the overarching theme or message you wanted to convey? 

I think the overarching themes of the album are basically…. Being pitted against your peers, artist type people competing with one another over weird, meaningless stuff, and trying to make sense of this crazy, messed up life.

The lead single, "Are You Free Tonight?" showcases a blend of nostalgic alt-rock and frantic punk. Can you discuss the creative process behind this song and how it represents the sound and direction of the album? 

That song is a pretty good example for the record as a whole. I wrote both of the two parts separately and recorded them on my tape and they just kinda played one after another like that, and it seemed like it would be cool to do that in a more intentional way in the studio. We’ve been messing with that sort of song structure for probably the whole time we’ve been a band though, where there’s a nice part and then an evil part, or vis versa. This time I think we just wanted to go more extreme with each, like make the nice parts nicer and the evil parts…. Eviler.

Pardoner has been praised for its unique sound and ability to mix disparate genres together. How did you approach juxtaposing different styles on this album, and what impact do you think it has on the overall listening experience? 

Basically just that we like both kinds of music and it’d be frustrating to be limited to only doing one of them in a 2 minute song. I hope other people feel the same way. 

The press release mentions that the album's lyrics focus on observations about young alternative society, trend-hoppers, and the art world. Can you expand on these themes and why they resonated with you?  

Just playing music for a long time, these are the kinds of people I’ve been encountering mostly in my life, and they are deeply strange, disturbed people. It’s easy to write about them because I’m also one of those losers. Most of the critique is meant to be a bit self-reflexive as well.

As a band, you've undergone lineup changes, but with the addition of Colin Burris on bass, you've become an unstoppable force. How has this affected your creative process and the dynamic within the band?

Colin’s the goat. He’s in a good mood most of the time and he’s really good at playing bass.

The album was written and recorded with band members living in different locations. How did you manage the distance and collaborate effectively during the writing and recording process?

It was written mostly separate, but we convened to record it together in April 2022. It’s kinda weird but it’s cool to rendezvous after a while and we have a bunch of songs to show each other.

The upcoming tour in support of the album sounds exciting. What can fans expect from your live performances, and how do you translate the energy of your music into a captivating live show? 

We are going to be doing KISS style theatrics. Pyrotechnics, wirework, rotating drum riser, all of that. Lots of glitter being shot into the crowd. If you go see Pardoner on tour this year, you WILL leave the show a different person from when you entered.

Pardoner's music has been described as having elements of 90s hooks, Devo-tinged riffs, and off-the-rails US hardcore. How do you balance these influences while maintaining a cohesive sound that is uniquely yours? 

I think it’s because no matter how hard we try to sound like other stuff, it kind of always comes out just like a Pardoner thing. We can’t sing terribly well. We have to do weird stuff vocally to compensate for that. Maybe we play guitar in a particular way? I don’t see the Devo thing though, I gotta say.

The press release mentions that the album showcases higher production value without losing grit. How did you approach the production process and what were your goals in terms of the sonic quality of the album?

We recorded all the live tracks on a more simple, primitive 12-track tape machine and then did some overdubs on a reel-to-reel. We generally wanted it to be just sorta different sounding than the record before, just for fun.

Can you discuss the significance of the album title, "Peace Loving People," and how it reflects the overall tone and themes explored in the music?

It’s lowkey ironic vibes. It’s kind of, again, a critique of hipster type people in my age bracket and how they love talking about being peaceful but are also kind of bizarrely vicious with each other.

With this album being your best work to date, how do you feel the band has evolved since your previous release, and what new elements or growth can listeners expect to hear?

Next time around, we’re gonna start DJing. 

As a band from San Francisco, how has the city's music scene influenced your sound and overall artistic vision?

Living in SF has poisoned my mind and made me wish I became an electrician but I wouldn’t trade my time here for the world. Lots of good bands. Listen to Cage World, The Circulators, Spiral Dub, Urban Sprawl, Repo Man, Discovery, The Umbrellas, Tony Molina, April Magazine, Marbled Eye, Blue Zero, Nothing Natural, World Smasher, Mop, Toner, Hellish Inferno, and all of that crap.