By: Tricia Callahan

If you ask Bournemouth, UK punk rockers The Crash Landings about the state of punk you get a range of answers but drummer Neil spoke to my feelings exactly, saying “We are bringing it back!”

The Crash Landings have something a lot of music lacks these days: fast-paced gritty musicality to a full throttle lyrical pulse. This balls-to-the-wall approach is strongly supported by the band name itself. “We tend to charge headlong into everything,” said lead vocalist, Si. But they are anything but a disaster.

The journey to The Crash Landings as we know them was almost as organic as starting in their high school days. Si filled us in, explaining, “I wrote a song called ‘And Finally’ and a friend released the demo via his digital label. It got a lot of plays and attention, which led to an offer to play a show. There was no band at this stage so I got Ant and Neil involved (I already knew them, and I’d just met Seb at a Rancid gig) and managed to string a 22 minute set together.”

All of their tracks command attention, but “Sweatshop Stich Up” strikes a real nerve. “It highlights the shocking, sometimes fatal conditions, poverty stricken workers from second-world countries work under, all so you can get cheap goods on the high street,” explained lead guitarist, Ant. The lyrics lay out the compassion and anger for change with chants like “All I see is misery.”

From a serious track to a song about just getting out of jail, “Just Got Out” is soaked with SKA and pulsing drums that makes it easy to get burrowed in your ear drum and straight to your cranium.

“Billy’s Got Tourettes” has to be my favorite track though with a blazing entry (“Oui, Oui, Oui!”), a slamming guitar solo and lyrics that are repetitive but in the best way possible. Let’s just say it’s one of those tracks you’ll be playing air guitar to in the near future.

The Crash Landings have combined the perfect mix of recorded and live palpability. When asked about rehearsals it became clear that the band has a lot of fun together. “Neil bashes away while we try and tune up. Ant’s usually eating, and Seb rearranges all the songs every week. So not much different to most band’s I’d imagine. The banter is always good though, everything is a target: we’ve had some great laughs when we should have been practicing,” said Si.

“Cider, sweat, and jumping around” chimed in Neil.

They record where they rehearse at Blueline Studios. “It’s an old church, so it has a lot of character and is run by two great guys, Dan and Nick,” mentioned Si.

“We like to keep it pretty DIY, so we do everything ourselves,” added Ant.

What do they want you as the listener to walk away with after jamming to their tunes?

“That sometimes life is as tongue-in-cheek as it is serious,” commented Ant.

“I’d like to think some of our lyrics strike a chord and the melodies are catchy without being annoying. I hope our energy and attitude come across,” concludes Si.

The Crash Landings are four authentic dudes who are the next big thing in the DIY scene. Si tips in his final thoughts, “Don’t be an asshole; respect people, question everything. Reject capitalist ideals because they will enslave you. If you’re into music support your local scene; go to shows, buy merch from the bands, just be a part of it. Have a voice.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Check them out:

www.reverbnation.com/thecrashlandings
www.soundcloud.com/thecrashlandings