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We are psyched to premiere ‘Taste The Pain,’ the debut single from Assemble’s upcoming album, ‘Play For Keeps’. Formed in Philly back in 2011, Assemble has been pumping out catchy, melodic skatepunk ever since. Think of your favorite 90’s Fat Wreck band and then add some early 80’s metal and hardcore for good measure. Punk rock veterans Matt Charles (guitar) and Tim Fairchild (drums) have been ripping out tunes since the band’s inception, and after some lineup changes they tagged in Colin Lubinski on bass who has solidified the rhythm section.
“Taste The Pain” is a blistering head on collision with depression, fears and anxiety,” says the band about the song. “The song sets the tone for the album, encouraging you to face your inhibitions head on with honesty. Frustrated is a classic pop punk banger, citing the simple feeling that all of us have when it feels like the world is collapsing around us and there is nothing that we can do about it. New Reality stands alone on the new album as an epic ska punk track, making you feel nostalgic for ska bands of old while sending out a warning of the new reality that is to come.”
“Play For Keeps” is Assemble’s second LP in the last five years, their follow up to their 2017 release “Hold Your Ground”. Assemble has solidified their sound and expanded their playbook with “Play For Keeps”. From punk, to ska, to thrash, Assemble brings the assault on all fronts, all the while being brutally honest and uplifting at the same time.
PRT: You’ve been a band for ten years now. What keeps you all interested in punk music?
It's crazy to think that we've been a band for ten years now! We've gone through some different variations, as far as members and overall style. I've always been drawn to punk music for the speed, the energy, but also for the brutally honest lyrics. There is no cutting corners or subtle innuendo. That being said, we are influenced by lots of different styles of music. I feel it's easy to sprinkle in little bits of other genres into our punk rock formula, it helps keep things fresh without the music losing its edge.
PRT: Play for Keeps sounds like it tackles a wide variety of topics, from personal mental health struggles to the chaos encircling us these days. What was the writing process like for these songs?
Well, you can't live in today's world without it provoking some intense emotions inside you. If it doesn't, I assume that you must live in a hole, and I wouldn't blame you if you did. Either way there is endless songwriting material produced by the encircling chaos. Because of our living situations and covid, we weren't able to get together in person as much this past year. We did a lot of the writing over emails, where I would record a track at my house and send it to Tim and Colin so they could learn it and figure out their parts. When we were able to get together and rehearse, we would finish constructing the songs.
PRT: What is Philly’s punk scene like? How do y’all fit in?
Philly's punk scene is amazing! It is a big city and there are a lot of bands, but everybody pretty much knows each other and are generally supportive. We tend to get thrown on a lot of pop punk bills, but I feel that we have a unique sound that helps us stand out. I feel that's the case for a lot of Philly punk bands that we have the pleasure to play with. There is a punk rock familiarity, but everybody brings their own style.
PRT: What’s next for you? Where can listeners find you in the next few months?
We haven't played a lot of shows recently because we've been working hard on putting together the new album! We have a couple record release shows in the works for the end of October in the Philly area and in NEPA. As of right now I'm not sure when our next tour will be, but we are excited to start playing live again and should have some more shows popping up in Philly and other parts of the northeast. In the meantime everyone can find our music on most streaming platforms and bandcamp.
