Second Listen: It Hurts To Be Dead "Dystopian Graffiti"
Second Listen: It Hurts To Be Dead "Dystopian Graffiti"
Wichita Falls Punk Revisited
TheFUSE attended It Hurts To Be Dead’s “Dystopian Graffiti” EP-release party in the summer of 2023, and it remains to this day one of the most impressive and inspiring gigs we’ve seen. Sean Snyder, Kevin Gilmore, Polly Pocket, and Brandon Mallonee comprise a punk band that is respected and admired in Wichita Falls and beyond, and it showed in the attendance and attitude of the crowd that night.
However, because streaming platforms work at their own pace, Dystopian Graffiti was not quite ready to stream when I last gave it a listen, on something called a “compact disc,” and as a result, it didn’t get shared as widely as it deserved.
Now, Dystopian Graffiti is available everywhere, and fans will delight, right from the first track, Roaring 20’s. It’s a straight-up banger sure to satisfy even the most ardent punk fan, loaded with raw punk attitude and ideology that starts with the EP’s title.
“‘Dystopian Graffiti’ is a play on American Graffiti, set in modern times, as a means of commenting on the political division, spurned by corruption, conspiracy theory, and disillusion,” Snyder told me. “It's searching for a path back to unity and redemption and being unable to find it.”
Track two, Snake Oil, the Vodka, and the Silence, takes listeners on a journey that’s hard to quantify in words. There’s a sense of unknown adventure inherent in the track, right from Gilmore’s opening rapid-fire drums fills. Imagine undertaking a long journey through the desert, under a sky of unnatural color, not knowing your destination, and you might begin to understand the visual imagery that accompanies Snake Oil. Polly Pocket’s synth lines add an element that lends the feel of a science fiction soundtrack, and Mallonee’s propulsive bass and Snyder’s catchy melody make it a standout cut from Dystopian Graffiti.
Snyder says Snake Oil is a commentary meant to accentuate his punk play on American Graffiti
“[It’s] based upon friendships torn apart by the descent into cult mentality, unfounded hatred, hopelessness, and inevitably drinking oneself to the point of escaping all of these modern issues. This is a song condemning such ideas and behavior. This is a song which I intended to condemn hopelessness,” he said.
“Musically, I had some chords, but it began to really take shape when Kevin began the drum intro. Nicole's synth lead into the 1st verse really speaks to the mood of the song.”
Dystopian Graffiti’s third track, Phantom Pain, is a primer on Snyder’s tight songwriting. I asked Snyder if the lyrics were literal, metaphorical, or both. He said “Phantom Pain is metaphorical. It is based in past experiences that I have had but also experiences that loved ones have had. This is a comparison of the loss of a lover to that of a limb.”
Track four, a straightforward rock song entitled, “This Writer Will Self-Destruct,” reminded me of something you’d hear from Social Distortion — punk attitude wrapped in a modern rock song. Snyder said “This song was intended to be very simple, as all of my songs are. I was shooting for a straight ahead feel where there is room for the message in the lyrics to be delivered.”
Regarding the subject matter, Sean told me “It's about the frustration felt when someone is in trouble in life, but they aren't in a position to take advice. Hindsight has really shown me so much with this one. I can see as much of myself in it as the person I was writing about. It's about feigned confidence and stubbornness. Its about the fact that in these completely confusing and often dark times, we are all just doing our best, but even our best sometimes, isn't all that great. Sometimes we get lost. Sometimes we lose each other. Sometimes we lose ourselves.”
Dystopian Graffiti, skillfully produced by Wichita Falls producer and musician Cody Tucker, also includes “If It Weren’t for Bad Luck” and the excellent, anthemic “Molly Marie,” and is the kind of EP that stokes theater-of-the-mind. When a work of art can conjure images in the mind of the person consuming it, the artist has done their job. It Hurts To Be Dead has certainly done that with Dystopian Graffiti.
I asked Snyder if he “sees” his songs, visually.
“I do,” he said. “But only afterward. Once they are whole, they become that to me. Prior to the band adding what they add to it all, my songs are just some jangly chords and a lot of scribbled ranting.”
Punk music is defined by its raw sound, rebellious attitude, and commitment to independence and self-expression, and Dystopian Graffiti boasts all that in abundance, with a sound that transcends its punk roots.
Listen to Dystopian Graffiti on Spotify or Apple Music
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