SoCal punk band Mad Tab doesn't stay in one lane. Hardcore, ska, rocksteady, dub, four-part harmonies and a full keyboard rig all live on alas... the bomb voyage!, the band's 17-song album and the first full-length release on Fishbone co-founder Norwood Fisher's label, InnaNuttshell Reekordingz. Temple of Sound host Rich Temple sat down with founders Dave Tab and Graham "Gram Tab" Kirlin, along with Norwood, to talk about how it all came together.
Twenty Years in the Making
Mad Tab formed in South Orange County in 2006, built on a friendship Dave and Graham started in middle school. Lineup changes, long breaks, and Graham's recovery from addiction could have ended things. Instead the band came back to the punk foundation it never stopped writing toward, now with bassist Scott Beattie and drummer Rob Wheeler.
Why 17 songs? Graham made 17 demos, the band was playing all of them, so they released all of them. "We just want to put out this body of work," he said.
Some of those songs waited years for the right players. Beattie is an old middle school friend Graham ran into at a reggae show after 15 years apart. Wheeler earned his spot when Graham sent him "Warrenza Skunk," the record's most technical track, as a dare. He sent it back better than the demo.
Nineties Radio, Doo-Wop, and Weird Synths
Graham credits nineties radio for the harmonies, breakdowns, and song structures that stuck with him before he even knew what he liked. Then came Warped Tour, skate and surf videos, and label compilations in a pre-internet Southern California, where he found new bands by reading the thank-you lists on the backs of records. He didn't learn that some of his "local" favorites, like JFA, were from somewhere else until years later.
Dave's path ran through his parents' record collection: doo-wop, soul, The Commitments, Etta James, and classic rock. He never got into club culture, but he loved the new tones electronic music was bringing in and kept hearing ways to layer them under something heavier. Lately it's a Portugal. The Man record whose grimy, out-there synth work has him thinking about Mad Tab's heavier songs. Both admit to sitting through movie end credits just to find out who the band was.
Cinematic Punk
Graham grew up on nineties radio, Warped Tour, and skate videos. Dave came up on his parents' doo-wop and soul records and later fell for the textures of electronic music. That mix shows up in Dave's keys and synths, which he writes with one question in mind: what does this part make you feel?
Believe it or not, the band says they're dialing things back. Early on, one song might jump from punk to ska to reggae to a hip hop bridge, a style they jokingly called "gangster skunk core." Now each song Twenty Years in the Makingmostly sticks to one genre, and the synths add atmosphere instead of chaos.
Writing Through the Hard Stuff
"I can't write a happy song," Graham admitted. "Don't Blink" tackles his ADHD, and much of the album was written in treatment. "The Process" is his amends to Dave, who calls the record "proof that you can walk through hell and come out the other side to new beginnings."
Why Norwood Signed Them
Dave once tour managed for Fishbone, and he and Norwood stayed close. When Norwood launched his label, Dave sent over the new songs. "I loved everything I heard," Norwood said, pointing to the diversity, the harmonies, and the band's DIY drive, from making their own merch to shooting their own cinematic videos.
What's Next
Videos for "Animals" and "Don't Blink" are in the works, and the band is looking for a new booking agent. They want to come east, and they've got a 32-foot RV ready to go. Philly's Milkboy is at the top of their wish list. to play with. Consider this their official nudge.
Get the Record
alas... the bomb voyage! is out now on InnaNuttshell Reekordingz, distributed by BFD/The Orchard. Here in the Garden State, Jersey Beat called it a great listen. Find merch and more through Mad Tab's social media bios, and visit innanuttshellreekordingz.com.
Catch Temple of Sound with Rich Temple on Radio Garden State, streaming on Live365 and at RadioGardenState.com.
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