Toronto Pop Punk Powerhouse The Mendozaz Announce New Album with Advance Single “Late Stage 12 Gauge”

The Mendozaz Advance Single / EPK / Press Assets

https://www.norulespr.com/mendozaz-single-1

Origins & Identity
      1     Let’s start at the beginning. How did the band form, and what’s the story behind your name?

A: We’re all avid fans of a long-running animated television sitcom that started at the tail end of the 80’s. Once you settle on a name, the rest is easy.

      2     How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you before?

A: That warm feeling you get when you grab your favourite 90’s punk records out of storage and listen to them again.

      3     What’s the mission or central idea that drives this band?

A: Anything goes. Have fun. Don’t overthink things.

      4     Who are your biggest musical influences, both as a band and individually?

A: We started as a Green Day knock-off band. But then started knocking off everyone. So we’re an “everyone” knock-off band now. If you have a good idea, we’ve probably already stolen it.

      5     What’s one non-musical influence (art, film, literature, life experience) that shapes your creative output?

A: We’ve written a handful of songs about movies. GTFO off our second record was just the plot of two Danny Boyle movies. Moscow off our third record is a distillation of Rocky IV. Our new EP “The Completely Fictional History of This Great Nation of Canada” is rooted in Canadian folklore that we made up.

B. The Creative Process
      6     Walk us through your typical songwriting process. Does it usually start with a riff, a lyric, a melody, or a concept?

A: All of the above. Sometimes we come up with them separately, then try to marry the two. I have a list of song titles/concepts I keep in my phone because good ideas are always worth saving. And every time we jam something cool we’ll record a memo of it (also on my phone). The melody/chorus hook usually makes or breaks the song. Lyrics come last because they’re the easiest to change.

      7     How do you handle creative disagreements in the band?

A: Whoever wrote the song gets veto power. Want more power? Write more songs!

      8     Where do you draw lyrical inspiration from? Are you storytellers, personal confessors, or commentators?

A: Definitely a storyteller. When I was younger I drew a lot of inspiration from the events of my own life, but tried to make them sound abstract. Nowadays I’m more interested in pulling something out of nothing.

      9     Which comes first for you: the atmosphere/feeling or the technical musical structure?

A: Feeling. Is this a happy song? Is it a sad song? I’m more interested in getting you there than how I do it.

      10    Is there a specific environment (a practice space, a studio, a certain headspace) that’s most conducive to your creativity?

A: All my best melodies come to me in the shower. All my best lyrics come to me at 3AM when it’s just me and my unplugged guitar. The best arrangements come from my bandmates.

C. Recording & Production
      11    Tell us about the experience of making your latest release “The Completely Fictional History of This Great Nation of Canada. What was the biggest challenge and the biggest triumph?

A: Being patient with the process. We’re all eager beavers and want to go go go. But sometimes you need to let your ideas simmer before they reach peak tastiness.

      12    What was your goal for the overall sound and production of this record? Did you work with any producers or engineers who shaped it significantly?

A: We just wanted to make a record that’s true to our sound. Not a lot of gimmicks. This is the second record we’ve made with Matt Gauthier who is really familiar with us. So it was easy to do. Matt has a great ear and isn’t afraid to speak his mind.

      13    Is there a particular piece of gear (an instrument, pedal, plugin, etc.) that was essential to the sound of this project?

A: I’ve been using the same gear since the band started. I have a Gibson SG and a Fulltone OCD (v1.7 if you know you know). Our bassist Mike has a huge collection of basses and is always switching things up. Our drummer Dic uses a piccolo snare that he hits *hard*. It sounds like a gunshot. That’s The Mendozaz sound. Being shot at.

      14    How did you choose the album art, and how does it connect to the music?

A: When creating a historical document that is as accurate as the one we made, it’s important to have supplemental material. Fortunately visual artist extraordinaire Connor Johnstone (quitealright.ca) was able to cobble together newspaper articles and illustrations that correspond directly to these True Canadian legends that we made up. He has a gift for recollection and a steady hand.

      15    Do you prefer the spontaneous energy of the live room or the meticulous control of the studio?

A: I tend to be meticulous. I write a part. Then I master it. I don’t improvise much. If I’m changing a part around, it’s because I’m dissatisfied.

D. The New Release (Tailor these to the specific release)
      16    What is the central theme or story of your new EP “The Completetely Fictional History of This Great Nation of Canada”?

A: As I mentioned before, the new EP is a collection of True Canadian Legends that we totally made up. We considered writing about actual historical events, but that sounds like work and we’re not really into that. Whoever said life is stranger than fiction hasn’t read our fiction.

      17    Why did you choose “Late Stage 12 Gauge” as the lead single/video?

A: All of my favourite songs on the album have f-bombs in the chorus and the title. So we had to use a clever/catchy/brilliant song instead. Concessions, man.

      18    What do you hope listeners feel or take away after experiencing this release?

A: I hope they feel like they can take over the world. But seriously, let your creative freak fly. We’ve been told that if we released this EP with any label other than Cartridge Heart it would’ve been a battle. Taking the leap and following your crazy ideas down the rabbit hole is what life is all about.

      19    How does this new material represent an evolution from your previous work?

A: We found more bands to knock-off.

      20    If this release were a movie, what would it be? If it were a place, where would it be?

A: It already is a movie. Check out the video for “A Piercing Shriek of Death” on YouTube. I have no idea what it’s about or where it takes place. But it’s nuts.

E. The Live Experience
      21    How would you describe the energy of a The Mendozaz live show? What can a first-time attendee expect?

A: Expect a lot of gusto. A lot of banter. And an abundance of singalongs. I try not to force it. We just ended up with a lot of catchy choruses.

      22    What’s your favorite song to perform live, and why?

A: A Piercing Shriek of Death is always fun for me. It has a lot of drum/bass breaks so I can leave the stage, have a drink, go outside for some air, etc.

      23    What’s the most memorable or wildest show you’ve ever played?

A: We played at Prohibition Warehouse in Waterloo this past summer and it was bonkers. Huge crowd of people just smashing into each other. We don’t usually condone violence without the use of a weapon (t’s more civilized) but these people were determined to maim each other to the tune of our music. They failed (no one was hurt as far as I know) but there’s always next time.

      24    How do you adapt your studio creations for the live stage? Do the songs change?

A: Nothing too dramatic. We have a song that has a lot of trumpet on it. I just play that part on guitar.

      25    What’s the dynamic like between you and your audience during a show?

A: I like to think that we have a congenial relationship. I mean, they paid to see us. So I hope they enjoy the show.

F. The Industry & The Scene
      26    How do you view the current state of your genre’s scene? Where do you fit within it?

A: We’re all huge music fans so we enjoy listening to the other bands that we play with. The good ones at least.

      27    What are the biggest challenges for an independent band in today’s music landscape?

A: It can be difficult to stand out. Especially in a genre that’s so homogenized. Also, gasoline prices have gotten so high we’ve been forced to stop drinking it entirely.

      28    How important are visual elements (music videos, album art, stage presence) to your project?

A: This is the first record we’ve done where all those things have tied together. If you’re doing a concept record you really need to commit to it. That’s why we’re lucky we found such talented collaborators.

      29    How do you use social media and streaming platforms? Is it a necessary tool, a creative outlet, or a chore?

A: I mean, who doesn’t love posting pictures of themselves every day to appease a nebulous, insatiable algorithm?

      30    What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a brand-new band just starting out?

A: Make what you love. And learn to love every step of the process.

G. Brotherhood/Camaraderie & The Future
      31    Beyond the music, what’s the glue that holds the band together?

A: Pink Lemonade Twizzlers

      32    What’s a non-music-related ritual or tradition you have as a band (on tour, before shows, etc.)?

A: After each show we focus on the positive and pick out something we really enjoyed and talk about it. Then vow never to do it again.

      33    Looking ahead, what’s the next big goal for the band? (e.g., a specific tour, a musical milestone, a creative experiment).

A: We want to go on tour with Rancid. Tim Armstrong, if you’re listening, we’re ready to do this thing!

      34    Is there a dream collaboration (with another artist, producer, or even in a different medium) you’d love to make happen?

A: See above. Except with Butch Walker. Let’s make a record. And also go on tour.

      35    When you think about the legacy of The Mendozaz, what do you hope it will be?

A: We want to be the band that you learned everything you ever knew about Canadian history from. Then once you flunk your citizenship test you’ll remember us always.

H. Fun & Rapid Fire
      36    What’s the last album you listened to for pleasure, not for research?

A: Mogwai – The Bad Fire

      37    What’s a guilty pleasure song or artist the whole band can agree on?

A: Lake Roads – Dancin2Nite. That’s the good fire.

      38    If you could have your music featured in any existing movie or TV show, which would it be?

A: We want to be a retro song in a time travel movie. If movies are still being made by people thirty years from now, we want the time travelers to go back to this year and be listening to The Mendozaz.

      39    What’s the best food to eat on tour?

A: Salad. Ask us again if we actually eat salad on tour.

      40    If you weren’t musicians, what would you be doing?

A: We’ve already started down the path moonlighting as historians. Please buy our records so that we don’t go any further!

Advance Single: Late Stage 12 Gauge 2:15 (No Explicit Language / MAPL)

Genre Tags: Punk Rock, Pop Punk, Indie Punk, Canadian Rock, Alternative Rock, Satirical Rock

RIYL: The Weakerthans, PUP, The Flatliners, NOFX, Green Day, Descendents, Mad Caddies, Ten Foot Pole

Toronto’s pop punk rock powerhouse The Mendozaz are back with “Late Stage 12 Gauge,” the first advance single from their upcoming eight-song concept EP The Completely Fictional History of This Great Nation of Canada, out November 3 on Cartridge Heart. Like the rest of the record, the track takes aim at an entirely fabricated chapter of Canadian lore, in this case a web of imagined affairs, a dozen restraining orders, and one very ill-advised bromance cover-up.

A high-voltage burst of 90s-style pop-punk filtered through the band’s signature mix of humour and bite, “Late Stage 12 Gauge” blends galloping rhythms, snotty harmonies, and a chorus that lands like an inside joke you are instantly in on. Beneath the grin-inducing hooks, the lyrics spin a tale of paranoia, jealousy, and shotgun standoffs that feels just plausible enough to make you wonder if it really happened. “As any single guy will tell you, having platonic female friends is a bit of a minefield,” the band says. “Even the most well-meaning of us are going to have to deal with jealous significant others from time to time. The last thing you want is to set off the heat-packing husbands (and weapon-wielding wives) of the world. There’s a whole population of people who think ‘Netflix and Chill’ actually means ‘Netflix and Chill’ and they have no idea the toes they’re stepping on.”

Formed in 2017, The Mendozaz consist of Jonny (vocals/guitar), Michael (vocals/bass) and Dic (drums). They have carved out a reputation for relentless live shows and obnoxiously catchy songwriting. Their three previous albums (Two Days to Retirement, Up and At Them and Loafers) earned critical praise and steady campus radio play, while sharing stages with Dayglo Abortions, Chuck Coles and The Anti-Queens and making festival stops at Pouzza, NXNE and KW Long Weekend Band Crawl.

Order The Mendozaz Music and Merchandise

https://themendozaz.bandcamp.com/music

Described as “the sound of a Fat Wreck comp smashing violently into a copy of Big Shiny Tunes,” The Mendozaz channel the spirit of early Green Day and late 90s Fat Wreck alumni while avoiding the syrupy pitfalls that plagued pop-punk’s commercial boom. It is an approach that has drawn comparisons to The Weakerthans, PUP and The Dead Milkmen, bands that can make you laugh, think, and shout along in the same three minutes.

With The Completely Fictional History of This Great Nation of Canada, The Mendozaz lean into their love of Canadian storytelling by making the stories up entirely, from murderous werewolves in London, Ontario to the sea captain who may have seduced Death herself. “Late Stage 12 Gauge” is just the first taste, a wink, a wallop, and a reminder that in punk rock, history is always written by the loudest.