The world ought to look out. Not from horror, terror or attack. No! Oxymorrons are punkers from Queens, deadset on a mission to liberate the world one track at a time. With their hardcore sound and debut album on the way, these Black rockers continue pushing for the acceptance of all people through music and attitude. These days it’s easy to bunch punk into a charm box of music–but Oxymorrons don’t do anything the easy way. These four are working hard to teach all people to accept every authentic bit of themselves and feel confident while doing so.
BTS: Hello! Who are the members of Oxymorrons?
Oxymorrons: Yerrrr! Oxymorrons are Deee (vox), KI (vox), Matty (drums) and Jafé
(guitar/vox).
BTS: Describe Oxymorrons to someone who’s never heard a subgenre of
punk in their lives.
Oxymorrons: Oxymorrons is everything you didn’t know you wanted but needed in
your life. It’s champagne in a styrofoam cup. It’s shaved truffles
on your Domino’s pizza. The “punk” aspect of our sound has less to
do with the genre and more to do with the attitude and culture. Though
there are definitely punk influences sonically, we lean more towards
the non-conformity and rule-breaking of the culture.
BTS: You’re very vocal about Black pride and supporting the LGBTQ+
community. Is music the vessel for a greater message you’re on a
mission to share?
Oxymorrons: Absolutely. We’ve always believed that advocating for more than
yourself but for community if you’re fortunate enough to obtain a
large platform, especially through art. We’re proud of our melanin
and we display it! The queer community has always responded to our
mission of being unapologetically yourself and taking up space where
you were once told you’re not allowed to be. They show us so much
love and we’ve always been so grateful for their support and will
always do our best to reciprocate that love, in perpetuity.
BTS: What about “being unapologetically yourself” at all times is
important–and how would you encourage others to do the same?
Oxymorrons: Because that’s what makes an individual unique and special – being
YOURself. You are a 1-of-1 in this world. Conformity and conditioning
are the things that start to strip you of your individuality in this
life. It’s so easy to live a life going through the motions and
expectations and losing yourself and what you love. We encourage
people to do that not just verbally at our shows, but by projecting
love and doing everything we can to stay grounded in our individuality
and uniqueness.
BTS: You’ve released lots of singles and an EP…after playing many
shows and recording plenty of tracks, what does it mean to finally
unveil an album?
Oxymorrons: It means a lot to us. With the singles and EP you are only getting
parts of the story, a trailer to the beautiful TV series of who we
are. Now with this album we get to show people the musical chemist
that is living inside of each of us. We get to show our experiences
and lessons that we learned through the years. Get cozy on the couch
because it’s only season 1.
BTS: Discuss some of the themes behind this upcoming record.
Oxymorrons: The theme we are telling is about a character we created called Mel
the melatonin punk. Mel is trying to find his place in the
scene. It starts off with the first single “Enemy” where he’s trying
to tell everyone he’s not the enemy. With the next single “Last
Call” Mel is dealing with his emotions of not being accepted and
drinking his sorrows away. After that with “Graveyard Words” Mel is
going through a resurrection, his comeback. By accepting himself he
will make the world eat its words. The next single will continue to
tell the story all the way to the album.
BTS: A big tour is on the way this summer. What should fans anticipate
when you take the stage?
Oxymorrons: Definitely high energy with a beautiful artistic experience to match
it. Anticipate to go through a wave of emotions. Joy, rage, the whole
shebang. Oh and like always, bring an extra Tee because it’s
definitely going to get hot.
BTS: New York City always has something good to offer punks. What do you
feel you bring to that scene and genre as a whole?
Oxymorrons: We bring a different palette. A new era. It’s been a long time since
CBGB’s, Max’s Kansas City and getting into whatever madness the city
brings while you shop at St. Mark’s. Now we want to bring that same
energy and paint it all over the place. Trade in some spike studs and
throw some Jordan’s in the mix. Show the world that rapping on a
punk record isn’t weird because punk is an attitude. Let’s bring
it back to the essence 2023 style.
BTS: What else do you want people to know?
Oxymorrons: A lot more music and touring to come. So get ready!!!
Oxymorrons will hit the road later this summer supporting Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor on his upcoming solo U.S. Tour with U.K. rockers Wargasm. Check out the dates below.
The band’s debut full-length album Melanin Punk is due October 20 via Mascot Records. Pre-order it here.
Aug. 25 – Denver, Colo. @ Fillmore Auditorium *
Aug. 27 – Kansas City, Mo. @ Uptown Theater *
Aug. 28 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ The Fillmore *
Aug. 30 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ The Rave/Eagles Club – Eagles Ballroom *
Aug. 31 – Chicago, Ill. @ Riviera Theatre *
Sept. 2 – Chesterfield, Mo. @ The Factory *
Sept. 3 – Pryor, Okla. @ Pryor Creek Music Festival Grounds (Rocklahoma) ***
Sept. 5 – Detroit, Mich. @ The Fillmore Detroit *
Sept. 7 – Cleveland, Ohio @ House of Blues *
Sept. 9 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ The Andrew J Brady Music Center *
Sept. 10 – Alton, Va. @ Virginia International Raceway (Blue Ridge Rock Festival) ***
Sept. 12 – Montclair, N.J. @ The Wellmont Theater *
Sept. 13 – Boston, Mass. @ House of Blues *
*=performing with Corey Taylor and Wargasm.
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