Since releasing their 2020 album Give Me Attention, Milwaukee ska-punks Something To Do put out the timely new single "This Year's Been A Kick In The Nuts" and a cover of Dua Lipa's "Levitating," and now they're gearing up to release the odds-and-ends EP Assemble! this Friday (8/12), and profits from the EP will benefit Indigenous Women Rising. It includes those two aforementioned tracks, and seven others, and the whole thing is upbeat and fun-sounding, even on the angriest, most political songs. Here's what the band says about it:
What Is This EP?
It's a real mishmasher - a mix of 'new' songs we recorded on our own, a few studio tracks we recorded with Shane Hochstetler at Howl Studios in Milwaukee and a few re-worked songs that we've snuck out in-between albums. Of note, there's a larger-than-normal-for-us amount of political stuff in here - a little capitalism hate, a little Trump hate, etc. - but also still some love songs and like always, a song about how hard it is to pick a movie to watch. We got excited with this bunch of songs together as a set - there is some real ska-punk sound stuff here but also some stretches for us into much more straight fwd, uh, 'indie rock' I guess and even a tender ballad version of a song.
In addition to our usual team of midwest ska rock experts, this EP also has some cool guests - Huan-Hua Chye from Madison's Gentle Brontosaurus, Thea Vorass from about a million Milwaukee projects and some folks who aren't in bands but are great singers, Bryanna Vancaster & Morgan Montesanto.
Why?
Like a lot of folks, we're pretty disgusted with some of the recent Supreme Court actions (and the whole process that lead us to this current unrepresentative set of 'Justices') and loved the idea of putting something out to raise a little money and attention for a good cause - super inspired by Indigineous Women Rising and the work they're doing - and all proceeds from this will go to their org. We worked up a whole list of groups who are doing great things to contribute to women's reproductive rights - there are a lot! - but figured we should pick one group to shine a light on.
What's Next For The Band?
Lining up shows, getting close to recording a new set of songs, trying not to catch monkeypox and continuing to spread the good word that ska stuff is cool.