“Gritty, gruff, 77-style punk rock”
With songs about love, beer, smashing the state, cars and stickin’ it to the man! Snotty, snarky, sneering and snide…raucous and rockin’ … The Rotten hit you harder than a bullet-belt to the head!
ROCK GOES ROTTEN!
For the four piece that formed back in 1999, their career has been marked with an onslaught of gigs, tours and various fan responses that include everything from ‘whoa, the drummer is a chick’ to ‘Jan’s eyes are so captivating.’ An ode to 70’s punk, The Rotten have dominated their genre and forced the attention of music fans alike. “1970’s punk rock that was all about monkey-wrenching the societal norms and wearing your grandma’s hand-me-downs,” the band writes in an email interview about their influences, “Punk isn’t a fashion statement. As for bands, we love all kinds and it is thanks to the eclectic variety of music that each member of The Rotten listens to that we have managed amalgamate everything into what The Rotten is today; a little punk, a little rock and whole helluva lotta attitude.”
And it’s certainly paying off. Even as they describe it, The Rotten has been served well in Canada, springing up at shows alongside artists like The Forgotten Rebels. “A lot of thanks to the good people at Rebel Time and the tight-knit community that is the punk scene, The Rotten has always had support at every show they play,” they say. “In the punk scene the definition of “making it” is to be as well-known as other Canadian punk bands like DOA and Forgotten Rebels. The Rotten has made a name for themselves in Canada so yeah, we’re making it. Times can be tough and money tight but ultimately we do it because we love it and can’t imagine life any other way.”
“…Times can be tough and money tight but ultimately we do it because we love it and can’t imagine life any other way.”
Over the duration of their 11 year career, The Rotten has forged away, dropping records that push the boundaries of every day rock n roll. Destroy This Wretched Country (2000), Circus of the Demented (2003) and Enemy of the State (2009) is a studio-effort discography; testament of time well served surviving as an indie band and their subsequent signing to Rebel Time Records .
Talking about a career launched in Kitchener, The Rotten recollects their perspective of the city’s changing music scene: “We’ve been doing this for 11 years so we have seen the ups and downs of the punk scene in Kitchener. We’ve watched fans of ours create their own bands and breathe new life into the scene. From our experience, this area is highly talented and a lot of great music comes from here. Having seen the ups and downs in this city its great to finally see a system (venues, etc) to support alternative arts.”
Now back in the spotlight after a six month hiatus, The Rotten puts the band into perspective. “The Rotten has been through all kinds of ups and downs,” they write. “(We) went on a 6 month hiatus while drummer, Angi, fought breast cancer. Angi: ‘getting to finally sit behind my drums and beat the hell out of them after everything I went through was the greatest catharsis I could ever imagine. I also couldn’t imagine a life without my band, I love it and would never give it up. It’s important to do it for fun, if you stop having fun, its time to hang up your drumsticks. “No matter what happens in your life your art is valuable to you and don’t allow anything to discourage you from doing what you really love.”
“Getting to finally sit behind my drums and beat the hell out of them after everything I went through was the greatest catharsis I could ever imagine”