Punk is a broad church – something St. Albans-based quintet Trash Boat know all too well. Speaking to TeamRock about their burgeoning sound back in 2015, frontman Tobi Duncan told us “It’s a big old mix. We all have really individual sounds – Oak is a massive Blink fan, Dann loves his ska, [and] I’m primarily the hardcore and metal fan. All the different sounds mesh together in the creative process to create Trash Boat.”
Cut to the present day and these influences have come together to define Trash Boat’s sound, refined and pinned down on their lengthily-titled 2016 debut album Nothing I Write Can Change What You’ve Been Through. The band’s energy, ear for a good hook and bountiful youthful enthusiasm have helped them cement their place as an essential part of the UK’s flourishing pop-punk scene.
To mark the band’s headline UK tour, kicking off later this month, Tobi joins us to celebrate the 10 punk albums – including everything from wistful emo to metallic hardcore – which most influenced his band, and helped to define their sound as we know it.
Have Heart – The Things We Carry (2006)
“This is always a top contender for my favourite album ever. The lyrics are phenomenal and the instrumentals are tough and emotional. I can rarely find fault in terms of my taste, every song has me engaged and seems to speak a lot to me. Hardest album ever to hold back singing along [to].”
Title Fight – The Last Thing You Forget (2009)
“This album was the perfect mix of frantic, melodic and groovy. It incorporated a lot of aspects in music that I really enjoy and balanced them well. Their live performance was great and they had crazy crowds, a few years ago at the Camden Underworld was one of my favourite shows ever.”
The Wonder Years – Greatest Generation (2013)
“This album caught me off guard, as I genuinely thought at the time that nothing would top Suburbia, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Every song hits hard, the lyrics are too real at points, and it is consistent the whole way through. Songs like I Just Want To Sell Out My Funeral show great song design, too.”
Lamb Of God – Ashes Of The Wake (2004)
“I could legitimately put most albums of theirs on this list and come up with a convincing argument as to why it could be best [on a modern punk list?! - Punk Rock Ed]. Every single member of this band is incredible at their instrument and they riff so fucking hard. They are 10-or-so releases deep and still consistent with hard songs, but Ashes… always seems to edge out the others, if not remain in my top three.”
Down To Nothing – Splitting Headache (2005)
“It didn’t take very many listens of these guys to be familiar with their songs – I related to them lyrically more than a lot of hardcore bands, and their instrumentals are interesting and groovy as fuck. Splitting Headache is their best release, but not by far.”
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Tiny Moving Parts – The Couch Is Long And Full Of Friendship (2013)
“Can’t say enough about this band – [they’re] talented dudes and some of the nicest people. I watched them every night on the Wonder Years run. They are more refined than emo tends to be, and are so damn tight it’s unfair. Their Audiotree live session is untouchable. Celebrate is stacked with bangers, but this just edges it out in terms of emotion for me.”
The Chariot – Fiancée (2007)
“Whilst a lot of their themes might not speak to me personally, I feel totally invested in their performance, delivery and vibe. Their live set is something that always got me hyped and inspired me. They also had the songs to back it up. Fiancée was the first thing of theirs I listened to, and it remains my favourite – a ride from start to finish.”
Four Year Strong – Rise Or Die Trying (2007)
“Four Year Strong were one of the first bands I ever saw live; I started collecting ticket stubs after seeing them, and that was the first in a huge collection that spanned 10 years. Their instrumentation is dynamic and interesting, they have always pulled it off live brilliantly. This album was a firm favourite among my nearest and dearest and was always on if we needed something to listen to.”
Sum 41 – Chuck (2004)
“Another band where you could line up most of their albums and have a good argument as to which is best. I chose this one as it had some really interesting content and backstory, along with mixing their sound with metal and heavier vibes without detracting from their sound. It’s definitely something I wanted to see from future albums of any band.”
H2O – Nothing To Prove (2008)
“Part of the list of bands always making me jealous I didn’t grow up in New York. They perfectly bridged the gap between hardcore punk and more melodic aspects. Very consistent with their releases. The lyrics are a lot of fun but still hit hard, and there are some riffs that never fail to make me go wild at their shows.”
Trash Boat’s UK tour kicks off on September 17th in Southampton - find full dates and tickets here.
