To fill that coveted spot of enamel pin on the vest of a fan is a tall order, but to be able to make that imprint in the musical domain in a mere two years is even taller. Enter Gymshorts—one of those few who have made a name for themselves in a short but hard-earned timestamp.
There is nothing fabricated or staged in the music that The Devil Makes Three creates, just an extension of the devastating and downright pretty feelings that really must rest in each of them. As the band starts its largest tour yet, guitarist and lead singer Pete Bernhard took the time to talk about learning everything they know from Fugazi, endlessly driving around this country in circles, and channeling Woody Guthrie for lyrical inspiration.
The last time we saw Gymshorts, they accomplished more in their short 30-minute set than some bands of similar raging noise-punk nature will manage only after playing with each other for years. Tearing through “Herman Melville” and other tracks from their purposefully, defiantly, invitingly imperfect recent release, No Backsies, their chemistry exploded.
