Semi-Famous
L—R: Zach Kibbee, Billy Brown, Ryan Rockwell, John Jughead Pierson, Poli van Dam, Tyson Cornell. Photo by Mike McNamara
From the mind of Screeching Weasel co-founder John Jughead Pierson (Even In Blackouts, The Mopes, Mitochondriacs), comes the creation of Semi-Famous, the fictional band from his 2001 book, Weasels In A Box. Now, over 20 years later, it’s being re-released on paperback and audiobook for the very first time. Voiced by Jughead himself, along with the debut full-length from Semi-Famous, Destroy Ourselves, will be available on Friday, July 26, 2024 via Rare Bird. Vinyl preorders are available on Bone Opaque Vinyl (Limited to 300 Copies) and Standard Black Vinyl.
In January of 2022, Jughead and friend Ryan Rockwell (Mixtapes) decided to work together and return to writing pop-punk songs after both of their long absences from the scene. They penned a song called “Middle School Monster” in the style of Dan Vapid’s “High School Psychopath,” off Chicago-based punk-rock band Screeching Weasel’s 1993 album, Wiggle. They brought along friends singer/guitarist Billy Brown (Crash and Burn, Ashers, Unseen) and drummer Tyson Cornell (Scooby Don’t) and recorded a two-song 7-inch at Sodomia, Chatsworth, California mixed by Ray Hartman.
Side B’s “I Want,” was written by musician Grim Deeds and piano was played by Japanese-based musician Nanako Nishio. The recording of the two songs went so well that it was decided to make Semi-Famous an actual band. The group recruited producer Mass Giorgini to master it and Lookout! Records co-founder and artist Christopher Appelgren designed the cover. Semi-Famous spontaneously sprung into being with their first EP release, Collective Mindlessness.
To fill out the sound they recruited singer/guitarist Poli van Dam (Bombpops, The Poli van Dam Band) to join. In December 2022, they converged in LA with engineer Zach Kibbee and recorded fourteen new songs inspired by the classic pop-punk movement they had helped to create and propagate, and Destroy Ourselves was born!