We sat down with Hunky-Dori in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. The punk band talked Nirvana covers, school bullies, and the family member keeping the operation fed. Grandma deserves a booking fee. More on her later. Get to know the Inland Empire band, Hunky-Dori and their music.
Watch the full interview below:
The lineup includes bassist Rocsin, guitarists and vocalists Cahs King and Addysin, and drummer Boob. Three brothers formed the original unit; Addison joined later, as the band started playing shows and developing more original material. Before Hunky-Dori, there were other names, including Bleeding Wolf and Invasive Species. The eventual choice came from David Bowie’s Hunky Dory, with a spelling adjustment intended to sidestep copyright trouble.
Nirvana provided the starting point. Hardcore and street punk pushed things elsewhere, with the band citing the Casualties, the Germs, Circle Jerks and Choking Victim among their influences. Their listening habits also make room for reggae, the Cure, Devo and Soft Cell. Nobody handed them a rulebook at rehearsal.
Writing usually starts with a riff, followed by everybody adding parts and changing whatever doesn’t land. Lyrics can begin as a melody with words fitted around it, or develop around a specific story. Bullying supplies plenty of material. “Din” tackles feeling isolated at school, while another song takes aim at kids whose punk credentials apparently include giving another punk band shit.
The band has also struggled to be taken seriously because of their age. They describe shows where their sound was poor, only for the next band’s setup to sound clear. Add money problems and competing musical ideas, and there’s plenty to negotiate before anybody hits a chord.
One lesson has been learning to share control.
“My voice isn’t the only one that matters,” Cahs King says, reflecting on an earlier tendency to call the shots. “It’s the band. It’s all of us.”
Their EP meant two days recording instruments, another tracking vocals, and roughly a month for the overall process. Favorite tracks include “Paint Boy,” “Mind the Gap” and “What Happened at the Park,” an early fast number that gave the drums a workout.
The release show at Ironbark Ciderworks remains a highlight: a packed room, friends and parents in the pit, people spilling toward the back door. Equipment got caught in the excitement.
Bigger shows and an album are on the wish list. So is getting paid, although they insist money isn’t the motivation. Nobody’s volunteering to turn it down, either.
Then there’s Meemaw, who helps transport equipment, brings food and supplies afterschool Slurpees. Every scene needs infrastructure. Sometimes it comes with a straw.
Their final request skips the mythology and gets straight to business: “Please book us.”
They’ve got songs, opinions and a drummer happy to announce he’s better than his dad. Give them a room with a working PA and people in it.
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Disarray Magazine is an independent media platform established in 2009, spotlighting rap, R&B, punk, hardcore, alternative culture, live music, food, nightlife, and the chaos in between. Created by journalist Christy Buena, C² exists to document the bands, people, and moments shaping the scene.
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