From Bushwick basements to opening slots for Blur and Interpol, Namesake (fka Honduras) has remained a fixture in Brooklyn’s DIY community. Their propulsive, dreamy punk sound has been featured in Tony Hawk’s skate videos and games as well as on the airwaves of Sirius XMU. Namesake has toured with pals Sunflower Bean and L.A. WITCH, and performed at festivals such as Philadelphia’s Made In America. Taking inspiration from NYC’s storied past, the band directs all of their own videos and its members all reside in Brooklyn, NY.
What do you want your music to communicate?
The necessity of individuality, embracing the things we fear about ourselves, the human spirit beneath the noise of modern life.
Who is an artist that you look up to more than others today?
I really admire Bradford Cox of the bands Deerhunter, Atlas Sound. The music he’s made has served as the backdrop of the “coming of age” years of my life, and I’m grateful to have discovered things about myself
What’s the record or artist that made you realize you wanted to be an artist?
I really admired Tupac Shakur as a young kid; I was really captivated by his words and his image. When I was 16 a friend died in a car crash, it was a level of tragedy I hadn’t known before. During that time I listened to the album “Something to Write Home About” by the Get Up Kids quite a bit. That experience affected me in a deep way. My friend’s name was Adam Popejoy, and I couldn’t understand how a young, beautiful person like that could just be taken away. I joined a band with a couple friends shortly after that. Near the end of high school, I watched the documentary No Direction Home for the first time and became obsessed with Bob Dylan. Through his story it kind of led me to New York; and being in New York led me to Richard Hell, Jim Carroll, and an appreciation for some of the early punks.
Stylist: Amber Simiriglia
Tell us about your latest release and how it came about
Our album Redeeming Features is out October 15thand is being put out through Get Better Records. During the pandemic we developed a relationship with Alex Lichtenauer from the label, and we’re really grateful for their help. It’s a turning point for our band. Shortly after the album was recorded, the pandemic hit and our former bandmate Tyson Moore left the band. We were always really proud of the record, and the rest of us decided to keep going. Fortunately, we were able to find a label we admire help us with the record, and we’re stoked to still have a band.
What’s your favorite tune of yours?
Rolling Stones “Moonlight Mile”
The Sundays “Here’s Where the Story Ends”
Deerhunter “Helicopter”
Aretha Franklin “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You)”
My Bloody Valentine “Sometimes”
Iggy Pop “Nightclubbing”
Tom Petty “Something in the Air”
Beach House “Silver Soul”
Where are some things you really want to accomplish as an artist?
For the given moment I’m just proud that Josh Wehle, Paul Lizarraga, and myself ended up sticking together, and that our album is seeing the light of day. Our album release show is October 18that a venue called TV Eye in Bushwick. We were never able to play a proper album release show for our first record, so I want to celebrate what we accomplished. Making it through the pandemic together, and the opportunity to perform the songs live.
