“Sacramento is lucky to have such a thriving punk scene with so many good bands and we’re honored to have been invited to be a part of it.” This is a real quote from an email sent by Jan Drees, frontman of The Shell Corporation, in anticipation of their third Sacramento appearance since October 2010. No, the irony of a “frontman” for a band called “The Shell Corporation” is not lost on him.
Jan and company have a real leg to stand on when they talk about the scene here. “(We have) toured Europe and the US twice.” They give this city some love every time they come through. “It’s really inspiring to play in a place we’ve never been and have one or two people in the audience singing the words along. That makes up for all the long drives, $20 payouts, and cold hard floors we’ve slept on.”
Jan and guitarist Curtiss have been friends since they were wee pups in Southern California. “Curtiss and I have been playing bands together since our first jazz guitar recital in 1995 or something like that. Soon after he started a punk rock band (The Veteran Flashbax) and I joined as a second guitarist. Since then we’ve been in bands together on and off over the years.” That kind of musical history allows a certain ease of songwriting and unified aesthetic that can only grow from years of knowing each other’s sensibilities and ears. “I guess after you’ve played music with someone for nearly 20 years you start to be able to read each other’s thoughts.” This outing for the two of them has been compared to Against Me!, Dead to Me, old Rise Against, with a sprinkling of Clash. “I would be happy to be associated with any of those bands,” concedes Jan.
The music speaks volumes about Jan’s political leanings. The lyrics are full of political and social commentary. While this has been a punk rock staple for as long as, well, punk has been around, Jan doesn’t think it’s necessarily his responsibility. “Lots of excellent artists don’t have an overt social message in their music, and that’s fine. I like them just as well. I just happen to be the most passionate about politics and justice, so that’s a lot of what I write. The upside is that I won’t run out of material any time soon, based on the direction this country is headed.” Though the nation may be in upheaval, there is a bright light for these boys. “The tours so far have been pretty good and steadily getting better. ‘Force Majeure’ (the band’s first full length) was received very positively by reviewers and fans alike, and reaction at shows has been universally positive.” Everyone should definitely occupy Press Club Thursday and see some solid music happening right here in midtown.
Shell Corporation plays Thursday 2/16 (TONIGHT!) at the Press Club
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