Captain, We’re Sinking are an incredibly catchy punk rock band from Scranton, Philadelphia. Blending melody and passion to create something more than your everyday 3 chord punk band. Being home to some other homegrown talent such as The Menzingers, Tigers Jaw, and The Holy Mess, you can only presume this band are of an amazing calibre, and they are. Members, Bob Barnett, Leo Vergnetti, Zack Charette, and Bill Orender create a body of hooks that stay with you for days.
Boasting a full-length; ‘The Animals Are Out,’ 2 EP’s and a split with Timeshares, there’s enough to keep you entertained, but they definitely hold that addictive quality
Already Heard recently spoke to Bobby Barnett about the new record, the mets, Sheep and Lake Ariel.
Already Heard: First and foremost, who are we speaking to today?
Bobby: My name is Bobby Barnett. I play guitar and sing in Captain, We’re Sinking.
AH: Can you give us a quick rundown of the band?
Bobby: The band was formed in 2007 when we were in High School. We went through a couple of drummers and two years ago we started playing with our good friend Bill. He’s an ox and we will never have a different drummer. Ever.
AH: Your releases all get better and better (although my soft spot will always lie with ‘It’s A Trap!’). How is the writing/recording process for you guys?
Bobby: We are finishing up writing our second full length record. Our first record we recorded by ourselves in my basement and it sounds like shit. We kind of went into this one with the mindset of writing our first record. That’s not to say we don’t like “The Animals Are Out”, I just hate that we didn’t go to a studio for it. The way we wrote this record was different because we all lived apart from each other. I would write a song and show it to Leo and then we’d all practice it and hammer it out. Leo would then show his song and we went like that.
AH: What’re your plans for the next release?
Bobby: Well we are done recording at the end of this month (June) and then we find someone to put it out. We talked to a couple of people about releasing it so far so I guess time will tell what we actually do with it.
AH: Any chance of that UK tour that was rumoured?
Bobby: We would love to tour the UK. We are now officially broke because all of our band money just went into this recording session. We have to tour or something and make some bucks so we can spend it on plane tickets. Definitely the next thing on my personal check list.
AH: You’re currently on labels with bands such as LVL UP, Spraynard, Great Cynics, Timeshares & plenty more. How does it feel to have these labels believe in you enough to release your records alongside some of these awesome bands?
Bobby: Its pretty great. You just play shows around the country with bands your size in a tiny venue or a living room or something and everyone knows each other and its this little unspoken for family. Its fun.
AH: Who would you list as your musical influences?
Bobby: The first band that made me want to play music was Iron Maiden. I heard them in Jamie Thomas’ skate part in Welcome to Hell and it made me want to play guitar so bad. I used to listen to them and pretend I was playing guitar and singing. I got into punk rock shortly after that and realized, “Well, I probably can’t shred the fuck out of a guitar like Iron Maiden but I might be able to play 53rd and 3rd”. The Ramones started everything for me. After that I wanted to get into music that was coming around now so I got really into Anti Flag. A New King of Army was my 7th grade soundtrack. After that, I discovered Nirvana again. I always knew of Nirvana because of songs like Teen Spirit and Lithium but I still remember the first time REALLY hearing Nevermind and being blown away. Thats what I wanted to do. I want to be in the biggest band in the world and on a late night talk show play the punkest song we have, trash our instruments and leave. I think that is pretty great. So to answer your questing I would say Iron Maiden, The Ramones and Nirvana.
AH: Hailing from the musical mecca of Scranton, PA, are there any bands we don’t know about that we should?
Bobby: That is so great that Scranton, Pa is becoming a “musical mecca”. Its really funny to think about. There is a band called Halfling and they are just so great. Saviors of the Scranton music scene. Actually there is this young kid that wears a Rancid shirt and we always see him at shows that we play or The Menzingers or Tigers Jaw and he’s always crowd surfing and having a blast. I hope he starts a band and gets the music scene going. Halfling is great though. So is Three Man Cannon and Kite Party. Sheep.
AH: What do you guys do for work? Where can we catch you on the weekend to watch the game & grab a beer?
Bobby: I work on a golf course and do maintenance. Its a pretty great job. I go out on a golf course and weed whack and mow grass and fix shit. I also chase animals off the course. Thats not part of the job description. Bill works in an auto store, Leo is a bike deliverer (punk!) and Zach just got a job at a bakery I think. I don’t know what the other guys do on the weekends because we all live in different towns but on the weekends you can find me in Lake Ariel at the AVI with my man Chris playing shuffle board. Go Mets.
AH: Favourite records of all time?
Bobby: ‘In Utero’ (by Nirvana). Serve the Servants, Pennyroyal Tea, Tourette’s, All Apologies.
AH: Three Favourite non-punk acts you’re currently digging?
Bobby: I have been obsessed with Manchester Orchestra. That guy has a voice like no other. I also really like Justin Townes Earle. His new record is great and his songs are heartbreaking. Abner Jay is my last choice. “I’m So Depressed” is one of the best songs ever. We’re going to over it and ruin it.
AH: Are there any UK bands you’re really in to at the moment?
Bobby: I feel like an ass but I don’t really know any UK bands. Great Cynics are pretty great and I heard a couple of Sharks songs and they’re pretty good too. I think I saw someone get pissed that the only UK bands that people in the states ever talk about are Sharks and Great Cynics. I’m pretty guilty of that. Sorry. Give me some recommendations!
AH: Is there anything else you’d like people to know or read about you? Rumours welcome.
Bobby: Lets see. I have a couple of nicknames that Bill calls me. 12 oz, Beer Can, Past Prime, Nap Time, Dobbin and Kalufus. I love the New York Mets and i love Schmidt. I play a Univox Hi Flier only because Kurt Cobain played one in the Heart Shape Box music video. I have a banjo but I don’t really know how to play it so I play with a pick (embarrassing). Sheep is now a two piece. We kicked out Greg Barnett at Stay Sweet 1 around the keg in the basement. We have 4 songs including one that my brother wrote that I’m stealing. I play in a bar cover band with Ben, Pat and Dennis from Tigers Jaw called Scumbag Petty. We play the best covers. I’m starting to watch Dawson’s Creek on Netflix and Joey has some attitude on her. I love her.
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Words by Rosie Kerr (@RosieKerr)
