The Mad Caddies

On January 30th, The Mad Caddies are starting on a quick four date tour of Western Canada:

1/31	Vancouver, Canada	Imperial
2/1	Calgary, Canada	Dicken’s
2/2	Edmonton, Canada	Starlite Room
2/3	Calgary, Canada	Dicken’s

We spoke with guitarist Sascha Lazor about the tour, their plans for 2019 and their recent Christmas single.

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You kick start the 2019 touring cycle in Vancouver on January 31st for a quick four date tour across Western Canada, what can we expect to see from you on the tour?

A good mix of Caddies standards and some new material as well.

This is only a four day Canadian trek across BC and Alberta, will you be coming back for a full Canadian tour soon?

Not really sure when we will. Hopefully we will hit the rest in fall.

Was the second Calgary show always planned or added afterwards?

It was added after the first show’s presales went very quickly.

Is it important to do these short stints to get warmed up and ready to go for a longer tour?

Yes for sure. We don’t really look at these shows as a warmup. That’s what sound check is for. Hopefully we will hit the ground running.

A few weeks after the Canadian trek, you guys are embarking on the “Sunshine on Snow Tour” across Europe – what made you decide to start the touring cycle outside of the States?

We have not done a winter tour of Europe in a couple years. Mostly we have been there in the summer for festivals. So it’s time to get back and see some snow.

In May you’re heading back to Europe for Punk In Drublic and Slamdunk Festival – why not plan the European tour around that?

We’ve been to Europe so many times in summer it’s time for something else. Touring Europe in winter compared to summer is quite different. For example there are so many bands over there in summer because of the festivals. That can sometimes have an effect on touting and attendance.

In December you released the Christmas tune “I’m Going Surfing for Christmas” – who’s idea was it to do a Christmas song?

It’s a song our drummer Todd created a couple years ago actually. He brought up the idea and it was completed in days.

Did you spend Christmas Day surfing?

No, I was cooking.

Over the years, there has been some amazing Christmas punk albums. Of course, The Vandals’ Oi To The World is the stand out, but other compilations like Taste of Christmas and Santa Cause, or one of songs by the likes of The Matches, MXPX, The Pogues and many more – why do you think punk rockers love doing Christmas songs?

I have no idea.

The album artwork is a play on the famed Suffer album, what made you pick that artwork to adjust?

Fatwreck had the idea. It’s great

Of course, paying homage to Bad Religion is appropriate for you guys in 2018 as you also released “Punk Rocksteady” last June. Is it important to you to tip your hats to the bands who came before you? Or, in many cases, grew up with you?

I don’t know if important is the right word.

We have a lot of influences and it’s fun to attempt to reinterpret their songs.

I know Fat Mike had the idea for you guys to do the cover album, why was he so interested in having you guys do it?

He’s been a supporter of our band for a long time. Also I believe we’re the only band on Fat that has many punk and reggae influences. We’re used to his unique personality as well. That’s important when working in the studio day after day.

With so many bands out there, how did you and Fat Mike decide which bands to cover? Who suggested the bands to cover? Or was it more a collaborative decision making?

It was a collaboration. We just made lists of songs and bands we dug that have songs that would sound good in a reggae style.

A lot of the band choices are predictable in one way or another, but the song selections are not generally the go-to cover picks. What made you go for the deeper cuts?

Mike had a big say in the deeper cuts.

Was there any debates over which ones you wanted to tackle between you guys and Fat Mike?

Occasionally. But mostly it was really obvious which songs worked and which didn’t.

While the cover album is wonderful, it’s not an album of new material. It’s almost five years since Dirty Rice – I’ve read you already have an EP worth of material ready to go. Can you give us any details? Have they been recorded yet or just written? When do you think we’ll see the EP released?

Do you have plans for a new full length anytime soon?

We have an eps worth of material recorded. And many songs in various states. We will be releasing a lot of material this year

Long breaks between albums is nothing new for you, having waited seven years between Keep It Going and Dirty Rice – is it important for you guys to take your time in writing and developing new material instead of rushing into the studio?

We don’t like to rush things and we can be a bit slow sometimes. However we have so many news songs that the releases will be coming much faster in the future.

Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions and we’ll see you in Vancouver!!

Cheers, thanks!