The Soda Pop Kids have been popping up on show fliers around Portland for years. With a sound that’s half ’50s malt shop and half ’80s glam, they set themselves apart from other local groups by producing some of the most unique sounds to echo from the Willamette Valley. The Vanguard was able to catch the ear (or inbox, rather) of Diet D., guitarist and vocalist for the band, to pose a few questions about their past and plans for future mayhem.
The neighborhood nuisance of the Soda Pop Kids
The Soda Pop Kids have been popping up on show fliers around Portland for years. With a sound that’s half ’50s malt shop and half ’80s glam, they set themselves apart from other local groups by producing some of the most unique sounds to echo from the Willamette Valley.
The Vanguard was able to catch the ear (or inbox, rather) of Diet D., guitarist and vocalist for the band, to pose a few questions about their past and plans for future mayhem.
Richard Oxley: How did the band start up and when?Diet D.: Officially we began in the fall of 2004 under the name Kill City Thrillers in Denver, Colo. That group morphed into the Soda Pop Kids when Jonny and I moved to Portland in 2005. We had to reassemble, and our sound changed a little over those few months, but it was essentially the same original idea we started with.
RO: How did you come up with the band name, where did it come from?DD: Based on a news article from the Denver Post in Colorado. They did a story on a group of orphans who committed a series of crimes in convenience stores in Eastern Colorado. Since they were young and small-time crooks, they were called the soda pop kids. That’s a fact, jack.
RO: Describe your “sound.”DD: Nowadays we just sound like a neighborhood nuisance mixed with a Saturday morning cartoon. And Jonny is worried that we’re starting to write Mr. Peanuts-type melodies. But he’s just being overly critical.
RO: Albums? Old and new?DD: We have two full-length records. One was recorded with the old Kill City Thrillers lineup in Denver in early 2005. The other we did here with producer Pat Kearns in December of 2006. I’d say the latter, Teen Bop Dream, is the best representation of the kind of band we are now. The first record just sounds like a painful temper tantrum while the second is all about the “ooh-la-la.” We’re working on a 45 right now with a Survivor-esque driving disco beat. Perfect soundtrack music for a Jane Fonda workout video.
RO: Tell me about the upcoming show at Dante’s. What is the story behind “Death by Danger?”DD: I don’t know too much about it, other than that it’s with the Nice Boys and the Strange Effects and some dude from MTV’s Jackass is hosting it.
RO: Who do you admire musically? Influences?DD: We really dig stomp rock like Geordie and The Troggs, but we also try and throw in a dash of that sentimental girl-group sound with a pinch of punk Stiff records style and a bit of Chuck Berry for good measure.
RO: Are there any other Portland-based bands that you enjoy? To listen to, play with, etc.?DD: Tons, this city is great. And we like a variety-Strange Effects, Nice Boys, Danava, Burning Leather, Pretty Little Pet, The Eegos, Midnight Callers, Red Dons and on and on.
RO: What are band practices like? Does anyone take the lead when writing songs?DD: We try to write a bit more collaboratively these days. We try to break a sweat whenever we practice. Sometimes this involves push-ups in between songs if we really gotta get the blood flowing.
RO: Does anyone in the band have any guilty pleasures? DD: I always thought Jonny and I would grow out of our Avril Lavigne phase. But she still pops up in the middle of a long stretch of road on every tour to date. I can’t really say we feel too guilty about it though.
Death by Danger hosted by Erhen McGhehey of JackassFeaturing: The Soda Pop Kids, The Nice Boys, The Family Gun and Strange EffectsDante’sOct. 18, 9:30 p.m.21-plus, $5 advance, $7 at the door
