For the latest installment of my Bakersfield Sound series on No Echo, I'm highlighting Going Underground Records, which is a three-pronged operation vital to the scene there.
Going Underground Records has two brick & mortar locations — one in Bakersfield, and the other Los Angeles — and a punk label that has released titles by such bands as Seudo Youth, Human Mess, and G*U*N*N*.
My series wouldn't have been complete without a piece on these guys. I spoke with owner Going Underground Records owner Ron Ramirez to learn more about the stores and label.
Please give us some background on Going Underground and its evolution throughout the years.
The label started as an extension of the record shop, which was opened in 2001. The first record I put out was a split 7” between The Pine and La Quiete. From there, we focused on a lot of local bands and bands we were friends with. At this point, we are close to our 60th release (which is at the plant as we speak).
Your latest release is Nobody Gets Down Like…Seudo Youth by Seudo Youth. What was happening with the label in the three years since your last release and what about this band made you want to start up again?
The last three years were a bit rough, not financially, but mentally straining. We had some issues with a band on the label that thought they were bigger than they were in reality, which was annoying. Pressing plant delays played a big part — I didn't want to be fighting with plants and bands on why a record was taking so long so I tapped out.
I don’t do the label to make money, I do it because I'm into the band and the record, so if it’s too much of a headache, I'm not interested.
Besides that, I spent the last two years of my life buying a building for our Bakersfield store, which as you can imagine, is a very long and intense process. We opened in our forever home April 2024, so now I can be a little more free and think about things other than loan docs and bank statements.
As far as Seudo Youth goes Tony plays in G*U*N*N* and Kianna works at the Los Angeles store, so I got a hold of the tracks and of course I’m down. It’s the best…so we’re back.
Do you have a core sound that you look for when recruiting bands for the label or choosing to put out a record?
No I don’t. Back then and now, it’s our circle of friends and associates. There was never really a sound we went for, but for the most part, our taste is on the PUNK side of things.
What are some of the releases you have done that you are most proud of?
Some of my favorite releases I’ve done:
- Harpoon Guns 7”
- Francis Harold and the Holograms LP
- Contaminators LP (biased, but it was a game changer)
- Cruz De Navajas LP
- G*U*N*N 7”
- Terrorists 7” and Burning Image 7”s (it was an utmost honor to reissue, as both are legendary Bakersfield records)
Going Underground has two storefronts — one in Bakersfield and one in Los Angeles. Are there challenges in running two stores in different cities? Similarities or differences between the store?
Both are two beasts under the same umbrella. Bakersfield is a monster of a city, but it’s my home, which I love more than any other place in the world. The climate for business is to say…challenging, but luckily we’re on our 25th year in business. As far as our Little Tokyo store, Adam Schwartz runs that store and has since its inception ,back when we were on Melrose. The Little Tokyo shop is a beautiful place and I am in awe every time I walk up to it.
What’s on deck for Going Underground in 2025?
2025 is setting up to be a very busy year for the stores and the label. On the label side of things, this is what’s set be out first half of the year–the Seudo Youth LP is out now. Up next we have a reissue of The Pine’s first album, which has been remastered, so it’s better looking and sounding than ever. For those that don’t know, The Pine was a very important emo band from Bakersfield and this reissue will be massive.
We have some secret releases planned as well (sign up for our email list). The first wave of Pine reissues should be out in February, followed up in March by a new single from The Smog from Japan, which rules. They played these songs on their west coast tour last year. Around the same time, the mythical G*U*N*N* LP should be out as well, which will be a TOP record of 2025.
In addition to those, we’re hoping to have the debut LP from LA’s Hot Load, out as well as a reissue of The Pine’s second LP, Lead Blocks for Feet. There’s more in the works, but please check out our website for updates on the label and stores.
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GOING UNDERGROUND BAKERSFIELD STORE:
1304 19th St
Bakersfield, CA 93301
(661) 633-0111
LOS ANGELES:
356 1/2 E. 2nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(323) 741-0200
Tagged: seudo youth, the bakersfield sound
