Spam Caller is the band that matches the energy of their name. They are consistent, persistent, and always lurking around the corner to hit you in the face with another call. The group is the brainchild of Patrick Baxter, a California musician who is also behind Late Shift, another hardcore outfit worth your time.
In a previous No Echo feature, Patrick cited Look Back and Laugh, Haymaker, and DS-13 as prime influences into what he writes for Spam Caller. Bad Connection, their first LP, is being released through Phage Tapes today, not even a full year since their Spam ‘24 Promo.
I chatted with Patrick to get the lowdown on the new album.
You’ve moved these new songs into a dirtier mix, what I like to describe as, “listening to something through a blown-out boombox.” What was the push?
Thank you, we take that as a high compliment! Honestly, we recorded this in our practice space by whatever means we had. It was a really fun process. Our drummer Jesse took the reins on that and did a damn fine job.
I think it worked out nicely because in some ways we had a lot of freedom and in other ways we were more restricted. Every time we have recorded something, it’s been different. We are still figuring it out.
It hasn’t even been a full year since we last spoke and you have this LP out. That last time you mentioned a finished second Late Shift LP, is it still coming along as initially planned?
The second Late Shift LP was recorded pretty quickly after the first. Until recently, I hadn’t listened to or touched those new Late Shift songs since I recorded them. I finally dove back in and started working on the mixes again, and it’s been nice to go back with a clear head.
I still need to finish those up and send them to Will (Dead Air) for proper mixing and mastering. Who knows when that will see the light of day.
How have things changed since turning Spam Caller into a live band? Are you able to pump stuff out even faster than you already were achieving?
Definitely. It’s been awesome! For our first 3 tapes we were essentially putting it all together long distance. Jesse and I would work on the songs and send them to Dirte, who was living in Baltimore at the time. It is much easier to all get on the same page now. And as we keep playing and writing together, the band is evolving in really cool ways. It’s also been great to get out and play live again.
The scene has changed a lot since our heyday. Folks are more positive, more supportive, and there are a lot more venues for hardcore and punk in the Bay Area. It rocks.
While it isn’t that uncommon for people to have multiple bands, how do you keep stuff laid out separately while still working so quickly?
Ever since Dirte moved back from Baltimore, I shifted my focus mostly to Spam Caller. So in my case, it’s very easy because I haven’t really been thinking about Late Shift much. My writing process for Late Shift and Spam Caller are polar opposites, so that has always made it easy for me to separate the two.
A lot of Late Shift is written on the fly and really spontaneously. I try not to think too deeply about it and just let it happen. I’d love to put together a live band for Late Shift one day, even if it’s just for a couple shows.
The Mark McCoy artwork just keeps coming too, how has it been to continue this relationship?
Mark is the best. He totally gets what we are about, lyrically and musically, and his art brings it all to another level. I had a feeling he’d go off on the LP art, but I was still floored when I first saw it. The guy is so easy to work with and he knocks it out the park every time, I could go on and on. He’s the best!
What’s next for Spam Caller? Late Shift? Any new bands or non musical ventures?
I’d love to get the second Late Shift album out around the end of the year or early 2026. Hoping to record a few new Late Shift songs this year as well! As for Spam Caller, we have 2 record release shows coming up to support the new album, March 30th (see you there Oakland) and April 12th (see you there Santa Rosa)!
We have also been tinkering with several new songs and have some other fun ideas brewing. Stay tuned!
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Bad Connection is out today on vinyl and cassette via Phage Tapes. All links for the band can be found on the Spam Caller Linktree. Answer the call today.
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