Punk in the Trunk is more than your run-of-the-mill DIY record label, of which there has been an undeniable influx lately. The recently birthed Southern Californian label is comprised of intimate recordings of a diverse range of musicians in settings that span house parties and last minute local venues, enabling lesser-known artists to get themselves heard.

The brainchild of Graphic Garrett and CJ Greenspon is going some way in capturing the essence of live music in line with punk’s ethos; thanks to flyers distributed like religious tracts, free recordings and word-of-mouth reputation building.

Comedy sets, confessionals and live recordings are all readily available thanks to a series of bootlegs spawned from these steadily growing Punk in the Trunk events, that have so far witnessed the likes of (HERO 10 star) Rexx, Wide Streets and Great Ghosts ply their trade.

Stoned breakdowns, strokes of inspiration and hiccups all in tow – this captured cultural niche is teaching is that punk is still very much alive and (un)well.

Matthew Liam Fogg: When, and why, was Punk in the Trunk born?
CJ Greenspon: Punk in the Trunk officially started as a podcast playing lesser-known punk songs, songs my cohost and I would call punk songs that maybe aren’t often considered ‘punk’. We did a few interviews with bands and bookers, produced segments about secretions and called each other names. But, another way of looking at when PITT started was when I bought my digital recording microphone, about two years ago.

Graphic Garrett: I had been into more mainstream punk since I was a teenager, but when I met CJ he introduced me to the whole DIY punk world, and I just sort of dove right in without ever looking back. It’s given us so many memories and good times, and exposed us to so many new things that we had been wanting to find a way to contribute to the scene for a while.  Originally I wasn’t a part of the podcast, but after it went on indefinite hiatus, we decided to use the tiny following as a springboard for something for the two of us to do. I have a degree in graphic design and I have always loved drawing fliers and album covers, so when CJ got into audio, creating a label just seemed like the logical conclusion.

MLF: What were your objectives in creating the label?
CJG: To expose and furnish quality live recordings for underappreciated, musically talented punk musicians, with a focus on low level local Southern Californian and touring acts and here and there doing a recording for a slightly bigger group.  I personally focus on recording bands who can’t afford to record and don’t have people covering that cost for them. And also, a huge motivation for us is to show that punk isn’t dead. I know, I know, but what I mean by that is that it’s still growing even just as a style of music. There are still people doing something new with it.

GG: Mainly putting out music by bands that we love that we feel aren’t getting the attention they deserve, and booking shows for them. As far as putting out music, we want to release DIY CDs and merchandise that feel really high quality. If people are going to spend money on our stuff, we want them to walk away with a unique item that they can tell a lot of work and love went into. As far as booking live shows, we want to create more of an event type atmosphere and book other types of entertainment in addition to music like live comedy, weird theatre stuff, and interactive activities. We feel that anything fun that you don’t usually expect at a punk show is a good way to loosen people up and make them more willing to let loose and have fun instead of just standing around with a beer.

CJ: Tacos help!

MLF: Are there any specific influences you can recall that spurred you to start Punk in the Trunk?
CJ: As a teenager, I was very fortunate to have two hole-in-the-wall record stores in my neighborhood that stocked a lot of punk bootlegs. After having picked up a number of these poor fidelity, poor artwork releases, I developed an affinity for these errorful, mysterious recordings where sounds would fade in and out and the words were impossible to make out. I thought I was listening to something super important and that these were the best bands ever. And for a handful of those bootlegs, like the Alley Cats at Madame Wongs 82, or the Dils Dils Dils retrospective, that’s still true.  The best thing about the bootlegs is that they brought you the little known bands that only released a handful of out of print records and much of their output only exists as live tapes.

GG: A big influence for me was reading Love Rock Revolution, the story of K Records. It seemed really fun and empowering to just create a label and make the sort of albums you’ve always wanted to own. When I was living in the Bay Area, there were a few DIY labels that definitely struck a chord with me. One of the labels that influenced me most was Zum Records. So many of the releases on that label came in these beautiful record sleeves that had several designs printed on vellum and then laid over the sleeve, or came in an amazing silk screened wallet. Each release felt like you were buying an art piece and I really wanted to emulate that with the packaging.

MLF: Some of your previous releases are from shows you have organised yourself – what’s special to you about a live show and why are you striving to showcase that platform through your releases?
CJ: We’ve been booking shows since 2010. We do it so that we have shows to go to where all of the bands are killer and to introduce people to those bands. I’ve been to a lot of shows where the energy is totally lacking and Garrett and I have had the reputation since we were teenagers for being the ones to start the pogoing, slam dancing, conversations and in general bringing people together.

As far as the live medium, there are two main things that make a live recording great: the band’s attitude and the sound in the venue. For some bands, like Sheep’s Head, each show is life and death! Also, the turnaround is instantaneous, unlike studio recording, which can be an arduous and annoying process. Secondly, it lessens by far a band’s revisionism. If a band is really interested in doing some tracks with us, we’ll record several of their shows – some bands we record every show – but I don’t personally have time to deal with someone second-guessing their work ad infinitum. And while I have immense appreciation for the unique potential of studio recording a song, there’s still a huge amount of variety in the way a good band’s songs will come out from live. So, no disrespect to official studio releases, I love them and snatch up every one I can, but personally I can’t wait that long!

GG: I always loved finding a weird live release where you can hear songs you already love, but just hear a totally new performance of them that makes you hear it in a whole new way. There have also been a number of times that CJ and I have gone to shows and LOVED some new band that we had never heard, but then were disappointed by the album. I guess this is a way of capturing the energy of live shows that we love. So much of punk is about the live setting and the ritual of congregating at some punk house or DIY venue, so it feels right to speak to that element.

MLF: Being based in California, could you tell me your thoughts on the current Californian music scene and why you’re seeking to shed light on a part of it and make it more accessible to others?
CJ: It’s very diverse, but that being said, it’s also very clique-ish. Pretty often the same bands play with the same bands at the same places. I can understand too; when you don’t know that many places to book and you really like certain bands, it’s easy for this to happen. So what we do is we seek out the most creative groups we can find from different social circles, and put them on a bill together. That exposes the cross section of people who came out to see each band to all these other different sounding, super talented bands they’ve never seen before. The result is generally a pretty happy crowd of people making new friends and being stimulated by the new sounds they’re hearing. And little by little we’re getting some return attendees, who are developing a liking for our main favorites like Sheep’s Head, Great Ghosts, Suzy’s Dead, Rexx, Wide Streets and Terminal A, for example.

GG: It’s very fragmented. There are a bunch of really good separate scenes that are active right now, but crossover tends to be few and far between. CJ covered it in his answer pretty well. I also feel like there’s too much fetishisation of the past, in some scenes more than others, which tends to annoy me. But then again, there is enough good, forward-thinking music going around to keep my mind off that stuff. A lot of people definitely have really eclectic influences and it shows. Most of the bands we like are huge nerds and so they have this deep, almost obsessive connection to the musical traditions of the area. The part of the music scene that I want to shed light on is the part that’s through with irony. I love the bands that put their heart and soul into this and the earnestness shows through in their performances and the experiences they try to create for their audiences. We love the bands that do more than just show up and play their songs, and want more people to be able to have some of the great experiences we’ve had at shows.

MLF: In a zine you put out, you released a sort of guideline on how other people can put out their own CDs. What’s refreshing about the DIY aesthetic and why do you feel more people should be open to it?
CJ: The best thing about it for me is noticing the personal touches and individuality of the artworks, over and above looking affordable or lo-fi. I like to see people do the best they can instead of relying on some prescribed style or quality. Honestly, I think more people should make things themselves, anything, just because it makes you feel good.

GG: I feel like DIY records are better than they’ve ever been. The technology/means to make really neat products and book interesting shows is at pretty much everyone’s fingertips, and with so many creative people in the area it really forces everyone to up their game. When people get into DIY it’s almost always a passion project and that excitement and dedication definitely shows through when the project is seen to completion. When people work hard on a show or really have to go out of their way to find one, they’re so much more excited to be there, and it creates a really friendly and empowering vibe.

MF: What does the future hold for PITT?
CJ: Mini-tours, better looking CDs, compilations, T-shirts and interactive shows.

GG: Again, CJ nailed most of it. We also want to get a website going that will include, amongst other things, a place for people to post and promote shows. Also, rebooting the podcast, with me being on this incarnation!

CJ: Yes, definitely and, lest we forget, the Sheep’s Head CD!

Visit Punk In The Trunk’s Bandcamp, Soundcloud and follow them on Facebook