PREMIERE: Teen Mortgage's "Such Is Life"

We’re honored to partner with Teen Mortgage to bring you an exclusive look into their latest single “Such Is Life”, out wherever you listen to music on January 8. One of the contemporary saviors of the long-revered D.C. hardcore scene, the two-piece continues to produce incendiary tracks awash in redlining guitars, intricate percussion, and crushing vocals. “Such Is Life” achieves new levels of technical excellence, attaining a combination of thematic intensity and sonic depth that channels highly-acclaimed peers like IDLES and PUP.

Boxcar Collective’s Zack Holden spoke with Teen Mortgage about this latest release, covering everything from recording in the COVID era to the single’s lyrical development to their relationship with indie label King Pizza Records.

Zack Holden: I’ve heard from a lot of artists that COVID has made it difficult to practice, record, and collaborate as usual. In that vein, what is your typical process for songwriting and production, and did it change in the development of “Such Is Life”?

Teen Mortgage: Well, we definitely cancelled our shows and recording plans. Ed (drums) is a nurse. So, you know, he was kinda tied up. We couldn't get into a studio so we ended up doing some DIY recording with his friend, Brian, who he is in the band Tired All The Time with.

Out of what we did, "Such Is Life" worked the best with the lo-fi set up. We also wanted to give people some new music because it's somewhat scarce at the moment. We're currently recording another EP with Justin Day of New Noise Studios.

ZH: Your debut EP Life/Death deftly combined sludge metal with classic punk, establishing Teen Mortgage as one of the most innovative modern hardcore bands, and “Such Is Life” furthers this impressive sound. Who would you cite as your primary influences in creating that sound?

TM: Yeah, that combination is kind of our sonic template. We initially bonded over all of the sludge/stoner metal and garage and post-punk we knew and noticed they often tend to share each other's sensibilities. We felt like a lot of garage bands had crossed into stoner metal but hadn't married them together, so doing that became a conscious intention for us. I was definitely thinking Eyehategod meets The Spits for "Such Is Life".

ZH: You’ve released both Life/Death and “Such Is Life” on one of my favorite indie-punk labels, the Brooklyn-based King Pizza Records. How did you connect with them, and what’s been your favorite part of the partnership?

TM: Just kinda cold called ‘em. We emailed them the Life/Death EP and asked if they would want to put it out, and miraculously they said yes. The best thing about King Pizza is their sense of community. It's a collective that does nothing but show support for each other.

ZH: In a press-release for this latest single, you said that “the acerbic word play of ‘Such is life, so choose life’ signals the existential crisis of being coerced into contributing to a societal hierarchy that does not contribute back” and that the song “soundtracks a protest of the trappings of Western society”, both of which are compelling statements given the current state of affairs in the United States and beyond. Accordingly, I was wondering if you could expound upon the themes expressed throughout the lyrics in “Such Is Life”.

TM: For sure, I think "Such is life, so choose life" summarizes the whole song. In a nutshell it's about how we are conditioned to accept late stage capitalism, because it's all we know. My grandma used to use the phrase "Such Is Life" a lot. It's sort of this de facto acceptance, like "That's just how it is."

"So choose life" is a reference to the theme in Trainspotting of rejecting materialism. So in a modern context, "Such is life, so choose life" is saying, "There’s no way around living in this ugly capitalist police state, and you may as well be a consumer yuppie pawn. That’s how we've always gotten through it."

2020 definitely gave people a chance to see how capitalism crumbles on itself when it doesn't support the working class. I think people are realizing, like "Such is life?" Nah, fuck that!

Teen Mortgage at Pie Shop in Washington, D.C. (PC: Teen Mortgage)