I speak to Snõõper about the redemptive qualities of Australian grocery stores, In ’N’ Out daylight robbery, and how to be your most authentic (punk) self.
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MANCHESTA! YOU ALL RIGHT? Here, I am fighting not only berserk Liverpool fans, but a fatty case of the jitters. Somehow, I have wrangled myself an interview with the hottest thing to come out of Nashville since Hot Chicken - the one and only Egg punk heavy weight champions - Snõõper! Originally the joint project of visual artist/early education teacher Blair Tramel and Nashville punk Connor Cummins (Spodee Boy), the band have since assembled together bassist Happy Haugen, drummer Cam Sarrett, and more recently recruiting guitarist Connor Sullivan - formerly Ian Temple (Silicone Prairie). (Ian is moving to Australia <3).
Snõõper’s sound is a perfectly saturated storm of Cam's turbo drumming, with cyclical lightening strikes of flanged-out dual guitar. There’s also a ferocious wind that is Blair “I’m not a singer” Tramel, taking this Devo-core tempest to catastrophic levels with her jocular lyrics and athletic delivery. Floating around within this storm is the gleeful visual element of the band - the papier-mâché puppets that fly from mosh-pit to mosh-pit around the globe - from “Bug guys” with noses fashioned from gas tanks, to scarier yellow “Jim Henson-y” creations - these additions make it virtually impossible to want to leave the eye of the Snõõper cyclone.
With a bag full of crisps and a short prayer for my iphone's recording capabilities, I put on my best journalist shoes and follow Blair up to the greenroom of Manchester’s YES bar for a chat before their sold out show.
Farmdog: I'm feeling a bit homesick, so I’d like to know what was your favourite aspect of Australia when you toured there?
BT: Just like, the slang - the terms that we learned… Happy took this list, of I think like 100 terms that we learned in Australia. And then honestly, going to a grocery store - it was emotional. I had like, a religious experience… I was brought to tears by the produce - it was amazing.
FD: Why?
CS: So colourful and so fresh.
BT: I was like walking around filming the produce - it was really beautiful. All of our stuff in America is GMO, high fructose corn syrup - it’s in everything! When you’re in Australia and you see like, real food. Then the animals are so different to anything we’ve seen… the bugs. Just stunning. The emotions in the grocery store though, I’ll never forget that. The Australians' came to hang out with us recently, we did Gonerfest with them, and we got to take them to the grocery store near our house and they are like - repulsed. It’s funny… they end up buying like, hot Cheeto Mac 'n' Cheese coz’ its like, a novelty to them.
CS: They bought like, bottom tier stuff. They were like - “it’s a pickled sausage!”
FD: They’re gonna be chained to the toilet… shackled.
BT: Exactly! The last thing - the schools there… I’m a teacher, and we went to the zoo one day. For example, like, the uniforms the kids have to wear there - amazing! Matching bucket hats. All the kids were wearing matching uniforms with matching bucket hats, and the teachers were saying “No hat, no play”.
FD: It was a terrible day at school if you forgot the hat. You had to sit in the shade like a loser.
BT: Yeah! That’s amazing! We don’t even have uniforms in the US, usually just Catholic schools.
Happy walks in with a grin and a “WADDUP”
HH: Favourite parts? The Hungry Jacks was awesome. The ferry from Sydney to Manly Island was really cool - seeing that old prison - I think Billy was telling us about it - that was cool. There’s just so much. It was overwhelmingly beautiful and perfection every way (laughs).
FD: I think you were wearing my friend’s Gucci loafers?
HH: Yes! At Oxford [Art Factory]? I left my Nike blazers in the van which was a 30 minute walk away… he was in the green room like “Hey, I got these Gucci loafers?” And I was like… “can I wear them?”. He was so cool about it!
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| (photo by Dougal Gorman) |
FD: I think he was a bit skeptical about them. They were his neighbours, so the story goes.
BT: They were so swagged out.
FD: Offensively swag.
BT: The next day, were were checking our Instagram stories and people had zoomed in just on the loafers like “what are thoooose!” It was so funny.
FD: Alright guys, next question - where do you get all your energy from?
BT: honestly it started out as being really nervous and insecure. We didn’t ever expect to play live, then we got the band together and Happy was very energetic - you’re naturally energetic….
HH: It’s mostly just like, ADHD.
BT: Yeah. I think the most confident musicians are the ones that can just stand there and sing. I don’t consider myself a singer, so I’ll jump, and be really excited.
HH: That’s the other thing, coming out of Covid, everybody since the dawn of time had just seen like, four dudes on guitars just standing still, which is cool, but for me it was kind of like a celebration. Like fuck yeah! we can play shows again! Let's party!
BT: I feel really insecure if the crowds not moving at all… they’re not gonna move if were not moving so we have to set the example. It would be so unfair to expect them to go crazy if we’re not going crazy…its a feedback loop.
CS: I personally like really feed off the four of you. We all get to bounce off of each other like pinballs or something.
FD: Very good lads, very good. All right, so I’ve never been to Nashville before… could you describe it for me in three words?
CS: Can I use a compound word?
FD: Sure.
CS: Underdevelopment.
HH: Neon, Loud and… Full.
CS: Bursting, even.
HH: Some might say, brimming! (laughs).
CC: Green, lively and odd.
CS: Non-walkable.
HH: The downtown and the suburbs are condensed. But if you drive like, 30 minutes outside of the city it will be like some of the most beautiful hills in Tennessee. Its very very beautiful there.
CC: It’s also very sweaty. Very wet and hot.
FD: True! So I was reading an interview Blair, and you were talking about how you’ve kind of dealt with feeling like you’re not “punk enough” to be at a punk show, and I kinda resonated with that - I’ve felt times in Sydney where I’ve felt like a bit of an outsider as well. I was wondering if you’d have any advice for someone who’s feeling that way at a show?
BT: Yeah, I was reflecting on this the other day! I think the world is getting more fucked up - like people are becoming more inclusive because if you’re at all like freaky or into weird stuff people are like “you're one of us! Join us!” So I’ve just had to kinda stop thinking about it, just doing what I like. This is a silly example, but I used to run a lot, then go to punk shows and freak out coz taking care of myself seemed so un-punk - like, I’m so lame… now I’m proud of those things! Just doing whatever the fuck you want.
FD: Yeah nah, that’s cool. There can be a weird front that people put on that I’ve sometimes noticed in the community… like you’ve gotta act aloof and untouchable.
BT: I think when you’re not that, then you’re a light for another person that also feels insecure in that scene. So the more people that are like, fuck it, I’m gonna wear whatever I want to the punk show - then you attract those people, and you start to feel like you fit in.
FD: I think you’re doing a good thing with this band. You’re opening punk up to more people which is cool.
BT: Yeah, its punk but its not aggressive.
FD: You can still have a smile and be a punk!
BT & HH: Totally!
FD: Right. If you could turn into one of your puppets for a day, which one would you be, and what would you do? In this scenario - its Pinocchio style.. you have autonomy. You can move. And think.
CC: I would have been the one on the West Coast, but he was destroyed and we had to leave him behind. I thought we should keep the remnants of the head, but everyone was like, just fucking leave it.
BT: And what would you do as that guy?
CC: I would just hang out at shows. He was just at a show enjoying being in the crowd. Then everyone beat him up.
FD: Ephemeral!
HH: Here today, gone tomorrow. I think I would be the bootleg bug, or the Australian guy. If I was the Australian guy, i’d go and hang out with Snuff puppets all day, and probably go back to 3 Tomatoes next door to Mikey’s house - coz’ that was the best breakfast I’d ever had.
BT: Conner not to put it on you, but I think you’d be the yellow guy.
CS: That’s where my head was going. Either yellow guy or the one that Ian painted on. It looks freaky as fuck. The yellow one is the first one that I’ve heard people describe as like, scary… I like how Jim Henson-y it is. If I could be him, I would go to like a bunch of churches or funerals and just disrupt shit… I’m proud to be the new one.
BT: I’d be the bug guy. His nose is made out of a gas tank, but he breaks the most so I feel like really close to him, coz I’m always bandaging him up. At this point he has like, 20 layers of papier-maché on him. We’ll add another layer, we’ll re-do it - me and my guy… If I was him, I would go on a boat ride. Titanic style.
FD: I’m on a boat! I didn’t want this interview to get too heavy, but this is pretty important to me. Whats everyone’s favourite flavour of chips?
HH: …Mature cheese.
CS: The purple Doritos are the ones I eat the most.
FD: Speaking of chips… this is an Irish delicacy - this is called Tayto. This is just my lure for you to come to Dublin.
I dish out some packets of Ireland’s finest expression of cheese and onion.
BT: We have to come to Dublin and make a Tayto puppet!
FD: Ok so Blair, lets say you eat too many BBQ chips and then you cant play a show. You’ve got three options: Conor McGregor, Floyd Mayweather or Hulk Hogan. Who are ya gonna call?
BT: (Laughs). Funnily enough, I just watched a documentary on Conor McGregor! I’m really big into sports documentaries, it’s kinda like my weird thing. Conor McGregor had a huge ego, and I think he’s a really nice guy now… I THINK.
HH: Who would get along better on stage? Connor, Conner or Conor?
FD: Ireland’s viewpoint on Conor McGregor is a little bit different…
CS: He kinda sucks, right?
FD: Yeah, but maybe Snooper could be his redeeming role!
BT: Hulk Hogan also fits our vibe. He’s got like, a bit going - I’m gonna go with hulk hogan.
CC: He’d be in some cool outfit and then rip off his shirt.
CS: Snõõpomania.
FD: OK - I like the amendment. The Irish readers will too. Weirdest experience to come out of the project?
BT: This is a great question. You’re a great interviewer! This is really fun.
CC: We were on our first tour in Oklahoma City. I was walking through the venue and saw something on the floor - a portion of artwork from our second 7”
BT: It had like 1000 microscopic beads. It was like a patchwork thing… how random that we found this snooper thing and we’re Snooper….
CC: Then this kid came up. He was like “Hey I have a gift for you - my father is in prison and he makes these patches of bands. I told him how much I liked your band and he made you all individual patches” with like, dental floss and all this other stuff. He hand made us all Snooper patches. I remember it was our 5th show ever out of town - I was just like, blown away.
BT: This kid was like 16. His name is Camden and now we love him! It was like, emotional. Its the most beautiful piece of artwork that we have.
CC: There's a Guardian article about his dad, he was in prison for so long and when we played in Oklahoma last month he was released early and his dad came to the show.
BT: He’s the only person in Oklahoma history to ever be released early from prison for a violent crime, and so now he does art for bands and stuff.
FD: That is really nice!!
BT: Then there was the time where the van got hijacked… Grand Theft Auto situation… yeah. We were in Oakland doing our West Coast tour… it was like, broad daylight - 3pm. We had to go and pick up some merch and stopped at In 'n' Out… We pull up and theres' glass in this parking lot, and loads of signs for theft saying "lock up your valuables". There's security guards.. we thought “we’re safe!” - he had this weird vest on.
HH: Like a Party City vest (laughs).
"Guys! Guys! We gotta get outta here! Some guy just rolled up in a ski mask in a blacked out Mercedes and he called me a Harry-Potter-lookin-ass!!"
BT: Yeah, in retrospect we were like, this is all so fucked up. So we go in and order our food. Then Cam, our drummer, runs in like “Guys! guys! we gotta get outta here! Some guy just rolled up on me with a ski mask in a blacked out Mercedes and he called me a Harry-Potter-lookin-ass!!”. Cam pulls up, doing this whole manoeuvre - we’re like “can we get our order to go? Our vans' being robbed!” It was so crazy. The workers were like… "sure…"
FD: Jesus! They’ve seen things.
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| Oakland In 'N' Out |
BT: Well, it was like an organised crime ring! The security guard had seen our van… he was in on the robbery… we had all that gear so they were targeting our van. Within like, one minute they had pulled up. Theres all this stuff online that we looked up after… there was like, 400 reviews.
HH: The best review we read about it was, “The burger was great but I almost lost my life” (laughs).
BT: And when the robbery is happening, and this is what we read online, the security guard will come in, as this is happening, to re-fill his drink so that he’s like “OH! I didn’t even know this was happening!” … then we see their little feet come out of the Mercedes then they just start smashing all the other windows in the parking lot - it was right by the airport so they just start taking out peoples luggage.
HH: So we were all just kind of standing there like, arms full on In ’n’ Out watching all this shit. Then the security comes out… we’re just like “where were you?”
FD: Who do you turn to in these trying times! This sounds like a literal video game. You were in a simulation!
HH: It just felt so GTA - like it didn’t even happen.
BT: If they would have smashed in our windows, the funny part is - they would have hit our papier-mâché - They would have been like, “what the fuck is that?”.
FD: I hope everyone’s ok after that - all sounds a little bit stressful! Thats rock 'n' roll though.
BT: That’s rock n roll in Oakland, for sure.
FD: Ok - last question. If someone committed a terrible offence - a felony… where would you run and hide?
HH: My first thought was the rock rumpus at Mikey’s house. Just hide out in his back shed - hopefully no one finds me amongst all the Pokemon figurines (laughs).
FD: Pokemon figurines?
HH: Cam, Ian and I all crashed with Mikey for the week we were in Sydney, and he so graciously let us stay in the rock rumpus - it was attached to his house - where he records, but he also had like a tonne of Pokemon and Naruto and stuff… and I lost all my money at that damn casino in the Enmore - the pokies.
FD: Aw but that’s good. Everyone needs to be humbled!
HH: Haha. Especially when you’re like, ten thousand miles away from home and are on a very limited budget!
CS: I’m gonna hide somewhere in Oklahoma. Behind a chat pile.
CC: I’d say me and Blair would probably hide out at this bar called Copacabana. No one knows where it’s at, no one knows we go there - you can’t find us there.
FD: Well, we can now.
