Detroit's TY channel egg punk inspiration on debut album
The garage punk trio talk about the making of the excellent WE R TY and its fast-approaching plans for a follow-up
After trying out different rock genre combinations and members over its first five years under the name TY (pronounced tee-why), the band’s short and sweet debut album WE R TY came out like lightning in a bottle following its release in January.
Members of the Detroit punk scene with several projects always going on at once, TY’s trio of Blic (bass, vocals), Jay Kill (guitar) and Beej (drums) have solidified the band Blic originally started with a pair of different roommates in 2019 with a satisfying combination of catchy tunes and raw attitude.
The band credits some of the inspiration that helped create WE R TY to an egg punk playlist Jay Kill shared with Blic that planted new ideas in his mind for the band’s direction after hearing songs from bands like The Coneheads, Gee Tee, Liquids and Tee Vee Repairmann.
“I was like, ‘I wanna write songs like this,’” Blic said. “One of the first songs we wrote Murder Bank. I always liked the riff at the beginning of the original Donkey Kong game, and that kind of inspired the riff of that song.
“I wouldn't say our songs are particularly complex, but if you just take the time to try to make it catchy, it can go a long way.”
Besides himself, the only original remaining aspect of TY is the band’s name, said Blic, who also is a member of Detroit garage band H8 Mile. When the project initially ran out of steam with his roommates, Jay Kill and Beej, who each are members of Detroit punk band Fen Fen, helped give the band new life and a dynamic that ultimately worked in putting together their first album in September 2024.
While egg punk’s core sound and DIY ethos provided inspiration for TY to create, the band’s fast, chugging variety of punk and garage rock has its own unique DNA.
“I feel like a big inspiration was obviously egg punk, but we wanted to make music that would make other people want to make music, just because it's fun,” Jay Kill said.
The trio’s catchy, sneering melodies and subtle nuances stand out across WE R TY’s immediately inviting batch of 12 lo-fi tracks. It feels cohesive, perhaps because the entire 18-minute album was recorded in a day.
Produced by Beej, who joined the band after impressing fellow members with some demo work that included his drumming, members joked production credits should also include the “two beers” that helped them decide to take some tape loop risks and make changes to song constructions.
WE R TY’s immediately catchy tunes go by in the blink of an eye with the bands jerky power chords and tongue in cheek lyrics about being an American, riding bikes, driving hot rods and getting a devil tattoo.
“We wanted to keep it pretty much simple, dirty, lo-fi, but like crunchy, and, you know, that it doesn't sound like it was recorded in my basement,” said Beej, who confirmed WE R TY was recorded in his basement.
The end product has resonated in unexpected places for the band. After two runs of WE R TY tapes sold out after its release on Detroit-based Painters Tapes, the band was direct messaged out of the blue by Los Angeles-based Under the Gun Records about putting the album out on vinyl this summer.
The band also was messaged out of nowhere by independent music and noise pioneer Jon Spencer about opening for him in an upcoming performance on May 24 at The Magic Bag. After getting messages from fans hailing from Spain, Australia and England sharing their excitement for WE R TY, the band realized they have an evolving audience.
“We never once thought it was going to be on vinyl in its existence,” Beej said. “I had to go back and, like, try to master it again, because I didn't want to make it sound like garbage on wax.”
Blic said TY is hoping to capitalize on the buzz of WE R TY by going back into the studio this summer after a short tour run next month. As of now, the band is sitting on about 15 songs that are waiting to be finished for the next record, he said.
In the meantime, the band hopes more people will take the time to learn more about the blossoming punk scene in Hamtramck and Detroit, with bands like The Stools, Toeheads, Womb Worm, Day Residue, H8 Mile and Werewolf Jones demonstrating a wide range of punk and garage rock influences.
It’s also a particularly supportive scene, Blic said, with band members often making up much of the audience.
“Ben has said it before: if the artists aren't going to your shows, then your shows probably aren't gonna be a good turnout,” he said. “I'm hoping that more people will start to come and learn about the scene, because it's pretty accessible.”
TY are part of a bill headlined by egg punk pioneers Prison Affair, Liquids and Skull Cult on Saturday, April 26 at Small’s in Detroit. Tickets are $22 each.
I have no idea what “egg punk is” (Google is about to help me)! All I know is that this we r ty ROCKS and that I’m stoked to own a cassette. I hope TY keeps blowing up, stoked to see them land on wax soon. 🔥