When you load up Spotify, a great big chunk of the time you can’t think what to play, right? You default back to your old favourites, those albums and songs you played on repeat when you first discovered you could make them yours.
This isn’t about guilty pleasures; it’s about those songs you’ll still be listening to when you’re old and in your rocking chair. So, enter Teenage Kicks – a playlist series that sees bands running through the music they listened to in their formative years.
Next up, Nick Martin from Sleeping With Sirens.
Green Day – Burnout
Every song from ‘Dookie’ was seminal for me. There isn’t a single track that I would skip, even to this day when I listen to it. But, there’s something about the quick snare drum intro that kickstarts the album, and it immediately sends me back to being a teenager and just jumping around like a madman in my bedroom. Billie Joe Armstrong is someone I’ve always looked up to as a musician & he made me feel OK about being a young punk rock outcast, even when I’d get teased at school for it.
Nirvana – Territorial Pissings
Again, every song on ‘Nevermind’ is timeless. But, this song always stood out to me. It was just so raucous, loud, abrasive, and emotional. You can literally hear Kurt Cobain’s voice cracking throughout the song. You know that he’s completely losing it in the vocal booth and you can feel that in the song. ‘Nevermind’ was a game-changer for me that I started listening to before I was a teenager, but that I’ve still had on repeat since.
Silverchair – Tomorrow
I think Daniel Johns was a genius. He wrote this song and their first album ‘Frogstomp’ when he was 15 years old. It went on to go double platinum. WHAT THE FUCK?! ‘Tomorrow’ was the first song I ever heard from Silverchair, being introduced to them via MTV. His lyrics were so dark but so relatable as a teenager. It was always inspiring as a kid to see someone his age become such a massive success, but also just so insanely talented with his craft. He wrote such great choruses and the soaring vocals in ‘Tomorrow’ prove exactly that.
The Clash – London’s Burning
The Clash are probably in my top three favourite bands of all-time. Their first album is absolutely timeless to me, and I still listen to it frequently. Joe Strummer’s angst mixed with Mick Jones signature guitar riffs just stuck with me as a teenager. Every time I hear this song, I just want to do the Joe Strummer leg stomps. I would play this song on guitar constantly when I was a kid and try to emulate all of Joe Strummer’s moves. I quickly learned there can only be one Joe.
Dead Kennedys – Nazi Punks, Fuck Off
Jello Biafra was someone I followed as a teenager. His punk rock ethos still rings true to this day, and this song is still pertinent to current day situations. I suggest you turn it up to 10 so the neighbours can hear.
Rancid – Ruby Soho
There’s something about this song that just takes me back to riding around on my bike as a teenager with headphones and blasting this loudly. This whole album is one long punk rock hit. This is another song that I’d play on guitar in my room all of the time and try to emulate both Tim and Lars. I still think Rancid is one of the greatest punk rock bands and hope to one day meet Tim and thank him for being such an inspiring soul.
Taken from the August issue of Upset. Sleeping With Sirens’ ‘How It Feels to Be Lost Deluxe’ is out 21st August.
