INTERVIEW: Colin Burrowes of Chachi On Acid

Chachi On Acid are a punk band from Listowel, Ontario, Canada. The group, who are dedicated to sharing their love of music with anyone who will listen, aren’t your usual punk rockers, as their sound encompasses multiple genres that combine to create a sound that is nothing short of unique. Recently, I was able to speak with vocalist Colin Burrowes about everything from the group’s recent tour to his hopes for the future.
How would you describe your sound to those who have never listened to Chachi On Acid before?
Our music is a gracious gift that we ram down the throat of the world; guttural garage punk screams of love.
Who were your musical inspirations growing up and how do you think they’ve influenced the music you’re making now?
Our musical inspirations were vast, so I thank God that there are narrow people who have kept us in check – otherwise, we might have done something interesting by now. Some big influences [for] me over the years were people like Shane MacGowan, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones and The Beach Boys – many generic, paint by numbers punk influences. We also take our fair share from little known bands like Sockeye. Some of the derivative bands doing the Sockeye thing suck real bad, but most are a lot of fun. That is just something you might want to search up on YouTube if you are into lowbrow humour and lo-fi music; fun for some, but not for everyone.
Devo make us happy, as do 80s hardcore bands like Black Flag and Minor Threat - again, pretty generic reply, but we love them. Early 90s Lookout Records really got me going as well: Screeching Weasel, The Queers and Mr. T Experience. Steve Albini’s bands always give me a good aural kick in the ass: Big Black, Rape Man and Shellac. I like of lot of really old blues and delta music from the 20s and 30s – hell, we even steal pop sounds from a lot of generations, but I don’t comprehend modern pop music though… guess we’re old now. [Other influences] include Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra, The Grusomes, My Dog Popper and Deja Voodoo. There’s lots of great music on this planet.
I’m glad you didn’t ask me about books. They’re even better than music.
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