“Mister, have you seen my broken letter?” These words from Decatur garage rock act Scofflaw’s break up song, “Broken Letter Blues” could entrance even the hardest of people. Oakhurst Porchfest, held on Sunday, October 18 in Decatur was nirvana for showcasing great local musical artists. Scofflaw, my personal pick for the day’s honorable mention award, sat at the end of McKoy Street. They had you from the start of their set. I hung at the edge of the curb with the soccer moms and teenagers alike, who were all dying for the attention of the group.
Scofflaw’s sound is different. While the band’s Porchfest set was loud, it was also laid-back and the band displays a lot of confidence onstage. At one point in the set, lead singer Aidan Sisler became so immersed in the music, he walked trance-like across the stage. Scofflaw seems to have created its own voice, succeeding in doing what punk rock was meant to do. The band is unique and young. The same way The White Stripes are nothing like Fidlar, Scofflaw doesn’t remind you of anything or anyone, and that is fascinating.
I had the amusing opportunity to interview the band members, who are some of the most chill people I have ever met, and answered every question without batting an eyelash.
On how they created their sound, guitarist Reid Koski answered, “We just jam, we just vibe.” Guitarist Luke Kreiner added, “We build on human emotion.”
When thrown the question of how the band was formed, frontman Aidan Sisler, a senior at Decatur High School answered, “Me and that f***er (pointing to Decatur High classmate Luke Kreiner) have made music together since 4th grade. In our sophomore year, we started recruiting [band members] we’ve had 11 people [in the band] over the years.”
On the subjects of what inspires them and the band’s plans for the future, the members jointly answered: “We are inspired by life, love, eternity, sex, liquor, f***ing, and music. In the future, we plan on being famous and driving motorcycles out of 10-story windows into pools.”
All art conveys a message and when asked what message they wanted to convey in their music, Luke Kreiner answered, “We see art as a mirror, you see what you want. So, we don’t necessarily have a message we want to convey.”
In true punk spirit, when I asked what the band’s final words were, they all abruptly but jokingly replied, “F***k You!!”
Scofflaw’s members are great. I have been won over by their music and their personalities. They are going far. The band’s music has recently been added to streaming music service Spotify and their songs can also be found on Soundcloud. For Scofflaw beginners, I’d recommend listening to “Arcade” and “Girl For Sure.”
The band is playing Nov. 19 at Vinyl at Center Stage in Midtown. Go out and support our young artists. They are great, I promise!
For more info on Scofflaw, follow them on the band’s official Facebook page.
Zachari Tellez, 14, attends Decatur High School and is currently a little obsessed with the AC/DC album, “Back in Black.”
