Mit ihrem Debütalbum „My Apologies To The Chef“ setzt die Band Winona Fighter ein starkes Statement. Nach ihrer erfolgreichen „Father Figure“ EP aus dem Jahr 2022 haben sie nun ihr erstes vollständiges Album in Eigenregie aufgenommen – mit einem kompromisslosen DIY-Ansatz, der ihre Authentizität und Energie perfekt einfängt. Im Interview mit uns Frontstage Magazine sprechen sie über die Entstehung des Albums, die Bedeutung von echtem Handwerk in der Musik und die enge Freundschaft, die ihre Band so besonders macht. Außerdem verraten sie, wie ihr Label Rise Records sie unterstützt, ohne ihnen kreative Grenzen zu setzen.
Frontstage Magazine: The announcement of your debut album My Apologies To The Chef must be an exciting milestone. How does it feel to finally release a full-length record after all this time?
Winona Fighter: It feels surreal and like a long time coming. We’ve had a lot of insane milestones since the release of our Father FigureEP in 2022, but nothing quite hits you like the debut LP. Knowing it’s been highly anticipated adds a level of pressure and anxiety for sure, but I have to remind myself that this record is as authentic Winona Fighter as Winona Fighter gets. So if fans have liked us this far, they are absolutely going to enjoy the record.
Frontstage Magazine: You mentioned that you took a DIY approach to recording the album. Can you walk us through how this process influenced the sound and overall vibe of the record?
Winona Fighter:It’s all live instruments, baby! That’s the best foundation you could have for a raw-sounding rock record. We wanted a record that encapsulated our live shows, so like our shows, we kept it simple. It starts with my drumming, then Austin records bass, Dan records guitars, and then we hit vox + BGVs. We don’t use tracks or a click or anything at our shows, so if we can’t achieve it live, it doesn’t go on the record. We worked with the resources we had. That was a big phrase we would say throughout recording: “Let’s make it work.” And we did every time.
Frontstage Magazine: You described the album as „raw, emotional, and uniquely you.“ What elements of the production or songwriting process helped capture this authenticity?
Winona Fighter:For starters, I would say having my hand on all the lyrics. I’m very picky when it comes to co-writing. I am surrounded by amazing writers who don’t change what I’m saying but just try to help elevate how I’m saying it—whether it’s through a melody or a word edit. At the end of the day, the songs are 100% my stories and 100% the truth. I want to be as authentic as possible to not only myself but to the audience. I never left a punk show growing up being like, “That felt like an act.” I want to honor that. I think another thing that keeps it raw, emotional, and uniquely us is that even though we may write with other producers, a song is not a Winona Fighter song until Dan’s guitars, my drums and vocals, and Austin’s bass are on it. We all bring a unique element to the band with our individual instruments. We all have such a strong understanding of the music behind the lyrics, which I think is becoming more and more rare these days. We take the music to heart just as much as the lyrics. It’s a special thing.
Frontstage Magazine: With 14 tracks recorded in such an intimate setting, how did the dynamic between you, Dan, and Austin shape the creation of the album?
Winona Fighter:We are all best friends. I always say, “And we DON’T secretly hate each other,” haha. Dan is one of my best friends of almost a decade, and Austin is my husband (and longtime music partner). It is SUCH a family dynamic. It makes it that much easier to get into the nitty-gritty of recording an album—challenging each other to try harder parts, supporting each other when the burnout sets in, and being honest about things that do or don’t sound good.I write about some pretty heavy stuff, and they just listen and empathize and support. I am surrounded by the greatest men in the world, truly. We all have the same goal. We all want this to work so fucking bad. Therefore, we all equally work our asses off. I mean, we REALLY work for it. There’s a lyric on the record: “My hair’s done up in matts, I’ll break my back like no one ever will,” and that is a true representation of all of us. We will be the hardest workers in the room and do whatever it takes. No ego, no divas—just hard work and IMMENSE love for what we do. A true key to success when you’re doing a debut album on your own, I guess.
Frontstage Magazine: Punk music often carries a strong sense of identity and purpose. What do you hope listeners take away from My Apologies To The Chef as an introduction to Winona Fighter?
Winona Fighter:This record is a love letter to punk rock and an ode to the human experience. I hope listeners are able to identify with at least one song on this record and find some comfort in that. I would also love this record to be an outlet for anger, honestly. Society loves to be mental health advocates until it’s any emotion that isn’t sadness or anxiety. Like, it’s SO okay to be angry. Let it all out so you can have a better tomorrow. Who knows what kind of psych bills I’d have if I didn’t have this passion where showing anger is socially acceptable, haha. We just want to create a community of authenticity and realness. We may be the ones on stage or blasting through your speakers, but we are on your level. We are dealing with what you deal with, we are living for the first time too… we are real. That’s the beauty of punk—it’s real.
Frontstage Magazine: Reflecting on the journey to this debut album, how did the partnership with Rise Records support your vision while allowing you to stay true to your DIY roots?
Winona Fighter:Yeah, I mean, first of all, we are extremely lucky to be able to DIY our debut LP in the first place. It’s not every day a label is like, “Oh, you want to self-record and self-produce your debut album in a guest bedroom and garage? Okay, let us know when it’s done!” Rise Records having that type of faith in us completely set the tone and made us believe in what we’re creating THAT much more. They signed us for us. We signed with them for them. It’s a beautiful partnership. They let artists be actual artists. We are so fortunate.
Fotocredit: Lindsey Byrnes
