Imagine you’re introducing BADTERMS to someone at a bar who’s never heard of punk. What would you say in under 30 seconds?
Curt: Agressive, melodic, oi and punk influenced rock’n’roll feels like it sums things up.
Hans: Street Punk Oi band on the rock and roll side of things.
What was the first impulse to start a band? Do you have experience from other projects and what musical styles have you explored?
Curt: The first impulse was when I was kid and bought a bass with money I’d saved. I was fourteen, so a long time ago! Haha. Been playing in bands pretty much my whole life. Punk, rock’n’roll, hard rock, pub rock, power pop are all sounds I’ve explored on recording and with different bands.
Hans: First band at 16 was an Oi band (The Bootboys), tons of punk rock and roll since then. All types of different flavors of aggressive rock and roll I suppose.
Your musical style is a mix of many things to me. Rock’n’roll influenced by punk, Oi!, pub rock. Did you have a vision of exactly how you wanted to sound at the beginning or did you just start playing and gradually your sound evolved into its current form?
Curt: Hans and I had recently done a Euro tour together in ’22 with The Mochines. We came back and over a little time decided we wanted to start working on a new band. Really just a recording project to see what we could come up with. For several years prior I’d started hearing a lot of the newer Oi and skinhead adjacent bands and the energy reminded me of the stuff I loved so much from the mid 70’s and 80’s. I always loved raw and gritty rock n roll and wanted to do something influenced by that earlier sound. I wouldn’t say we knew exactly what was going to come out when we started writing but we did envision a certain vibe and energy.
Hans: I think it was more the latter. Curt and I have shared a lot of similar interests in music over the years. We traded some musical ideas back and forth for this project not knowing where it would lead exactly. I tend to write project focused. I think my writing has evolved to be more focused for this band than in the beginning of things.
Did your local scene influence your decision to start the band or was it more of a personal urge?
Curt: Possibly. I’d been involved in the Boston rock’n’roll scene for quite a while but it had started to feel tired to me. I began going to more and more punk and hardcore shows with younger bands and was inspired by the energy and community more than anything. It felt really fresh and exciting to me. Musically and artistically, the new project was definitely a personal urge. Something had been missing for me personally for a long time in the bands I’d been in. I’d always been solely a guitarist/writer and I had the urge to start singing and writing lyrics. BADTERMS seemed a good time to dive in.
Hans: I would say personal urge in the beginning but it’s always great to see up and coming bands and the energy that generates. There’s so many great Oi bands happening these days!
What does the name „Badterms“ mean to you?
Curt: Hmmmm, literally a name Hans and I picked from a list of possibilities. The more I thought about it though it has taken on a deeper meaning. Realized that most of the positive changes that have occurred in my life have been a result of going through some sort of difficulties beforehand. Sometimes these difficulties led to splits with people I considered good friends. Maybe we came around after time went by, maybe we didn’t. At any rate the „bad terms“ I’ve experienced with people and situations have more often than not ended up leading me towards a better place. Life shit, but also we just thought the name sounded good and looked cool in print.
What bands or records shaped you when you were growing up?
Curt: Damn, too many to list. As a kid, the Who, Stones, Kiss, Bowie, Sabbath, Zeppelin, AC/DC. Then in high school the Jam, Clash, Pistols, Buzzcocks, Ramones, Sham, Two Tone. Oi the Album was a big one, first dose of the Cockney Rejects, 4 Skins, CockSparrer. Loved a bunch of SST stuff like Blag Flag, Minutemen. In my 20’s tons of punk rock’n’roll and protopunk stuff MC5, Stooges, Dolls, Heartbreakers. On and on. I’ve always been like a musical sponge. Always looking for new things to hear.
Hans: Yeah, tough one as there’s so much! All started with Classic rock elements, Beatles, Stones, etc. Early on at like 12-13 I realized everything I was digging was on the aggressive side of things. Decline of Western Civilization soundtrack, quickly into a lot of UK punk bands. Recently I came across some guitar tablature stuff I’d asked a guitar teacher to show me from 84-85. Social Distortion (Mommies Little Monster) GBH (City Baby’s Revenge) TSOL, Circle Jerks, a little early Metallica. Starting to learn punk songs on guitar keep me interested and seemed attainable. Almost everyone was big in Metal at that time including all the guitar teachers!
What are you listening to these days? Any current bands you’d recommend?
Curt: There are so many great new bands and records, its tough to keep up. Recent favorites on the turntable are Street Code, No Heart, Burden, Fuerza Bruta, Shaved for Battle, Poor Impulse Control, Bomber, GAVL, Aresi. Still spin the old shit a lot, Blitz, Last Resort, 4 Skins, Doug and the Slugz, Oxblood, Templars, Sham 69, Business, the Strike. I listen to tons of Rock Steady, Boss, Dub as well. Recently Augustus Pablo and Prince Phillip records on the turntable.
Hans: Claimed Choice, Collaps, NO TIME, Lost Legion, Giuda, Toledo Panic, Knife’s Edge, SIKM, Bullshit Detector, Bomber, Young Ones, Bishops Green to name a few.
What was your first punk or skinhead gig?
Curt: I grew up in LA and there were a lot of back yard party shows in the late 80’s, early 90s so one of those would probably have been my first exposure to any shows like that. Pretty big local scene with some really good, really young bands. First punk/ skinhead/hardcore show at a club was probably at the Anthrax Club in Connecticut in ’88 or so. I have family on the east coast of the US and used to spend summers with them growing up, so I had access to some of that scene as well. Saw some killer shows there like Blast, SNFU, ALL, 76% Uncertain and a bunch of others. More hardcore than Oi but still lots of skins and punks at these gigs.
Hans: Punk-Fear, Circle Jerks, Vandals 1984 Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles Skinhead-Headstrong, Lion’s Pride, Bootboys at Madame Wongs.
At every your record you have a cover. Bands you covered are Eddie and the Hot Rods, Slade and Menace. How this selection represent your musical preferences?
Curt: Just songs that we like and thought that we could do justice to. I enjoy learning and playing covers. Its a way to get inside other bands processes to see how they put things together. Sometimes that can help push you into approaching writing or playing in different ways..
Hans: Love a lot of that late 1970s punk and pub rock music. Was the initial focus/reference point but we’re interested in a lot of other bands and eras as well.
Are there any artists or genres outside of punk and Oi! that influence your sound or lyrics?
Curt: Anything and everything can be a possible influence. Even a jingle or soundtrack. I try to keep an open mind musically even though I’m fiercely focused about what BADTERMS sounds like and what our vibe is.
Hans: Power Pop and Classic Rock, 80’s New Wave are kinda always there. Reggae and Ska as well, although I’m not sure how much influence they have on what I’m doing.
How did you get into punk and/or skinhead subculture personally? Did you have a moment when it really „clicked“ that this is your tribe?
Curt: I came to skinhead the lens of Mod really. I saw Quadrophenia when I was like 12 or 13 and like a bunch of kids in LA in the early 80’s got into the mod revival. Even though for me personally mod never existed as a scene much farther than my friends in high school, the music and the aesthetic left a pretty huge life long impression. I’ve been playing in bands ever since I was a teen and subculture is omnipresent if you’re playing underground music. As a result I was around lots of punks, skins, rudies, mods, new wavers, thrashers etc. I don’t know that there was any specific moment when skinhead clicked for me. I was a mod who hung out with mods AND skins AND punks. As much division as there was between subcultures at that time it really wasn’t an issue with the people I hung around with. After high school I’d spent a good part of the 90’s and early 00’s in the punk rock’n’roll scene. I spent about 6 years or so studying and playing jazz music around ’05 which kinda led me back to my teenage mod sensibility. I rediscovered early reggae around the same time and really rekindled my love for that music. Over time the mod style evolved towards a hardmod / traditional skinhead aesthetic which I ultimately felt in tune with. It’s something that feels like a part of me and makes me feel the most comfortable in my own skin so to speak. So long answer, no, there was not a definitive moment but rather a long cycle/circle.
Hans: Seems like a million years ago but I think it started with my older brother taking me to see my first show (The Plimsouls) at 11 years old, seeing skinheads skanking on stage. Fascinated at this new adult world of underground rock and roll. DJ Rodney on the ROQ playing a lot of great punk bands from all over. I considered myself a punk but started getting a little tired of some of the political BS and the mold you needed to fit into at the time. Listening to the 4 Skins, Angelic Upstarts, Sham 69 and a lot of those English bands just seemed more straightforward and up my alley, along with the fashion. Things quickly clicked and I found myself playing guitar in an Oi band.
Do you consider yourself more punks, skins, or is that distinction not important to you?
Curt: Within the band there are skins, punks and herberts! Maybe some of us are all at the same time hahah! As a band I don’t think that the distinction is very important. Lots of skins and punks as well as normies seem to enjoy what we do and that’s cool with me.
Hans: Back in the old days I thought those distinctions in identity held more importance. Lot’s of fights took place between these groups. These days I don’t think it’s as important to distinguish. I see a lot of blending of music, art, etc. Much more camaraderie than in the past. Overall, a good thing but maybe less exciting.
How has being involved in the scene shaped your values or lifestyle over the years? What aspects of the subculture are most important for you—music, fashion, ethics, community?
For me all those aspects of skinhead; music, aesthetics, style, ethics, community are all of equal importance.
Hans: I feel like I’ve been involved in alternative cultures for so long it’s sort of intertwined in one’s life. I guess the importance and activity levels sort of fluctuate over the years but it’s always there for me.
When I started punk, one of the first bands I really liked was Dropkick Murphys from Boston. Over time, Boston started to symbolize hardcore bands like SSD, Negative FX, Blood for Blood, Slapshot or Have Heart for me. How do you feel about these bands and which bands from Boston inspired you?
Curt: I grew up in Los Angeles so in some ways I’ve felt like an outsider here in Boston. I’ve been here for 20 years now but there are aspects too life here hat I never experienced, so at times it can be difficult to relate. Some of the formative bands for people here in Boston didn’t resonated much with me because the music is really pretty Boston centric. That said I do like a lot of that music but it just wasn’t at the forefront of what I was listening to or seeing at shows. I probably have been more influenced by the early punk rock stuff from Boston like the Real Kids, Nervous Eaters, Unnatural Axe. I do dig some of the early hardcore stuff like Jerry’s Kids, SSD, GangGreen, FUs.
Hans: I liked the Freeze and Gangreen out of Boston. Dropkick we’re pretty refreshing when they first came on the scene. Sort of lost touch with them over the years but they were excellent at one of the more recent Punk Rock Bowling. I saw SSD in 85 and they were basically a metal act at that point.
Boston has a rich history of both punk and hardcore. Do you feel connected to that tradition? What are the best and worst things about the Boston scene today?
I’ve been a guitar repair tech for about 25 years now so many of the people I know with the music scenes here are a result of having met people through my business. BADTERMS has gotten a really great response though here and I like to think that we a have connection to the tradition here.
How do you think American punk and hardcore shaped the subculture differently than in Europe?
Curt: Well, skinhead in US historically has its roots more in hardcore and punk than say soul, reggae music or even first wave Oi than in the UK. The aesthetic is different and more stripped down and I think the experiential references are different. Even the traditional concepts of working class in the US are different in regards to the employment and career opportunities individuals may or may not have had compared to the UK and Europe.
Is it harder to keep subcultures alive in the U.S. compared to Europe?
Curt: I don’t really have a frame of reference for what its like in Europe. What I see here in the states is a pretty vibrant scene if you are willing/able to travel a bit. There seems to be no shortage of bands and shows happening on a national level. Locally at times, shows/ events can be sporadic but when they happen there is usually good support. Social media for all its flaws has made it easier to stay in touch with friends in other cities and countries and that aspect of it certainly feels like a positive.
What topics do you usually write about in your lyrics? Are your lyrics based on personal experience or are they more storytelling?
Curt: My lyrics are pretty much based on life experiences, observations, and frustrations. Occasionally I dig into a bit of storytelling. I have no set rule as to how I approach a tune lyrically other than to find a good hook.
How important is it for you to stay independent, both musically and ideologically?
Curt: Independent as opposed to working for „the man“? I mean, I’m a self employed guitar tech and BADTERMS puts out records on small independent labels. I’d say that its pretty important. That said, we all live in a society that is rapidly squashing small enterprise and it can be challenging to live and make consumer choices without succumbing to that by some degree I think. I just try to do the best I can.
You did three records, all of them with perfect artwork. You cooperated with Cuero Negro, Ramon from RGD Art or with Malwina from Old School Design. For me artwork is important part of the record, I always appreciate lyric sheet and you can see on the artwork how band is thinking. How much is artwork of the records important for you and how big difference do you think it is making to hear music on the streaming platform or holding the record physically in your hands?
Streaming and downloading is just kind of where we’re at in society but for me nothing replaces reading a lyric sheet or looking at sleeve artwork with a vinyl record on the turntable.
Do you approach artwork and visual identity as part of your message, or do you leave it to artists completely?
Curt: We’ve had a bit of input with the artwork on our releases but I’m more a fan of letting the artist run with their own idea based on our music. So far its been a bit collaborative but I’m totally open to artists interpretations of what we’re doing.
Do you consider the visual style as part of punk/skinhead tradition?
Curt: Absolutely but not just punk/skinhead records. I love all kinds of music and there’s a lot of album artwork that is my all time favorite art period! I’d say its probably my favorite medium.
started to release their records on a European label?
Curt: We released our first ep on BandCamp in November of ’23. I had also sent the songs to Christian at Lionhearted because I am a fan of the label and his approach to releases. He liked the tunes and agreed to release the EP. We’ve done two other releases with him since. LionHeart has helped us tremendously.
Do you feel that working with a European label helped you reach a wider audience?
Curt: Well it helped us reach an audience, period! Haha. We had very little audience before that.
You are preparing record „Panic age“ in cooperation with TKO records. Could you tell us something about that record? I’m curious about the content, both music and artwork.
Curt: Panic Age is a 10 song LP collection of previously released tunes from the LionHeart Records. Mark at TKO was really into doing a domestic release with us since up until now our vinyl has only been available through mail order from Germany. People have asked us since pretty early on when we were going to have a US release. We’re excited for the music to be easily accessible here in the states and really excited working with TKO. The artwork really just references some of the lyrics about „screaming at the wall“. The total package looks really killer and I can’t wait to get it into people’s hands.
As a band, is it important for you to play to a subcultural audience or do you just want to play rock’n’roll to a wider audience and see who finds their way to you?
Curt: It’s absolutely important to me to play to a subcultural audience. That audience have been our strongest supporters and we love being a part of such a solid scene. The camaraderie between the people at shows, the bands, promoters, artists is a pretty special thing and I don’t take that aspect or granted. I love that we’re a part of a bigger whole so to speak. That said, I invite anyone outside of any particular scene to dig in and enjoy our music if it speaks to them. Maybe through us, they might discover other bands within the subculture that they might not be aware of.
What’s the best show you’ve played so far and what made it special?
Curt: We’ve had quite a few really great shows. We’re very fortunate actually to have been included on some great bills. I think my personal favorite so far has been playing Montreal Oi Fest. It was just a fantastic weekend and a great opportunity to play to new people as well as meet and watch some of my favorite bands play.
Do you prefer small, sweaty club gigs or big open-air festivals?
Curt: I’m more a dirty rock’n’roll club kind of guy!
What does your typical audience look like? Punks, skins, normies?
Curt: All of the above! Nothing typical so far.
You are going on a European tour soon. 8 concerts await you in Germany, Austria, Belgium and Catalonia, all culminating at the legendary Beach Beer Chaos festival. How are you looking forward to Europe, what are your expectations and how do you see the difference between the USA and Europe? I mean the subcultural difference and the difference in lifestyle?
Curt: This will be my 6th European tour over the years so I have a pretty fair idea of what to expect. I love traveling and especially love being in Europe so I’m very excited for all the shows. It will be my first time at Beach Beer Chaos and I’m super stoked that BADTERMS is on the festival. Can’t wait for that and all the shows really!
Any cities or venues you’re especially excited to visit?
Curt: I’ve never been to Vienna or Antwerp so I’m excited to visit this cities.
How did the tour come together and how hard is it for a DIY band to organize a European tour?
Curt: We played with Collaps for a few shows last fall when they came to the states. Schnabel the bass player works at City Rat Booking so we made a connection there. We got invited to play BBC and so I reached out to Stephan at City Rat to see if they’d be interested in booking some shows around that date for us. Thankfully they agreed and here we are!
Will there be any exclusive merch or surprises during the tour?
Curt: Jan at Subculture Beat has printed up some really cool tour versions of our shirt designs and there’s a new one as well.
What’s been the most rewarding moment for you as a band so far?
Curt: Really just being acknowledged by our peers and bands that I personally love. Honestly I’m totally honored anytime someone plays our music, mentions liking the band, or comes to our shows to see us. It’s everything.
Do you think there’s a future for punk and skinhead culture in the next 10–20 years?
Curt: Skinhead and punk both have endured for a very long time. Lots of ups and downs and bumps and bruises along the way, like most of us, but the scene feels very strong these days. Would be good to see more younger people getting involved but that is absolutely happening as well. As long as there are people who enjoy and respect the history while striving to look ahead and make their own mark I see a strong future for the scene.
The final word is up to you. Is there anything you want to say that I didn’t ask? Your turn.
Curt: Thanks for your interest and thanks for your work and contribution with Tighten Up. Your work matters, is appreciated and does not go unnoticed. Cheers man!
2000 Tons 7″ (Lionheart Records, 2025)
Live: Low End Living/Neutron Sean
