We all have a unique exposure to punk and Oi! Whether it be from finding a random Ramones song on a compilation CD, through family history, or through skateboarding… we all fell in love with it and ended up in the same place.

What was the first Oi! or punk show you ever went to? What was the Canadian scene like back when you were getting into it?

 

Back in the 90s, the Canadian scene was much smaller, so for us in Windsor, we’d go to a lot of shows in Detroit, which is right across the river from us. The Lager Lads were a Windsor Oi! band in the 90s and were instrumental to the scene here but played in Detroit as well. There was also a lot of hardcore bands that we grew up with and there’s a definite interconnection there.

Was Oi! more about the music for you, or more about the lifestyle and attitude? What grabbed you the most back then — the melodies, the lyrics, or just that raw skinhead feeling?

 

Oi! has always been about all of it – the music, the lifestyle and the attitude. They all go hand in hand. What has always been appealing about playing Oi! is that its accessible to anyone who wants to do it. There is no place for egos and no place for elitism. It’s working-class music for working-class people.

Which bands were your biggest inspirations in the beginning? And which old ones still remain your „untouchable foundation“?

 

We all have varying inspirations, whether it be Oi! bands like Cock Sparrer, The Oppressed and The Business, or Motorhead, The Clash, AC/DC and Suicidal Tendencies. We all have bands that have shaped us over the years.

Do you feel there’s a difference between how people understand Oi! today and how it was ten or fifteen years ago?

 

There is definitely a difference in both style and music of Oi! music today compared to a decade ago. Everything changes. It would be boring if it stayed exactly the same. The internet made the scene better in some ways by making it easier to connect with other bands, organize tours with promoters, and share music, but it also created a lot of „internet skins“ who don’t fully understand our history and exist solely in the virtual realm.

 

How would you describe the Canadian Oi! scene to someone from Europe who doesn’t know much about it?

 

Canada is a massive country geographically but sparsely populated. We’re lucky to live in southern Ontario where there are shorter distances between major cities, but in other parts of the country, you can drive for 10+ hours and still not be in the next major city. That makes touring very difficult, but it also creates cultural pockets for different scenes across the country. Montreal is the epicenter of Oi! in Canada, without question, but you see places like Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and our city of Windsor with their own scenes and histories.

 

Do you think Canada has a specific sound or approach to Oi! punk?

 

I think Canada has a different sound which is a mix of other styles. Our proximity to the US lends a lot more of the hardcore-punk elements and attitudes, but I think there’s also a lot more traditional Oi! sounding bands here as well. You get a mix of everything.

How big is the scene compared to the USA or Europe?

 

The scene is smaller, but that has a lot to do with geographical restrictions making it difficult to travel across Canada to get to shows, as well as a smaller population size compared to the US or countries in Europe. The European scene is incredible and having so many amazing cities and countries so close together makes it easier for bands to tour and supporters to see a show.

Which Canadian bands do you think deserve more attention?

There’s a lot of amazing Canadian bands that deserve attention: Street Code, First Attack, The Prowlers, The Enforcers, The Buzzers, Toy Tiger, No Heart, Ain’t Right, Beton Arme, La Gachette, Hundred Proof, Cult Crimes, Psychic Void, Pure Impact, etc. The latest New Noise From The North compilation put out by Last Years Youth and Rebellion is an all-Canadian Oi! comp that really highlights just how good our scene is right now.

Do you see a new generation of young bands emerging in the Canadian scene?

 

There are a lot of new bands coming up. The F-Bombs in Toronto are a younger band and showing a lot of heart. Same with Convikt from Niagara Falls who we played with a couple months ago. It’s always amazing to see the next generation coming up.

What has your experience been like with audiences in different cities — like Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver?

 

Montreal will always turn out for shows. They truly are the biggest and best scene in Canada, but we’ve had great shows other cities as well. Toronto is like a second home to us, and we have just played there twice; once in July with The Templars and once last week with Pist ‚N‘ Broke. Like anywhere, the experience with audiences in different cities largely depends on what other shows are happening that night, how well your show was promoted, and who the other bands are on the bill. No two shows are the same and even shows that don’t have a great turnout can be some of the most memorable nights with the right people.

Are there any typical differences between the Anglophone and Francophone parts of the Canadian scene?

 

Aside from the language differences, no there aren’t really too many differences between the scenes. The similarities in the scene transcend language.

 

How do you see the connection between the Oi! and hardcore/punk scenes in Canada? Are they close, or do they stay separate?

There’s a lot of overlap, especially in our city where we often play shows with hardcore or punk bands. There are more bands that play hardcore or punk music than those who play Oi! music, so if we didn’t overlap and support each other, each scene would be weaker. Special shout out to our homie Nate and his band Hell Is Other People.

Does the Canadian scene have its own zines, labels, or key figures that hold it together? When someone says „Canadian Oi! scene,“ what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?

Last Years Youth is a zine that’s been running since 2020 and is probably the largest subculture zine we have in Canada right now. Canada has some great labels like Insurgence records who we’ve worked with since the beginning. There are lots of people that help make the scene what it is. You have Mike Longshot who plays in bands like The Buzzers and No Heart and also runs the record label Longshot Music, you have guys like Brian and Shane that Knockout, a killer reggae/ska/soul DJ night in Toronto, and guys like Sylvain from The Prowlers who’s not only in one of the best and longest running Oi! bands to come out of Canada, but also helps organize the Montreal Oi! Fest. When someone brings up the Canadian Oi! scene, I think that festival would be top of the list.

How difficult is it for Canadian Oi! bands to get a vinyl release or go on tour outside of Canada?

I don’t think it’s overly difficult for any band to get a vinyl release, whether they put it out themselves or find a label to release it for them. Touring outside Canada can be difficult, depending on where you want to tour… The US has very strict laws that require musicians to have working visas, while travelling to Europe can be more expensive for flights, but generally is easier logistically to organize shows and has less driving time between cities.

How would you describe the scene in Windsor — what’s the atmosphere like there?

 

Windsor is a smaller city at the bottom of our province of Ontario. It’s on the border with Detroit, Michigan in the US, but it is far from anywhere else in the province or country. This makes our scene unique because we are very self-sustaining. While other larger cities might draw people from nearby to come to shows, we rely on ourselves, and we do it well. Our scene is often a mix of all genres of music, and we all support each other to keep our scene alive. Even though we are so close to Detroit, we don’t get a lot of people that cross the border to come to shows here.

Is there an active punk and Oi! community in your area, or is it more a few individuals doing their own thing?

 

There is an active punk and Oi! community, but it’s smaller because of the size of our city.

You’re geographically close to Detroit. How much has that proximity to the US influenced you — in sound or attitude? How does it affect your local scene and shows?

 

It hasn’t influenced our sound, but Detroit has a strong history in the hardcore and punk scenes, and I think some of that has affected our scene. Detroit shows never really impact our scene and it’s rare for people from Detroit to come to shows in Windsor, despite our proximity. Our guitarist Matt is from the Detroit area originally but has lived in Windsor for 22 years. Recently we got to play with the legendary Suicide Machines in a small venue in London, Ontario which was a great experience.

Do you feel more part of the Canadian scene, or are you more drawn across the river to Detroit?

 

As a band, I think we associate more with the Canadian scene, but on individual levels its more mixed. We have a lot of family and friends from the US, so it would be impossible to not feel a shared connection on some level.

Is there any kind of rivalry between regions in Canada, or do people mostly support each other?

 

People and scenes across the country are generally very supportive of each other. You have rivalries between cities like Toronto and Montreal, but that extends more to a history between cities and hockey teams than it does to an actual rivalry between scenes.

Which city do you think is currently leading the Canadian Oi! scene?

 

Montreal. No question about it.

What are the shows like in your city — small clubs with a few dozen people, or bigger events?

 

Shows in Windsor are usually smaller in scale because a lot of the mid-sized venues closed. We will usually get between 80-100 people out to our shows here.

 

Is it hard to travel and organize shows between cities in Canada, since they’re so far apart? Which recent show or event totally blew you away?

 

Travel in Canada is very hard for bands. From Windsor to Toronto, which is the next major city, it is 4 hours to drive. For us to drive from Windsor to Montreal, it is 10 hours. We don’t have the same kind of rail system that Europe has, and flights are too expensive without cheap budget options. As we’ve mentioned already, Montreal Oi! Fest is always amazing but shout out to Brian in Toronto for putting together shows there and helping to boost their scene.

Do you collaborate with other bands or promoters across the country?

 

Yes of course. Our first release was a split 7″ with a band called Streetlight Saints out of Calgary, we’ve done a few compilation records that have other Canadian bands on it, and we’ve worked with promoters in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Chatham, London, Toronto, Hamilton, Montreal and probably some other cities I’m forgetting.

How does your music usually come together — spontaneously in the rehearsal room, or over beers with a pile of half-finished ideas?

 

It’s a mix of both of these processes. Mike will write and send demos to the guys, get feedback, rework some stuff, add lyrics, etc. Sometimes we come to rehearsal with ideas and work them out on the spot. A lot of our first songs were written by Curtis and I over a case of beer and bottle of Jameson. There’s no single formula we use, but rather just whatever occurs naturally.

What usually comes first in your songwriting — the lyrics or the riff?

 

We all differ in this process. Again, there not a single formula we use.

Do you all share similar musical tastes, or are there different influences within the band? Maybe someone pushes for more melody while another leans toward a rougher street sound?

 

There definitely are different musical tastes and influences among us. I think we’ve always worked well together to develop a cohesive sound. Of course, some songs might be more melodic and some tougher than others, and our sound has evolved over the years, but we’ve always worked well together in the songwriting process.

Where do you draw lyrical inspiration from — work, the streets, politics, or just Friday-night emotions?

 

We draw lyrical inspiration from anything and everything. It could be what happened on a late-night walk home, or what we see happening around us in our community. There’s a lot of half written lyrics or even just phrases that eventually get worked into a completed song.

Do you have a song that came together by accident and ended up being a fan favorite?

 

There are a few songs that came together unintentionally. About 10 years ago, Shane Knapp who was a friend of ours died tragically. He had a band called Bic’d that Matt played guitar in for the one show they did. One of the songs that Shane wrote was called For The Boys, and we started playing it as a tribute to him and all our fallen brothers and sisters. It’s been in our set for about 7 years now and is the song we finish with every time. The song No Spirit is a song that was written by Matt originally for a band he played in prior to joining Reckless Upstarts. He wrote new lyrics, and we reworked the structure for it and turned it into what it is today. He quit that band for a serious reason, but you can read the lyrics to that song if you want to know more about it.

What does Oi! personally mean to you today?

 

Oi! is about the music, it’s about the attitude and skinhead lifestyle, it’s about the bonds of friendship and family, having a laugh, and looking out for others who need it. Oi! is the music of the working class and it’s about telling your story.

Do you think being a skinhead or punk in Canada carries a different meaning than it does in Europe? Have you toured Europe — how did you find the scene there?

There are some differences for sure. For example, in Canada it’s rare to find bars with skinhead flags and scarves like you might in cities like Hamburg with the Jolly Roger. The one true exception is Yer Mad in Montreal, but as we’ve said, Montreal is something special. For a lot of people in Canada, and even in our own city, the word „skinhead“ is still seen as something negative because of the misconception over our history. We’ve toured Europe 3 times and are heading back next week for our 4^th tour (we’ll be in Prague on October 25 at Eternia and Hradec Kralove on October 26 at Bajkazyl). We love touring in Europe. The scenes are always amazing no matter where we go, the people are incredible and hospitable, and the history and culture is unmatched.

Do you think Oi! still has something to say to the younger generation? Do you feel it’s still underground in Canada, or has it started breaking out a bit?

Oi! is definitely still underground. I think it always will be. You have bands that break out and get some attention, but it’s not as common. Some larger punk bands like Rancid or Dropkick Murphys will reference skinheads or have songs that have Oi! influences, but it’s still underground for the most part. Oi! will always have something to say. It’s the gritty reality check that we need to keep the scene real.

Is community important to you, or is it more about the music itself?

 

Community is very important. You need likeminded people to build a scene and keep it alive. The music dies without it. In Windsor, community and scene are one and the same, even when some promoters try to skim from bands because they refuse to get jobs outside of „promoting“.

If Oi! is to have a future — what should the scene look like to keep its spirit and toughness alive?

 

The scene needs to be willing to grow and evolve if it wants a future. You can keep the traditions, style, spirit and toughness, but if we aren’t willing to change with the new generation, the scene will die.

How do you see subcultures today, when everyone has a thousand outfits but no attitude?

 

Fashion and style have always been a part of the skinhead subculture, but there are too many people cosplaying as skinheads these days. Just because you bought a pair of Solovair and wear braces, it doesn’t mean you’re a skinhead. Stop taking pictures of yourself and go out and get involved with your local scene.

How would you like people in Canada and beyond to remember your band? What can we look forward to — a new record, a tour, or at least another excuse to grab a beer together?

 

I think we’d be remembered as the band that is approachable at shows and will share a pint or two, but also not afraid to get stuck in if shit kicks off. We’ve got our European tour kicking off this week in Vienna on October 24 at Arena, and we’re writing new material for a new full length.

The last word is yours — is there anything I didn’t ask that you’d like to say or add?

 

Go to a show, start a band, take pictures, pick up a shirt or record, and buy us a drink. Thanks for the interview! Cheers!

Discography:

Rose City Cantos EP (Borders City Records, 2017)
Split with Streetlight Saints EP (Insurgence Records, 2018)
Glory EP (Insurgence Records, Contra Records, 2019)
No Spirit EP (LSM Vinyl, 2020)
Still Standing: The Early Years CD (Insurgence Records, 2022)
We Walk Alone LP (Tough Ain’t Records, LSM Records, Insurgence Records, 2023)
Split with Red Bricks / The Uncouth / An Slua – Intercontinental Oi! LP (Smith & Miller Records, Insurgence Records, 2024)

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recklessupstarts/
Bandcamp: https://recklessupstarts.bandcamp.com/music