Written by Brie Dunphy
ALBERTAN PUNKS PROMOTE ACCOUNTABILITY AND HOPE
Calgary’s Quit It! have released their self-titled debut EP this past December. Each song on the record was selected for its timeliness in the world we’re living in at this very moment. Needing music now more than ever as a form of comfort and discomfort to continue the conversation of a better tomorrow facing realities like never before.
Members Tyler Burton, Mikey Blotto, Jordan Barrett, and Spencer Jo Burgess, formerly of folk-punk band River Jacks, joined together to create a new band amid a global pandemic. Shifting gears with a new project, their intention is still the same. “Using lyrics and vocals in a punk rock narrative of critical analysis, accountability, and hope.”
“You know there's always the substance that an artist has in mind when creating or maybe doesn't and finds one later but it's absolutely important to be vocal about issues,” says Burton, who plays bass in the band. “Not just as artists, but as white cis straight males. We really have to step up and show that we’re allies cause if we’re not then we're against. I'm not against stepping up for what you believe in and what you think is right.”
There’s a sickness in the street / And the cops on the beat /Have got a sickness in their hearts / Right from the start - “Let It Burn”
“Let it Burn” the EP’s first track that sets precedent for the tone of the album. It’s a strong social comment on the world we’re living in today. The following track “Barfly” is an inward look at feelings surrounded by the overwhelm of world events. “Pandermobile” is a personal reflection of the social and political consequences of electing the UCP government in Alberta.
“Wakeup Call” wraps the EP up with a big “We better fucking do something about this” bow. The song is described as a “pointed criticism of trickle-down economics, austerity, corporate feudalism, and, ultimately, inequality.” The track features Sarah Heshington of Vancouver’s Alien Boys, making the song subject matter hit even harder, as she is a frontline worker of the opioid epidemic as well as the COVID 19 pandemic.
“I think we’re all trying to find a voice that is honest,” says Burton. “I know a lot of bands say they practice honesty and shit, but being honest to ourselves, holding ourselves accountable making sure that we’re doing what we’re singing. We’re walking the talk and I think the four of us really help each other do that.”