Chicago punk-driven trio Trash Fiasco on releasing new single "Ma.lin.ger" + upcoming LP, ‘Exist As Instructed’

Written by Matt Keenan

Hailing from Chicago, punk-inspired garage rock trio Trash Fiasco is known to be loud, gritty, and bursting with chaotic energy. The band consists of Lucas Fuechsl on drums, Tyler Sanders on bass, and Frank Bruno on guitar/vocals, and together they have solidified raw rage as a trademark sound of theirs. Trash Fiasco bloomed out of the abyss of the pandemic and continue to develop today as they get ready to release their forthcoming LP, drawing inspiration from artists ranging from Misfits to Rage Against the Machine to Steely Dan.

Best Left’s very own co-founder Matt Keenan had the chance to ask Trash Fiasco some questions about their newest singles “Ma.lin.ger” and “One Bird” off the upcoming LP, Exist As Instructed, releasing on March 20.

Photo Credit: Levi Brook Smith

Best Left Magazine: First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us and congratulations on releasing “Ma.lin.ger,” how are we all feeling about the release of the single as well as your upcoming LP, ‘Exist As Instructed,’ on March 20th? 

Trash Fiasco: Super excited! As an artist you always wonder if your work will be received well, or if you have an inflated sense of how good it is. After the first single off the LP, we felt like the impression was very positive. We're hopeful that “Ma.lin.ger” will build on that.

What were some of your inspirations while writing the tracks that will make up the forthcoming LP, ‘Exist As Instructed’?

Trash Fiasco: Each of us come from a bit of a different place, and those influences come through differently from track to track. For example, “Ma.lin.ger” started off with a Misfits style but quickly included some inspiration from Rage Against the Machine and Jay Reatard. It gets weirder at points in the LP, pulling from bands like Parquet Courts, Steely Dan, IDLES, and Wine Lips. Some are more obvious than others.

What was the recording process like for this project, was it any different than you guys have previously recorded?

Trash Fiasco: It seems the more we do this, the wider our sound becomes. We really believe each song has its own spirit and requirements. So as we recorded, we tried to fill the track with the energy and feel it needed. For example, there's a song on the LP called Rat Brains that's intense, maybe the most intense we've done so far, and we really had to enter that headspace to get the sound right. Meanwhile, tracks like Chimney Smoke needed a completely different approach. It was important to remind ourselves to reset before new takes, eat a burrito, step outside, come back fresh. Especially on vocals. When you're screaming in a 5X5 bathroom for six hours, you have to make sure you stay fresh.

If you could come up with three records that inspired the sound behind ‘Exist As Instructed,’ what would they be?

Trash Fiasco:

• Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party - Wine Lips

• Prison Affair - Demo & Demo 2

• Ken Mode - NULL

How has being a pandemic born band affected your upbringing as a group, has that reflected its way into your upcoming project in any way? 

Trash Fiasco: This is a core piece of what Trash Fiasco is. At the beginning, it was such an advantage to practice so often, for so long, before we even had our first gig. We came out into the world way tighter than we would have otherwise. Lately, we've tried to revert back to what those days felt like as fuel for songwriting, but also to appreciate what we have now. Live shows are so rewarding when you look out and see the faces of people enjoying life. It's even sweeter when you stop and remember how awful life in lockdown was. It's definitely weird though to write songs about suffering, rage, failure and so on, but see people really enjoying them.

What’s the significance of the title of the single, “Ma.lin.ger”? 

Trash Fiasco: Going off of the definition to "exaggerate or feign illness in order to escape duty or work," it's an assessment of the character's situation. The song reads like a harrowing depiction of a person's life spinning out of control. But assigning the title Ma.lin.ger is us saying maybe he's being a bit dramatic. But that's not for us to judge I guess.

Is there anything about the songwriting process that's changed this project from the last one?

Trash Fiasco: It's still very character driven, which is consistent with our other releases. The narration isn't as clean though. Because no one really thinks in clean and concise sentences, right? The noise in our heads is messy and jumbled and dramatic - so we tried to represent the characters in a way they might actually think. Less like a story and more link a window into their brain.

If you could tour with one band who would it be and why? 

Trash Fiasco: Oh Sees. They've been the biggest common influence amongst all of us. John Dwyer's noisyness and spastic approach really influence the way we go about structuring our songs. Opening for them, we'd show enough commonality to share a bill, but definitely have our own style and are comfortable being ourselves. We pour every bit of energy we have into our live shows, so we can at least promise that!

Is there anything you'd like people to take away from this record? A particular message you're trying to send to people listening?

Trash Fiasco: Whatever people relate to and take from the characters, that's their business. But as a broad description, I'd say these characters are balancing grander expectations on how to behave with the immediate effect of their pain. Question external expectations. "Because" is never a good answer.

Obviously we have the album release, but is there anything we can expect on the horizon from Trash Fiasco?

Trash Fiasco: We've been so focused on this album and supporting live shows, we don't have concrete plans for what's next. But we do have more in the works with hopes of sharing it in the near future.

Wait! Don’t go yet! Make sure to check out Trash Fiasco’s new single “Ma.lin.ger” dropping Jan. 17, and keep an eye out for their LP, Exist As Instructed, coming out March 20. In the meantime, listen to their latest single “One Bird” off the upcoming LP.