“I think it’s an overwhelming existence that we lead,” ponders Teen Mortgage vocalist/guitarist James Guile. “If you’re unable to get on the internet or deal with technology, you’re left behind in society.”
Reflecting on humanity’s dependence on technology on track S.W.A.S., Teen Mortgage question, ‘The future and the robots own the world / Now, why do I gotta live before I die?’ backed by a barrage of thrashing drums and squealing guitars.
Bringing together punk and surf rock, the Washington D.C. duo (completed by drummer Ed Barkauskas) seamlessly mesh together raunchy riffs and chugging basslines, while welcoming those who can’t stand the situation we have found ourselves in as a society.
“The name Teen Mortgage comes from an art piece featured in Banksy’s Dismaland,” James explains of the band’s roots. “The piece was called Pocket Money Loans, about money lending companies preying upon uneducated people and children, where the advertisements are geared towards children. And so, the next step up from that is a ‘teen mortgage’. Mortgage in Latin: ‘mort’ means death and ‘gage’ means pledge. So, it’s a teen death pledge.
“It’s like, as soon as you turn 18, you have to fight for your right to survive in the world by paying your way, even with shifted goalposts. As we’ve gotten older, they keep shifting goalposts. [The band] is about how absurd it is to survive.”