March 27, 2024 • 38 mins
WISCONSIN MUSIC PODCAST
WMP Linktree: https://linktr.ee/WI_Music_Podcast
AMPLFYING WISCONSIN MUSIC
Nuke Plant Chickens
https://linktr.ee/nukeplantchickens
EPISODE 140
Welcome to a stirring episode of the Wisconsin Music Podcast featuring the distinct sounds of Kenosha-based band, Nuke Plant Chickens. Born in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown, these young music enthusiasts have grown into a seasoned band with a powerful synthesis of various music genres, offering a unique, homegrown energy with every performance.
The diverse group shares their exceptional journey, discussing their music inspirations, from King Gizzard and his Lizard Wizards to Black Sabbath. They reveal their band philosophy, revolving around enjoyment rather than strict professionalism, and the exploration of a wide variety music genres.
They delve into the challenges and triumphs of forging a path in the bustling music scenes of Chicago and Milwaukee. Get a peek into the band’s DIY recording process: a journey centered on raw, authentic music creation and problem-solving equipment issues, song selection, and balancing gig schedules.
Nukeplant Chickens not only discuss the release of their four finished singles, but also offer a glimpse into the stories imbedded in their music. They candidly share their experiences of attending influential performances and their appreciation of their supportive community. Above all, they light the beacon on their ambitious future plans.
We invite fans, fellow musicians, or those simply curious about the eclectic music scene to immerse themselves in this compelling episode. Join us as we reveal all this and more about Nuke Plant Chickens, the band that’s lighting up Wisconsin's music scene.
------------------------------------------
Transcript
1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,600 Music.
2 00:00:11,994 --> 00:00:14,654 Ladies and gentlemen, music enthusiasts and podcast listeners,
3 00:00:14,754 --> 00:00:18,314 welcome to A Sonic Journey Like No Other on the Wisconsin Music Podcast.
4 00:00:18,554 --> 00:00:22,194 I'm your host, Zach Fell, and we're here to amplify Wisconsin music.
5 00:00:22,294 --> 00:00:26,254 In this episode, we're diving into the eclectic and electrifying world of Nukeplant
6 00:00:26,254 --> 00:00:29,694 Chickens, a band hailing from the charming town of Kenosha, Wisconsin.
7 00:00:30,214 --> 00:00:34,574 Prizing a remarkable ensemble of talent, Nukeplant Chicken weaves a mesmerizing
8 00:00:34,574 --> 00:00:39,094 tapestry of sound, leaving no genre untouched. Get ready to immerse yourself
9 00:00:39,094 --> 00:00:42,834 in the music of Newt Plant Chickens, where every note is an adventure,
10 00:00:43,054 --> 00:00:44,214 every rhythm is a heartbeat.
11 00:00:44,394 --> 00:00:48,374 Join us in exploring the sonic landscapes crafted by this extraordinary band
12 00:00:48,374 --> 00:00:53,414 as we unravel their musical journey in this special podcast episode on the Wisconsin Music Podcast.
13 00:00:53,794 --> 00:00:56,554 Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining me here on the podcast.
14 00:00:57,214 --> 00:01:04,994 Thank you. So why don't we get a quick synopsis of each one of your music origins story.
15 00:01:05,014 --> 00:01:07,734 How did you get started? it i'm jeff i'm the
16 00:01:07,734 --> 00:01:11,014 singer and i i started
17 00:01:11,014 --> 00:01:13,794 taking piano lessons when i was seven and i'm
18 00:01:13,794 --> 00:01:17,534 23 now so that's 16 years ago and
19 00:01:17,534 --> 00:01:24,534 yeah i i can't remember why i started doing piano lessons but yeah okay i really
20 00:01:24,534 --> 00:01:33,094 liked guitar hero as a 12 year old so who are you oh my name is uh my name is
21 00:01:33,094 --> 00:01:35,054 ethan i'm I'm a guitar player sometimes.
22 00:01:35,494 --> 00:01:39,854 Awesome. Yeah, I really liked playing Guitar Hero, and that stuff is,
23 00:01:39,894 --> 00:01:44,414 like, the first stuff I learned, so that's a working story there.
24 00:01:45,214 --> 00:01:52,094 Cool. My name is Chloe. I started on bass in middle school, actually.
25 00:01:52,134 --> 00:01:53,914 My dad convinced me to play.
26 00:01:54,014 --> 00:01:57,594 He would show me Talking Heads footage,
27 00:01:57,754 --> 00:02:03,494 and Tina Weymouth basically played for Tango, to, which I'm happy about it,
28 00:02:03,534 --> 00:02:08,354 but I started on bass and then I started guitar after bass and that would have
29 00:02:08,354 --> 00:02:09,674 been also middle school.
30 00:02:10,234 -->
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Music.
(00:11):
Ladies and gentlemen, music enthusiasts and podcast listeners,
welcome to A Sonic Journey Like No Other on the Wisconsin Music Podcast.
I'm your host, Zach Fell, and we're here to amplify Wisconsin music.
In this episode, we're diving into the eclectic and electrifying world of Nukeplant
Chickens, a band hailing from the charming town of Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Prizing a remarkable ensemble of talent, Nukeplant Chicken weaves a mesmerizing
(00:34):
tapestry of sound, leaving no genre untouched. Get ready to immerse yourself
in the music of Newt Plant Chickens, where every note is an adventure,
every rhythm is a heartbeat.
Join us in exploring the sonic landscapes crafted by this extraordinary band
as we unravel their musical journey in this special podcast episode on the Wisconsin Music Podcast.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining me here on the podcast.
(00:57):
Thank you. So why don't we get a quick synopsis of each one of your music origins story.
How did you get started? it i'm jeff i'm the
singer and i i started
taking piano lessons when i was seven and i'm
23 now so that's 16 years ago and
(01:17):
yeah i i can't remember why i started doing piano lessons but yeah okay i really
liked guitar hero as a 12 year old so who are you oh my name is uh my name is
ethan i'm I'm a guitar player sometimes.
Awesome. Yeah, I really liked playing Guitar Hero, and that stuff is,
(01:39):
like, the first stuff I learned, so that's a working story there.
Cool. My name is Chloe. I started on bass in middle school, actually.
My dad convinced me to play.
He would show me Talking Heads footage,
and Tina Weymouth basically played for Tango, to, which I'm happy about it,
(02:03):
but I started on bass and then I started guitar after bass and that would have
been also middle school.
And then recently, you know, drums and all of that, but like I play guitar in this group.
But yeah, I've just been playing forever since middle school.
And my dad wanted me to. Cool. Very cool.
(02:25):
Max, I play the drums. And for my fourth birthday, I got a drum set.
I don't know why I didn't ask.
But yeah, I've been playing ever since. I was happy about that.
It's never stopped. Yeah.
Camera. Sorry. Eight. Fourth or fifth grade. when I played trumpet for Mrs.
(02:48):
Ripley in the KUSD school.
Shout out to Mrs. Ripley. Yeah, shout out to Mrs. Ripley. Hi.
You all basically started at a young age and grew through music and decided
on the instruments you're playing in this group.
So what is kind of like your philosophy as a group?
(03:10):
What's your goals? And what makes you guys become this group of musicians and
going out on stage and playing these types of songs that you play?
Well, I'll say whatever sounds good.
Whatever sounds good. Sounds good. Get it to sound better. I don't know.
At least that's my philosophy.
I think we all love being able to have fun. Yeah. Goof around,
(03:33):
you know, whatever feels right, I guess. A lot of goofing around on stage.
Yeah, it's a lot. We're not very professional. No, which is what's good about
it. Which is why, I mean, that's why I did it. You know what I mean? If I'm being real.
If we were going anywhere, Chloe would not be here. Absolutely not.
So, yeah. Just enjoy it. You know, it's not taking things too serious.
(03:59):
You know, that whole thing. Because it's not that serious. Make sure everyone is granted.
Oh absolutely yeah yeah like these guys they're all my brothers and
then so much as far as
philosophies we actually have on the wall a list
though that i wrote a few years ago called the
(04:20):
jam commandments and the the number one rule the
most important rule of the jam commandments no assholes
so that's maybe the philosophy gotcha excellent
so what kind of groups out there would you
say inspire what you guys do well i
mean the biggest one i'd say the one collective is
king gizzard yeah and the lizard wizard okay and
(04:43):
why is it why is that have you
heard them brother come on yeah but
there's listeners out there that haven't so probably helps them kind of grab
an idea of what you're you're about they've done it all and they'll continue
to do more and that's what keeps me i'm not limited to one genre the variety
(05:06):
yeah yeah and it doesn't matter how many albums they release they'll all be good.
Okay cool well it's good that you know to
have that kind of inspiration in your life to be able to have something that
you can kind of follow and go these are the kind of people that we like to you
know follow in their footsteps basically right and always like individual people
(05:28):
we all have different things which is why it's hard to find collective yeah like I,
don't I'm not into like King Giz like all of these guys are I will say I'm not a nerd but,
yeah I'm not you know I have a much more I mean not that King Giz we're all
into OC's yeah we do like OC's OC's are great.
(05:53):
Ween to ween to the stone age Okay.
Well, it's like Black Sabbath, but that's like in a different way.
Pink Floyd, we all really like.
Dice Fits, even though that's in a different realm. They're like my favorite band of all time.
Dice Fits. Everyone looks like Chippewa. Them Crooked Vultures, too. Yeah.
(06:13):
Awesome. So it's an eclectic collection of individuals plus what you all are
together enjoying at the same time, which is what creates the difference of
what you are from other type of bands out there.
So what made you guys decide to have horn players in your shows as well we knew them.
(06:37):
They were they were our friends maddie was the first
and she was just a she was a a friend of
mine from a long time ago i met her through a band
that i used to be in and uh she just
kind of stuck around and jammed with us and yeah yeah yeah and when she when
she was out of town we had a couple more shows so we asked Finn to play in Kirstead
(07:02):
who's basically family with us. Like literally.
Yeah. So when you guys do a live show are they with you all the time or just for special shows?
Whenever they can. Whenever they can. Okay, cool. How long have you guys been together as a group?
As the five piece with everybody in here right now since February February,
(07:25):
March, it would have been after the live stream.
There's like other stuff that goes way back. Yeah. Like I'm the last to join and I.
Okay. So why don't you give the listeners like a little bit of the history of
how this group grew and became what it is today?
Our show. Our very first. We got to go back to the jam. Yeah.
(07:47):
First of jam. Yeah. Oh, yeah. The COVID jams.
That's where it started was COVID. Okay. it
was a pandemic and we were all bored and the
old band that i was in i got kicked out
of because i'm a i'm a bad guy and i needed a new band and well we we also can't
(08:08):
forget that max ethan and cameron yeah we're in a band together a metal band
starting in 2020 yeah 2021 21,
24, 2020. Okay.
Well, me, Cam, and Jeff are all blood related. So that's how far in the back of that goes.
(08:29):
And the first glimpse of the new plant chickens, I guess you could say,
was my and Max's first band. It was called Floodplain.
And we started playing together in November of 2019 or something like that. Wow.
Yeah, COVID hit, and we got bored and started jamming with a bunch of other people. So I don't know.
(08:55):
We kind of just grabbed anyone we could and brought them in the basement.
Just played for hours. I mean, I think we... How big was the biggest one?
The biggest jam that we were... I don't know if you were at the biggest jam.
I think I was. It was the one. It was David, Logan.
That one was pretty big, but we had another one out. we
(09:16):
had these jams of like the most was probably
like 13 or 14 people in the room and like at like many many guitars sometimes
two drum kits yeah and i think one time we had two basses hooked up and everybody
else was like either playing wind instruments or like rapping or vocals yeah.
(09:37):
And we would just i mean we would go from like 7
p.m to mid yeah let's play and then
this was we the people in the band are just
the people that remained from those jams gotcha
wanted to keep playing because everybody else kind of has a life or
moved on right right okay so this
is what kind of glued you guys together was this jam and you guys met each other
(10:00):
i mean you said three of you are blood related but then you guys kind of became
friends and kind of created this this group that you are so where did the name
come from it's a simple story that i could draw out a lot but But basically, I worked at a beach,
the Illinois State Beach in Zion,
which is just down the road from Kenosha.
(10:20):
And my boss was a very nice man, very funny guy, but he was not the most educated man.
Okay. And at the beach, there were some sandhill cranes that were,
you know, they hung around the water.
And he didn't know they were sandhill cranes, though, because he didn't know
(10:41):
anything about birds. And.
Right next to the beach as well, weird detail, but it's true.
Right next to the beach is a defunct nuclear power plant.
Anyways, all these elements coming together. On my first day of work at the
beach, my boss pointed to some sandhill cranes,
and he said, guests and visitors ask me all the time what those birds are called,
(11:07):
but I don't know what they're called.
So I tell them that they are chickens who wandered too close to the nuke plant.
And the light bulb light bulb just went off there you go there you go awesome,
producers and beat makers of milwaukee it is time for the
2024 big beat mke beat battle tournament taking
(11:28):
place at the jackalope lounge at the wicked hop in milwaukee's third
ward on thursday nights between april 25th and june
13th producers are going to go head to head in
three one minute rounds to determine who is going to move on
to the next round of the tournament with some amazing prizes
from some great sponsors don't forget that you
can submit your beats today at breaking and entering.net through march
(11:49):
31st so when
you guys perform out live what's the reaction from
from the audience most of
it most of them are friends so far so it's people who who even if we played
i hope i hope we play good but people who if even if we played bad they'd be
(12:11):
they still oh it's a great job at least not me I haven't gotten a lot of,
people coming up to me who just didn't know how to I saw some people at the
last show some strangers who were people I didn't know who were filming.
That feels nice like a stranger who doesn't
(12:34):
know us wants to look back at us later
people want us to play rooster every single
time every single time drunk people
want us to play rooster that's a good reaction i feel like
we spark a lot of curiosity people don't
really know what what's gonna go on oh
yeah it's gonna happen what we're gonna do right so so are you guys like mostly
(12:58):
covers or do you add some originals in there on top of it we're actually like
all it's like all we do almost no covers i mean we we we played a three hour set. Yeah. To fill time.
There's like 26 songs. Okay.
So where do you guys usually perform? Where's like your home base?
I mean, you say you're in Kenosha, but like, is there a certain place that you
(13:20):
play that you would call home or is you guys kind of spread it all over? Yeah.
Rustic road definitely and let's get the kenosha
creative space okay two places definitely one's
a bar one's just like a community center and they're on the same block and they're
they're right next to each other yeah so downtown kenosha basically okay and
(13:42):
you guys said so you're not really taking this super serious so what are kind
of like some of your main goals with this this group over the next maybe three to four years.
Records. Yeah, a couple of records, probably. I mean, I personally just want
to be able to play out and more than just downtown.
I mean, I'm like thinking to like different live stuff for like like our first
(14:05):
show of the summer that we created in space.
That was one of the best like like times I've ever fucking heard.
Yeah, it was just so fun. fun and it because there
was so many people our age yeah there yeah
and people that like maybe
like all of us collected we didn't know and it was just
(14:27):
it was really fun and it was packed and it was
just it was so great i just want to play more shows like that but get out of
the city too yeah i would really eventually yeah of course but you know i it's
just this is like to be able to play that kind of stuff in Kenosha would be
really and I know that's asking a lot. That would be really fun.
(14:50):
So Wisconsin being mainly a cover band, that's usually what you're going to
see mostly in Wisconsin bars and everything like that.
You guys being mostly original, do you find it hard to get gigs or is it pretty
decent to find gigs for an all original band like yourselves?
It's not hard to get gigs because we're not a cover band.
(15:11):
It was pretty hard at first. it's hard getting your foot in the door with some.
Of these because they're busy they don't have time sometimes it's just it's hard because,
especially in venues in Chicago and like Milwaukee where they haven't heard
you they won't take you into consideration unless you played gigs in the area
(15:35):
before you kind of gotta be there yeah you gotta be active in the scene that's
kind of what's hardest about it,
how is it that to get in the scene if you
can't get into the scene right yeah so do
you find that like it's not hard anymore really to get gigs why is that is it
because you have now played so many shows or what's what's kind of like the
(15:56):
secret for you yeah you play shows make connections yeah and we always make
friends also go and see these venues in person because that will help a lot
People talk, our owners talk,
they talk among each other, really that's a great, great.
Way to sprint yeah absolutely networking and making
(16:16):
sure that you're not like you said earlier bylaws not
to be an asshole right yeah yeah yeah so
be kind you know be helpful be
you know be positive so the local scene
for you guys it seems to be a positive experience is
there anything in the local scene of your area that
you would wish was stronger sometimes people
(16:40):
get egos i wish it wasn't that
strong but i wish like people would build more bills together you know there
was there was a lot of gatekeeping in the scene before yeah that's kind of coming
down a little bit yeah a lot of people i mean like i had said people taking
it seriously and i mean i don't mean like.
(17:03):
Having boundaries within groups and like oh and you know planning out and things
like that because Cause that's whatever, but I mean, taking things too serious
and like professionalism are like two different things in life.
You know, like you can be a professional and not be like an asshole. Right.
Exactly. Which is the problem that majority of people here have because whatever.
(17:25):
Yeah. It's just.
No, that's good. That's good. Now, earlier you kind of talked about hopefully
making some recordings.
Have you done any of that yet? Yeah, we got a record.
Yeah, for finished singles out there. So take them through the journey of the
start, the process, and getting those out there to them.
(17:47):
Actually, this just came up in my year ago today from Snapchat.
We started recording. Really? Yeah.
Like the other day. What is it? The 21st? Yep.
So the 19th. So two days ago. We started recording because I finally got Ableton on my computer. Okay.
And we just, I mean, we picked what songs we had, I think.
(18:12):
It wasn't what ones we had. It was just, you know, what we wondered, what we felt we could do.
Oh, yeah. But I mean, the songs mostly come from me, and Ethan writes some of them.
But I think of the four, they're mostly like old.
I'd like wrote them a couple years ago when
i was in the other band and then they never wanted to play them
(18:33):
okay you know i don't
know how we picked the four singles it's the one are they the ones that just
got one yeah yeah okay so the the first four they got finished now you you had
mentioned that you just got ableton about a year ago on your computer so So
I'm understanding that this is a DIY project.
(18:55):
Yeah. So kind of, was this like done in like a living room?
Did you do it at separate places? Kind of like how did the whole thing come
together for the recording?
Where was it done? Just my basement.
And it's just like where I'm as I let go.
Okay. So what are some of the things that you've learned over time when you were recording?
(19:16):
If you have to EQ too much, then you need to re-record it. Okay.
Buy guitar plugins if you don't know how to mic and amp and don't be afraid
to spend money on equipment good it's a good investment yeah i still i still
have a lot of stuff on this thing,
(19:37):
so for better recording yeah so the
did you like put blankets up or anything around
the room or is it like sound bouncing off
cylinder blocks or whatever your walls are made out
of it's mostly just it's about
as raw and real as you can get it i mean
we mic up each of the each of
(19:58):
the drums but there's no like for for the
most part there's no like sound cancellation okay there's a lot of that what
a lot of that reverb gets filtered out through these mics anyway because they're
i don't because they're condensers which is which is really nice yep cool and
now you guys got four four songs finished, you released them.
(20:20):
Let's talk a little bit about each one of those songs and maybe pick a few that
you would like the listeners to hear on the podcast.
I'd go for the first one. I'd go for Police State. The first one we released
is called Police State Disco.
Which is not fun. Not a disco.
It's the only one that has Maddie fully on it. Like a solo, like a feature.
(20:47):
The saxophone. And it's amazing.
And is there a certain story behind the song? Or is it just...
You want the listeners to make their own decision about what it's about?
Yeah, yeah. I like that. Let them decide.
Music.
(25:32):
Would be another song that you would like them to hear on the podcast for there's
one there's one there's one for each each people
those who like upbeat stuff there's one called
party wazo and those who like stoner metal
there's one called way on three and the other people
for the other people who like guns and roses ripoffs
yeah there's one for you cool very
(25:55):
cool so of those four do you
want me to put all four on there or do you want me to put two or three on
the podcast for them to hear that's up to me i
mean up to you at least why not okay so after they hear this they want to hear
it again and not listen to the podcast again they want to actually just listen
to the songs in row obviously you guys are probably on most streaming sites
(26:17):
do you guys also have a band camp site or are you not on that yet no we're not on so no we did not okay,
i would say spotify and are you on whether it's reverb nation i think you guys
are on as well where else can they go and hear your music online,
anywhere you can we have some live recordings on YouTube.
(26:40):
That's on your YouTube site okay cool we
have to watch the first show we don't
have ever we have the
most not the most recent show but we have Octoberfest in Bloomingdale the only
full show we have is one we played at a place called Moose Lodge in Kenosha
(27:03):
it was an event called Blue Bands yeah that was a charity it was a charity event but yeah.
Excellent as we're coming down to the end of this when
do you think your next single is going
to release or are you going to do like multi-song ep release yes
so so the the
(27:25):
goal is is because we've got a couple more shows coming
up and the big plan is because it's such a pain in the ass to set up all this
recording and then tear down for shows it's it's such a hassle so So our plan
is to play the shows and then for the winter,
(27:46):
because we don't have any booked then, to record during the winter so that we
can get the same sound, same sonics, same everything.
Kind of like a regular recording process for an album. Cool. Very cool.
But we don't have one in the pipes? We do. We do. Which one is it?
I have a one-tone drum. So that one's finished and ready to go, basically.
(28:09):
Very soon, maybe. be so soon yeah so if you guys let me know when that might
happen we could probably coordinate where this episode comes out around the
same time that single comes out to kind of help you promote that so yeah just
shoot me an email when you think that's going to happen and then,
we'll we'll try to get this all together at the same time for the last question
(28:33):
i have for you guys is there any gigs that you have been at that made a major
impression on you either as As a performer.
Or as an audience member. Watching someone perform.
Are you talking like local scene shows. Or just like. Overall just experience doesn't matter.
Well I. I'm a big fan of.
(28:55):
I hate this word like punk rock shit and the funny thing I'm in this band something
that kind of stick out like slits off but I you're a girl.
We're so right I but I went to I've gone to so many shows like that and that's where I,
(29:16):
just love that environment of like
just people playing their little hearts out that's
just so cute and I love it so much and I
just like loud okay and like I went to
a band I've gone to so many shows with
my dad we've seen a band called the circle jerks okay
one of my favorite bands of all time um I've
(29:38):
seen them twice and the way that they play
and their entire philosophy is
like what I want to do it's just so much they
just never grew up and they're like an 80s punk band
right cool cool cool anybody else
i mean me and you went to go see king diz
over the summer yeah man man like
(29:59):
it's just just go go go the whole time it's just their stage presence is just
unmatched the sound quality was amazing i will say though i saw we saw them
in june in chicago and that was great and And they've put out a lot of music.
But I saw them in 2019.
(30:19):
And I didn't have any fucking clue who they were. And I had never listened.
Or I had listened to one album called Fishing for Fishies.
But I barely knew who they were. I didn't know anything about them. And that was better.
I like that. I like that one better. Because that was my first.
You saw them on the Rat's Nest tour, right?
I saw them a week after they released Infest the Rat's Nest.
(30:43):
Though I had not heard it.
It had just come out and they were, they were finally starting to play it. Cool.
That's that's my view.
I would say for a show that we played, for me and you at least,
I would say that first creative show we did in a club playing.
Oh, you're talking about Green Park. That made a big impact.
(31:05):
My bad. That made a big impact on you too. Just the rush you get from playing that.
I mean, I've seen I saw the OCs live.
I've seen them twice now. And again, just like the go, go, go.
Just balls to the walls for two hours and there's
again stage presence lights sound quality
(31:26):
and i'm a big polyphia fan
and i just i went to go see them wednesday in
milwaukee and then thursday in chicago but just the the amount of musicianship
and the amount of talent in that band it really inspires me and the community
too it just inspires me to be a better person what's the last thing that you
(31:51):
you want the listeners to know about like your social media,
where can they find you and things of that nature? Find us Instagram, Spotify.
Those are the main two that we're on and give our songs a list. Yeah.
That's all we can really ask. Awesome. Well, thank you guys so much for being
on the Wisconsin music podcast.
It was cool to hear about how you guys started, what you're working on and your
(32:13):
future stuff. So thank you so much for being on the show.
Thank you. Yeah. This was fun, man. Cool. We'll be right back.
Music.
(36:47):
Episode of the Wisconsin Music Podcast. Once again, I'm Zach Fell,
your host and creator of the Wisconsin Music Podcast, where I love to amplify
the great sounds coming out of the Wisconsin State.
We have great talent here, great support, great listeners.
Thanks to Fox City's Indie Radio for syndicating this on Thursdays and Sundays,
along with their other great programmers.
(37:09):
So make sure you check out the Fox City's Indie Radio.
And thanks to this week's guest, Nuke Plant Chickens, for being on the show.
Check out their music on streaming and on Reverb Nation.
And check out their gig coming up this Friday at McAuliffe's in Racine, Wisconsin.
If you'd like to be on the show, just go to wisconsinmusicpodcast.com,
(37:32):
fill out the guest request form up at the top, ask for your email and your name,
and then I'll send you an auto email asking you for more information.
If you are enjoying these episodes, please consider donating to the Wisconsin Music Podcast.
Donations help pay for the website and putting the podcast up on streaming services
and also getting our name out there to all Wisconsinites and others that are
(37:55):
interested in our great music here in Wisconsin.
Donations are secured through PayPal and Stripe. All you have to do is go to
the website and click on Donate to WMP.
You can also head over to our Instagram and Facebook pages and like us there.
Leave some comments. Also, go to the podcast review section of your podcast
player and leave a five-star review. It would be great.
(38:18):
You can also head over to YouTube and watch the interviews and leave comments
there as well. Have a great week, everybody, and we'll see you next time.
Music.
(00:11):
Ladies and gentlemen, music enthusiasts and podcast listeners,
welcome to A Sonic Journey Like No Other on the Wisconsin Music Podcast.
I'm your host, Zach Fell, and we're here to amplify Wisconsin music.
In this episode, we're diving into the eclectic and electrifying world of Nukeplant
Chickens, a band hailing from the charming town of Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Prizing a remarkable ensemble of talent, Nukeplant Chicken weaves a mesmerizing
(00:34):
tapestry of sound, leaving no genre untouched. Get ready to immerse yourself
in the music of Newt Plant Chickens, where every note is an adventure,
every rhythm is a heartbeat.
Join us in exploring the sonic landscapes crafted by this extraordinary band
as we unravel their musical journey in this special podcast episode on the Wisconsin Music Podcast.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining me here on the podcast.
(00:57):
Thank you. So why don't we get a quick synopsis of each one of your music origins story.
How did you get started? it i'm jeff i'm the
singer and i i started
taking piano lessons when i was seven and i'm
23 now so that's 16 years ago and
(01:17):
yeah i i can't remember why i started doing piano lessons but yeah okay i really
liked guitar hero as a 12 year old so who are you oh my name is uh my name is
ethan i'm I'm a guitar player sometimes.
Awesome. Yeah, I really liked playing Guitar Hero, and that stuff is,
(01:39):
like, the first stuff I learned, so that's a working story there.
Cool. My name is Chloe. I started on bass in middle school, actually.
My dad convinced me to play.
He would show me Talking Heads footage,
and Tina Weymouth basically played for Tango, to, which I'm happy about it,
(02:03):
but I started on bass and then I started guitar after bass and that would have
been also middle school.
And then recently, you know, drums and all of that, but like I play guitar in this group.
But yeah, I've just been playing forever since middle school.
And my dad wanted me to. Cool. Very cool.
(02:25):
Max, I play the drums. And for my fourth birthday, I got a drum set.
I don't know why I didn't ask.
But yeah, I've been playing ever since. I was happy about that.
It's never stopped. Yeah.
Camera. Sorry. Eight. Fourth or fifth grade. when I played trumpet for Mrs.
(02:48):
Ripley in the KUSD school.
Shout out to Mrs. Ripley. Yeah, shout out to Mrs. Ripley. Hi.
You all basically started at a young age and grew through music and decided
on the instruments you're playing in this group.
So what is kind of like your philosophy as a group?
(03:10):
What's your goals? And what makes you guys become this group of musicians and
going out on stage and playing these types of songs that you play?
Well, I'll say whatever sounds good.
Whatever sounds good. Sounds good. Get it to sound better. I don't know.
At least that's my philosophy.
I think we all love being able to have fun. Yeah. Goof around,
(03:33):
you know, whatever feels right, I guess. A lot of goofing around on stage.
Yeah, it's a lot. We're not very professional. No, which is what's good about
it. Which is why, I mean, that's why I did it. You know what I mean? If I'm being real.
If we were going anywhere, Chloe would not be here. Absolutely not.
So, yeah. Just enjoy it. You know, it's not taking things too serious.
(03:59):
You know, that whole thing. Because it's not that serious. Make sure everyone is granted.
Oh absolutely yeah yeah like these guys they're all my brothers and
then so much as far as
philosophies we actually have on the wall a list
though that i wrote a few years ago called the
(04:20):
jam commandments and the the number one rule the
most important rule of the jam commandments no assholes
so that's maybe the philosophy gotcha excellent
so what kind of groups out there would you
say inspire what you guys do well i
mean the biggest one i'd say the one collective is
king gizzard yeah and the lizard wizard okay and
(04:43):
why is it why is that have you
heard them brother come on yeah but
there's listeners out there that haven't so probably helps them kind of grab
an idea of what you're you're about they've done it all and they'll continue
to do more and that's what keeps me i'm not limited to one genre the variety
(05:06):
yeah yeah and it doesn't matter how many albums they release they'll all be good.
Okay cool well it's good that you know to
have that kind of inspiration in your life to be able to have something that
you can kind of follow and go these are the kind of people that we like to you
know follow in their footsteps basically right and always like individual people
(05:28):
we all have different things which is why it's hard to find collective yeah like I,
don't I'm not into like King Giz like all of these guys are I will say I'm not a nerd but,
yeah I'm not you know I have a much more I mean not that King Giz we're all
into OC's yeah we do like OC's OC's are great.
(05:53):
Ween to ween to the stone age Okay.
Well, it's like Black Sabbath, but that's like in a different way.
Pink Floyd, we all really like.
Dice Fits, even though that's in a different realm. They're like my favorite band of all time.
Dice Fits. Everyone looks like Chippewa. Them Crooked Vultures, too. Yeah.
(06:13):
Awesome. So it's an eclectic collection of individuals plus what you all are
together enjoying at the same time, which is what creates the difference of
what you are from other type of bands out there.
So what made you guys decide to have horn players in your shows as well we knew them.
(06:37):
They were they were our friends maddie was the first
and she was just a she was a a friend of
mine from a long time ago i met her through a band
that i used to be in and uh she just
kind of stuck around and jammed with us and yeah yeah yeah and when she when
she was out of town we had a couple more shows so we asked Finn to play in Kirstead
(07:02):
who's basically family with us. Like literally.
Yeah. So when you guys do a live show are they with you all the time or just for special shows?
Whenever they can. Whenever they can. Okay, cool. How long have you guys been together as a group?
As the five piece with everybody in here right now since February February,
(07:25):
March, it would have been after the live stream.
There's like other stuff that goes way back. Yeah. Like I'm the last to join and I.
Okay. So why don't you give the listeners like a little bit of the history of
how this group grew and became what it is today?
Our show. Our very first. We got to go back to the jam. Yeah.
(07:47):
First of jam. Yeah. Oh, yeah. The COVID jams.
That's where it started was COVID. Okay. it
was a pandemic and we were all bored and the
old band that i was in i got kicked out
of because i'm a i'm a bad guy and i needed a new band and well we we also can't
(08:08):
forget that max ethan and cameron yeah we're in a band together a metal band
starting in 2020 yeah 2021 21,
24, 2020. Okay.
Well, me, Cam, and Jeff are all blood related. So that's how far in the back of that goes.
(08:29):
And the first glimpse of the new plant chickens, I guess you could say,
was my and Max's first band. It was called Floodplain.
And we started playing together in November of 2019 or something like that. Wow.
Yeah, COVID hit, and we got bored and started jamming with a bunch of other people. So I don't know.
(08:55):
We kind of just grabbed anyone we could and brought them in the basement.
Just played for hours. I mean, I think we... How big was the biggest one?
The biggest jam that we were... I don't know if you were at the biggest jam.
I think I was. It was the one. It was David, Logan.
That one was pretty big, but we had another one out. we
(09:16):
had these jams of like the most was probably
like 13 or 14 people in the room and like at like many many guitars sometimes
two drum kits yeah and i think one time we had two basses hooked up and everybody
else was like either playing wind instruments or like rapping or vocals yeah.
(09:37):
And we would just i mean we would go from like 7
p.m to mid yeah let's play and then
this was we the people in the band are just
the people that remained from those jams gotcha
wanted to keep playing because everybody else kind of has a life or
moved on right right okay so this
is what kind of glued you guys together was this jam and you guys met each other
(10:00):
i mean you said three of you are blood related but then you guys kind of became
friends and kind of created this this group that you are so where did the name
come from it's a simple story that i could draw out a lot but But basically, I worked at a beach,
the Illinois State Beach in Zion,
which is just down the road from Kenosha.
(10:20):
And my boss was a very nice man, very funny guy, but he was not the most educated man.
Okay. And at the beach, there were some sandhill cranes that were,
you know, they hung around the water.
And he didn't know they were sandhill cranes, though, because he didn't know
(10:41):
anything about birds. And.
Right next to the beach as well, weird detail, but it's true.
Right next to the beach is a defunct nuclear power plant.
Anyways, all these elements coming together. On my first day of work at the
beach, my boss pointed to some sandhill cranes,
and he said, guests and visitors ask me all the time what those birds are called,
(11:07):
but I don't know what they're called.
So I tell them that they are chickens who wandered too close to the nuke plant.
And the light bulb light bulb just went off there you go there you go awesome,
producers and beat makers of milwaukee it is time for the
2024 big beat mke beat battle tournament taking
(11:28):
place at the jackalope lounge at the wicked hop in milwaukee's third
ward on thursday nights between april 25th and june
13th producers are going to go head to head in
three one minute rounds to determine who is going to move on
to the next round of the tournament with some amazing prizes
from some great sponsors don't forget that you
can submit your beats today at breaking and entering.net through march
(11:49):
31st so when
you guys perform out live what's the reaction from
from the audience most of
it most of them are friends so far so it's people who who even if we played
i hope i hope we play good but people who if even if we played bad they'd be
(12:11):
they still oh it's a great job at least not me I haven't gotten a lot of,
people coming up to me who just didn't know how to I saw some people at the
last show some strangers who were people I didn't know who were filming.
That feels nice like a stranger who doesn't
(12:34):
know us wants to look back at us later
people want us to play rooster every single
time every single time drunk people
want us to play rooster that's a good reaction i feel like
we spark a lot of curiosity people don't
really know what what's gonna go on oh
yeah it's gonna happen what we're gonna do right so so are you guys like mostly
(12:58):
covers or do you add some originals in there on top of it we're actually like
all it's like all we do almost no covers i mean we we we played a three hour set. Yeah. To fill time.
There's like 26 songs. Okay.
So where do you guys usually perform? Where's like your home base?
I mean, you say you're in Kenosha, but like, is there a certain place that you
(13:20):
play that you would call home or is you guys kind of spread it all over? Yeah.
Rustic road definitely and let's get the kenosha
creative space okay two places definitely one's
a bar one's just like a community center and they're on the same block and they're
they're right next to each other yeah so downtown kenosha basically okay and
(13:42):
you guys said so you're not really taking this super serious so what are kind
of like some of your main goals with this this group over the next maybe three to four years.
Records. Yeah, a couple of records, probably. I mean, I personally just want
to be able to play out and more than just downtown.
I mean, I'm like thinking to like different live stuff for like like our first
(14:05):
show of the summer that we created in space.
That was one of the best like like times I've ever fucking heard.
Yeah, it was just so fun. fun and it because there
was so many people our age yeah there yeah
and people that like maybe
like all of us collected we didn't know and it was just
(14:27):
it was really fun and it was packed and it was
just it was so great i just want to play more shows like that but get out of
the city too yeah i would really eventually yeah of course but you know i it's
just this is like to be able to play that kind of stuff in Kenosha would be
really and I know that's asking a lot. That would be really fun.
(14:50):
So Wisconsin being mainly a cover band, that's usually what you're going to
see mostly in Wisconsin bars and everything like that.
You guys being mostly original, do you find it hard to get gigs or is it pretty
decent to find gigs for an all original band like yourselves?
It's not hard to get gigs because we're not a cover band.
(15:11):
It was pretty hard at first. it's hard getting your foot in the door with some.
Of these because they're busy they don't have time sometimes it's just it's hard because,
especially in venues in Chicago and like Milwaukee where they haven't heard
you they won't take you into consideration unless you played gigs in the area
(15:35):
before you kind of gotta be there yeah you gotta be active in the scene that's
kind of what's hardest about it,
how is it that to get in the scene if you
can't get into the scene right yeah so do
you find that like it's not hard anymore really to get gigs why is that is it
because you have now played so many shows or what's what's kind of like the
(15:56):
secret for you yeah you play shows make connections yeah and we always make
friends also go and see these venues in person because that will help a lot
People talk, our owners talk,
they talk among each other, really that's a great, great.
Way to sprint yeah absolutely networking and making
(16:16):
sure that you're not like you said earlier bylaws not
to be an asshole right yeah yeah yeah so
be kind you know be helpful be
you know be positive so the local scene
for you guys it seems to be a positive experience is
there anything in the local scene of your area that
you would wish was stronger sometimes people
(16:40):
get egos i wish it wasn't that
strong but i wish like people would build more bills together you know there
was there was a lot of gatekeeping in the scene before yeah that's kind of coming
down a little bit yeah a lot of people i mean like i had said people taking
it seriously and i mean i don't mean like.
(17:03):
Having boundaries within groups and like oh and you know planning out and things
like that because Cause that's whatever, but I mean, taking things too serious
and like professionalism are like two different things in life.
You know, like you can be a professional and not be like an asshole. Right.
Exactly. Which is the problem that majority of people here have because whatever.
(17:25):
Yeah. It's just.
No, that's good. That's good. Now, earlier you kind of talked about hopefully
making some recordings.
Have you done any of that yet? Yeah, we got a record.
Yeah, for finished singles out there. So take them through the journey of the
start, the process, and getting those out there to them.
(17:47):
Actually, this just came up in my year ago today from Snapchat.
We started recording. Really? Yeah.
Like the other day. What is it? The 21st? Yep.
So the 19th. So two days ago. We started recording because I finally got Ableton on my computer. Okay.
And we just, I mean, we picked what songs we had, I think.
(18:12):
It wasn't what ones we had. It was just, you know, what we wondered, what we felt we could do.
Oh, yeah. But I mean, the songs mostly come from me, and Ethan writes some of them.
But I think of the four, they're mostly like old.
I'd like wrote them a couple years ago when
i was in the other band and then they never wanted to play them
(18:33):
okay you know i don't
know how we picked the four singles it's the one are they the ones that just
got one yeah yeah okay so the the first four they got finished now you you had
mentioned that you just got ableton about a year ago on your computer so So
I'm understanding that this is a DIY project.
(18:55):
Yeah. So kind of, was this like done in like a living room?
Did you do it at separate places? Kind of like how did the whole thing come
together for the recording?
Where was it done? Just my basement.
And it's just like where I'm as I let go.
Okay. So what are some of the things that you've learned over time when you were recording?
(19:16):
If you have to EQ too much, then you need to re-record it. Okay.
Buy guitar plugins if you don't know how to mic and amp and don't be afraid
to spend money on equipment good it's a good investment yeah i still i still
have a lot of stuff on this thing,
(19:37):
so for better recording yeah so the
did you like put blankets up or anything around
the room or is it like sound bouncing off
cylinder blocks or whatever your walls are made out
of it's mostly just it's about
as raw and real as you can get it i mean
we mic up each of the each of
(19:58):
the drums but there's no like for for the
most part there's no like sound cancellation okay there's a lot of that what
a lot of that reverb gets filtered out through these mics anyway because they're
i don't because they're condensers which is which is really nice yep cool and
now you guys got four four songs finished, you released them.
(20:20):
Let's talk a little bit about each one of those songs and maybe pick a few that
you would like the listeners to hear on the podcast.
I'd go for the first one. I'd go for Police State. The first one we released
is called Police State Disco.
Which is not fun. Not a disco.
It's the only one that has Maddie fully on it. Like a solo, like a feature.
(20:47):
The saxophone. And it's amazing.
And is there a certain story behind the song? Or is it just...
You want the listeners to make their own decision about what it's about?
Yeah, yeah. I like that. Let them decide.
Music.
(25:32):
Would be another song that you would like them to hear on the podcast for there's
one there's one there's one for each each people
those who like upbeat stuff there's one called
party wazo and those who like stoner metal
there's one called way on three and the other people
for the other people who like guns and roses ripoffs
yeah there's one for you cool very
(25:55):
cool so of those four do you
want me to put all four on there or do you want me to put two or three on
the podcast for them to hear that's up to me i
mean up to you at least why not okay so after they hear this they want to hear
it again and not listen to the podcast again they want to actually just listen
to the songs in row obviously you guys are probably on most streaming sites
(26:17):
do you guys also have a band camp site or are you not on that yet no we're not on so no we did not okay,
i would say spotify and are you on whether it's reverb nation i think you guys
are on as well where else can they go and hear your music online,
anywhere you can we have some live recordings on YouTube.
(26:40):
That's on your YouTube site okay cool we
have to watch the first show we don't
have ever we have the
most not the most recent show but we have Octoberfest in Bloomingdale the only
full show we have is one we played at a place called Moose Lodge in Kenosha
(27:03):
it was an event called Blue Bands yeah that was a charity it was a charity event but yeah.
Excellent as we're coming down to the end of this when
do you think your next single is going
to release or are you going to do like multi-song ep release yes
so so the the
(27:25):
goal is is because we've got a couple more shows coming
up and the big plan is because it's such a pain in the ass to set up all this
recording and then tear down for shows it's it's such a hassle so So our plan
is to play the shows and then for the winter,
(27:46):
because we don't have any booked then, to record during the winter so that we
can get the same sound, same sonics, same everything.
Kind of like a regular recording process for an album. Cool. Very cool.
But we don't have one in the pipes? We do. We do. Which one is it?
I have a one-tone drum. So that one's finished and ready to go, basically.
(28:09):
Very soon, maybe. be so soon yeah so if you guys let me know when that might
happen we could probably coordinate where this episode comes out around the
same time that single comes out to kind of help you promote that so yeah just
shoot me an email when you think that's going to happen and then,
we'll we'll try to get this all together at the same time for the last question
(28:33):
i have for you guys is there any gigs that you have been at that made a major
impression on you either as As a performer.
Or as an audience member. Watching someone perform.
Are you talking like local scene shows. Or just like. Overall just experience doesn't matter.
Well I. I'm a big fan of.
(28:55):
I hate this word like punk rock shit and the funny thing I'm in this band something
that kind of stick out like slits off but I you're a girl.
We're so right I but I went to I've gone to so many shows like that and that's where I,
(29:16):
just love that environment of like
just people playing their little hearts out that's
just so cute and I love it so much and I
just like loud okay and like I went to
a band I've gone to so many shows with
my dad we've seen a band called the circle jerks okay
one of my favorite bands of all time um I've
(29:38):
seen them twice and the way that they play
and their entire philosophy is
like what I want to do it's just so much they
just never grew up and they're like an 80s punk band
right cool cool cool anybody else
i mean me and you went to go see king diz
over the summer yeah man man like
(29:59):
it's just just go go go the whole time it's just their stage presence is just
unmatched the sound quality was amazing i will say though i saw we saw them
in june in chicago and that was great and And they've put out a lot of music.
But I saw them in 2019.
(30:19):
And I didn't have any fucking clue who they were. And I had never listened.
Or I had listened to one album called Fishing for Fishies.
But I barely knew who they were. I didn't know anything about them. And that was better.
I like that. I like that one better. Because that was my first.
You saw them on the Rat's Nest tour, right?
I saw them a week after they released Infest the Rat's Nest.
(30:43):
Though I had not heard it.
It had just come out and they were, they were finally starting to play it. Cool.
That's that's my view.
I would say for a show that we played, for me and you at least,
I would say that first creative show we did in a club playing.
Oh, you're talking about Green Park. That made a big impact.
(31:05):
My bad. That made a big impact on you too. Just the rush you get from playing that.
I mean, I've seen I saw the OCs live.
I've seen them twice now. And again, just like the go, go, go.
Just balls to the walls for two hours and there's
again stage presence lights sound quality
(31:26):
and i'm a big polyphia fan
and i just i went to go see them wednesday in
milwaukee and then thursday in chicago but just the the amount of musicianship
and the amount of talent in that band it really inspires me and the community
too it just inspires me to be a better person what's the last thing that you
(31:51):
you want the listeners to know about like your social media,
where can they find you and things of that nature? Find us Instagram, Spotify.
Those are the main two that we're on and give our songs a list. Yeah.
That's all we can really ask. Awesome. Well, thank you guys so much for being
on the Wisconsin music podcast.
It was cool to hear about how you guys started, what you're working on and your
(32:13):
future stuff. So thank you so much for being on the show.
Thank you. Yeah. This was fun, man. Cool. We'll be right back.
Music.
(36:47):
Episode of the Wisconsin Music Podcast. Once again, I'm Zach Fell,
your host and creator of the Wisconsin Music Podcast, where I love to amplify
the great sounds coming out of the Wisconsin State.
We have great talent here, great support, great listeners.
Thanks to Fox City's Indie Radio for syndicating this on Thursdays and Sundays,
along with their other great programmers.
(37:09):
So make sure you check out the Fox City's Indie Radio.
And thanks to this week's guest, Nuke Plant Chickens, for being on the show.
Check out their music on streaming and on Reverb Nation.
And check out their gig coming up this Friday at McAuliffe's in Racine, Wisconsin.
If you'd like to be on the show, just go to wisconsinmusicpodcast.com,
(37:32):
fill out the guest request form up at the top, ask for your email and your name,
and then I'll send you an auto email asking you for more information.
If you are enjoying these episodes, please consider donating to the Wisconsin Music Podcast.
Donations help pay for the website and putting the podcast up on streaming services
and also getting our name out there to all Wisconsinites and others that are
(37:55):
interested in our great music here in Wisconsin.
Donations are secured through PayPal and Stripe. All you have to do is go to
the website and click on Donate to WMP.
You can also head over to our Instagram and Facebook pages and like us there.
Leave some comments. Also, go to the podcast review section of your podcast
player and leave a five-star review. It would be great.
(38:18):
You can also head over to YouTube and watch the interviews and leave comments
there as well. Have a great week, everybody, and we'll see you next time.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Nikki Glaser Podcast
Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.