Maybe it’s the teenage version of me that still creeps to the surface sometimes, but I absolutely love “Nowhere, Ohio” which dropped on September 3, 2021. The song is part of #lameassdads’ Greetings From Nowhere, Ohio album and thoroughly reminds me of Blink 182 from my teenage years.
The whole intro to this song brought back memories where I would lock myself in my room and just jam to Blink 182 or Bad Religion or Simple Plan. I would just let it all out between pop punk bands and bad poetry. That guitar was perfection. Well done, #lameassdads.
As someone who has always wanted to leave their little corner of Nowhere, Georgia, the song hit home for me. I know where I am from is a great place to raise a family and I think that this song really touches on the things we have to think about now that we are all grown up. There is so much more to life than we had to be angsty about as teenagers, right? Now that I am grown, I can see so much more than I could as a teenager with my spiky hair twists and black eyeliner. And my hot pink lace-up boots.
While #lameassdads hasn’t released anything since their Christmas song, “We Wish You A Lame Ass Christmas”, I have a feeling they are not done yet. Be sure to follow their socials, which will be linked below their interview, to stay updated on what’s going on with them.
Q&A with #lameassdads
Q: We love the vibe for “Nowhere, Ohio”! Can you tell us a little about the creative process in making it?
Ryan: Absolutely, the phrase Nowhere, Ohio was stuck in my head for a few days and I decided I had to use it in a song. I sat down and wrote almost like a diary entry about how it took me a while to accept that this area of Ohio would be where I set my roots. I had always dreamed of moving to Tennessee and living near the Rocky Mountains. The love of my life, my wife Rachel, was the reason I was here and I knew that being anywhere without her I could not be happy.
Once I let go of my desire to move away, it really helped me appreciate where I live more and made me happier in general. Even though it may seem like I am throwing shade at Ohio in the song, I really have come to love and embrace where we are. Life has a way of not always going as planned, but I believe it is actually better than I had imagined it to be, so far.
Andy: Ryan brought this idea for the song to me a few weeks into the writing of the album, and I knew right away it was a winner for us. Having grown up in this area of Ohio, I could relate to having dreams of moving away, but getting married and having kids really changed my perspective on where I wanted to be raising my family.
Q: What did you enjoy most about making “Nowhere, Ohio”?
Ryan: Being able to collaborate on the music and melodies with Andy after I wrote the lyrics. We both really enjoy the process of recording and writing. We believe it is very therapeutic. We tend to be very fulfilled when deep in the trenches of creating. It is nice to have someone to go on that journey with.
Andy: I couldn’t agree more with Ryan. It was a very therapeutic process writing and recording. It felt like we were releasing all the pent up angst leftover from our teenage years!
Q: We’re loving the 90s nostalgic vibes you guys give off. What got you into music?
Ryan: I always felt pulled by music. But it wasn’t until I heard bands like Blink-182, MxPx, Green Day, and Lit that really made me fall in love with that genre. 90s rock, pop-punk, catchy hooks and songs you can bang your head to are my jam!
Andy: I’ve always loved catchy songs that you can belt out at a show or sing at the top of your lungs in your car by yourself. I grew up in a musically diverse household, with my parents and my sister playing more classical instruments. I never quite clicked with the music they played, but I learned to appreciate all types of music. I’m a few years older than Ryan, so I came up listening to bands like Bad Religion, Descendents, Millencolin, and NoFx from the 90s skate punk era. They may not be “pop punk” per say, but they definitely have that sing-a-long vibe to them!
Q: What advice would you give to other not-so-young people wanting to get into music?
Ryan: Just start writing. It may not be good in the beginning but everything you do will be stepping stones and building blocks for you. I don’t fancy myself anything special but I know I am much better now than I was 15-20 years ago. Progress is a win for me.
Andy: Don’t be afraid to make something. Anything. There is an audience for just about everything out there, and you just need to find it. It’s never too late to start creating!
Q: What’s the music scene like in your little area of Ohio?
Ryan: We are based in the greater Toledo, OH area. The music scene is very cool. There are a lot of local venues that are supportive of the scene. The bands tend to all collaborate and book each other at shows. We are pretty new to the scene and are just trying to network and support it as much as we can.
Andy: We definitely have a pretty interconnected scene here. It’s really a supportive environment where everyone tries to help each other out. When I was younger and playing in bands, there weren’t quite as many venues to play at, but we made it work by throwing shows wherever we could. Now there’s more places, more bands, and more people to be able to network with.
Q: Any final words for your fans?
Ryan: Thank you so much for taking the time to listen, read, and learn more about what we are about. We called the band #lameassdads as sort of a wink to say “Yeah, we get it. We are almost in our 40s with families and kids and then decided to start a pop-punk band. We know we are lame, but we don’t care!” Please go to www.lameassdads.com and connect with us there. We are most active on instagram, facebook, and tiktok – all @Lameassdads
Andy: Thank you to everyone that has supported us and listened to us! We may seem lame doing this in our late 30s but we’re just out here having fun!
Reviewed & Interviewed by Dana L. Sullivan
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