LUNCH are a band from Philadelphia who make pop punk jams, or as they describe “post-brunch garage pop punk.” Comprising of of Jackie Milestone (guitar/vocals), Johnny Costa (bass) and Jordan Seefried (drums), LUNCH met when Milestone moved to Philly to pursue a career in audio engineering.
The band say they aim to “reclaim the sullied name of pop-punk as a genre, & to put a new face to the old male-dominated scene,” something they achieve not just through their music, but also through facilitating others. As the band described in an email, Milestone is “working towards building a studio designed for recording women, trans, and non-binary musicians and their bands, and educating gender-marginalized folks on audio arts.”
The band have recently released a two-song single, and the tracks serve as a great introduction to the energy and inclusive warmth that makes up the LUNCH sound. Opener ‘Forget Everything’ is a runaway pop punk song, slapped drums racing after Milestone’s vocals as they confront the end of a relationship with confidence. This free-flowing energy comes to a halt at times, great shuddering breakdowns of hammered drums and bursts of guitar, periods which make the switch back to breakneck speed all the more thrilling.
Second track ‘Before it Was Over’ is the mellower of the two, the momentum of the first track swapped out for sincere sentiment, a confessional indie pop song that shows that LUNCH are equally comfortable doing heartfelt as they are heart-racing. Despite their differences, both styles show an urgency and desire to communicate, and mark LUNCH as a band to keep an eye on in the coming months and years.
You can get both songs now from the LUNCH Bandcamp page.