Interview: Versus the World Talks Upcoming Punk Album 'The Bastards Live Forever'

Written by Alejandro Mejia, Photo by Casey Pinckard

Hailing from Santa Barbara, CA, the post-punk band Versus the World will release their new album The Bastards Live Forever on May 26 through SBÄM Records. Their unique style of melodic post-punk elevates every member's skill, and obviously Versus The World is not all about musical craft. You can hear a passion and an urge to scream out deeply rooted feelings in every syllable throughout the record. We had a chance to sit down with singer Donald Spence and chat about their lyrical inspirations, unique writing processes, and upcoming tour. 

Alejandro: So to start, how did you start your band?

Donald: I started it with my friend Mike. They'd done pretty well, and he needed a change. We've been friends since I was 16. So yeah, we decided to start this project together out of the Ataris, kinda taking a super long hiatus. So, it kinda made sense for us to start a project.

Alejandro: And how was the name Versus The World chosen? How old were you when you started this band?

Donald: We met when I was sixteen, I was probably 22 when I started this band.

Alejandro: Oh my Gosh. That's my age, that's so crazy. How did y'all choose the name?

Donald: I wish it was a good name. I wish it was a good story. I wish it was a good anything. Probably a better question would be, "What was the long list of shitty names that we didn't do?" You know what I mean? Cuz really, we are just a punk band, so we had an us versus them kind of attitude. So really, it was on the list; it was the best on the list. 

Alejandro: It's a good name though. It's a good name.

Donald: I wish it was an awesome story, but it really isn't.

Alejandro: If you're able to Google it and you're the only one, I'd say it's a pretty good name!

Donald: Alright! There was the time of 'Scott Pilgrim VS the World" where if you Googled us, it would show you the movie. That was a lame couple of years.

Alejandro: So what music did you listen to growing up?

Donald: I listened to punk and metal and a lot of oldies. It was a lot of Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson, and then just like, Punk. Lagwagon, Strung Out.

Alejandro: Would you say that it influenced your sphere as an artist, or would you say it’s more like they’re them, that’s me. 

Donald: All the guys in our band are punk, so I’d say, yeah. It really influenced the way I write, cuz I kinda listen to a lot of crooners. I don’t listen to a lot of punk at home. I only just listen to singers. 

Alejandro: Your band has dealt with a lot of labels. It’s been called pop-punk, melodic noise, post-hardcore, etc. How would you describe the band’s sound?

Donald: That’s so specific, right? I think we’re just a punk band. Post-hardcore, I guess that narrows it down to what year it came out. Punk is a good umbrella to sit under. 

Alejandro: Genre deals a lot with convention. 

Donald: Yeah, we’re a punk band, so that means we’re not gonna get too big but remain at a good size. 

Alejandro: What is your songwriting process?

Donald: I get together with - well, we always have ideas. I have my partner in crime, Tony. I don’t think the writing process starts until we get together, ya know? We open a bottle of wine; we sit together, and we get to work. It's just the way I wanna write music. It’s a romantic way. We get boozy, we get lost in it, and it either takes an hour, or it takes two days. A song isn’t a song until he and I have started to work on that.

Alejandro: Would you say that in your process, you’re writing like a hundred songs and then picking them for the album? Or would you say that it’s writing each song intentionally for the album? 

Donald: It’s both. We write a lot of songs with the intent, and then we listen. We have favorites right away. We put them through pre-production, and the ones that rise to the top stay. There are a number of songs we fell in love with that didn’t make it on the record. Some have the focus for them to be on this album. So yeah, I like to write a lot of songs for a given project, and then if they make it, they make it. 

Alejandro: This album was written during a very unique period in the world, how would you say the pandemic shaped the way that you know The Bastards Live Forever was written? 

Donald: Yeah, definitely. We had that thing where people were doing little bubbles. Our family wouldn't see other people; his family wouldn't see other people. I could go between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles and stay at each other's home because you know some people took it seriously. Some didn't, but during that time I was definitely kind of respecting the idea of keeping a bubble. Whether it looks any different in the rearview mirror now. But yeah, we kept a very tight little group, and it was just so that we could write songs together at each other's homes. I wasn't working cuz I own a bar, and my bar was closed, so I had time just to focus on creating. I've never had this much time to focus on any piece of art, know what I mean? I had fourteen months where I was just making art. Like, holy shit, this is never gonna happen again. 

Alejandro: Hopefully. 

Donald: Yeah, hopefully! 

Alejandro: So for this next album The Bastards Live Forever, very interesting title. I read some of its conceptualization. Where did the name come from?

Donald: Well, I’m a father now. This explores the way that I dealt with the relationship with my father who had left when I was young and didn't really meet until I was eighteen. This is holding up a mirror to my life, the things I am, the things that I don't want to be, and the things that I won't let myself be. It's kind of like a learning-from-the-past type of thing. ‘The Bastards Live Forever’ is a song about sons being left behind. This is a very personal experience of mine.

Alejandro: So, for the single Roadsick/Roadsick, what was the inspiration for this single? Because you weren’t on the road during this time.

Donald: It was an attitude where when I was on tour, I wanted to be home with my family, and when I was home, I wanted to be on the road. Roadsick/Roadsick was kinda about the divorce. There are lines that are direct quotes from conversations I had with my ex-wife. And then the idea that there's no home anymore. You know, you blew up home, so there's nothing really to come back to until you rebuild. This happens, hopefully only a few times in everyone's life, but it happened this time.

Alejandro: What's the method for choosing a single as opposed to another song? This is the lead single; they say that the lead is supposed to represent the album.

Donald: Have you ever made a piece of art before?

Alejandro: Yeah!

Donald: It’s kind of hard to pick the first single, cuz you're like goddamn. It's cuz you listen to it differently than other people, but this song was just kind of an obvious choice. Maybe you can look over a few pieces of work, maybe in your own personal life, and there's a couple that just stands out there. Like, these are shiny, these are beautiful little things, and you want them to be shared right away. That was this song. A totally shiny piece of art that we fall in love with, so it was obvious to us that this should be the first single. Now the second, third, and fourth - that's where things get all convoluted and weird cuz then I don't know. You’re playing with the timeline. Song one was easy.

Alejandro: Is Homesick/Roadsick the opening track to the album?

Donald: No, it is not. The opening track is a song called Frank Sinatra, which is kinda about growing up poor. That’s my favorite song, but it’s not a great first single.

Alejandro: Second single, promotional single, or is that one gonna be kept for the album?

Donald: It's not going to be a single which drives me freaking crazy.

Alejandro: But you know people always love the deep cuts. Y’all are going on tour soon, festivals, tours?

Donald: We have a lot of friends in Europe that own festivals that occur close to one another, so we're anchoring these days around large festivals and then touring in between - which is the funnest way to do it. Your weekends are always blocked off to these giant festivals, and then the weekdays you're going in between all these really cool little towns that you know maybe you wouldn't have been to. You know, different towns and smaller venues. This is where the real fun stuff happens. The festivals are going to be fun because we get to reconnect with our friends who are also in bands. And then the tour will be fun cuz we get to reconnect with fans we haven’t seen in a while. 

Alejandro: What's been the experience for live performance since the world has reopened? Have y'all been going out, or has it kind of been like this is our ‘we're back’ moment?

Donald: Yeah, we just got this record done, so these are going to be the first shows we're doing. There are some warm-up shows but we haven't played any shows since the lockdown, and a lot of bands haven’t. That's why so many bands are going on tour. We waited because so many bands have been recording; we had to push our record back almost a year to get vinyl out. This record's been done for a year. We've been waiting for shows. So yes, these are gonna be the first shows we play, and we are gonna play a ton this year. 

Alejandro: So going on 17 or 18 years now of being in the business, what's the most valuable lesson that you've learned? Not only as a band, but as an individual?

Donald: I would say I got some advice. If what you're working on isn't in your opinion the best stuff you've ever done, then just start over. That’s hard to do, cuz we did that with this album. If what you're working on isn't what you think of as the absolute best material you've ever put out, then just start over. If you don't think it is, no one else is going to. Hold onto it, and wait until you’re inspired. But also, play some shows; go on tour. Things are different now. When I started, you had to go on tour to get noticed. Now, with the internet, I mean you can kind of be an artist and have the world see you and maybe never leave your house and still be successful. But, I think you're missing out on maybe the most special part of it.

Alejandro: What can you tell us about upcoming projects and shows? Are y'all coming to New York?

Donald: We're definitely going to. We don’t have it booked yet, so we'll see. I know we have West Coast dates, East Coast is still being built, but we're going to do the U.S. for sure.

Alejandro: Exciting stuff.  I’ll be sure to listen to Frank Sinatra at least five times.

Donald: I hope you like it, that’s my favorite song off the album.