VIA PRESS RELEASE | Three One G have announced a reissue of their flagship band The Locust’s iconic final album, The Peel Sessions, due out January 24th. The news comes as the label celebrates its 31st anniversary.
On the album, label founder and Locust member Justin Pearson shares “Recording a Peel session for John Peel was one of the many surreal things that The Locust got to do during its lifetime. In hindsight I wish we had planned more accordingly when we got the opportunity to do it, as we sandwiched the session in among a no-night-off tour we had in the UK/ Europe back in 2001. I remember getting into London early in the morning from an overnight drive, recording all day, and then having to leave that night and travel to mainland Europe to get to Belgium or somewhere by the following morning.
However it turned out very interesting as this was a document of old and new tracks with a major line up change, shifting from a five-piece to a four-piece band, most notably having Gabe Serbian move from guitar/vocals to drums, which redefined the band and its line up. Of course, the album was finalized for its vinyl release many years later, and included a layout and mock design by Sonny Kay of the traditional Peel Sessions we all grew up listening to. What an honor to be on John Peel’s radar and even more to record at BBC1 for the legend.”
Formed in 1994, the same year Pearson founded Three One G, The Locust quickly redefined the line between total chaos and perfect order. Noisey wrote their “mish-mash of grindcore, punk, and new wave was not only novel, it was distinctly memorable,” and Pitchfork praised the band as “redefining hardcore.” Band members Bobby Bray, Joseph Karam, Justin Pearson, and Gabe Serbian offered a vision of challenging music that decades later, still proves to be visionary.
Recorded in 2001 and released in 2010 after the band had gone on hiatus, The Peel Sessions captured The Locust in the prime of their controlled chaos. Newly re-mastered by Nathan Joyner (All Leather, Psychic Graveyard) in two limited edition vinyl variants: “Skin Graft” metallic silver and “Sexually Transmitted Disease” clear with white (both limited to 250). Vinyl and cassette available for pre-order here.
Before founding Three One G and going on to lead a slew of influential post-hardcore bands, Justin Pearson helmed the San Diego hardcore band Swing Kids, whose brief career went on to inspire bands like Refused, Orchid, Jeromes Dream and more. Fresh off a tour of Europe, the Pearson helmed Deaf Club have shared a cover of Swing Kids’ seminal swan song “El Camino Car Crash.”
“Deaf Club was asked to play a show with the legendary Unbroken at the Che Cafe in San Diego about a year ago. It was bound to be an absurd show due to one of the musical mayors of the city headlining the tiny punk venue,” shares Pearson, “I asked Deaf Club if we could cover a Swing Kids song, since my previous band and Unbroken shared a member, Eric Allen, who has since passed away. As odd as it is to have a current band I am in to cover a band from the past that I was a part of, it uncomfortably made sense in some way. Now it’s being released as a stand alone single in relation to the birthday and survival of Three One G, and maybe weird San Diego art in general. Also it’s a nod to Eric Allen, who was so important to me, Three One G, and San Diego punk and hardcore.”
