NOT is the brainchild of singer/ songwriter Davey Warsop, the Los Angeles-based Brit known for fronting bands such as Beat Union, Suedehead, and Sharp/Shock. Warsop met guitarist Brendan Scholz and bass player Jarred Cooper – both of Las Vegas’ Mercy Music – at a funeral, when their shared manager and So-Cal punk scene legend, Stewart Teggart tragically passed away. Through a shared love of pop-punk pioneers ALL and Descendents, the trio pulled in Kyle Whitmore on drums and decided to make a record dedicated to Teggart. It seemed fitting as it was their late friend and mentor that made their lives cross paths, to begin with.
Warsop and Scholz (both headstrong chief songwriters for their other musical projects, respectively) decided to combine forces exclusively for NOT, resulting in a powerhouse writing duo, like the pop punk Lennon/McCartney. Their debut album ‘Stop The World’ contains 14 hyperactive, caffeine-fueled pop songs boasting hook after hook choruses about love and heartache whilst battling wild guitar solos and frantic bass energy.
To top things off, ‘Stop The World’ wouldn’t be a fitting tribute to the ALL/Descendents’ D.I.Y work ethic, without it being self-produced. Since landing himself in Los Angeles, Warsop has been producing and engineering for the likes of The Used, Green Day, Bad Cop Bad Cop and Face To Face. So it makes sense that the record was tracked at Warsop’s very own Strong Studios in Long Beach, California, with himself at the controls. The record was then mixed and mastered by Paul Miner, known for his work with New Found Glory and Death By Stereo.
The debut track ‘Stop The World’ is streaming everywhere now with a full length on the way in the new year via Wiretap Records (North America), Brassneck Records (UK/ Europe), and Waterslide Records (Japan). CDs and cassettes will also be available via Paper and Plastick.
In Warsop’s own words “So many musicians have unapologetically paid tribute to bands like The Ramones or The Clash… It’s about time someone did the same for ALL. We’re just trying to fly that flag as proudly as possible.” Scholz added “We certainly aren’t re-inventing the wheel, more so celebrating and paying tribute to the bands that helped define the pop punk genre. So If you like pop punk, you’ll love NOT.”