Das Damen was a vital dispatch from a bygone era of New York City’s indie scene. You hear a band like that and you think, “Okay, maybe there’s hope.”

They were all about the noise, …that glorious, beautiful, feedback-drenched mess of it all. They took the hardcore sound and smeared it with this psychedelic ooze, a heavy, hypnotic beat that made you feel like you were falling down a well. It wasn’t clean. It was a beautiful, goddamn car wreck, and you could only imagine the energy in some late-night bar in those days. This was the kind of band that made you feel like you were in on a secret, a band for the kids who knew the real truth was in the squalor. They channeled the spirit of The Damned and Black Flag into their own sound. You should catch them at this year’s Dromfest.

Hey Das Damen! It’s awesome to finally catch up with you guys. Buzzing about everything you’re up to.

So, the ‘It Keeps Me Wild’ reissue dropped last fall, and it’s been pretty wild for us fans. What was it like diving back into those ’86 sessions? Were there any tracks or moments that really surprised you, like, “Whoa, did we really do that?”

Jim Walters: The end of ‘Behind My Eyes’ with the backwards vocals on the outro scared me a little bit, haha! It was extreme. The vibe of the recording really brought back a lot of memories. The eight-string fuzz bass on the record is kind of more fuzz than bass, but it fits the music so well.

Speaking of surprises, getting all those unreleased demos and reimagined tracks—that’s a gold mine! Was there a specific demo you unearthed that made you think, “Man, this could have been a b-side back then,” or a reworked track that took on a whole new life for you?

Jim Walters: There were a couple of songs that were never previously released before the reissue, that should’ve been b-sides, like ‘Living Statues’ or ‘I Feel Bad Now,’ though. The demos are pretty rocking. I wish we would have developed them more.

“Total analog anarchy”

Lyle, the Damaged Goods fanzine reprint is a deep cut for the true fans! What’s it feel like to see those old pages again, especially with all the new testimonials? Any particularly gnarly memories that came flooding back while putting it together?

Lyle Hysen: Well, for one thing, it’s way easier to put together a fanzine these days. Back then, it was me, some glue sticks, scotch tape, and a lot of bad typing going on in my childhood bedroom. Total analog anarchy (cats not included). I’m rooting for a full-on zine revival—but let’s be honest, I’m probably not the one to lead the charge this time around.

‘Trick Question’ got a whole new video with Dave Rygalski. That track’s always been a banger. What was the vibe like revisiting it visually after all these years? Did you have a clear vision, or did you just let Dave run wild with it?

Lyle Hysen: I gave Dave access to our digitized archives and he just went for it. It was supposed to be mainly a short history lesson, and I think it succeeded.

Let’s talk about the evolution. ‘It Keeps Me Wild’ was very punchy. Then you had’ Jupiter Eye’ (1988) right after. Looking back, how do you see the sound morphing across those first three releases? Was it a conscious decision, or just the natural chaos of a band finding its footing? And then ‘Jupiter Eye’—that one felt like you were pushing even further. Was there a particular challenge or goal you set for yourselves when you went into making that record? Anything you were trying to prove?

Lyle Hysen: We were very much in that Clash/Damned mindset, so every album had to feel like a left turn. ‘Jupiter Eye’ was our Byrds-through-a-P.I.L.-filter moment, with some King Crimson damage for good measure.

Jim Walters: All our songs are group efforts, but the first EP was driven by Alex. Phileopold, the bassist who replaced Dave Motamed, had a pretty big influence on the songs of the ‘Jupiter Eye’ album. He also designed the artwork for the cover. Plus, this is the only Damen album with no wah wah! Alex’s wah was stolen before the recording. Wah wah didn’t return to Damen world until ‘Triskaidekaphobia.’

“We were really a post-hardcore band at heart”

Your debut album really dug in and solidified that sound. Were there any specific influences or bands at that time that were really blowing your minds and seeping into your songwriting on that one?

Lyle Hysen: Since we were really a post-hardcore band at heart, we always felt a certain permission from bands like Black Flag who really let their freak flag fly. That gave us the confidence to try things like ‘Behind My Eyes,’ with its extended jam in 3 (or maybe 6? We’re still counting it out). If you check out the bonus tracks, you’ll hear more of our hardcore roots in songs like ‘Living Statues,’ which we’d been playing forever but could never quite squeeze onto the EP without throwing off the whole vibe.

You’ve had some seriously cool people contribute to the reissue, like Dez Cadena and Thalia Zedek. How did those collaborations come about? Was it just casual or something more intentional?

Lyle Hysen: We really just wanted to tap into our peers from the time, so like I said above, Black Flag—especially with Dez—was kind of a dream ask (that would be so sick). So when he agreed and came in and destroyed it, it really felt like things had gone full circle.

Fun fact—We tried to get Alec MacKaye to sing ‘Living Statues’ for the reissue with his own lyrics, but that didn’t work out, which is a shame. He did try though!

Being a band from the NYC scene in the ’80s, you guys were right in the thick of it. What’s one thing about that era that you miss the most, and what’s one thing you’re glad to see in the rearview mirror?

Jim Walters: I miss Gem Spa on the corner of St. Mark’s Place and 2nd Avenue. They had the best egg creams in New York City. It reminded me of walking there after early Damen rehearsals to look at magazines, not buy them, and drink delicious chocolate egg creams. I don’t miss clubs without any backlines! Back in the day, we might play on a bill with six other bands and everyone brought their full backline and no one shared! It was wild. There would be drum sets stacked up all over the club.

The energy of your live shows back in the day was legendary. How do you tap into that same kind of raw power when you’re playing now, especially with the passage of time and maybe a few more grey hairs?

Lyle Hysen: Can I let you in on a secret? It’s really not that big of a deal. As the drummer, I did put in the extra work before we started up again to make sure the stamina was still there (thank you Mr. Treadmill), but honestly, most of it came back like the best muscle memory. I think what really powers it is how excited we all are to be playing these songs again. That energy kind of channels the old days. Back then, we always felt like we had something to prove live… and I guess we still do.

With all this renewed interest and digging back into your catalog, has it sparked any new creative urges? Are there any dusty song ideas kicking around that might finally see the light of day?

Lyle Hysen: We actually had a whole album’s worth of new songs back then that we never got around to recording—and sadly, we don’t have any decent recordings of them either. We talked about revisiting a few, but for now, I think we’re all more excited about writing from where we are today, not from 30 years ago (yoikes).

For new fans just discovering Das Damen through the reissue, what’s the one thing you’d want them to “get” about your music and what you’re all about?

Lyle Hysen: Enjoy the ride. We were kind of a hot fun mess then, and I’m happy to say we still can be. We might not have been the best musicians or whatever, but we always tried to do our best and give it 1000%. So buckle up, it will be fun.

Okay, let’s fast forward to right now. You’re heading to Dromfest 2025! What are you most excited about for that gig? Any specific songs you’re itching to play?

Jim Walters: Our last Dromfest was great, seeing lots of cool bands and old friends. We met an unhoused, slightly off-kilter man before the show outside the Avalon who, after asking for $5.00, said he was best friends with Barack Obama. I’m still waiting for my introduction! The vibe at the show was terrific. I’m looking forward to playing some brand new material for the first time.

Without giving away too many secrets, can you give us a little hint about what Das Damen has in store for Dromfest?

Lyle Hysen: Well, since we made our return two years ago at Dromefest (THANK YOU AL), we are currently working on not playing the same set! We don’t all live in the same town, so pushing the Damen boulder forward is slow, but we are hopefully going to play some different oldies, and maybe a new song or two. I know new unreleased songs aren’t what people wanna hear, but we are just excited to let them loose. Cue the audience groan when we say, “This one’s a new one.” Yep, that’s us!

Okay, here’s a fun one for the music nerds! If you guys rolled into my town and we had an entire night to just dig through crates and spin some seriously weird, wild, and wonderful records, what’s one album each of you would insist we put on?

LH: Gotta be ‘London Calling,’ and since that was the first one I thought of I will leave it there (sorry, Stooges ‘Fun House’).

Jim Walters: If we wanted to get deep I would play The Electric Prunes ‘Release of an Oath.’ If we wanted to rock I would put on ‘Machine Gun Etiquette’ by the Damned. Although ‘London Calling’ is like the basic black of records, it goes great with anything.

Klemen Breznikar

Headline photo: Das Damen by Naomi Petersen

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