Born Losers Records Talk About Their Kismetic Signing With Fuckin Whatever
By Emily Herbein
If you know me, you know that I have a longstanding affection for all things Circa Survive and Anthony Green. When I saw that he was putting out new music with this eclectic crew (Taking Back Sunday and Grouplove???) with the help of my favorite label Born Losers Records, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Since I last checked in with Mike Cammarata and Chris Radwanski, they’ve been pushing out release after release with Jaguar Sun, Thala, and Korine, usual suspects on their lineup. They also recently signed Philly’s Ali Awan to distribute his upcoming release, Moon Mode, due out June 11th.
This particular signing with the aptly named Fuckin Whatever is what’s really piquing my interest right now. Everything Anthony Green does is special, and this project is absolutely no exception. Born from parking lot jam sessions while on tour, Green and Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzara and John Nolan joined up with Grouplove’s Ben Homola to record a series of remote tracks through quarantine. The first song, “Original Sin,” is haunting with its layered vocals, found-sound percussion, and oddly pensively urgent timing. My first impression of this track was that it belongs right next to any given album from The Sound of Animals Fighting. It’s eerily experimental in the perfect way. This specific product of quarantine — and with a name like “Fuckin Whatever” — represents the “anything goes” feeling with this project. They’re doing whatever works with a limited amount of resources to both challenge themselves as well as prove that shit doesn’t have to be so over-thought. Though this song sounds complex on a first listen, when you break down all of its moving parts, it’s actually deceptively simple.
I talked with Mike and Chris again about how they acquired this (probably very) coveted project for their roster, and what they feel it means for their label. Read our chat below, and stream “Original Sin” at the bottom of the post as well as anywhere you find music.
How did Born Losers and Fuckin Whatever get together? What does the relationship look like now, and what are your future goals? Is this the most "high profile" artist on your roster?
Born Losers: We've both been long-time friends with Brendan from Circa Survive and through living in the same town and mutual friends we eventually became friends with Anthony. That ended up leading to some Circa support touring opportunities with our band Suburban Living. When we saw the first Fuckin Whatever track go live on Bandcamp, we reached out and both our label and the band's timeline worked out so we teamed up for the rest of the record. We've both had our eye on 1992 Corvette's so our goal is to sell enough records to get rid of our Hyundai Elantra's and each get one.
What excites you about their sound? Had you been fans of their original projects before finding this collab?
Born Losers: Te most impressive part of this project is that there are no instruments. It's not even something you realize unless you actually know that it's all just vocals and homemade percussion. They've somehow managed to create something that sounds 100% original in 2021, which is damn near impossible. We have definitely been long-time fans of each of their projects. I have a pretty embarrassing cover of Cute Without the E that I recorded in my parent's basement in 8th grade.
What does a Born Losers x Fuckin Whatever collab mean for each other? How will you be helping each other out?
Born Losers: We can't speak on the band's behalf, but it's been an honor to work with them. We've been fans of theirs for years so getting a chance to collab with such highly respected artists has been really rad.
Is this a signing that you feel will propel the label into a new space of recognition because it is a high-profile project? Was that a goal?
Born Losers: With every release, we hope to expand our reach a little bit further. It is always such an honor when someone comes to our label for one release and ends up a fan of a bunch of our other artists. That is really the most rewarding feeling.
How do you feel Fuckin Whatever fits into your roster? Were you looking for a unique sound like this, and is it reflective of the direction you want to take the label in?
Born Losers: Having a signature sound or direction for our label was never really a goal of ours. Our main bar to clear is if we both feel a strong connection on the first and 500th listen. Fuckin Whatever definitely fits into that category. We both listen to a broad spectrum of music styles so we want to keep that vibe in our label.
What else have you guys been up to over the last couple of months, and what are your future plans?
Born Losers: Over the past few months, we've been basically working nonstop on Born Losers. We've got a lot of exciting releases coming out in the future, some that aren't announced yet. It's very exciting. It's an honor to start work every day and have the trust of artists we respect so highly.