ANFANG

Setting the tone with a bold exclamation of “hey!“, Anfang open Honey Trudge with an immersive alternative rock soundscape filled with intricate drum riffs before sharing atmospheric vocals and metaphorical lyricism.

We are immediately mesmerized by the guitar performances and the charismatic nature of the vocal delivery from Andie Zaragoza, showcasing Anfang‘s relatable message. Speaking on their cohesive approach to song-writing, the band confesses, “Searching for meaning or purpose often feels a pointless exercise, a continuous cycle of pilgrimage to the same tired answers of our upbringing. We wander in the desert, seeking absolutes or absolution, finding neither. We are alone, together.”

The opus expands with tangible depth as the Chicago-based trio take us on an introspective journey with their prose and sonic dimensionality. We learn that Anfang means “to start over”, which is what the quartet did in 2018, as they “emerged out of the ashes of previous projects.”
The band share authenticity and prowess on Honey Trudge, which holds a profound and scintillating energy, and we can only imagine the act is incredible to experience in a live setting! The guitar solos are simply out of this world, and have us fully in awe before a minimalist breakdown and iconic final reprise!

Anfang cite Queens of the Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys, Jack White, Claudio Sanchez, Thomas Erak, Chris Cornell, Black Sabbath, Blood Red Shoes, and Led Zeppelin as sonic peers, but it is clear that the band is creating a universe of its own. They tell us, “Our sound is hard hitting yet atmospheric, kind of like the human heart in conflict with itself.”

We have added Honey Trudge to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream Anfang‘s wider discography including Ghost Ship and Guerrilla Mitts. - karlismyunkle.com

Anfang shows you the beauty of conflicts in music. “Honey Trudge” consists a combination of things that are in their nature contradict with one another, however, together, spark wicked energy. With vocals that remind you of Linkin Park meeting Paramore and riff-heavy groove of angst and nostalgia, they draw a hard-hitting, scenic end-of-the-world epic in in their music. “Honey Trudge” is an eclectic, blood-boiling banger that leaves you a little bit haunted.

From the difficulties of a past relationship to the honey bee metaphor to the AI-created music video, “Honey Trudge” has gone through quite a journey. Sonically, the track soaks in the charisma of blues rock, energy of emo, and aesthetic of grunge, then filtered through an atmospheric, mood-filled sonic lens. The track from the Chicago-based band gives you such a high, almost the equivalent of going to a live show. Just think about how marvelous they’ll sound in live performances. In our interview with the band, we talk about the creative process of “Honey Trudge,” Chicago, and what makes their music so awesome.

Punk Head: I love the conflicts in "Honey Trudge." Can you tell me a little more about this song?

Anfang: Thank you so much! ‘Honey Trudge,’ in a nutshell, is about trying to get to a lover and the consequences felt on both sides when it doesn't happen. The first verse touches on the anticipation, or ‘torrid fever,’ leading up to a rendezvous, while the second verse tackles the disappointment felt on both sides when it doesn't work out; ‘wind blowin’, wintry lover scorn me.’ The song was written at a time when I (Nick / Drums) was dating someone who lived extremely close to me so I'd walk to her place a lot. However, as anyone who is from the American Midwest can attest to, the winters here are unforgiving and make it difficult to find the strength to go outside. There were many nights where I couldn't bring myself to make that walk through all the wind and snow, which inevitably led to some disagreements. The resulting conflict in the relationship made for great songwriting material though!




PH: What did you enjoy most about making ‘Honey Trudge?’

Anfang: ‘Honey Trudge’ is one of our oldest songs in terms of when we started working on it. It has seen many iterations over the past couple of years and never felt quite right. When we finally nailed this structure, we had cut out about half of the original song. It went from being a five and a half minute song down to three and half minutes. We cut out a lot of unnecessary fluff and made it as straightforward as possible, all while keeping the punch that makes the song as hard hitting as it is. We've taken that approach to many of our current songs; cut out irrelevant bits but be sure to keep the parts that smack the listener in the ears and make them want to hear more. Trimming the fat of the original composition was the most enjoyable aspect of making ‘Honey Trudge’ as a song, but the most enjoyable part of working on the release in general was making the lyric video.


We all brainstormed ideas for what we envisioned in a visual representation of the song and Christian, our guitarist, was able to translate those ideas into an insane video with some Adobe and a sprinkle of AI generated art. Think Bladerunner meets Bee Movie but we wrote the soundtrack and it's three and a half minutes on YouTube instead of a couple hours in a theater!



PH: Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you decided to follow your path as a musician?

Anfang: I can't speak for the whole band, but for me personally, the pivotal moment was when I became old enough to play my mom's drum kit. My mom was a drummer but was also protective of her kit. She didn't want us touching it because she didn't want us to damage it (understandable), but after a couple years of nagging I finally managed to break her down. After my first few months of lessons I knew it would become a lifelong hobby. When you start so young it just becomes part of your every day routine. I can't imagine ever not being a musician. I still play my mom's original kit live and it sounds better than ever!



PH: How is the music scene in Chicago?

Anfang: The music scene in Chicago is fantastic. We really couldn't ask for a better place to call home. We each come from different parts of the country and have been in bands all over the States, but it's tough to beat Chicago. Some scenes in other cities are really competitive and there's a sense that the bands and people you're playing with don't want you to succeed because you're their competition. In other places, there just isn't a scene at all! Chicago's scene is the perfect balance. It's large enough where there's a healthy rock community but not so big where we are fighting with other bands to find time to play. Nearly everyone we've played with has been super friendly and we all genuinely want to help each other be the best we can be.



PH: What is the one thing that you’d like your fans to know about you?


Anfang: We're just like you! Too often bands put themselves up on these pedestals and fail to relate to their fans. We all have our shitty day jobs and worry about if we're going to do our taxes right and watch TikTok too much before bed. We just also happen to be passionate about music and were lucky enough to find each other at the right place and time to make some pretty gnarly rock music. - Punk Head