Purveyors of: Slack n’ suave dirt punk.
File next to: Hag Face, Prom Nite, The Slits
Playing: WL17 All-Ages Matinee, Saturday Feb. 18 @ The Monarch Tavern. Get tickets here!
WLMRT bring a gutsy, guttural and just-shy-of-bratty style of punk. Fitting right in with the new Toronto hardcore underground, they bring a frenetic tension built for small dirty rooms and beer-soaked pits. Adam Bradley chatted with member Adam Bernhardt about patios and punk under Trump.
How do you feel when you walk into a WLMRT?
It’s mostly a sense of defeat. You don’t choose Walmart, your wallet chooses Walmart. And you always end up seeing someone you know, whether it’s at Dufferin Mall or in your dead hometown mall.
How did you guys meet? Were you all friends previous to the band?
We met through mutual friends. Kat and Shelby were at a show at SHIBGBS and were inspired to form a band — me and Ryan basically hopped on the bandwagon.
Who would you say are your favourite local acts?
Almost too many to name. HSY are always a good time, Teenanger, Soupcans, and Tashme are the ones that come to mind. There’s way too many good bands in this town.
Have you spent much time at [Toronto punk record shop and all-ages venue] Faith / Void? There’s a lot of good hardcore / punk coming out of the scene that revolves around that place.
We go pretty often, but not as much as we used to go to SHIBGBS. It’s a real important place for the community and we’re glad the space exists. Bought some great stuff from there too.
Some people are guessing that the Trump presidency is going to result in a lot of really good punk being made. I’m incredulous. What do you think?
Well, I don’t think anyone really saw that one coming, and it’s a damn shame. I do think it has resulted in a groundswell in local and grassroots politics in opposition, which I hope can continue for the rest of that administration. Hopefully that can translate into some ragin’ tunes.
You just put out a new EP called Plan B. What’s your Plan B?
Drinking ourselves to death. Also, Shelby and Kat want everyone to know that Plan B is available for free at sexual health clinics.
On it there’s a song called “I Don’t Like Patios.” I also don’t like patios. It’s kind of like, “Why am I paying four times as much for a beer to sit on a loud sidewalk with a buncha strangers?” Is this true? Do you hate patios?
That song is bizzarro WLMRT, everything is actually the opposite of what we feel. We quite like patios which is why we’re broke all the damn time. Oh, and school totally sucks too.
Spend your Saturday afternoon with WLMRT instead of at Walmart, when they play our WL17 all-ages matinee February 18 at the Monarch Tavern.
— Interview by Adam Bradley