LEARNING EXPERIENCES
The evolution of Comeback Kid
If Winnipeg hardcore punk stalwarts Comeback Kid were an actual adolescent, the quintet would be entering their senior year of high school in 2017. That’s a statement not lost on frontman Andrew Neufeld, who cofounded the influential band as he finished up his schooling.
“It’s hard to say how we’ve changed since we put out our first album,” said Neufeld.
“I’ve learned everything since then, to be honest. I started the band right when I pretty much got out of high school, around 20 years old, and I’m 36 right now. I feel like I’m a different person than when I started the band.
“We’ve put in a lot of hard work,” he said, “and had people come and go. (Guitarist) Jeremy (Hiebert) and I, the original members of the band, have really sunk our teeth into this for better or for worse.
“We love travelling and meeting people all over the world; exploring places is kind of our vibe.”
Their seventh studio offering, Outsider, was released earlier this month, and early reviews have been incredibly strong, and well warranted.
“Every time we write a new album,” Neufeld said, “Jeremy and I get so excited and we wonder how many of these songs we’re going to get to play live.
“I think, for us, the dream with each record, or the intent, is that it will propel the band into new territory and give us more opportunities. Right now, we’re at a point where all these new songs, we think it’s the best sh-t we’ve ever written. It’s the best sounding record we’ve ever done.”
Hoping to sprinkle several tracks from Outsider into their live set, the venerable vocalist admitted repeating the success of 2007’s Broadcasting and the seminal 2005 album Wake the Dead periodically crosses their mind.
“You always want to one-up yourselves for sure but music is a time and a place. I realize that Wake the Dead was very much a time and place record. It was kind of a gateway record for a lot of people to get into hardcore (music), at least from what I’ve been told by quite a few listeners,” said Neufeld.
“People are going to grow either with or apart from our music. The music on that album really connected with a lot of people at that time and that was amazing. I think we have a bunch of songs on the new record that I see up there with Wake the Dead, but Wake the Dead also gave us a bunch of opportunities that we may not have had in the past. We’re rolling with it and trying not to overthink things.”
Neufeld and Hiebert first began making music together in 1996 when they started the metal/ hardcore outfit Figure Four — a band now on hiatus.
Having spent much of his adult life on tour, the singer makes a point of taking some alone time in each city to catch up with friends or collect his thoughts outside of the “tour bubble.”
“In Regina, we’re always playing The Exchange, so my sanctuary there is Mr. Sub, actually. That’s the spot because I’m not going to take a cab anywhere and it’s a couple blocks from the venue. I know it’s right by the bar area, but I don’t know the city as much some of the other ones. Then again, in Toronto I search out Mr. Sub, too.”
With another Mr. Sub stop likely in the offing when the band returns to Regina on Sept. 27, Neufeld anticipates a night of great music and intensity.
“We’re playing a three-way coheadlining tour with Counterparts and Stray from the Path so I’m not sure where we’ll play that night on the bill but we’re going to play some of our new songs.
“We’re a really invigorated band now — we’ve got a lot of pent-up energy as we get ready for the tour, so hopefully all the bands are ready to go and this is one of those crazy ones. I know that Regina can be a really fun spot to play.”