Sludgeworth returns after 35 years with new album

Sludgeworth returns – Chicago punk veterans Sludgeworth, who released their debut “What’s This?” in 1991 and dissolved shortly after, are releasing a new album, “Second Time Around,” out June 19 on Red Scare Industries. Singer Dan Schafer says the band’s chemistry returned quickly

When Sludgeworth’s debut “What’s This?” hit in 1991, it came with a jolt for Chicago’s punk scene—and then, abruptly, the band shut down. Thirty-five years later, the wait is over.

On June 19. the Chicago punk veterans will release “Second Time Around. ” an appropriately named new album on the Chicago label Red Scare Industries. For singer Dan Schafer. also known as Dan Vapid. getting from “never spoke in a long time” to “we’re back in the fold” still doesn’t feel fully expected.

“I hadn’t talked to any of the guys for a long time,” Schafer said. In the years between, he stayed busy in punk and beyond, with The Riverdales, The Methadones, Screeching Weasel and his own solo material.

The idea of reviving Sludgeworth gained momentum in 2022. when Red Scare Industries approached him about reissuing the band’s posthumous 1995 compilation “Losers of the Year.” After that. the band returned to the stage in a way that surprised even them. A reunion show at Cobra Lounge in 2023 sold out in five minutes. Later that year. a larger set at Riot Fest drew enough attention that it looked like it might be the end of the story.

“It’s funny, I hadn’t seen the guys in so long, but the chemistry fell right back. A lot of the dumb humor did, too,” Schafer said.

Then came the part that turned a reunion into something more. “Then there was this idea of having a new song,” he said. “And I was like, I don’t know. I wasn’t into it at first.”

What changed was hearing what the others had started sending over. “But when I heard what the guys had done, words popped in my head and I started singing along to what they sent me, and I knew that was it. We were back in the fold.”

Sludgeworth formed in 1989, built around Schafer and drummer Brian McQuaid during a pause for their other band, Screeching Weasel. They recruited guitarists Adam White and Dave McLean and bassist Mike Hooten to complete the lineup. Two years later, “What’s This?” landed and stirred up Chicago’s ripening punk scene.

Schafer points to the mix of places and people that made it possible. Around the time the scene was expanding. bands like Naked Raygun. Big Black and The Effigies had laid a pathway. while a scene in the suburbs—including Schafer’s own backyard of Des Plaines—was starting to bubble up. Soon. Sludgeworth was playing shows with nascent acts like The Offspring and Green Day at the old Elmhurst punk haunt McGregor’s. helping craft a pop-punk sound before the term was widely known.

“I’ve always loved the energy and the attitude of punk rock. But there’s something that’s embedded in me about the hook, the pop hook. And it’s still with me to this day,” Schafer said.

Even with that early influence, the band’s original run didn’t last. By 1993, creative differences around the band’s sound pushed Sludgeworth apart. Schafer wanted to keep exploring the pop-punk alchemy, while other members didn’t.

“At the heart of it, I felt like I was growing apart a little bit from the rest of them, and I think there was also a feeling of being directionless,” he said. “Sometimes people in bands just can’t get on the same page anymore. And at the time, I found it kind of difficult.”

He also has a different kind of perspective on it now. “But, he admits, that’s the beauty of many years passing. “It’s just like, who cares anymore?”

That shift shows up on “Second Time Around,” an album Schafer describes as being about living in the moment. The approach is especially clear in songs like “Can’t Change Yesterday. ” described as a c’est la vie anthem. and the fast-paced friend ballad “Hold Steady. ” which lets go of the past and puts the band back in its element with a fresh perspective—and a similar sound.

Schafer said the chemistry returning wasn’t just about the music. “It’s funny, I hadn’t seen the guys in so long, but the chemistry fell right back. A lot of the dumb humor did, too,” he said.

He now lives in southern Illinois, near St. Louis, but still makes the trip to Chicago to work with the rest of the band. The lineup for the new chapter includes new bassist Simon Lamb.

The new album also carries names and through-lines from the present. The band features Max McQuaid, the son of Sludgeworth drummer Brian McQuaid, who also contributes to “Second Time Around.”

The influence of Sludgeworth hasn’t been confined to the past. Rise Against bassist Joe Principe called the band one of the most underrated Chicago punk groups. Principe said he attended an early McGregor’s show in 1991 “completely blind. ” but left “absolutely blown away. ” adding. “From that night on. I caught them every chance I got.”.

Brendan Kelly of The Lawrence Arms said, “The thing about Sludgeworth was there was an earnest vulnerability to the music, and in the Chicago punk scene at the time, that really stood out.”

That kind of impact helps explain why new momentum became possible at all. Schafer said he would be remiss not to credit homegrown brands like Red Scare Industries and Riot Fest for giving Sludgeworth another shot and extending the lifespans of Chicago’s many legacy punk acts by providing a stage and an audience.

He also pointed out that Riot Fest invited the band back for a one-off reunion set in 2007. “It gave us a seat at the table. We’re an old band at this point. It’s been a long time. But Mike [Petryshyn. Riot Fest creator] really loves Chicago. he loves Chicago bands and he’s helped spark a lot of enthusiasm. ” Schafer said.

After “Second Time Around” drops, Schafer said the band has a short run of concert dates. Those plans include a return to Cobra Lounge on Aug. 29 and 30.

Where things go next remains open—something he frames not as a guess. but as a response to what the crowd keeps doing. “As for where Sludgeworth goes after the album launch and a short run of concert dates … Schafer says only time will tell. ” the singer said. He’s hoping it’s for the long haul this time.

“If that enthusiasm keeps going, it keeps us going. I’m more than happy to give the supply if there’s the demand,” he said. “I hope we can ride it for a while. Because so far, it’s been really fun to do this all over again.”

Sludgeworth Second Time Around Dan Schafer Dan Vapid Red Scare Industries Cobra Lounge Riot Fest Chicago punk What’s This? Losers of the Year pop-punk