Tag: Chapels

True Identity — The Idiot Kids Reject Dichotomy, Embrace Authenticity on “Zeroes & Ones” Single

Jon-Mikal Bartee of The Idiot Kids. Courtesy photo

Jon-Mikal Bartee refuses to adopt a dichotomous mindset.

The Detroit vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer dismisses society’s “us-versus-them” ideology and embraces their authentic self on “Zeroes & Ones.”

“I think there are people who can relate to this feeling,” said Bartee, who performs as The Idiot Kids, about their new garage-punk single. “I mean, releasing it during Pride Month definitely was not an accident. I know many other queer people who feel similar. Ultimately, I hope this track might act as a conduit for others to express how they may be feeling.”

While it’s an empowering queer anthem, “Zeroes & Ones” also takes inspiration from binary code and features defiant vocals and fiery instrumentation.

Bartee sings, “I’m not the either or / Not neither nor / Rigid dichotomy’s a bore / Or in other words / I’m not the this or that / I am a winding path / I write my odyssey / My score.”

“I liked the imagery of binary code and the fact that we use it every day in our digital lives,” they said. “Without realizing that we need both to communicate anything, I’ve always been frustrated by the lack of nuance in modern-day discourse. People seem to pick sides, stick to their guns, and do not want to engage with anything that may challenge what they already believe. Whether that’s politically, socially, or dealing with our own identities.”

I recently spoke with Bartee about The Idiot Kids’ single ahead of a June 7 show at Bell’s Back Room Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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Dig Out – The Idiot Kids Mine Past Struggles and Make Room for the Future on ‘Chapels’ Album

The Idiot Kids B&W 1
The Idiot Kids’ Nicholas Zambeck, Jon-Mikal Bartee and Andrew Maslowsky search for acceptance on “Chapels.” Photo – Jackleen Diana Eve

For Jon-Mikal Bartee, a new album with The Idiot Kids allows for a deep exploration of the past and a clear pathway for the future.

The lead vocalist-guitarist of the Detroit garage-punk trio mines personal experiences, thoughts and emotions related to sex, identity, addiction and trauma on Chapels. In turn, those excavations create more space for relief and renewal.

“That’s kind of what the whole album is about. Through trauma and addiction and all of that, trying to find acceptance. That’s just what it kind of turned into. It’s not like we sat down and said, ‘I want to write an album about my childhood,’” Bartee said.

“For me, listening to artists like Elliott Smith, Thom Yorke, Bob Dylan and people who talked about very personal things—sometimes in a more abstract way and sometimes a little more literally—that’s what I connected to. Just from hearing people talk about what they’re dealing with didn’t resonate in the same way as like putting it to a melody or a rhythm.”

Alongside bandmates Nicholas Zambeck (bass) and Andrew Maslowsky (drums, vocals), Bartee adopts that refreshing approach on Chapels, which features a dozen tracks filled with candid lyrics, earworm choruses and turbocharged punk-rock instrumentation.

“This is the kind of stuff, as a kid and as a teenager, I didn’t hear anyone talking about. Luckily, the world has come a long way in the last 20 years. But, at the same time, with more visibility, there’s also more hatred, so it’s kind of like this battling force back and forth,” said Bartee, who grew up in a religious family and came out as an adult.

“These are the songs I wish I had heard as a teenager or a young adult, and I was dealing with that internalized homophobia and religious trauma and whatnot. That’s why I ended up calling it Chapels because it all kind of went down to that.”

Continue reading “Dig Out – The Idiot Kids Mine Past Struggles and Make Room for the Future on ‘Chapels’ Album” →