From Parts Unknown: Ben McCracken (center), Kyle Owens (left), Chris Parrish (right) | contributed Photo
By Juan R Govea
Getting back from Tulsa and then back down to Fort Worth at Main at South Side and ending their tour with a music video shoot in Deep Ellum, the day after; the Punk group known as From Parts Unknown keep a more than busy schedule. After their first release Bruiser and Last January’s EP Release Trucker Speed the group is hopeful to add additional tracks for a full album later this year.
As of now Ben McCracken (guitar, lead vocals); Chris Parrish (Upright Bass) and Kyle Owens (Drums) have been rocking Deep Ellum and all of DFW for more than 5 years. The bands first show was set at a House show next door to The Double Wide in Dallas Texas being their first show as the punk rock group From Parts Unknown. Since then the group has been gaining more attention in the punk rock scene since then.
Dallas’ John Lambert recently directed the music video late last month, which is still in the works with no official release date yet. McCracken says a sneak peek is set to debut soon, while also mentioning another animated music video on their list of plans.
Their self-titled EP, which was originally intended to be an 8-song album, was recorded at Goodnight audio, but due to the studios unfortunate wasted budget and unorganized staff, McCracken said the 3 track EP was released instead.
“After recording take after take and the studio engineers being unorganized methheads we ended up with only three songs from what was supposed to be eight.”
Bruiser, their first full album was released in December of 2016. As well a cover from Fat Wrecks’ Lagwagon, Coffee and Cigarettes off Lagwagon’s Duh album for a compilation on From Parts Unknown label Dang Records located in Dallas.
From Parts Unknown at Main At South Side in Fort Worth Texas | Photo Credit: Juan R Govea
The group plays Three Links Anniversary Show March 10 and will be at Backyard on Bell March 30 and Main at Southside the next night. McCracken and the guys are currently in touring season all of March and May.
“Gonna head west to California on tour playing 5 sets in May with American Pinup in the west and The Palatines from McAllen for the first dates in Texas, McCracken says.
As far as the band’s riotous and energetic performance on stage the group says they obviously try to stay on beat but enjoy the energy and try to keep their dynamics planned. Parrish says the band tries to build a familiarity with each set while keeping songs fresh as possible
“It’s a cross between don’t fuck up, kickin’ it with the boys, and most important, don’t fuck up!! In the end it’s all one big blur,“ Owens says.
Owens says he’s been playing drums for as long as he can remember, but more than a decade. And agrees with the band mates that while they all share the stage the pleasing goal is to not fuck up.
“I like to do cymbal stops for Kyle while he plays the drums (and I play my bass) and Ill sing in Ben’s mic whether he wants me to or not, “ Parrish says. “Really the only challenge live is trying not to crash into Ben when we get to playing recklessly. I ran into him once and it broke the scroll off of my bass; nothing a little Devcon 2-part epoxy couldn’t fix though.”
Parrish, says he started playing the electric bass When he was 15 years old and played it until he was 19. At 20 Parrish got his first upright bass and hasn’t touched a bass guitar ever since.
“The upright tunes to E and has four strings just like an electric bass, that’s the same but the size and playing styles are so much different,” he says. “Most folks are surprised that I really don’t play rockabilly or psychobilly and in fact, a lot of venues, promoters and people have tried to pigeon hole as such. It’s been tough to break through that stigma.”
Ben McCracken Frontman for From Parts Unknown | Photo Credit: Juan R Govea
