By Staff | March 21, 2026

Photo credit: Pop Punk Photgraphy (@pop.punk.photography)

Coming out of the vibrant music (and protest) scene of Los Angeles, The Antiks are a high-energy collision of punk energy and experimental alt-rock. The band navigates a creative space where their self-described wackiness often masks darker, introspective lyrical themes, drawing inspiration from a wide-ranging palette that includes The Dickies, Radiohead, and the improvisation of fusion jazz. Rooted in the Chicano punk and Riot Grrrl traditions of SoCal, the band—comprised of Kaitlin, Sean, Ernesto, Chris, and Cjay—uses their platform to confront systemic injustices, specifically targeting issues like immigration and fascism with a direct, confrontational ethos. Whether they are exploring complex gender politics or leaning into absurdist Dadaism, The Antiks prioritize a human-first approach to songwriting, blending technical musicianship with a raw, communal spirit that aims to provide both a wake-up call and a sense of catharsis for their audience.

Welcome! You’ve cited both The Dickies and Radiohead as influences—two bands on opposite ends of the "seriousness" spectrum. How do you balance the playful, frenetic energy of punk with the cerebral, experimental side of alt-rock?

Kaitlin, vocals: As the main writer for lyrics, I find that balance by contrasting their more serious content and negative emotions with more playful melodies. I’m a big fan of songs that sound upbeat and bright but have darker lyrics.

Sean, drums: For me, I can either go with the flow of the melody or do something completely left field while still complementing the idea. For example, if a song structure has very open chords with a bunch of space in between, I can either match that (play a slow open beat) or something at a fast tempo that would fill up the space appropriately. A lot of the same vocabulary can be expressed in many different ways. Sometimes, stuff works together that totally shouldn’t!!

Ernesto, guitar: I just try to make guitar parts that sound fun.

Chris, bass: All “rock” has built off each other for years at this point; everyone is copying everyone else’s homework as is how music is. I think the balance comes from the humanity we each bring to the song writing processes. Good music feels like breathing and there’s something to be said about the way punk can manifest your spirit in your body and alt-rock in your introspection and I think we as a group bring that out in our music.

Cjay, guitar: I think “silliness” regularly informs creativity and gives more opportunities for experimentation. “Wackiness” and “seriousness” to me aren’t mutually exclusive. More often than not I feel the greatest instances of innovation and creativity come from a precarious balance. You can see it from Diogenes to Keaton, from the Dead Kennedys to Tool. I think art should be both and attempt to push the molds of both.

Jazz is a sophisticated ingredient for an alt-rock band. Does that influence show up more in the rhythmic structures, the chord voicings, or is there a bit of improvisation when you play live?

Sean: It can be anything and everything we think supports the message we try to express in the moment. We usually have a general idea or environment we put ourselves in and we comp with stuff that we think meshes well in that environment. It can either be very subtle or completely different musically. Some ideas stick and others get thrown out the window. It all depends on the purpose each phrase serves for said moment.

Ernesto: Fun rhythm can really make us enjoy playing together.

Chris: Hot take: sure it’s the chords and theory but the biggest thing is how jazz has taught us to listen. I have a background in vocal jazz and some time with a combo as a vocalist and that personally influences my concepts of musical flow and communication, treating a song like a conversation. On the writing side, we often find ourselves jamming out and as a bass player I have a say in defining the harmonic context of wherever we are at that moment in time and I access that palette from my exposure to jazz.

Cjay: I think the base of jazz that’s most interestingly taken is in the freeform, breath-like quality of things like modal Jazz and Fusion. People aren’t just one genre, tempo, key, or rhythm, so I hope to continuously create songs that encapsulate that. I want to keep making things more free and expressive like I think most artists are.

Los Angeles has such a storied history of both Riot Grrrl energy and hardcore punk. How much does the city’s physical and cultural landscape seep into your songwriting?

Kaitlin: Some of my biggest inspirations as a vocalist and musician are riot grrls from LA, especially the Chicano punk scene, such as Alice Bag (lead singer of the Bags) and Teresa Covarrubias (lead singer of The Brat). I strive to channel the power and confidence that they represent–being unapologetically Chicana and fem.

Chris: LA’s influence extends well beyond its county line. The city is so much more than the glamour popular culture claims. Genres like that form in response to the frustrations of people. There is real struggle and passionate communities that resist and it echoes everywhere; the historical socioeconomic reality surrounding the lived experiences of songwriters from LA is what I've been hearing since childhood. things from Los Tigres Del Norte to RATM. It’s the sound of my family. It's the gravity I hope for our music to have.

Cjay: For me, Los Angeles and SoCal sincerely informs every aspect of the music I play. With the rise in transplants and gentrification, representing the parts of my city that are increasingly being pushed out is everything. Riot Grrrl and Hardcore has been ingrained in the bloodstream of the city for decades but, particularly with Riot Grrrl, has not been given the limelight or shine it rightfully deserves. I hope we can bring that to more people who might not have as much exposure.

Your song Derretido tackles a very specific, heavy history of injustice. When writing about complex political issues like immigration and ICE, how do you ensure the message remains clear without losing the punk energy of the track?

Kaitlin: At some point during our set I always make sure to say FUCK ICE AND FUCK TRUMP because it's truly what we stand for as a band and decent human beings. I know sometimes lyrics can be a little hard to make out especially in a live setting, so stating it out loud ensures that we get that across with no confusion.

Chris: Fuck ICE. It's concise. Politics is complex. The sentiment itself is simple. If you have a heart and consume media it should be easy to understand why people are saying it and why it’s valid. Of course there is a time and place where you can educate people more thoroughly. If you speak about it as reality and the cruelty, the cowardice of it all and the audience is moved to take a little less shit on behalf of themselves and a neighbor then I think we did a good job.

Cjay: ICE, racism, and bigotry are a fucking cancer on the earth. Punk is highly confrontational and rooted in resistance, speaking up through lyrics and making music that tackles it is all it takes to maintain that ethos. ART AND MUSIC ARE POLITICAL. Pretending like it isn’t, being quiet about a stance, refusing to educate yourself if you don’t understand makes one worse than a hypocrite or a coward. It makes them scum.

Do you feel that being politically outspoken is a requirement for artists in the current climate, or is it just an extension of who The Antiks are?

Kaitlin: I think if you want to make music that's not “deep” or outwardly political that's fine, BUT you should still be outspoken and uplift your community in some sense. I will always encourage people to write political music because I feel it's one of the strongest forms of expression and it's relatively easy to share with people.

Sean: I don’t think it's a hard requirement. It’s definitely easy to create stuff in that realm given current events. But nothing limits us in terms of expressing whatever we want, it being political or not.

Ernesto: I don't see it as a requirement but it does allow the band/artist a method to bond it a way with other like-minded individuals.

Chris: Art cannot be separated from the context that it is made. If you are a sympathetic, able bodied, mentally sound, spiritually attuned musician, you must act as a voice of the people especially those without the means. To not consider such in your art feels inhuman to me. Like i can’t make you and i do appreciate a sappy or corny tune everyone once and a while so it’s a coin toss. Maybe something about the intention of the art you're making???

Cjay: I think it should absolutely be a requirement. Not every song needs to be political but every artist and person should be sincere enough to care about the state of the world we all share.

As a fem-fronted band in the alt-rock space, do you find yourselves writing through a specific lens of gender politics, or do you prefer to tackle broader systemic issues?

Kaitlin: With the music we have out right now, we address more broader issues like immigration policies, fascism, community building, etc. However, our song “Funny” is specifically about a situation I had with a guy bandmate from a while back where he was constantly misogynistic and objectifying me and other women. That’s a song where I could express those frustrations women and fem people are often way too familiar with. There’ll definitely be more songs like that on our upcoming album.

Cjay: I love being part of a female fronted band, love and respect for my singer, only Kaitlin should have a say in this one.

You have two EPs under your belt. How has the transition to writing a full-length album changed your approach? Are you aiming for a cohesive concept, or is it more a collection of your best new ideas and concepts?

Sean: I think that’s something we’re still kinda discovering over time. Usually, one of us will have rough ideas and we get together to structure it and flush it out more. There are so many angles we can go about this. Does every song share a common theme or is it kinda random? Are we trying to convey an overarching message? TBH, I still think we’re learning what we can do and how we should do it.

Ernesto: At the moment it feels like a collection of good ideas and the thing that helps them stick together is our playing styles that makes it sounds like us.

Cjay: I enjoy the Dadaism and absurdist approach.

With such a wide blend of genres, what does the rehearsal room look like? Does a song usually start with a political spark, a jazz progression, or a punk riff?

Sean: Yes. All of the above. It can start with a chord progression, a riff, then we add rhythm/feel on top of it (mainly my job, not for the faint of heart).

Cjay: I think it comes from a feeling out process and a general vibes/feels of what we want to make that day. Usually a broad “what song would be cool?” Then everyone just giving input to that.

For someone who hasn't seen an Antiks show yet, what is the one thing you’d like them to take away from your performance?

Kaitlin: The world is going through serious shit right now, and it can weigh really heavily on you, so it’s important to be silly! Finding that balance will save you from feeling doomed.

Sean: We try to get weird and include elements that are sonically unique to us. No one song sounds the same and there’s a good variety of musicianship that listeners hopefully can pick up on. If you walk away feeling good and have no idea where this band fits in, we’ve done our job.

Ernesto: I think something that I would like people to take away from our performance is the sense of together we have on stage. That no matter what happens up there we are a group of tight knit individuals and it wouldn’t be the same without each other.

Cjay: I just hope people have fun, the world is hard and I’m not sayin we’re tryin to be The Wiggles type of feel good though that sounds fun and hilarious. But maybe if we can have fun with you you could have some fun with us.

Anyone out there you’d like to thank for their support?

The Antiks: We’d like to thank everyone who listens to us and supports us however they can! Special shoutout to our photography homie @pop.punk.photography, unofficially official manager guy Nolan, Cjay’s dad, the same 2 diners we end up at after almost every band practice, and THE CHAIR.

Links

Bandcamp: https://theantiks.bandcamp.com/album/november-6

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theantiksband?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/Antiksbandoffical

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