Keeping Up With The Times: An Interview With NYC’s Angry Old Man
By Staff | April 15, 2026
Angry Old Man is a long-standing New York City punk-rock band led by singer and guitarist Yvan Sehr, known for a DIY ethos and a journey that spans from a 2005 debut at CBGB to a 2019 performance at Carnegie Hall. After a period of lineup shifts and the release of their 2020 album Old Man Lung, the band found renewed energy as a trio featuring original bassist Matt Reed and drummer Michael “Danger” Booth. Their music focuses on authentic self-expression and social commentary, recently shifting toward a steady stream of singles like "Affordability Crisis" to stay engaged with the modern independent music landscape.
You debuted at CBGB in 2005 and played Carnegie Hall in 2019, two iconic NYC venues with very different vibes. What did each of those milestones mean to you, and how did they reflect the band’s evolution?
Yvan Sehr (Evan Sear), guitar, vocals: Debuting at CBGB’s as a full band in 2005 was real highpoint and milestone. I spent years before putting the band together playing as a solo acoustic act, the majority of those I spent on the basement stage at CB’s where I was told numerous times I needed to put full band together. This part of CBGB’s was called The Downstairs lounge, it was part of CB’s gallery, the addition the club added to itself during it’s peak run. I even played there the same night Korn did. I have probably played the downstairs lounge more than anyone, playing there almost every other Monday or Sunday from 2001 until they closed in 2005. During that period I played many basement stages of the biggest clubs in the city, but getting to debut the full sound I heard in my head on the same stage as my mentors, influences, and heroes was real dream experience
Playing at Carnegie Hall in 2019 was an unexpected opportunity and a surprise. 2019 was supposed to be a banner year for us as a band. In the summer of 2019 we were booked to do a UK tour culminating in a few festival shows, and at the end of the season we would play at Carnegie. At this point in the band around 2018 our original bassist Matt had moved away where he could no longer continue to be in the band, but we had a few temporary backups. The whole tour fell through because our drummer, through myriad excuses that basically boiled down to that he was too afraid to go over seas destroyed all our plans. It was the spark that led to the implosion of the longest running AOM lineup. The Carnegie gig came to us through my job at the music school I teach at (cause lord knows streaming doesn’t pay the bills). It was an acoustic set that was accompanied by an orchestra consisting of my coworkers and students, and we played some of the same songs we played from the original set at CB’s in 05. It was the inspiration for our “Purple Motherfucker EP” that came out in 2022. In a bittersweet twist it was also the last time my dad, the old man in our logo, got to hear us perform his favorite song.
When your original drummer left before the UK tour and refused to adapt to new recording methods, the band temporarily imploded. What did that period teach you about creative compromise, and how did it shape the decision to push forward as a trio?
YS: We were forced to fire our drummer when after refusing to tour again, we were offered the opportunity in 2020 before COVID hit, he also refused to adapt to the new ways I would produce our recordings. From the start the project has always been a DIY recording machine. It’s something I got into as a teenager and never stopped pursuing. At that point we were working on what would become our album, 2020’s Old Man Lung for several years, chasing the right performances and sounds. When he refused to adapt, I figured out how to finish it on my own, and did just that. It was redeeming being able to bring these tracks to completion after all the years of stops and starts, and even venture into new sounds and songs. This new direction started with our song “The Collapse”. It inspired me to keep the band going when it felt like it might be the time to stop. With perfect timing I released it just as the world shut down for COVID.
You finished and released that album in March 2020 right as the world shut down. How did the timing affect the rollout, and did the themes of the record resonate differently in isolation?
YS: Timing the release with the start of global pandemic felt right on par with the luck of the band. For a while we had a streak of venues we played at regularly go out of business. The pandemic did offer me some time to really learn how to promote and share the record I had just made, it was one of the small upsides to being isolated and locked down.
Matt Reed returned on bass and you brought in Michael “Danger” Booth on drums. How did the dynamic shift with this lineup, and what does Danger bring to the rhythm section that reignited the band?
YS: In 2023 Matt moved back to the area and rejoined the band. It was a real parting of the clouds having him return, when we first started playing in the band together Matt was 16 and I was 24, we had a chemistry right from the start and it truly helped me discover the sound and spirit of the band. It was devastating having him leave, and I always wished he would come back, and when he did it was at a time when I really needed the band the most. Though now we are in our 30’s and 40’s when we fire it up, it feels timeless. Finding Mike was another gift from the universe. Spent a few years searching and auditioning drummers and it was tough finding someone with the skills, sound, and willingness to join the band. Mikey jumped in and helped kick start this summamabitch back into life. Best part was bringing songs that I had only played in the studio when the band was out of commission into life. Now we sound and work like the band I had always wanted to be in.
After your 2020 album “Old Man Lung”, you’ve shifted to releasing singles steadily since 2022. What prompted the move away from full-length projects, and how has it changed your creative workflow?
YS: Once we started recording and writing again as a band I didn’t want to wait and sit on material to build a collection of songs that would make an album. Also the landscape of how everything works has changed, so part of it is keeping up with the times, but being able to release more keeps our listeners engaged and let us know what works and what doesn’t.
Your latest single Affordability Crisis tackles a pressing issue. How do you balance punk’s tradition of protest with making music that still feels energizing and cathartic?
YS: We’ve been on a 20 year journey chasing the sound that’s been in our heads, and with every release we’ve been getting closer to it. Our goal is to always serve the song, and try to follow the energy the music gives us into formulating the lyrics. As soon as the chords were in place, the attitude of the music demanded that we treat the lyrics just as serious. Our songs serve as a snapshot of society and the ills and wrongs within it that we see.
You’ve been active in New York for over 20 years. How has the local DIY and punk scene transformed since you started, and where do Angry Old Man fit in today?
We don’t fit in, we’ve never really fit in and that’s remained a constant. We’ve always gotten by on the fact that we put on a damn good live show and we have songs that have a lot of heart and hopefully some memorable hooks as well.
The name Angry Old Man plays with a stereotype, but your energy feels far from stagnant. How do you define old man anger today, and what keeps it from turning into nostalgia?
YS: Thank you for that, well the name derives from a few different places. One of the main reasons why we chose the name was because we always knew we would want to ride this band out for as long as we can, and we didn’t want to have a band name that felt stupid to say as we got older, and the older we get the better it fits. I try to understand, and stay current with what’s going on in today’s music, but now there is just too much of it to take in, and a lot of it is just manufactured and fake. It’s a fashion extension and not an honest and meaningful form of self expression. There’s a clear lack of authenticity today, even more so with the oncoming flood of AI crap, but there is clearly a desire for true authenticity. And we feel like we have that, we’ve earned it, and we’ve always stayed true to who we are and what we feel is right. Hopefully we can speak for some of the anger and heartbreak our generations have experienced in the last 20 years.
Anyone you'd like to thank?
YS: I would first like to thank Matt and Mike for breathing life back into the band and not letting 2019 be our final chapter. Whatever the future holds I will always be grateful for the time we have now and the sound we get to make. I just want us to play on louder and louder stages!
I would also like to thank all the people online all around the world who have found our music and continue to listen to it everyday, to know that our sound has been heard in parts of the country and the world we’ve never been in is mind-blowing and inspires us to continue. Also thanks to knifetwister records for giving us the opportunity to tell a bit of our story and introduce some more people to Angry Old Man
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