No Polish: An Interview With Newburgh’s Trouble Bound
By Staff | December 20, 2025
Photo credit: @facephoto_77
Trouble Bound are a Newburgh-based punk band out of the Hudson River Valley area of NY. The boys have been wielding their very own brand of punk rock fused with subtle rockabilly accents since 1999. Citing such influences as Rancid, Stray Cats, Motorhead, Still Little Fingers, Eddie Cochran, Social Distortion and The Ramones.
With songs written about daily-life, working class struggles, “what goes around comes around” karma forbodings, and even inner turmoil… It’s instantly obvious to the ear -the earnest quality and heart on the sleeve approach to songwriting. Telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Taking inspiration from the trials and tribulations of working the trades of the blue collar, to love gone awry and the importance of friends and family sticking together through thick and thin. These self-taught rockers have always had the music to cure what ails them and exorcise the angst of the daily struggle.
Welcome! You formed back in 1999. Can you take us back to the very start? What was the original catalyst or specific moment that led to the formation of Trouble Bound up in Newburgh?
Johnny No-Keys, vocals/guitar: We started as kind of a misunderstanding, really… at my high school graduation, a friend’s boyfriend was booking a show and he misunderstood when I told him I had HAD a band in my old hometown. (I had just moved up here from Irvington, NY the previous summer.) He said “great, you’re on the show.” The show was exactly one month away - on July 24th, 1999. So in that one month’s time; I assembled a band, wrote some songs and played the show. We had a few practices but only got to practice all together a few hours before the show. We ran through the setlist twice and then took the stage an hour later and opened the show. The rest is history. Pretty wild now that I’m thinking about it. It went surprisingly well considering the short amount of time and small number of practices. Just goes to show you what you can do when you put your mind to something with a devil-may-care attitude … remember that kids, ha ha.
As a band rooted in the Hudson Valley area for decades, how has the local music scene evolved since you started, and what role do you see Trouble Bound playing in it today?
Well, when we started going in the late 90s / early 2000s, the punk scene was booming just about everywhere. A number of venues have closed because of Covid and now a disastrous economy. We’ve teamed up with Outsider Magazine to help book shows and keep a scene going up in our area. It seems to be growing back again. The hope is that it will be stronger than ever.
Where did the name "Trouble Bound" come from, and how do you feel it represents the band's sound and lyrical themes?
Johnny: It came from a few months before the band started… A kid was threatening my younger brother in high school. The kid was a grade ahead of my brother and was bullying him pretty bad. He messed him up pretty good in gym class one day. Fucked his back up. I found out about it. Went in the next day looking for him, liberty spikes up, staring him down in between classes. Waited for him after school, off-campus where he liked to smoke. I saw him jump on a bus right out of the doors from school. I got hauled into the principal’s office, my parents were called in and there was talk of getting the cops involved even though I had never touched him. Later that night, I was in my room listening to some Op Ivy bootleg demos that I had picked up. The song “Trouble Bound” came on and Jesse Michaels shouted “trouble… bound… yeah,” at the end of the song. I felt like that was where my life was headed. It’s just something that stuck with me and felt like a theme song. So, when it came time to name the band a few months later that just felt like the right fit. Like the story of my life.. and all of ours (Dan & Brian), really. We always seem headed for trouble no matter what we do.
Your sound is described as punk rock with subtle rockabilly accents. How do you intentionally fuse those two distinct genres, and what's the typical process for introducing a rockabilly feel without losing the raw punk edge?
It’s just something that happens organically. Early rock n’ roll in the 50s and early rockabilly was some of the first rebellious American music. Punk seems to have a seamless link to it. We just write what we write - the way it comes out of us. We never force anything or sit down and write anything intentionally. We write what comes to us naturally and just let our influences run wild and flow right through us.
With a diverse list of influences—from Rancid and Social Distortion to the Stray Cats and Eddie Cochran—is there one band on that list that you feel is the most essential sonic building block for Trouble Bound, and why?
The truth of the matter is that the three of us all have different influences but also have a lot of core collective influences that inspire our music that are deeply rooted. If we had to choose one, I would have to say Rancid. They were one of the first punk bands we all got into in our early teens and a band that has continued to influence us all for over 3 decades now.
Your 2005 album "Here To The End" has just been reissued on vinyl by Mild Chaos Records. Can you give us some details on how this came about and where people can get it?
Johnny: At the beginning of this year it one day hit us that “Here To The End” was turning 20 years old. I also realized that the album, which has been out of print for like 15 years, had never been on vinyl before- my favorite format. So we toyed with the idea of raising the funds and putting it out. Did a poll on social media to see if there was interest, got a good response. Two weeks later, Marc from Mild Chaos Records made a post on Instagram that said if there was any bands out there from the 90s or 2000s that never got their record on vinyl before the vinyl resurgence… hit him up. We sent him the streaming link. He liked the songs. So we started talks about making it happen.
There’s been 300 of this record pressed. Translucent purple vinyl with yellow splatter. Holly (our manager) and I (Johnny) worked on the poster inserts and used some of the old photos and added some new ones from that era. Lyrics are in there too (which we always like to do) with an updated thank you list and a little note from us about the release. It was released on October 24th 2025. You can order them from mildchaosrecords.com where we did a limited number of signed copies from everyone in the band or get them from our Bandcamp: troublebound99.bandcamp.com or at the shows of course.
Your most recent album, “Broken Ribs & Blood Clots” has some really cool cover art... Can you give us some backstory on it and some details about where the title came from?
Dan: We recorded in January and February of 2024 and then April 21st, I had some serious medical issues that landed me in the hospital for quite a while. I had blood clots in my lungs and heart and a big one in my leg. During recovery, I took a photo of my chest where I had had surgery and they seamlessly stitched my chest back up without marring the large chest-piece tattoo that I have there and sent it to the band group chat.
Johnny: Holly (our manager) saw the photo and thought it would make a good album cover and immediately started designing it. She showed me and I said we should call the album “Broken Ribs and Blood Clots.” Everyone liked it. It was like an ode to the victory of Dan getting through what he’s gone through and our experience with it. It kinda perfectly captured what was going on with us at the time, seemed very fitting.
You’ve been described as self-taught rockers. How has that DIY, self-taught approach influenced your sound, your recording process, or your overall philosophy as a band?
Well, because none of us are classically trained or ever really took any lessons - that leaves us with an approach of playing by feeling and emotion rather than having a mathematical or musical theory approach to creating our songs. We don’t ever sit down and decide we are going to write a song. We let the songs come to us naturally. We let our experiences and our feelings about them, inspire and drive us. The songs come organically. As far as recording, it’s more or less the same approach. We use our equipment and the instruments that we play all the time and don’t really ever put any polish on it. What you hear is just us, our natural sound. We surround ourselves with friends and people that understand us and the music we’re trying to make.
Your songwriting is praised for its earnest quality and heart on the sleeve approach. How challenging is it to maintain that level of raw honesty and vulnerability in your lyrics?
Not very challenging at all because we have never changed our approach to writing. We’ve never tried to force anything or create something that wasn’t real or didn’t really happen to us.
Many of your songs are about daily life and working-class struggles. What specifically inspires you to chronicle the "trials and tribulations of working the blue collar trades" in your music?
We write what we know. There’s a lot of personalties you encounter working for a living. A lot of events and situations, some good; some bad. They can evoke thoughts, feelings, angst… all fuel for a fire that needs to burn outward. Because if you keep it in, it will eventually kill you or worse, someone else. Music has always been a necessary outlet and big time stress reliever for us.
Your music tackles relationships. Is it easier or harder to write a powerful song about love gone wrong compared to a song about a socio-political issue?
It’s not any easier or harder. When the inspiration comes whether it’s anger or heartbreak, the song pretty much writes itself. The lyrics usually come on their own and we almost always hear the music with it that fills in the blanks.
Photo credit: @facephoto_77
When a new song is being developed, where does it usually start—with a riff, a lyrical phrase, or a specific idea or feeling?
It’s almost always from a feeling or thought that has been inspired by some experience or observation from our every day lives.
What is the secret to keeping a punk rock band going strong for over 25 years? What keeps the core members motivated to keep writing and playing?
Well, it’s a lot of what you might think… you have to love playing and love what you’re doing. It helps if you all like each other and are friends outside of the confines of the band. I know for me (Johnny), making music is like breathing, I’m the not the same when i’m not doing it. It feels like a deep and vital part of me is missing when I’m without it. I know all of us feel the same way. As long as there’s things out there that make us angry or inspire strong emotion from us enough to put pen to paper and noise to the quiet, we’ll be doing it. One form or another.
How would you describe a Trouble Bound live show to someone who has never seen you play? What do you hope the audience takes away from the experience?
We come out hard and fast, usually. Fired up - full of energy. Expect to see some moving and shaking, a lot of sweating. A little fancy footwork if the mood strikes. We don’t really stop to catch our breathe, so it’s always action packed. People will dance and often times yell along with us. Sometimes there’s some mic grabbing and gang up vocals. Sometimes we’re on point with a joke or two. We feed off the crowd a lot as well. If you bring some high energy and enthusiasm… we’ll escalate it. We hope everyone takes away a feeling of camaraderie, togetherness, and… songs that will live in your heart, so you know that we’re always there for you when you need us. This is unity music. Always has been, always will be.
After so many years, what are the current goals for Trouble Bound? Are you focusing on new recordings, touring, or something else entirely?
We’re looking to get out of state and play more / new places and cities, play some festivals. We have a new album called “F the BS” that’s done and ready to be released. We have the first single out now called “The Only Way I Know.” There’s a few more singles coming and we are looking to release the full album to streaming in early spring, possibly April. We will be shopping it to labels to get a physical release put out. Currently, we are working on music videos and writing another new album.
You mention that music has always been the cure for what ails. What is the single most important thing you hope your music cures or addresses for your listeners?
We hope it gives people something to relate to. Music has always been a refuge from our troubles and frustrations. We’ve always had music as a sanctuary. We hope that people find that in our music. To quote one of our favorites: “when I got the music, I got a place to go.”
Anyone you’d like to thank?
We would like to thank Outsider Magazine, In Effect Hardcore @ineffecthc and Dave “Face” Boccio
Find more of Trouble Bound on these social medias and streaming platforms:
Bandcamp: troublebound99.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @troublebound
Spotify: Trouble Bound
YouTube: Trouble Bound