Outsider Artists: An Interview With Brooklyn’s SHAGGO

Photo credit: Evi Fokas

A band can give a shit without taking themselves too seriously. A lot of bands never quite figure that out.

Brooklyn's queercore outfit SHAGGO is firmly rooted in the DIY ethos - for the record, they actually haul around gear on public transportation because nobody owns a car. That sounds pretty punk to us. We had a chance to sit down with them to discuss bad transportation options, good punk shows and why starting a band before you know how to play might actually be a pretty good idea.

While you're known for the occasional silly song, you do take your craft seriously. How does this balance work?

Carina Greenberg, bass: I think that we’re always going to keep writing songs that make us laugh but at the same time we are all individually focused on getting stronger as musicians. I don’t think it has to be one or the other which has been the best part of being in a punk/diy band - we definitely don’t take ourselves too seriously but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to keep growing as musicians!

Lucy Rinzler-Day, lead vocals/rhythm guitar: I think we share a dark humor as songwriters and musicians that can convey themes from everyday loneliness to total political apocalypse in a more relatable and grabbing way. Humor is fun and more digestible, balance is key.

What was the most surreal moment from your whirlwind 2025, from SXSW to opening for Horse Jumper of Love?

Carina: 2025 was a crazy year and this year has felt even crazier - we were so lucky to go on our first-ever (DIY) tour in support of our debut album Chores, and now we’re gearing up to release our second album which has some songs that we’re most proud of. I think one of the craziest moments was definitely playing Music Hall last month - it’s so surreal to have grown up hearing about that venue and get to play it in its last year of existence!

Christine Bee, drums: Opening for Horse Jumper of Love and Frog was def a big one! Both Dimitri (Horse Jumper) and Danny (Frog) shouted out Shaggo on stage, and I could have died and went to heaven. Playing Bazooka Fest last year in 2025 was also a crazy one too! Getting to play with bands like Starcleaner Reunion and Ex Pilots to bands I grew up listening to like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and James McNew (of Yo La Tengo).

Lucy: Definitely seeing current students of my college (Middlebury) in the crowd when we opened for HJOL there! I started seriously songwriting while in college, first performed my original songs at open mics, and did college radio (who booked us) there, so it was crazy to come back to those spaces as a performing artist. We even performed a song I wrote as a student about my freshman year. It meant a lot too to meet students after the show, some of whom were musicians/songwriters themselves. I hope I inspired them! College radio forever ❤

What is it about The Shaggs, of all bands, that made you want to name your band after them?

Carina: It’s funny when people ask about the Shaggs because I don’t think we particularly sound like them (it would be impossible to try to imitate them!!). I think we were drawn to them making music that didn’t sound like anything else we’ve heard and kind of becoming these iconic outsider artists and just being inspired by that!

Lucy: I believe it started from some members of our original lineup being new to their instruments, like the Shaggs. It’s of course a statement about being an all-women band, too. Hey, they were one of Kurt Cobain’s favorites…

Was there something specific about Music Hall of Williamsburg that made you choose it for your upcoming live album?

Christine: It felt like something to memorialize because we knew that Music Hall was going to close at the end of this year. Soon, we won’t be able to go back and visit and say “we played there”, and I wanted something that can help me hold on to that moment. It feels like a landmark gig for us in so many ways. We are preparing to release our new LP, and I feel like things will take off from there. So this feels like a snapshot to me, a way to capture the moment as it happens before we start moving so quickly that it’ll start passing us by.

Carina: Seconding everything Christine said! Playing MHOW was such a dream - it was so special to play (and even debut!) so many unreleased songs there Lucy: It was very special to me, as I used to go a lot in high school! It definitely meant a lot to me to debut maybe this album’s most vulnerable song there, too.

Photo credit: Evi Fokas

How do you manage touring as a DIY band based in NYC with no cars?

Lucy: Bike everyone, totem pole style…truly grateful for everyone else in the band but myself with a driver’s license (I’m working on it I swear) who rotates driving our rental cars. We’ve had 2some fun band slumber parties in our friends’ attics/basements along the way. Like that one Frankie Cosmos song, “Bus Bus Train Train.”

Christine: Lucy can bike everyone totem pole style. She is very strong. But tbh, renting a car or a van + gas is expensive. We’ve done it before, but we’ve also been taking trains and buses. We’re probably the most annoying passengers as a result, but hey that’s what you get when being a touring band in the US is unaffordable.

Carina: We really did take trains around the east coast on our first tour for Chores! NYC to Boston, Philly, DC, Baltimore (plus the occasional shared Uber XL) - it felt kind of crazy but also kind of awesome to lug all of our gear on these trains. But because we didn’t have a car to tour with we also had to borrow a lot from the local bands we shared bills with (and we’re so grateful to everyone who has ever lent us gear!!) We always say NYC bands are so spoiled by having a full backline at pretty much every venue here and we forget that in other cities people actually own and bring their own amps.

What drives you to keep hosting community-building fundraisers like Rage Fest?

Christine: Last year, we hosted Rage Fest in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and there were so many people who came up to us and thanked us for putting the night together. “Nothing ever happens down here!”, they said. A lot of our shows feel like that - a place to go if you don’t have a place to go - and Rage Fest specifically is a show not just to benefit marginalized communities, but to affordably bring them together in community.

Carina: echoing what Christine said completely. It was so special to host the show in a part of Brooklyn that doesn’t get as many diy music events - last year in Sunset Park, this year in Crown Heights - it made the show feel even more local in a way (a lot of people showed up because they saw the fliers!). But also Rage Fest last year ended up being really cathartic for everyone who went (and played) which was our hope - we’re so excited to bring it back this year.

Lucy: oh, community is why punk! Collective rage and action! Mosh it all out! I do think this particular political time and that community component (collaborating with vendors and non-profits, emphasis on the crowd and in-person shows) is why I opted for a punk band in the first place, since the genre lends itself to it. It’s very cathartic to channel our songs into something impactful.

Photo credit: Evi Fokas

What's the most important piece of advice you'd give to a band just starting out today?

Lucy: Find a reliable motivated organized friend to start it with like I did in Carina—bands need hustle, not just creativity. I’m super thankful for Carina believing in me and kicking us off at first and keeping us moving and grooving today.

Christine: Remember that music is supposed to be FUN!!!! With social media, musicians are pressured to promote gigs themselves, make social content, put out music and an image that feels focused and finished. SCREW THAT!!!. Experiment!!! Just keep playing music with your friends! and don’t put so much pressure on yourself.

Carina: if you don’t play an instrument yet, start a band anyways. There’s no better motivation to learn an instrument than trying to keep up with your talented friends (and playing the songs you write together!)

Anyone out there you'd like to thank?

Lucy: My uncle for teaching me guitar! Many singer/songwriters who inspired me (Mitski, Sleater Kinney, ABBA, Avril Lavigne, etc.). Repeat fans who keep coming to our shows, you always make me :)🫶🏻 and of course my grandma @gnarlynana for all the Instagram love and for streaming our music on repeat in her sleep to help our stats.

Christine: Thank you to Jeremy Snyder for believing in us, recording our show @ Music Hall, and mixing/producing our upcoming album! Working with talented people helps you believe in yourself, and Jeremy has certainly helped with that.

Carina: Eechoing what both Christine and Lucy said! Also shout out my amazing family (my mom and aunt who have both traveled to see us play gigs, my cousins who have seen us in different cities) - I have several musicians in my family and I don’t take for granted how much we all appreciate music.

Photo credit: Evi Fokas

Lots of links here: https://linktr.ee/shaggobk