A Dirty Dozen with ROMY HOFFMAN from AGENDER – March 2025

Photo credit: Lindsey Byrnes

According to a recent press release: “Today, Los Angeles-based post-punk band Agender share their biting, explosive third album, Berserk, out everywhere now. Alongside the album release, the group attempts to stay afloat in the black-and-white, stirring official music video for “Action Reaction.” Fierce and sharp, Berserk is a raw, unflinching commentary on an age dominated by hyper-information, capitalism, and self-improvement culture. Celebrate the album live in Los Angeles on March 28 at the official record release show at Zebulon with Muscle Beach and Allison Wolfe (DJ set), open to the public.

Agender formed in 2011 as a solo punk project for lead singer and primary writer Romy Hoffman. Just two years later, it morphed into a trio, and by 2014, the band became known for their thrashing punk shows. The group’s first album Fixations arrived that same year, and eight years later, the introspective, tongue-in-cheek second LP, No Nostalgia was released. Buzzbands LA called 2022’s celebratory disco-punk anthem “Top Bottom Top,” “deliciously throbbing.” Made up of Hoffman, Cristy Michel (bass), Christy Greenwood (drums) and Sara Rivas (synth), the quartet carves out a space that is uniquely their own–filled with fierce pride, a delicate balance of satire and earnest observations of life, and a piercing sound that energetically empowers and uplifts voices that are often stifled.” We get founder and singer Romy to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Berserk is our third album.  It contains the kind of eclectic, electric energy that traverses through the plains of pop-punk, post-punk, disco-punk, and schizo-synth-punk, and bites hard and fast, all while pushing the listener to confront the gnawing absurdity of living in the world today. At its core, Berserk is a frenetic response to the shifting tides of life—an album that is unapologetically queer and embodies the chaos of an era where nothing feels stable, where the self is both the center of its own universe and being sucked into the disorienting orbit of a hyper-connected, hyper-consumptive culture. Everyone’s trying to improve, to ‘do the work,’ but the conundrum is: there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism. This album is a snapshot of that dilemma, wrapped in something catchy enough to make you want to dance–or scream–a solution.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Growing up in the 90’s around DIY scenes, and seeing that you could just start a band and write songs with a few chords, being a punk at heart and simply just needing an outlet for my feelings. I’m a musician amongst other things. It’s not my sole purpose or identity or job.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Not really, but again, growing up in the 90’s, while riot grrrl, grunge and indie rock were happening, was inspiring and provided guidance.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

I’d love to get Naomi Klein to talk on a song. I tried! It’d be fun to make a dubbed out post-punk record with Dennis Bovell or Adrien Sherwood.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

Watch movies, go to the cinema, drink tea, and swim in the ocean.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Existential terror hurrah, snappy, synthy, punchy post-punk! Someone said we had some sludge metal moments in our live set. I like some sludge but I don’t think we’re sludgy!

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

I’d be the cook, because I’m the vegan and I want to impose my veganism onto my bandmates! None of us drink alcohol, but Sara on synths drinks Red Bull and I drink Yerbamate so we’re the wild ones! We’d listen to Chaka Khan and Ministry rather than whip out the acoustic.

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Meeting Mary Timony from Helium a year or so ago. Helium’s The Dirt Of Luck was such an important album for me whilst I was growing up and Mary is a gorgeous genius. I was starstruck for sure.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

Creating something out of nothing. Connecting with the crowd, being present with strangers for 30 minutes with no distractions. Feeling a song come to life, having an outlet for my thoughts and feelings… We actually all have jobs outside of being musicians. My dream job would be being a professional cinephile, but without having to be a critic.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

Silken or firm tofu? Firm. Favorite milk alternative? Soy milk. Current favorite tea you’re drinking? Hatsutsumi first harvest sencha.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Back in the day, drinking and partying away good opportunities. And the fact that I didn’t take having a label and PR team and publishing deal seriously. This was all before the streaming era. If only I knew how hard things were going to get. Oh well. Everything turned out exactly as it was meant to. There is no other way it could’ve been. I try not to get too nostalgic and judgmental of the past.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

There are too many to name. But maybe the first 3 Wire albums. Just to be in the room with them and see how they created three masterpieces in such little time. Those three albums are post-punk perfection.

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Category: Interviews