A Dirty Dozen with SADLANDS – October 2025

Photo credit: Alex Garcia

According to a recent press release: “Wiretap Records is excited to announce the signing of Sadlands, the Brooklyn-based indie-punk outfit formed by members of Answering Machine, Choke Up, and Ellen and the Degenerates. The band will release their debut full-length album Try To Have A Little Fun later this fall. Today, they’ve shared the record’s first single, “Twin Flame,” now available on all streaming platforms. With shimmering feedback, dueling vocals, pleading lyrics, and searing guitar leads, Sadlands is fronted by songwriters and guitarists Sam Campanile and Jess Lane, backed by Louis Rabeno on bass and Harley Cox on drums. Their sound bridges heartfelt lyricism with explosive energy—songs that burn with both vulnerability and catharsis.” We get the band 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?

Samantha: Try to Have a Little Fun is our very first full-length! We’re so excited to be able to finally share it with the world. We came up with the name of our album while recording some background ambience in “Die Young.” In one of the verses Jess yells, “Try to Have a Little Fun!” and it stuck. The lyrics for “Casual Habits” came from an angsty poem I wrote in my journal when I was 15 years old. I found the old dusty notebook at my parents house, and thought it would be interesting to give those words a second life 20 years later. The teen-version of me would have been really stoked about this, so it doubles as inner-child work. The recording of this album was fueled by a lot of snacks… mainly peanut butter filled pretzels. We actually had to cut one of our recording sessions short due to a dental emergency after going too hard on the peanut butter pretzels. We definitely did not learn our lesson.

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

Louis: I initially got into music because I wanted to be cool. Haha I was around 12-13 years old and still figuring out what I was into. I had a friend who was into bmx biking and thought that would be a cool thing to try. Literally the first time I went off a jump I ate sh#t and said to myself “this is not for me.” Shortly after that I got my first bass and started learning Green Day and Nirvana songs. I figured I could still be cool and avoid pain (mostly). Shortly after getting my first bass I performed a show with my first band and fell in love with music. I’ve been at it ever since.

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

Jess: I was definitely referencing Ty Segall, Tenement, Cende, Mikey Erg, and Jeff Rosenstock when I was writing most of my songs on this record. I would like literally map out melodies and chord changes to try to deconstruct what they were doing musically as a starting point. At the end of the day I don’t know that we sound like any of them directly, combine it all (plus everyone else’s influences) and it turns into our own thing. Sam has mentioned them elsewhere in this interview—I know she loves Bruce and Jenny Lewis as songwriters, and she’s been really excited to tell me that she loves Ty’s new record. He’s a huge live influence for me so I’m looking forward to taking her to see his full band next time they are in town.

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

Samantha: Obviously it would be the boss! If Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band agreed to collaborate with us someday I think my soul would suddenly leave my body. We’re big fans if you couldn’t tell by our band name.

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

Harley: Cooking! I used to do it professionally and now for whatever reason nothing is more meditative for me than prepping vegetables. Hell, moments before answering this question I was putting the finishing touches on a Chicken Noodle Soup that’s currently simmering in my kitchen. I threw some ginger and turmeric in that bad boy and, oh man, I can not wait to celebrate my inaugural soup of the season later this evening. Hot tip from my Great Great Grandmother: Throw a cap full of white vinegar in your chicken soup.

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?

Harley: It’s a hot summer day at the beach that ends with a fire pit where everyone is sitting around in a contemplative content silence after being tuckered out from a day spent in the sun. Sometimes we’re bouncing around splashing in the waves and other times we’re just staring into the slow burn of the flames! Cheesy metaphors aside though, we’re just a rock and roll band! We all have varying influences and backgrounds in music (from hardcore bands to acapella groups) and hopefully that blend of musical taste helps us sound like nothing but Sadlands. I don’t think I’ve heard any cringey comparisons yet, but with this LP dropping soon, I’m sure we’ll get one soon. One time a guy on PureVolume said my high school band sounded like crying kittens, so it can’t be worse than that, right?

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?

Jess: Technically our chef is Harley’s dad, but when we aren’t at his parents house, he’s definitely inherited the cooking skills—we’ve had some great bbq’s in Sam’s backyard with Harley as grillmaster. We’re all a little past our hard partying days, but Louis is most likely to throw back a freaky tiki drink or two. I don’t think we’ve ever had a real deal acoustic singalong, but we do karaoke in our friend’s basements sometimes and me and Sam definitely get into the action there.

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

Harley: I haven’t met all that many famous people, but when I was younger I saw Tim Curry as King Arthur in Spamalot on Broadway, and after the show I saw him outside and he signed my Playbill. As a huge fan of Rocky Horror and Muppet Treasure Island, I was definitely a little starstruck. He’s easily the coolest celebrity I’ve ever met and definitely the most memorable.

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?

Jess: The best part of being a musician is definitely connecting to other people through creativity. A friend recently told me how much our new single “Die Young” meant to them because of their own medical experiences and I think that’s just about the most satisfying thing anyone could ever tell me about a song. To feel not alone on this earth—that’s like the whole reason to do it. I’ve also been pursuing film for many years for that same reason, and I still aspire to be a film director. Technically I’ve put my film career on hold to pursue my dream job of being in a band, which is why it was so fun directing the music video for “Die Young.”

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?

Louis: I’d love an interviewer to ask about my day. It’s the little things ya know? Conversely I’m tired of answering questions about the band. I’m just the bass player! I don’t make any important decisions! Haha

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?

Louis: Honestly not really! We’re still somewhat of a baby band and just hit our 3 year anniversary of playing! I think for most of us we’ve been around the block, played in other bands, and have made all our missteps earlier in our careers. It also helps that we’re great at collaborating and very open to everyone else’s input when making tough decisions.

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?

Samantha: I would’ve loved to have even been a fly on the wall during the recording of  Rabbit Fur Coat by Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins. It’s still one of my favorite albums since I was a teenager, and I’m pretty sure the first song I learned to play on guitar was “Rise Up With Fists.” Vocals have always been my favorite part of the recording process, and I would have absolutely loved jumping in on those gorgeous harmonies throughout the album.

P.S. Louis is selling himself short on #10 he is not JUST the bass player he’s the BEST BASS PLAYER EVER and makes tons of decisions! I know I could never do what he does

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Category: Interviews