Dizzy Bats emerge from the cave to launch new EP

With summer just around the corner, many bands are gearing up to perform and go on tour.

Dizzy Bats, a pop-punk band based in Brooklyn, NY, are just one of the many bands who you can find making noise in the city and around the country to promote their songs and newest EP which was released in February.

Connor Frost, the frontman of Dizzy Bats, said the band formed in the summer of 2011 in his parents’ garage after he graduated from college. Although the lineup has changed through the years, the current members consist of the drummer, Derek Swink, the guitarist, Jared Sochinski, and the bassist, Dave Ma, who Frost met when they attended school at Connecticut College.

Frost said the songs on their latest EP “Until We Die” explore the themes of anxiety, growing up, and everything in between.

“As you get older, naturally you start to see your friends and family all go through these drastic life changes, whether it’s getting engaged, having a kid, or buying a house,” Frost said. “These decisions often make me question my life trajectory, which brings about a lot of anxiety and doubt. These themes evoked throughout are challenged by the expression of gratitude and good fortune.”

Ma said that he was excited for the release of this EP since it was the first collaboration together with this iteration of members.

“Like Connor said, the lineup has had some changes over the years with him as the constant,” Ma said. “I think our style is evolving a bit and this record is representative of that.”

Dave Ma, left, and Connor Frost, right, performing at a show (Credit: Kristina Abuladze)

Some of the bands Ma and Frost said are their influences include Against Me!, Alkaline Trio, and power duos such as The Obsessives, Nai Harvest, PWR BTTM, and solo musicians like Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Max Bemis, Laura Jane Grace, and Rivers Cuomo.

“I also want to mention another Connecticut College alum, Jon Markson, who produced the new EP,” Ma added. “He’s a good friend and one of my favorite musicians and has definitely influenced the overall way I approach music in general, particularly when it comes to punk bass.”

Frost, whose solo tour through Canada just ended this week, said since both his parents were musicians, he was always surrounded by it and eventually fell in love with pop punk at an early age. He also mentioned how his parents were two of his biggest inspirations when it came to pursuing music.

“They bought me my first [Fender] Mexican strat, which I used for far too long,” Frost said. “All of these punk bands were super inspiring and made me go out and start my own project in my friend’s garage. I actually always told myself that music would just be a hobby until a few years ago. It became clear that I needed to pursue it more heavily.”

Dave Ma, left, and Connor Frost, right, filming a music video (Credit: Owen Hu)

Frost also started his own booking community for other local bands which he called Fu’s Who as a way to bring bands together from all over the country through live shows. Though he has been booking shows since his senior year of high school, Frost said Fu’s Who was a way to legitimize his booking efforts and strengthen the community built in New York City.

“We aim to help touring bands in New York and North Jersey, and also invite locals to join our collective by hopping on these shows” Frost said. “It’s been so wonderful seeing this brand grow, but it really could not have been possible without the help of so many friends and bands.”

Even though Frost has traveled to many states to tour, he said nothing compares to performing in this city.

“We’re extremely lucky in that we’ve had the resources to build up a really cool sub scene with a bunch of our friends, simply through booking a lot of these shows together,” Frost said. “I will always have a strong attachment to New York City, so it’s not really fair to even compare it to others. I love it.” 

(From left to right: Dave Ma, Jared Sochinsky, Connor Frost, and Derek Swink)

With topics such as diversity and inclusion circulating in the entertainment and music scene lately, Frost said that in the past he was not sure how his identity as an Asian American musician directly impacted the pop-punk scene, but it has been something that he has been wanting to think and talk about more often.

“It’s not a secret that the scene in New York City, and otherwise, is dominated by white, straight males,” Frost said. “Diversity and inclusion are definitely topics of a large and important conversation that people are having across state lines. I think it’s imperative to make an effort to include and diversify, especially when it comes to promoters booking shows, but without tokenizing people or bands. Overall, I think any band hopes that they can be remembered first and foremost for their sound and music.”

The Dizzy Bats EP launch party hosted by New Island Entertainment Group is tomorrow at Fat Baby on 112 Rivington Street starting at 8 PM. They will be performing with MORI, Mugen, and Camp. Tickets are $8 at the door. Their full summer tour schedule can be found here and you can check out their older EPs by visiting their Bandcamp.