"I grew up in a pretty conservative Christian family as a kid and we weren't really permitted to go listen to the radio or listen to music of our own...
Of course you don't know that The Clash is the best punk band ever because all you ever get to listen to is the Christian version of The Clash and it f*cking absolutely sucks."
I present to you an interview with Pittsburgh's own, Derek Zanetti, of The Homeless Gospel Choir. Derek grew up in a church-going family and was often told not to listen to punk and other rock music. He didn't have the chance to find his calling until after college, when his friends presented him with the opportunity to attend shows. That changed his life and sparked a fire inside. There was a sense of belonging where people respected the art and music. From that day on, Derek was frequently found in the crowd and even developed his own musical endeavor. The forming of The Homeless Gospel Choir is one that wasn't supposed to happen. But, it's a gift to us all that Derek did find punk music by accident. His music has deep meaning, but with a twist. Derek tries to put a smile on the listener's face while talking about serious topics such as global warming and people depending on technology. That was clear during the most recent album release labeled, "This Land is your Landfill." It's the first time Derek formed a full band for the entire process and at live shows. Chris #2 of Anti-Flag helped find band members and even continued the idea of piecing together a full lineup. They worked hard in the studio -- some days from 9 am until 9 pm. This is a fun interview with someone who brings a TON of energy to the discussion. There are cool live topics like recently hitting the road with Frank Turner in order to build confidence to play his own gigs again and there's even a story about one of Modern Baseball's first ever house shows as a band.
Website: https://www.thehomelessgospelchoir.com
Instagram/Twitter: @thgchoir
