For their second LP, Prince Daddy And The Hyena dropped acid and… had a bad time. Cosmic Thrill Seekers is a three-act concept record that takes cues in equal parts from the grand scope of My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade and Green Day’s American Idiot, while also channeling the best parts of Jeff Rosenstock and other indie punks of today. The record revels in the fallout after said acid trip, manic self-destruction, bottoming-out and recovering, and then slipping again (not heavy at all!).
To celebrate the release of the 14-track opus that quickly turns to one of the wildest rides of the year, vocalist/guitarist Kory Gregory sat down for the latest Indie Mixtape 20 to talk mental health, Taco Bell, and Billie Joe Armstrong.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Loud, quiet, fast, slow
Years from now, how do you hope people will remember your work?
Years!? Damn, at that point I’d be eternally grateful if anyone remembered we even existed at all.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
Our rowdiest shows are probably Boston and Philly and New York. I don’t think I have a favorite. I’ll probably have an answer for you after I go to Europe for the first time this fall.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
Billie Joe [Armstrong], realistically. If you’re in a band and this isn’t your answer to this question, you’re probably lying.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
P Daddy is definitely a quantity over quality band as far as food. Probably drunk after a show in Taco Bell parking lot, to be honest.
What album do you know every word to?
Lots! First one that comes to mind is [Weezer’s] Blue Album. My current sing-along album is Sumday by Grandaddy.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
Bomb The Music Industry‘s final show was probably the most memorable show I’ve ever been to. It was legendary. They played like 45 songs or something like that.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
Jeans and hoodie. Hoodies help me hide a little bit. Having my hood up helps my stage fright.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
My friend Anderson from the band Diva Sweetly probably, to be honest. They know how to make me laugh. and do it from like five different accounts.
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
We kind of always have one song that we play as we do anything in the van for a few tours straight until we stumble upon a worthy replacement. Like last year whenever the van would start, you could expect “Shipping Up To Boston” would start blaring. Nowadays, it’s that song Skrillex made for the X Games.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
It was me looking up a guide on how to get an achievement in this game on Xbox I’ve been playing called Cuphead. Sh*t’s incredibly frustrating.
What album makes for the perfect gift?
I think the first album gifted to me was Crazy Frog’s Greatest Hits on Christmas one year. So that’s perfect to me!
Do you have a favorite hotel you enjoy staying at when you tour?
Hmmmm. I think I speak for all of us when I say our most memorable nights of tour are the ones where we don’t get hotels. We like to embark on some wacky misadventures™️ when we can. We also like to sleep at our friend James’s lake house in Seattle.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
My first one ever is a Bomb The Music Industry tattoo that my friend Juan from the band California Cousins gave to me on our first tour ever. It says “Nothing’s Forever, Dude!”. I just thought it was cool and fun, cause, ya know, tattoos kind of are forever. Also me and my fiance’s lil matching rocket ships. I like those a lot.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
Not many songs make me wanna change the channel. I think I’m kinda just along for the ride when it comes to channel surfin’. Everything on the radio intrigues me at least a little bit.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
One time, last summer, Prince Daddy had to drop a tour because of my mental health. Sh*t was getting really rough for some time and we decided to call it and be like, “Heres the deal, I’m very unwell right now, so we’re gonna play these upcoming two or three shows and then we gotta fly home and recover/seek out medical attention.” So the last show before we flew home — I think it was in Portland, Oregon — some of the fine folks over at Voodoo Doughnuts came through to the show with a MASSIVE donut that had the artwork to our first album on top of it. They just reached out and were like, “Yo Kory, we read the post and we all collectively just want you to know that you’re not alone and everyone is proud of you for taking care of yourself.” That was a really wholesome and validating moment.
Another time, my fiance Zoe’s band was playing a show at the same venue we were playing the next day in Atlanta or something and, in the green room, she left me a massive care package of all my favorite things, like candy, coloring books, whoopee cushions, UFO stickers, and Madlibs. That stuck with me for sure. Especially considering I’m pretty sure it was on that tour that we had to drop because I wasn’t feeling good. And i mean also like… my parents takin’ care of me and putting up with my bullsh*t was pretty damn nice of them.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
KORY, DONT EAT THAT LSD SOUR PATCH KID!!! SERIOUSLY!!! JUST LET LUIS TAKE BOTH, HE’LL BE FINE.
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What’s the last show you went to?
Me, our guitarist Cam, and our manager/label guy/best friend Jake all just went to see Culture Abuse with Tony Molina. It was rowdy and perfect.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
Any ’80s slasher movie. They don’t get boring for me. Even the really bad ones are always fun for me.
What would you cook if Kanye were coming to your house for dinner?
Fish sticks [laughs].
Cosmic Thrill Seekers is out now via Counter Intuitive Records. Plus, pick up tickets to catch the band on their lengthy summer headline tour here.
