ALLSTON — Boston-based blues punk band Dead Trains may have titled their latest EP “Big Fun,” but the band says the album is anything but what its title implies.
“It’s the black humor that we all sort of share,” Dead Trains bass player Natan Keyes said.
The title comes from a fictional band in the 1980s horror film “Heathers.” The character Martha Dumptruck wears a T-shirt sporting throughout the movie that says “Big Fun,” though throughout the film the character experiences a series of misfortunes.
“I feel like most of our songs, especially in lyrical content, are about being just down and out and f****** screwed over,” drummer Steve Olson said.
The EP is Dead Trains’ fourth released since they formed in 2013. In the past, lead singer and guitarist Matt Axten said he was the sole songwriter for the band and would come to recording sessions with the songs completed. But for “Big Fun,” a lot of the songs came together during the recording process.
“Before, Matt would come with all the stuff — it was written,” Keyes said. Whereas with this one, there was a lot more jamming and we were improvising.”
“It’s a bit of a Frankenstein,” Axten added.
Dead Trains at Great Scott from Laney Ruckstuhl on Vimeo.
The five-track EP is a punk album with clear blues and folk influences — sounding like a loud show in a city basement mixed with a front porch jam in the Appalachian mountains.
“We all come from super diverse musical backgrounds and interest — to the point where we usually can’t agree what to listen to in the car on tour.” Olson said.
“Big Fun” was released on Monday at the Great Scott in Allston. To hear the full EP, click the audio player below.
Laney Ruckstuhl 