The Bastard Suns rise on another national tour
Longstanding ATL punkers kick of national tour with hometown show Fri. night
- Clay Duda
- HERE COME THE SUNS: The Bastard Suns, frontman Clay Hiers, opening for the Bouncing Souls last June.
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Longstanding Atlanta punkers the Bastard Suns are getting ready to kick off their next stint of rowdy tour antics with a hometown show, and you’re invited. Friday night the quartet known for such classics as “My Pint” and “S.B.M.T.” hits the stage at the Masquerade with a little help from Knock-out, Sic Waiting, and S.S. Vendetta with one goal in mind: to get the party started.
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This pilgrimage to the other coast marks the Suns ninth national tour in the last eight years or so — and it may be one of their last ... for a while, at least.
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Lead singer Clay Hiers took some time out of his busy schedule of puffing sweet leaf (or whatever the hell it is bands do when they’re not on stage) to answer a few questions about roving southernisms, the state of punk rock, and the high-winds that keep the gaggle of guys sailing “the whiskey sea.”
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Clay Duda: The first question is obvious: How’d you end up with an awesome name like 'Clay?’
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Clay Hiers: Ha ha ha, good question. Its one of those southern names — I’m sure you can relate to that — and apparently it was either Clayton or Graham. Graham sounded too much like “graham cracker,” so it was Clayton by a process of elimination I think.
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Its funny, my names been Clayton my whole life, but then I moved to Atlanta and everyone seemed to be more in a hurry. They were just like, “Right, Clay. That’s it. I don’t have time for the full thing.” And its been Clay ever sense.
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The Suns have earned the unofficial (and kind of self-proclaimed) title as “bastions of southern punk rock.” What is southern punk and where do the Suns fit in that narrative?