Exclusive Interview: Flat Worms' Unified Force
Updated: Sep 15, 2021
Garage punk legends, Flat Worms, are set to release their upcoming album Antarctica on April 10th. Recorded by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago, there's no doubt that the project will be another face melter in their fuzzed out arsenal.
Photo by: Owen Schmit
Sometime during 2014, Tim Hellman (Oh Sees), Justin Sullivan (Night Shop, Kevin Morby, the Babies), and Will Ivy (Dream Boys, Wet Illustrated) came together to fulfill their garage punk dreams. Being in notable groups beforehand, the threesome was well accustomed to playing gigs and all the other shenanigans that come with being in a band. Right off the bat, Flat Worms wrote songs and practiced in LA, ready to dive headfirst into the local scene. Once they emerged onto the stage, they quickly gained a following for their abrasively enjoyable jams.
After releasing their debut album on CastleFace Records, Flat Worms was united with Ty Segall who decided to take them on tour with The Freedom Band in 2017. This wild ride with Ty Segall eventually led the group to release their next projects on Ty's label God? Records, which acts as an offshoot of DragCity Records.
Over the years, Flat Worms has become a unified force in the tight knit rock n roll community of Los Angeles. Fans eagerly anticipate their upcoming project, Antarctica; however with all the uncertainty that now surrounds us, they haven't been able to announce any tour dates or shows in the near future. At least that gives us all time to blast their new record, don't forget to turn up the volume.
I had the chance to catch up with frontman Will Ivy while on "quarantine".
Photo by: David Evanko
Here's what he had to say:
Q: How did you all end up forming the band back in 2017? Were you already involved in music before Flat Worms?
A: Tim and I have been friends since 2007, and have collaborated on various musical projects ever since. We were playing together in a band called Wet Illustrated when we met Justin on tour with his old band The Babies for a few dates on the west coast, more like 2014. The three of us became friends and stayed in touch.
I had been making a very different style music before Flat Worms, and felt like I had hit a wall. I had a moment of inspiration to make loud, noisy rock music again, and Tim and I began working on the first few Flat Worms songs, "Petulance", "Sovereignty", and others. We were trying to figure out who we would have as a drummer, and Justin heard we were working on songs and told us he wanted to join. Once we all got together, it was clear that we had a special dynamic playing together.