Easter Teeth Say Farewell for Now

This summer, Goleta’s Easter Teeth will go out with a bang before going on an indefinite hiatus. The experimental punk duo of brothers Tim and Joshua Eymann will play their last shows for the next while and then focus on their families and solo efforts. First, fans can catch a Whiskey Richards farewell show with Pookie and Gunpowder Empires on June 29, and then they’ll join bands like No Age, Sadgirl, and more at L.A.’s The Echo on July 1. Tim (guitarist) discussed nearly a decade of music.

Was there a moment when you two decided it was time to hang up the towel? Well, first off, keep in mind we’re calling this an indefinite hiatus, so there’s a chance we’ll pick it back up if we both feel like we miss it too much. But I’d say it was after our U.S. tour last summer that we knew we needed to shut it down. Tours often have that effect on bands.

Looking back, what are you most proud of over the years? We’re very proud to say that we’ve made friends all across the country and even overseas. That the stupid music we write has allowed us to do that — it blows our minds. Sure, we like what we write and think it’s original and all that, but it’s more important for us to connect with people than fuss over the music.

What was one of the craziest and most memorable shows? Oh man. We’re super old, so there are so many. Well, one we haven’t yet shared about in an interview, I don’t think, was opening for Peelander-Z. Those of you who don’t know them gotta watch some video. Japanese, comic-book-inspired punk. Very entertaining. So we opened for them at the Beauty Bar in Vegas. Our set was fine, but the best part of the night was when they pulled me up onstage during their set to play guitar. Imagine me fumbling around on Yellow’s Flying V while they are in the crowd playing human lawn bowling. Surreal.

Over the years, what’s a new quality you saw in one another as brothers that maybe you didn’t see before? Graying, thinning hair? No, ah, I can only speak for myself and what I’ve seen in Josh. He’s proven that he really doesn’t give a Flying V what people think. He sticks to what he believes and who he is, no matter what. It’s hard for a lot of people to do that in the punk scene, but he makes it look easy. Maybe it’s just the little brother in me saying that, but I do admire that quality and try to follow his example. I’m sure Josh would say that he admires my ability to drive and eat crotch potatoes at the same time.

What’s next for the members of Easter Teeth? We play our last local show at Whiskey Richards on June 29 with Pookie and Gunpowder Empires. Then our final show is Dirty Penni Fest III on July 1 at The Echo in L.A. with No Age, Sadgirl … tons of amazing bands. Then we’re committing to at least a year off from Easter Teeth. We’ll decide after that where to go with our musical skills. Meanwhile, we can detach and put our energy into other things. I’ve got my wife and kids, and we both do a lot at our church, Jubilee, where the Hard to Find is. By the way, the next show there is July 7. Oh, we might record a gospel funk album if we get inspired. Also, Easter Teeth does have one more song coming out soon: a cover of Deee-Lite’s “Groove Is in the Heart,” recorded by Chris Norlinger of Moon Diver, ex-Ghost Tiger. So watch for that!

Any last words for the fans? Yes. We’re so thankful to everyone who’s put out our records, booked us, let us sleep on their floors, toured with us, written about us, given us airtime, danced a little bit at shows, just been friendly … all that. This hobby has brought us more than we ever imagined, all because of you all. Locally, we wanna especially thank the crew at Whiskey Richards, who’ve always supported us and have funded our recordings and tours more than they probably realize. And to the musicians in town, please keep it up! Be original. Fight through the gauntlet of EDM and Sublime lovers. Don’t write what people want to hear; write what you love. Trust that there are people out there who will love it, too.