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The Orwells' Redneck Rebellion

The Orwells' frontman, Mario Cuomo, talks about drinking beer and dropping out of school

Before I spoke with the Orwells’ lead singer, Mario Cuomo, over the phone, I pictured him and a band of rednecks sloshing around the country with their mangy dirt-rock -- their music sounds like the playlist to a strip club you'd find in the desert. I made this confession to the 23-year-old high school drop-out frontman.

“Wow, yeah, there are some good hillbillies out there. Don’t get us wrong, we shower pretty regularly. Sometimes we take nights off of drinking and all that p---- stuff.”

In support of their latest album "Terrible Human Beings," the Orwells are set to play the Irenic on Friday, March 31, where you can expect them to get rowdy.

“If we’re doing it right, it gets like that. It’s definitely a place to let loose. Growing up, I always wanted to go to shows that were most intense, so it kind of rubbed off on us, and we wanted the shows to be a memorable, intense kind of thing. Sometimes we feel like floppin' around for the kids.”

Cuomo is polite, but he doesn’t sugarcoat anything he says; his casual use of vulgarity is all part of the Orwells' booze-drinking negligence that makes them so appealing. They’re young, too. Cuomo, being the eldest, realizes their success has come earlier than most bands.

“We always talk about that. That would be super f---ed up: In your mid-30s, eating venue food like, ‘What the f---? When is this going to get better?’ We met our manager while we were still in high school. So we did a one-record deal with an indie label, so it was kind of enough to throw in my parent’s face like, ‘Look at this, I just signed a contract, so you can stop f---ing yelling at me for just letting me by and doing nothing.’”

The Orwells' sinful ways should make for a great show at the Irenic -- and Cuomo does know the venue doubles as a church.

“Yeah, I’ll bring my rosary.”

Musician, people-pleaser, lover, fighter and writer Matthew Craig Burke has been spewing musical words of wisdom since never. He lives off of peanut butter sandwiches, beer and Beck Hansen. Follow his updates on Facebook or contact him directly.

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