The CHEEKY Issue: Sex, Fear
words by Claire Borgelt, photos by lexi spevacek
Madison-based post-punk band Sex, Fear has perfected a delicate balance between the solemn and the absurd. On Sex, Fear Presents, their debut album, they set quirky tracks like “Funko Pop” and “Chicken Dinner” against moments of composed introspection on “Matt’s Song” and “Marooned.” Their live performances keep audiences pleasantly baffled; they’re notorious for doubling up on drumkits, unveiling setlists of entirely unreleased material and donning matching Spiderman costumes. I spoke with the band to discuss their history, their upcoming LP and the inspirations behind their eclectic approach.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
So, how did you all get to know each other? Can you tell us about the band’s origins?
Ayden Schultz (guitar and vocals): Nick and I went to the same high school in Appleton. And then we lived in the dorms together. And we had plans for a band but were missing some people.
Nick Jacobson (drums): Once we moved into a house, we wanted to start a band. So we moved here. Three years ago, right? We ended up just finding Zac and Matt. And had another guitarist named Micah. He lived with us for like a semester, I think. So he was in the band back then too.
Jeff Deiss (guitar): I was the late addition because Micah moved back to Appleton. And then I was texting Ayden on Instagram, and I was just like, ‘I love Sex, Fear! I want to jam with you guys!’ And then after, they were like, ‘Oh, by the way, we don't have a third guitarist, do you want to join?’ I was like, ‘Okay, let's go! This was the audition?’
Do you have any memories from the early days of the band that you really like?
Ayden: I think about our first show a lot. We’ve still got the news article from the Badger Herald that has pictures from that. It was just kind of a good test. I'd played in an ensemble before and in high school, but never just in like a rock band that I’d put together.
Jeff: I was there for the student paper. I was like, this music is really scary… I have to get involved.
Jeff, how about when you first joined the band? Do you have any memories from that time?
Jeff: Well, the first show I played was outside on a makeshift stage that was lit with lamps. We played with Bug Moment and a bunch of other bands. I was playing guitar so hard that I dropped my pick, but I just kept playing and all the skin ripped off my fingers. I was bleeding on my guitar. I was signing people's body parts too… signing my name in blood.
Ayden: He earned his guitarist title.
Your songs really do cover such a wide range of topics. Some of them are really deep and philosophical. Then there's the ones about an unhealthy obsession with Funko Pops. It's awesome to have that kind of range. Where do you go for inspiration?
Ayden: For me, it's just kind of my own experiences, but I try to introduce some sort of novelty, some sort of alternate angle. It might be a common thing to write a love song or a song about anxiety, but I try to at least put a spin on it in terms of delivery or how specific I'm getting with the ideas I'm trying to convey. I just feel like we shouldn't be restricted by the precedents that have already been set. Matt's lyrics on “Funko Pop” are really great because they do that. At its core, it's about things you see all the time – anxiety and depression and obsession – but with a spin on it. You have a character that’s into something funny, like Funko Pops — that’s where the novelty comes in.
You also have this wonderfully bizarre social media presence, especially on Twitter. How do you find the balance between having more introspective things going on in your music and showcasing the sillier side of the band elsewhere?
Matt Jarosinski (guitar and vocals): We’re an implicitly funny band.
Ayden: The persona is kind of inspired by some of the posts-hardcore bands we like from the ‘90s. Slint was an implicitly funny band. They engaged in all sorts of hijinks and wrote kind of funny songs while still having a very well-composed and serious compositional style.
Jeff: I think the name also gets people. Everybody has a different reaction. I mean, some people think it's hilarious. My friends have started pronouncing commas between words to make fun of me. They're like, ‘Hey, comma, Jeff. Can you, comma, pass me the remote?’
For those who might not know, could you explain where the name’s from?
Ayden: When we started, Zac, Nick, Micah and I were all living together. We would sometimes watch Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix. The parental guidance content warning says it’s rated TV PG for ‘Sex, Fear.’ We had a list of names we were voting between. We first decided on The Long Division. Glad we changed it because that’s kind of stupid. We also could have been Walmart. Just the name of the store.
Jeff: I’m so glad you chose Sex, Fear. These names are awful!
So after all, this is ‘The Cheeky Issue.’ What does that word mean to you?
Matt: Playful.
Ayden: ‘Tongue in cheek.’
Nick: Implicitly funny.
Zac: Kind of like us.
Right! How does Sex, Fear embody that?
Jeff: Super cheeky.
Ayden: I guess what we want to prove is that you can write sad, scary music and still have fun, you know?