Feature Story: Interview with Punk Rock Band, Portrait of Authority

     There’s a pretty diverse music scene in Springfield Missouri and the punk rockers are very much a part of it. Surprising is just how much as plenty of punk groups liven up the night scene in this not-so-sleepy of a town.

     One group in particular has earned recognition and is developing a fan base along the way with mostly original songs and a cover or two thrown in to spice up the routine. With an “in your face” attitude, Portrait of Authority (PoA) is rapidly becoming a popularly sought out group in the local music venues. They won 2nd place in a battle of the bands contest and the opportunity to play at the Ozarks Empire Fair in July as well as playing often at the Ugly Mug and at the Outland for “Punk Night Wednesdays”.

     Before PoA hit the stage on one such night, I sat down with three out of four of the band member for a Babydoll Interview.

     Arielle Beckham from Babydoll Reviews (BdR): “So you’ve played several punk shows here in town. How many shows so far?”

     PoA: Nick Chaikin, Bass: “We’ve played 20 shows since July of 2009 when we first started the group.”

     BdR: "What made you choose punk? What were your ideas when you started out?"

     PoA: “We wanted to make punk rock music more available to that particular fan base and to provide other genres, to show there is another type of music that’s not the same old style.”

     BdR: “Who were your greatest influences, you know, bands you grew up with that really motivated you to play punk rock?”

     PoA: “The Ramones, Bad Religion, No Effects, Rise Against, Pennywise.”

     BdR: “So who started the group?”

     PoA: Joey and Nick:”We are the founding fathers. We sat down and said, ‘We got to be full force punk and go all the way, or not at all.’ We started just playing and messing around and we clicked. Really well together and created our first song, “The Way We Belong””.

     BdR: "I know you have a new member, a new guitarist?”

     PoA: “Yeah, Britt James is our new guitarist and we knew right away she fit what we were looking for, she learned the songs very quickly.” Brit: “I love punk music. I used to be more into hard rock but punk is so much more fun, it’s more passionate.”

     BdR: “What are your future music goals as a group? What do you see yourself doing in the not so far future?”

     PoA: Nick:” We want to start a record label by the end of the year and create a full length CD.”  Joey, laughing, “Yeah, I wanna quit my job!”  Nick: “We want to trim the fat, so to speak, and deliver shorter versions for the new generation and the ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) people and give out active, energizing, and positive messages in our music.”

    Not that PoA is short of ball--busting spunky songs now. Songs like “F**k You!” and “Out to Get Us” get their fans fired up enough to thrash around mosh pit style at any one of their shows. Fun, entertaining and cocky, Portrait of Authority encompasses that punk style and is the perfect prescription for rock enthusiasts who crave a different type of rock.  Trust me; you have it on good authority.  ;)

By Arielle Beckham

To learn more about or listen to the music of POA, go to http://www.myspace.com/portraitofauthority09.