#211 - John Dugan (Chisel)

Washed Up Emo

January 31, 2023

Today on the podcast we welcome John Dugan from Chisel, which we talk extensively about and they’re about to do some reunion shows for Numero Group and reissues for some classic 90s that crossed over into many genres. One that I didn’t realize happened that I do a podcast about was emo. This band is really close to my heart too. I found this band through John’s younger brother Mike. I met Mike my freshman year on campus after someone on our hall said someone down the hall likes weird music too. The first record Mike played for me was Chisel. We became fast friends and ended up seeing Chisel in 1997 with Karate at a house show in Chapel Hill. Little did we know the band would dissolve soon after that show and that would be the end of it. Years later, I’ve spoken to John through his various musical endeavors or at family functions when I’d see the Dugans in Northern Virginia. Full circle moment and happy to have John on to talk about Chisel and his many musical band over the years. We touch on his experience with Revolution Summer, Amanda MacKaye recommending he buy an album that went on to change history, his time at the City Paper and the opportunities that Brough about and the post-Nirvana boom of labels trying to sign Chisel. We even talk Fall Out Boy and the renewed interest in Chisel.