By Gabriel Solis
In the 1970s, it was a device that you could plug into the cigarette lighter of your car. It would warn you of upcoming speed traps by detecting the presence of police radars. It was called the Fuzzbuster, and today, it’s the namesake of a Grand Rapids-based rock band making waves in the local music scene.
“I think we kind of liked that it’s a little bit anti-authority,” Arie Antonakis, the band’s guitar player, said about the name.
“The two Zs look nice, too,” adds bassist Jacob Serra.
Antonakis, Serra, and their bandmates (drummer Donovan Rose and singer Ben Johnson) struggle to put their work under the umbrella of one traditional genre; it’s undeniably alternative, tinged in punk, with echoes of grunge and riffs like a jam band.
“Punk-ISH,” Johnson said.
“I think we were calling it ‘junk jazz’ for a bit,” Antonakis said. “But that doesn’t mean anything.”
Whatever it is, it’s working. The defunct ‘70s radar detector from which they took their name may be dead, but Fuzzbuster, the band, is alive and kicking.
They’ve spent the last several years performing at locally renowned venues, including headlining slots at Tip Top Deluxe, Pux Cider Taphouse, and Mulligan’s Pub, as well as an upcoming gig at the nationally known Pyramid Scheme. They also have a single, “Olive Juice,” and a new EP, simply entitled “Fuzzbuster,” available on all major streaming platforms.
In the face of their burgeoning local success, the band maintains that appealing to an audience is not their primary goal.
“We’re doing this definitely for our own enjoyment, and, you know, our own creative fulfillment,” Serra said. “So, the fact that people do seem to get, you know, something out of listening to the music is great, but that’s not what it’s about.”
“I don’t really expect anyone to get anything out of it,” Rose echoed.
“Hearing loss,” Serra offered with a laugh.
Instead, the group has focused on honing their creative process – an effort that, to hear them tell it, is ongoing.
“I think we’re still figuring it out,” Antonakis summarized.
“The EP was kind of pretty organic,” Johnson added. “Just a lot of jam sessions that added onto each other every time.
As it stands, the band’s artistic process could be described as a kind of melting pot; each of their backgrounds, influences, and personalities play a role.
“All four of us coming from such different backgrounds really kind of is integral in our music writing process,” Serra said. “You know, we all have such different tastes in music, so we end up with a good mix of genres, and it kind of manifests in an interesting way.”
The accuracy of this assessment becomes obvious after one playthrough of the group’s self-titled EP. Johnson’s lyrics are raw, defiantly self-reflective, and at times borderline abras
ive, reminiscent of his personal post-punk proclivities. Antonakis’s professed interest in world music and Middle Eastern guitar scales is evident in the composition of many of his and Serra’s uniquely structured riffs. Rose, in addition to providing tasteful percussive backing, studied recording technology at Grand Rapids Community College – a skill that proved useful in the process of crafting the band’s released music.
In fact, GRCC is a point of commonality among the group; Serra and Antonakis were both photography students, and Antonakis’s father, Nick Antonakis, is a professor in that department.
“GRCC is an awesome place,” Serra reflected. “Everybody here, you know, is trying to work and better themselves, and it’s a really awesome community.”
Perhaps the defining characteristic of the band’s music is the sense of individuality on which they were founded. It’s present throughout their body of work, and it’s clear in their attitudes when they discuss the project.
“I would say if there’s any feelings that I want people to take away from it, it’s they think that it’s different, you know? Something a little different than other people are doing,” Antonakis said.
With local success achieved and an EP worthy of pride under their belts, the question remains: What’s next for Fuzzbuster?
For starters, they’re still playing shows. They’ll be at the Pyramid Scheme on June 10. They’re also on Instagram @fuzzbustertheband. And if you’re lucky, you might run into them in the wild.
“I’ll be around,” Johnson joked.
“If there’s anything to take away from Fuzzbuster, it’s that truly if you want to do it, you should just go for it,” Antonakis said.
“It’s the Ramones attitude,” Serra agreed. “You can just get a group of people together and start playing music, you know? You don’t need anybody’s permission to do that.”
Collegiate reporters Ari’ Browley, Karalynn Davis, Grace Holmes, and Gabriel Solis teamed up to interview members of Fuzzbuster for this story.
Watch the full interview here.
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