“The kids are all right” has been a comment that’s cropping up more and more in the alternative space, where young bands are breaking out making angst-ridden, 2000s-tinged heavy music. On the front lines of the recent wave, is New Jersey’s 3 Dollars.Though the group only formed in 2022, while the members were still in high school, since, the band have wasted no time in immersing themselves in the scene. With just a few emotion-driven singles (and some noteworthy riffs) under their belt, they’ve opened shows for heavyweights like Quicksand and 7 Seconds, and racked up co-signs from Thursday’s Steve Pedulla and Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional.
Speaking to Alternative Press, vocalist Arthur Pawley describes the moment that sparked his interest in music. The person, place, or thing that got 3 Dollars here, today. “It was when I started playing music with other people at summer camp, and forming little bands and learning songs — being exposed to different genres of music really inspired me to write my own songs. But also, when I became aware of DIY in middle school. Seeing local bands playing in unconventional spaces to a group of a dozen-and-a-half kids going wild inspired me greatly.”
Read more: Thursday: Tramps like us
If alternative music history has shown us one thing, it’s that there’s something in the New Jersey water. For decades, some mysterious combination of suburban air and adjacency to the city has been pushing kids into basements and VFW halls, armed with little but a shitty amp and the ability to scream. It’s been proven by bands like My Chemical Romance and Thursday — and according to Pawley, that energy still exists today. “New Jersey is such a diverse place. Everyone has a different background, story, culture, and I think a lot of [music coming from New Jersey] has to do with acceptance,” he says. “People here just roll. Bands support each other here. There’s a sense of pride when someone says they’re a part of the New Jersey scene. Shows are social grounds for people who all have something in common.”
Michael Dubin
Today marks another major moment in their swift rise, and inks their title as ones to watch, as they release their debut EP, Plus Tax, through Smartpunk Records. Across five tracks, they wield an ability to draw from a nostalgic post-hardcore soundscape while reflecting on what’s right in front of them. Namely, the pains of growing up — as told by DIY-style instrumentation, rough, quick and eager, and lyrics laden with snarky witticisms.
“The lyrics were written from a place of reflection during a time where there was rapid change in my life,” says Pawley, speaking to a line from “Suppressed Memories,” the EP’s third track. “‘See it more than you can’ reflects on recognizing one’s path in life more than others who haven’t come to find theirs.”
But when it comes to his hopes of what’s to come from this, how listeners will react — Pawley stays humble. “I don’t think we have any expectations for what people will get out of our EP. If it makes anyone feel any kind of emotion at all, we’ll be happy.”
You can grab an exclusive variant of the EP in the AP Shop — but move quickly, quantities are limited!
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