In this interview spotlight, I chat with Throw The Goat about their latest project, motivations, challenges and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

Where are you from and what style of Metal do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

Throw The Goat was formed in Idyllwild, California in 2011. Our sound combines elements of punk, metal and crossover thrash with a desert rock influence from nearby Palm Desert. It’s usually popular with skaters, stoners and basically anyone you’d find in a mosh pit.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?

We’ve all been music fans for as long as we can remember. Some people have this passive attitude toward music and some people are basically defined by their favorite music. We’re definitely the latter. And because it’s such a huge part of what makes us who we are, we’re definitely more driven to stay the course and make our livelihood as musicians.

How is The Joke’s on Us different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?

For the first time, The Joke’s On Us was entirely produced and recorded by the band itself. We’d worked with the same producer for our previous three releases and decided this time we’ll do it ourselves. We definitely pushed ourselves much harder vocally. Most everything was recorded in a single take with minimal editing. We really wanted to make an album that sounded more like how we sound when we play live.

Do you face challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? How has technology helped you (assuming it helps)?

Being a musician in the digital age can be frustrating and rewarding at the same time. On one hand, you’re fighting an ungodly number of other bands to gain the attention of an audience that is already too overstimulated to really care about you. Meanwhile, you get to see your hard work end up on free torrent sites. On the other hand, if it wasn’t for technology and the internet, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do as effectively. It helps a lot when it comes to booking gigs and promoting them. And clever people can use it to get past the gatekeepers that stand between you and the person you want to hear your music. Plus, if it wasn’t for how much recording technology has advanced, we wouldn’t have been able to make The Joke’s On Us by ourselves.

Where can we connect with you online and discover more music?

A good place to start would be our website www.throwthegoat.net but you can also find us on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play as well as social media outlets like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and also at throwthegoat.bandcamp.com

Anything else before we sign off?

We’re really looking forward to the next time we get to tour through Tennessee. Hopefully we’ll be able to pull that off later in the year. We pay attention to things like Spotify listens, record sales and all that stuff, so if you want us to come to your town then be sure to pick up a copy of The Joke’s On Us (out now on Combat Records) from your local record store or wherever you get your music, follow us on social media and spread the word to your friends!