In June, The Chinkees released a four-song EP, marking their first new material since 2002. We spoke with singer Mike Park, (Asian Man Records founder, member of The Bruce Lee Band / Ogikubo Station) and talked about how the EP was recorded and what inspired some of its lyrics. We also addressed the band’s name, which of course is not meant to be offensive, but rather draw attention to the existence of racism. Additionally, we discussed the Black Lives Matter movement, the current political climate in the U.S. and more.

Bill – With this being The Chinkees’ first new material in over 18 years, what made you want to revisit this project again?

Mike – It was Steve Choi, who’s in Rx Bandits. He just wrote me and said that he was working on new ska punk stuff. We hadn’t even decided that we were going to call it The Chinkees. We thought maybe we would start a new project. After I went down and recorded in Long Beach, it sounded like The Chinkees, so we just decided to use that moniker. With all the musicians being Asian American, we thought it was a perfect time to do it.

Bill – That makes sense. Besides Steve, who are the other musicians that participated in writing and recording this EP?

Mike – Kevin Higuchi on drums, from Jeff Rosenstock’s band, and Roger Camero from No Motiv.

Bill – Cool. I always liked No Motiv. How would you describe your time recording in Steve’s studio?

Mike – Short. I wasn’t there long. I think it maybe took me a couple hours and then I was done. That was it, then we got food and Steve took me to the airport.

Bill – (Laughs). So, you were literally there for one day?

Mike – Yeah. I was supposed to be there for two days and then I was done, so I’m like “Man, I’m going home. I’ll just fly home now.” So that’s what I did.

Bill – I’m guessing that might have to be your shortest recording experience ever?

Mike – No. I’ve done some quick ones. Sometimes bands will ask me to do stuff and as a game I’ll see how fast I can do it. It’s kind of like that Simpsons episode where Krusty is recording voiceovers. I can’t remember exactly what he says, but it’s so funny. He just tears right through them, one after the other.

Bill – So maybe one of your shortest recording experiences then?

Mike – Yeah. Especially for something of this magnitude that has done really well for us and is continuing to do well.

Bill – The organ is a main element of The Chinkees’ sound and I really like how it’s captured on this recording. Do you have a favorite aspect of how these songs turned out?

Mike – Yeah. What’s different about these keys is that prior to this we’ve only used Hammond organs. So, I like the synth sounds that Steve added to these songs, in addition to the Hammond sounds. Some of the songs have like an ‘80s new wave feel and I like that.

Bill – For sure. “Our Lips Are Coming Right Through” definitely stands out the first time you listen to these songs. How did that one in particular come together?

Mike – That song is about kind of the unattainable features that mainstream influencers, like the Kardashians or whatever, and how young people are following them so closely and want to be like them. This song, a lot of it has to do with the idea of being yourself instead of following something that you’re not. It’s kind of vague in the lyrics, but I know that’s what I was going for.

Bill – I think that’s something that’s in some ways more prevalent now with things like Instagram, but it’s kind of always been there too with magazines and stuff like that…

Mike – Yeah, but I feel like right now it’s crazy. Especially for young kids.

Bill – Right. I don’t want to say that they’re glued to their phones and iPads, because then I just sound old, but it is kind of true. The other song that I wanted to ask about was “Your Heart Will Break Forever.” It’s a passionate song with a big, anthemic chorus. What are some of the things that inspired its creation?

Mike – Even though it was written a while ago, that song is very relevant to the Black Lives Matter movement, and in particular to the George Floyd tragedy. It’s talking about just chaos and rioting. It’s like you’re standing in the middle of the street and your surroundings are on fire. It’s written from that kind of standpoint.

Bill – Is it weird to write something like that a year or so ago and then have it become almost more relevant with what’s happening now?

Mike – Sure, but even more so, I have songs that I wrote 30 years ago that are still relevant and that can display parallels to what’s happening today. That’s even crazier to me. Or even old blog entries. I just did an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. They were reading my blog and they found an entry from 2011 where I was talking about Trump and how evil he is. I don’t even remember writing it.

Bill – Wow. Or to bring it back to The Simpsons, didn’t that show foreshadow him being president with the scene of him going down the escalator?

Mike – Yeah, that’s the genius of The Simpsons, (laughs).

Bill – Well, speaking of the past, how do you feel that these new songs compare to the band’s previous material?

Mike – With this EP, a lot more care was put in. Besides my participation, which was short, I still wrote the lyrics and enjoyed what I wrote. But it was all Steve Choi. He put a lot of work into this project. He played guitar, keys, sang backups and produced it, along with Roger. They put a lot of time and effort in. With Chinkees records in the past, we blasted those things out. We’d record everything in a couple days and then be done. With this one, a lot of care was put into it versus records in the past.

Bill – I recently went back and listened to the first Chinkees album and I still feel like there’s a lot of really good songs on there. When you go back and think about that first record, what are some of the things that come to mind?

Mike – Slapstick, (laughs). Because it’s the Slapstick rhythm section. That one sounds really tight just because I was playing with guys who knew how to play ska punk and play together. That one was a breeze. Rob and Dan, (Rob Kellenberger and Dan Andriano) sing backup vocals and we did an unreleased Tuesday song that was never released except for on their demo.

Bill – I think it was the song “Not Your Pet.”

Mike – Yeah, “Not Your Pet.” So, with that record, I have all the tones of Slapstick’s rhythm section. So, the ska and the ska punk songs sound really good. Especially for a band that wasn’t really a band yet. It was just a recording project at that point. I took those songs and I wanted to start The Chinkees, so I used those recordings to get the project off the ground.

Bill – That’s awesome. On a different note, the band’s name is not intended to be a racial slur, but instead is meant acknowledge the presence of racism. Compared to 1998, when the band’s first album was released, do you feel that racism in the U.S. has changed over the last 20 or so years?

Mike – I think just now with social media and everyone having accessibility to a camera in a matter of seconds, things are just being documented now. That documentation is causing uproar, which is appropriate, but it’s also exposing the bigotry that exists and continues to exist. Just the state of our country with the current president and I hate being one of those people who just says “Fuck Trump. Blah, blah, blah.” I hate reading timelines of just this pandering and preaching to the choir-type dialogue. I don’t think there’s much benefit there. But I understand their agony. I’ve definitely said just a short, two-word tweet, probably a dozen times, where I just said “fuck off” to one of his tweets because I just can’t believe it. The problem is there’s just so much division. Everything is political. This pandemic is political somehow. Why? It doesn’t make any sense. Why not just say something? Just say something like, “This is what we need to do. You wear a mask. It might not be comfortable, but the experts feel that it can help slow down and bend the curve.” It’s as simple as that. But instead, it’s like “Oh, I’ll never be shown wearing a mask.” So, his followers, it’s like a cult and then they don’t wear a mask. Politically speaking, that’s one segment. If we’re just talking about racism, look at the people he’s surrounded himself with. Like a Stephen Miller-type who just looks like he’s the head of an Aryan Brotherhood. And again, I hate to judge a book by its cover, but I’m doing it. And it’s made people brave who are racist. In their mind, they don’t understand the premise behind Black Lives Matter. You’re seeing these videos come out of people openly saying the n-word…

Bill – Right. Trump’s actions or his inactions have empowered these people, without a doubt.

Mike – It’s frustrating. Who knows if it’s any different than it was 30 years ago? My take would be it’s not, but it’s just everywhere. That’s all we see. With Rodney King in 1991, it just happened to be on videotape.

Bill – Yeah and think about how unlikely it was for that to be filmed. Someone had to be in right spot and have a camcorder with a tape that was ready to go and a charged battery. It’s not like people walked around with camcorders all the time. That wasn’t common.

Mike – And just the fact that it was on video and they were still acquitted. In my lifetime, those were the first riots that I experienced as an adult. Seeing L.A. burn and then seeing the U.S. burn in June, it’s just all coming full circle again. It’s not pretty.

Bill – Have you thought at all about doing anything with Ska Against Racism again?

Mike – Yeah. I’ve been asked a lot about doing something. In terms of a tour, there’s obviously no live music for the foreseeable future. I am partnering up with some people in the ska scene. We’re working on a big fundraiser where 100% of the profits will go to a charity, but I need to research it more. I’m very wary about charities and 501(c)(3) organizations. I need to look into it more, but we will figure that out down the road.

Bill – That’s great to hear. Have you given any thought to the future of The Chinkees?

Mike – No, (laughs). I don’t have any desire to play shows. I wouldn’t mind recording more in the future, but for now it’s exciting for me just to hear new songs. Hopefully we can do more someday and Steve will want to do more.