The ‘Round The Campfire Interview Series is Pop Break’s preview series, curated by Lead Music Writer Andrew Howie, for Summer Camp 2022.
Every day we draw closer to Summer Camp, and the tension is getting visceral. One of the most beloved Midwest musical traditions, Summer Camp is a chance every Memorial Day for people to unwind and reset; just turn off and drop out for a while. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know one of my favorite parts of the festival is getting to see all the hometown heroes strut their stuff for a broader audience. In that spirit, please enjoy this chat with Chicago’s own Justin Reckamp of Mungion!
Andrew Howie: Just to get it out of the way, I have to ask: how have the last couple of years been?
Justin Reckamp: First of all, it definitely gave us a new perspective on things. We were at a place where we weren’t playing hardly at all, and a couple members were in and out during the height of the pandemic, so it’s kind of a new band right now. We really just took our time to kind of find our chemistry within the band; we wrote a bunch of new music and discussed our vision going forward. We also vowed never to take playing live for granted ever again; each show is like a blessing. As far as playing out, we did a drive-in show, we did a couple festivals where they had the pods, but now it seems like things are kind of shaking out back to normal, slowly but surely. We’re here for it, we’re ready.
AH: I know you’ve been through a few lineup changes in addition to everything else. What can you tell me about that and how it affected your approach to your music, if it did at all?
JR: So there is a lot to unpack with all that. There was a moment with Joe (Re, keyboards) and I; you know, we started the band back in 2015. Well, we had this conversation where we wondered if we were going to keep this ship sailing or part ways. After we discussed it, we realized that whatever happens, we’re going down with the ship, ride or die. We’re in it for the long haul. So we set up some auditions, trying to find a new drummer, and Nick Van Leer sent us this tape and he just did an amazing job.
Shortly after, we flew him out for some in-person auditions, we played a couple tunes with him, and we knew right away that we wanted him to join the band. So then, right after Nick uprooted his whole life from New Jersey, moved to Chicago, all ready to go, the pandemic hit. I felt SO bad for him because he was firing on all cylinders, ready to play night after night, and he stuck it out. He is a really hard worker and we really couldn’t be in a better position as far as that goes.
AH: Unreal; that’s such a preposterous set of circumstances. At least he landed safely. So that covers drums; what of bass?
JR: Grant, the bass player, he’s a local guy who played in a couple bands in the area. We’ve crossed paths before, and he was actually the first call when we were looking for a bass player. He had been a fan of the band, and I didn’t even realize it. So when I first called him, he thought I was one of his buddies messing with him. It was so funny. He came out a couple days later, he learned a couple tunes on real short notice and just crushed it.
I feel like right now where the band is, we’ve never sounded better, we’re writing a lot of new music, we’re exploring a lot of new improvisational terrain that we’ve never done before, and I couldn’t be happier.
AH: Without giving away any secrets, what can you tell me about your new material that you mentioned earlier?
JR: The silver lining to all of the difficulties of the last couple years: you know, we had to replace all these members, but since nothing was going on, we had a lot of time to really nurture ourselves and to recalibrate everything to just find how we work with each other. Oftentimes if that happens, members changing, it’s a rushed process, and maybe not a lot of thought goes into it; all you’re worried about is making the next gig. Nothing else matters. But we were really able to take our time with the process, which was really fantastic.
AH: Summer Camp is just around the corner. What do you think it is about the festival that ensures such a loyal fan base, from performers to fans, year after year?
JR: Where do I start? I think first and foremost I get so excited for Summer Camp because it’s in our own back yard. So there’s such a large amalgamation of friends, family, bands that are playing Summer Camp maybe for their first time, some maybe for their 30th time. It’s a place where everybody can come together. With the exception of last year, we haven’t been playing a lot of festivals, so Summer Camp is a great place where we can hang out, catch up with our fellow bands and peers. The lineup is always stacked, there’s always something great to see, and there’s just a palpable energy in the air. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what that is, you know? It seems like it’s different every year, but there’s such a vibe, it’s so community-oriented, and being from Illinois myself I feel that so strongly, and I always feel that when we play there it’s really special.
I also think a huge part of that is because Scamp’s been going on for so long. Twenty-one years in the making and they keep getting better. They keep refining it. Everything from the staff to the fans, from where I’m standing, they’re perfect. Our favorite festival by far.
AH: Any other big touring plans this year?
JR: We had a pretty heavy run here in April, relatively speaking, and going into the summer we’re playing quite a few festivals, so we have a busy couple months ahead. Going into the fall we’re going to try and route some tours for sure, winter as well, but we’re still figuring out where exactly. For the most part, it’ll be pretty regional, but these plans are still up in the air. Right now we’re just taking it a day at a time and trying to enjoy the process. The summer’s going to be real busy, and as far as the fall is projected, we’re touring as well, but a bit more calculated.
AH: So you’ve been playing around a bit, and you have some more shows coming up; what can fans who haven’t seen this new Mungion expect from your sound?
JR: So Nick has this real strong pop, classic rock, kind of a funkier sensibility, and Grant is the gear head of the group. He put my pedal board together, knows all these new pedals coming out, so that has informed the music for sure. He loves playing trance and techno stuff, really heavy stuff too, so it’s kind of interesting to try to write music that everybody can express themselves in, and write to everybody’s strengths. It’s essentially a new band, you know? So we’ve just been trying to explore those avenues and see what comes out. I’m really happy with the music that we’ve been writing lately, it feels like a breath of fresh air.
AH: And the fans who have been out to see you recently, what has been their response?
JR: The fan response has been terrific. People are hungry and rarin’ to go. It’s been great and it feels really good. We’re not doing any really heavy tours right now because things are still a little uncertain, but the people that are coming out are ready for it, and we’re in the ride together.
AH: So if Mungion had a mission statement for the time being, it would be…?
JR: We’re just enjoying the ride. Trying to slow things down a little bit, trying not to get ahead of ourselves, just enjoying each moment and taking it a day at a time.
