Branford trio The Problem With Kids Today on recording Take It! without studio constraints

Transmission 246: Interview with The Problem With Kids Today

The Problem With Kids Today, Connecticut-based trio formed by Tate Brooks, Silas Lourenco-Lang, and Reena Yu, recorded their third album Take It! over eight days in October with producer Joe LeMieux. After experiences in larger studios, the group chose to work on their own terms, setting up a makeshift home studio where they could record without outside constraints.

Title: Take It!
Artist: The Problem With Kids Today
Release Date: 2025-08-22
Genres: Garage Rock, Punk Rock
Label: In The Shed Records
Description: The Problem With Kids Today interview on new album Take It!, to release August 22 on In The Shed Records, recording process and influences

Take It! will be released on In The Shed Records on August 22, available on CD, digital download, and streaming.

How did the three of you come together and decide to form The Problem With Kids Today?

Pre Covid, Silas and I had a band prior to The Problem With Kids Today called “Tate and Silas” and decided it was time to recruit a proper drummer. We met Reena at a DIY punk show and were instantly impressed by her drumming skills and asked her to jam. We became friends fast and clicked immediately musically, the only proper next move was to form a band and thus “The Problem With Kids Today” was born!

When did you first become interested in making music, and what led you to start writing songs?

I was always a big music lover and started playing guitar in the early years of high school and dreamed of playing in a band. I immediately connected more with writing and playing my own material than learning covers and what not because it was a fun and enjoyable way of expressing myself.

Which artists or albums had the strongest impact on your musical direction in the early days?

My dad is a musician and played in bands back in the day so that was always a big inspiration to me, and we all grew up listening to The Beatles but artists like Ty Segall, Mac Demarco, Twin Peaks, and The Lemon Twigs were huge influences on me and made me think I could do this too! Silas and I loved albums like “Melted”, “2”, “Wild Onion” and “Do Hollywood” and would listen to them constantly. We then got really into 70s punk rock with bands like the Ramones, New York Dolls, and The Stooges and power pop bands like Big Star, The Who, The Replacements, etc.

What was the setup like inside the shed, and how did it influence the sound of the album?

The setup in the shed was extremely stripped back and tiny. Silas and I actually built the shed with my grandpa back in 2017. It’s our rehearsal space so there’s the basics like a drum set and amplifiers, then our friend and producer of the album Joe Lemieux brought over all the mics and the interface to record. It definitely influenced the sound of the record because we were only able to work with what we had and keep it very stripped back and highlight the live band which was our original idea for this project.

What was the most memorable moment from the recording week in Branford?

The most memorable part of making the record in the shed was all the fun we had making it! Once we heard the first playback we all thought, “Wow, this actually sounds surprisingly great!” It was really cool to be able to record just mere feet from my house and really have an at home feel while making an album. It was right around Halloween when we recorded so we’d watch scary movies every night which was also really fun and memorable.

What’s something from the shed sessions that didn’t make it onto the album?

The only track that didn’t make it onto the album was a Celtic rock inspired track comparable to something like a Dropkick Murphy’s tune. We’re hoping to release it for Saint Patrick’s day this coming year though so keep your eyes peeled for that…

How did living and recording together for eight days shape the final outcome of the record?

We were able to get really close with the producer Joe Lemieux and also take our time and make something we were all really happy and proud of. Making this record just felt very natural and fun and almost like we were just hanging out together instead of having a lot of pressure to get it done.

Which song on Take It! came together most naturally, and which one required the most revisions?

Songs like “I Dunno” and “The Beginning of the End of the World” came together really quick, we were able to knock them out in the first couple of takes. The last five songs on the album play almost like an “Abbey Road” medley, that took a little more time to get the transitions just right but we’re super proud of how it turned out!

Were there any unexpected influences or references that found their way into this album?

We were influenced by bands like Guided By Voices and The Brian Jonestown Massacre who always seemed to take matters into their own hands and create their own revolution just by being themselves. The biggest idea for the album was to just make it fun always!

Were the lyrics written around a central idea, or did connections emerge later during sequencing?

The central idea was to have fun the whole time and not take anything too serious. In the past we’ve put a lot of pressure on ourselves while recording, and with this one we took that pressure off and just wrote things that made us happy or were funny to us. The sequencing of the album was actually just the order we wrote and practiced the songs in, we thought it worked so we just left it that way!

Are there any upcoming collaborations, new material, or tours already in the works?

We’re already writing new material and playing around as much as possible! Keep an eye out, more Problems coming!!!

Photos courtesy of The Problem With Kids Today

Matteo Damiani

Matteo Damiani is an Italian photographer and author. Curator of the sites Retrofuturista.com; weirditaly.com; china-underground.com and others