SOUNDCHECK: BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT Prepares to Rock August Hall

(Left to Right) Bardo Novotny, Colie Hutzler, Beepus Burdett and Colton Flurry. Photo provided by Natasha Austrich

BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT, an L.A.-based rock-meets-punk-meets-pop band, is headed to August Hall on Oct. 23 as an opener for letlive in San Francisco. This comes on the heels of their September album release, following collaborations with several major artists and tours including blink-182, jxdn, Warped Tour and Lollapalooza.

The band’s lineup features lead singer Cole “Colie” Hutzler, bassist Brent “Beepus” Burdett and producer/guitarist Bardo Novotny.

I had the opportunity to chat with lead singer, Colie, while he was actively on the road to his Fresno show—interrupting his peaceful car ride—and here’s what we talked about.

How would you describe your band’s sound?

COLIE: Ambidextrous. Very fluid, loud. Fun.

How does it feel to be able to bring your new album “WHERE DID ALL THE BUTTERFLIES GO” to a live audience, and how is this tour fitting into your creative era?

COLIE: Really well. It’s been cool. We’ve been on the road for the last three months. It’s almost the space to test-run everything.

We’ve been playing most of the new album’s music for the last month, which has been really cool. I think we have everything dialed. But I think more than anything, we’re just excited to have it as solid as possible for upcoming stuff.

I think we all feel really proud; it’s been crazy to see how well it’s being received among audiences—we’re playing it in front of these people.

This album was produced by Neil Avron, who’s worked with some fairly big names in the industry. Was that collaboration cool?

Super. It was really fun. I think it taught us a lot. It taught us a lot of patience. A different outlook on the production process than I think we’ve ever had or taken an approach to. 

I think because of that, it lends itself to the purity of this album and how much it means to us and how thoughtful it was from the bottom up.

Neil has such a way of hearing things that you wouldn’t even think to bring up, and you kind of consider it, and you’re like, “Wow, I think you’re right.” He’s never not right.

You guys have had a busy year. I mean, touring, writing, recording—have you had any moments this year where you’re like, “Wow, that’s a lot?”

COLIE: Yeah, for sure. But I also think we do well with it. Like, we’re so—in a way—addicted to the grind and just building this thing as big as we possibly can. And in a lot of ways, I think when life gets rough, this is where we put that energy.

Honestly, lately, we’ve been having our “Aw, fuck, this is a lot,” but it’s also really exciting because, at the same time, it’s what we signed up for.

You guys played with blink-182 in arena-style venues, and you’ve done several different types of headline, club-type shows. Going between those things, how do those crowds compare? How does the prep compare?

COLIE: The prep is case-by-case. As you get into those more arena/amphitheater situations, there’s so much more you have to be equipped for. But ultimately, I think the biggest difference is the energy shift.

In the clubs, it’s usually our audience, and the energy’s just so visceral, whereas a lot of times in these bigger spaces, we’re the first of three, kind of proving ourselves to a lot of people who don’t know us or aren’t into what we’re doing yet.

There’s a lot of dudes staring at you in the crowd like you’re doing something wrong just for being there, but then afterwards they always come up and are like, “That was fucking sick!”

I have a question… you have a shirt that says, “BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT, nothing but a profanity laced, angst punk band, who I’ve never seen B4, nor would again. What a waste of thirty minutes.” Tell me where that comes from.

COLIE: It was a tweet that someone who saw us open for Matchbox Twenty put up, and we were like, “Uh, that’s cool. Fuck you.” So we put it on a shirt.

We kinda eat it up anyways; it’s hilarious for us. I mean, obviously the love is always appreciated, but there are a few stragglers who have a very particular opposition to us, and to those people: we love it.

Honestly, wish we had more sometimes. It’s entertaining.

I know you guys are L.A. based. Do you have anything special planned for these particular shows in California?

COLIE: Just keep going hard. Raging. It’s our last three of this run, and now that we’re back on home turf, we just wanna keep proving ourselves, winning fans over, and just like having as much fun as we possibly can while doing this.

Do you guys have any songs that you get excited to perform live?

COLIE: I’ve been loving “CITY NEVER SLEEPS,” also “XXX.” All the new stuff, it’s just cool to be able to, like, get fresh ears on it.

I mean, we’ve played most of the same songs in the last four years. It’s like there’s a new chapter in our growth.

Is there some sort of vibe you want to get from the crowd?

COLIE: Just more hype, I think—the chaos. Obviously, look out for each other.

I think there’s something so fun, raw and explosive about these punk shows, where it’s like encouraged to mosh, crowdsurf and really express yourself. The hype comes in all different forms. 

You know, early on, I think we grabbed a lot of the more millennial, chronically online scene who stand there and video versus really participating. But like, it’s different, you know? It serves as marketing in its own way. The more people post about it and share, that’s reach.

But as we’ve played more and more shows with the bands that we grew up on, it has really allowed us to, like, massage in that it’s like, okay to jump around, do your thing, whatever—whether that’s dancing, moshing, crowdsurfing…

Ultimately, I just love when I can feel how hyped the audience is.

So, I’ve been dragging my photographer to these events, and she’s not a concert person. I just taught her how to headbang. Is she ready?

COLIE: I’ve been having some family come out to these letlive shows, and I don’t really think they know what they’re getting into. 

And it’s awesome—I think it’s hilarious.

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BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT is performing this Thursday, Oct. 23, at August Hall in San Francisco. Tickets are available here.

See you there.