The musicians of Charleston punk band Anergy value telling the truth, whether listeners are ready to hear it. The group, made up of drummer and vocalist Gabe “Chops” Segarra, bassist and vocalist Sherrod “Sloth” Russell-Blake and guitarist Sarah “V” Murphy, expresses reality through energetic songs with hard-hitting and sometimes humorous lyrics.
“Punk has an honesty to it that other types of music don’t always have,” Segarra said. “It can make [people] think ‘Wow, I wish I had the guts to say that.’”
Anergy formed in 2016 when Segarra mentioned to friends at a party that he was on the hunt for a bassist and fellow reveler Russell-Blake introduced himself.
“We tested out his vocals, and we saw the kind of playing he could do, and I just said, ‘You’re hired, man,’” Segarra said.
They crafted the rebellious, dynamic sound that they loved but weren’t hearing in the Charleston area.
“I used to look around town and I’d say, ‘All this music is great and everything, but where’s this stuff that I want to hear?’” Segarra said. “I realized sometimes you have to create something if you want it to exist.”
In 2019, Segarra went against all advice and put an ad on Craigslist for a guitarist, and Igor “Freebird” DeSouza responded. The band released the EP 5-Hour Anergy with this lineup, before DeSouza left to focus on his own project, local alt-rock group Abrevity.
New guitarist joins band
Murphy, a friend and musician in the same circle with her group Never Any Ordinary, joined Anergy in 2021, bringing a spirited irreverence that serves to enhance the band’s counter cultural sensibilities.
The group is now focused on writing and recording a batch of new songs with Murphy in the mix.
“Sarah’s not afraid to play a note that is not melodic. It adds a really cool texture to what we’re doing,” Segarra said. “I think that the music we’re working on now is a little darker in tone in terms of the sound.”
Each member of Anergy has a full-time job outside of the music industry, allowing them to lean into the creativity of making music with no pressure to appeal to outside influences. Segarra, Russell-Blake, and Murphy saved up their vacation days for the band’s upcoming Southeastern tour, which kicks off at The Royal American Feb. 24. Segarra’s girlfriend, vocalist Ash Vapor, will join them on the tour, as well as Murphy’s project Never Any Ordinary.
“We’re still going to get our paycheck, but we’re going to get our paycheck doing rock ‘n’ roll, which is the dream, right?” Segarra said.
According to the Anergy bandmates, a chaotic world is the perfect environment for punk rock.
“I think there’s never been a better time for underground rock ‘n’ roll to have another resurgence,” Segarra said. “We’re not interested in pretending to be something. So if we feel something, if we see something, if we experience something, we want that to come through in our music. Somebody’s got to get up there and say, hey, you know, this isn’t right.”
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