(DENTON, Texas) In the heart of Denton, Texas, a town pulsating with the rhythm of diverse stories and counterculture anthems, there emerges a hardcore punk band known as Noogy. Founded in 2016 by Andre Vorhis, the band's name holds familial echoes, passed down from his brothers who sparked his passion for the genre. Although Noogy is not just a musical endeavor; it is a demonstration of resilience, a journey characterized by challenges, including addiction, loss, and a commitment to artistic expression.
Originally, Noogy was comprised of Vorhis and his close friend, Nick Helm, a gifted drummer and kindred spirit. Together, they toured parts of the US and UK through their early 20s, fueled by a shared desire to explore the world and build a punk community. However, behind the music, members were struggling with addiction, which posed a challenge to the band.
"I was a heroin addict. And I was already addicted to pills, opiates before we even started the band, you know, so by 19, I was, you know, I was a pretty troubled kid," Vorhis’s openness sheds light on the personal challenges encountered during Noogy’s pursuit of its sonic identity.
Sadly, Vorhis wasn’t the only member who struggled with addiction. Helm succumbed to his addiction leaving Noogy without a drummer and Vorhis without his friend. "Nick had his own problems, and he ended up passing away from an overdose; and it's just horrible because he's a 24-year-old, 25, you know, and he's about to turn 25 in a month," Vorhis shares.
Despite these challenges, Vorhis' outlook on life remains strong, "Life's not easy, and we definitely had some curveballs thrown at us; but, you know, life is crazy. What can you say? You just got to keep pushing."
In the midst of life's curveballs, music has been a refuge for members of Noogy. Vorhis, about his addiction, states, “In a lot of ways music was my salvation,” while John Grefer, bassist for Noogy, adds, “I don’t really know what else I would do except play music.”
However, music is more than just a source of comfort; it is also a platform for Noogy to address their grievances against society. Part of punk’s roots lie in the aggressive rebellious nature of the instrumentals and lyrics “It’s just extreme and a lot of bands like Millions of Dead Cops and TSOL and stuff... it’s supposed to be thought-provoking,” said Grefer.
Vorhis, as the songwriter of the band, expresses the importance of punk lyrics.
“These lyrics, so MDC, some of their lyrics. ‘No war, no KKK, no facist USA.’ This is some stuff from the late 70s... and I’ve heard these lyrics at protests, from people that I know aren’t punk people. So that’s how far something can reach, you know, these are important words.” In recent years, the lyrics Vorhis referenced have been used in protests across the U.S.A.,
Noogy, following their punk predecessors, show disdain for the current political, and societal structures in their lyrics. The lyrics from their song “ACAB” show their condemnation of police with lyrics like, “A.C.A.B/They like the crime black on black/So if you got skin like that/It’s guaranteed, triggers get squeezed before they say freeze.”
The band, in their early years, encountered opposition from political extremists in Denton due to the provocative content of their songs. "So, you're mad at the world, you know, and the government and in fucking right-wingers? Yeah, the political end is a big part for us," said Vorhis.
Vorhis recalls at an early show, a group neo-Nazis came and took pictures in front of the house with tiki torches. They approached the house, presumingly trying to shut down the show. After drawing the attention of the crowd, they were swiftly kicked out by the attendees and band.
While this show may have been an isolated incident within Denton, the clash between political extremists and punks is widespread.
For Noogy’s most recent European tour, Jackson Cordell filled in as their drummer and described two instances in which the band faced adversity.
Before the tour started the band played in Houston where they, “got into a whole car accident and fight,” said Cordell. Cordell said another instance was in Europe when “some white power guys” approached the band and tried to cause trouble.
Noogy’s story is not one of a dying relic of a genre, but instead of a band that has worked through their challenges. Through the decades, punk has served as a genre and community that fights against societal and political corruption. Noogy stands as a symbol of this enduring spirit of the punk community, and of the messages that have thrived since the beginning of the genre.
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