By Madison Russ
Sitting down to chat on his 35th birthday, Will Boothby, vocalist and guitarist for local punk band Gutter Drunk, has much to reflect on since co-founding the group several years ago.
With a new year ahead, the band — Boothby of Ventnor, bassist Brad Jones of Margate, drummer Tom Harris of Absecon and rhythm guitarist Sean Chivalette of Atlantic City — is focused on what’s next: releasing new music and rocking as friends.
“Just being with my friends and hanging out and playing music — that’s where I see this going. Just putting out a ton of cool music that everybody enjoys,” said Boothby.
Since its early days, Gutter Drunk has seen its share of changes and even loss. Boothby recalled how the band gained “a lot more traction” than he had anticipated when he and former bandmate Tom Flynn first used their music to reflect on their recovery from addiction.
The band expanded with Jones and drummer Jim Chivalette. Around five years ago, Harris took over on drums, and following Jim Chivalette’s death in 2022, the band brought in his brother, Sean Chivalette, which Boothby called “a no-brainer.”
Jones said their sound is “definitely more polished” than their earlier work, noting that songwriting has become more collaborative over the years. They’ve also noticed more momentum — both as a band and from fans.
“Once we wrote some new jams and got tighter, people were even more into it,” said Harris from the studio where they’ve been busy working on recording new music.
Some of their approach now is about embracing simplicity in their music, but Jones admits it was tough to take some of the “ego” out of playing. As someone who enjoys a challenge, he sometimes felt he wasn’t giving his best if he wasn’t playing something technically difficult.
“I think with these new songs, there’s been a lot of learning to chill out and just play the song instead of playing tasty licks that no one really cares about,” explained Jones.
Boothby added he’s done “overthinking it.”
“At this rate, I’m just so over trying to sound punk or be the most punk,” said Boothby. “However it comes out, it’s going to sound like us. People don’t come to a Gutter Drunk show to see the Germs — they come to the Gutter Drunk show to see us. We have a really cool community. It’s very small. Everybody knows each other. So it’s like, why not try to be yourself?”
Their most recent show on Dec. 21 at Atlantic City’s Anchor Rock Club had around 400 attendees, Boothby estimates, including some young fans.
“I think it’s just so awesome to have kids enjoying our music. These kids think we’re like rock stars,” said Boothby, recalling 11-year-old fan Cole Zentmeyer, who joined them on stage at their last show to sing with them.
“We’re just local dudes, just a couple of friends hanging out and doing what we like to do. We’re kind of just blessed that other people enjoy it,” he said.
Though new music is on the horizon, some of their earlier songs, like “Dirty Heroin,” continue to resonate with fans. As Boothby explains, even if a listener hasn’t battled addiction themselves, they likely know someone who has or lost someone to it.
“I have countless kids sitting around — kids that have never done drugs in their life — on a Friday night with an acoustic guitar, sending me videos of themselves with their friends screaming that song at the top of their lungs like in memory of one of their friends who has died,” said Boothby, adding he never thought of the song as having anything to do with death.
“But that’s how it resonates through other people,” he said. “That’s probably the pinnacle of a good song: you’re able to tie your own meaning to it.”
Looking ahead, Boothby said he has no plans of slowing down. Harris sees the upcoming year as one of growth, noting that putting out music themselves has had its learning curves, and trying to “grind as much as possible.”
And, of course, staying true to who they are.
“I think that’s the only way to do it. I’ve seen bands play, and they have a gimmick or something — I’ve played in bands with gimmicks, and it’s not as fun to have a dress code or move a certain way or not be allowed to get meatball stains on your shirt,” said Jones. “It’s just a lot more fun when you don’t have to act, and you can just play music and have a good time.”
Or perhaps, as Boothby puts it: “New year, same old antics.”
Follow Gutter Drunk on Instagram @gutterdrunkofficial for updates and listen on Spotify or Apple Music.
Madison Russ is an award-winning journalist, copy editor and adjunct professor of communication based in Atlantic County. An Ocean City native, Madison is passionate about telling stories that matter to locals, often spotlighting nonprofits and exploring the area’s vibrant arts scene.
