Wall 2 Wall's Interview With Street Credit - Hide Article

Street Credit stinks.  Not musically but literally.  I learn this the hard way as the five of us pack into a decrepit booth at what appears to be the reigning champ of all run down diners in the City of New York.  The table is adorned with various messages, tags and random scribbles that multiply as the night goes on (and for the record I am neither a twink nor super twink).  Above us hangs a broken Miller High Life sign from what most of us agree must be the late 70’s, although guitarist Will Moerhke holds firm that it is indeed from the earlier 80’s.  Street Credit, a four piece self-dubbed “filthy rock/reggae band” has just finished a 90 min set a few blocks down at the Canal Room.  As we wait for our manager’s “special” I realize that even the thickest grease-fired-burnt-spinach-and-feta-omelet air is no match for the stench of these four musicians from Boston, Ma.  I am told this is attributed to both their lack of bathing and love for plastic bottled spirits.  The night carries and the conversation that ensues heads in various directions, admittedly most of which I was not prepared for.

       I learn that the band was founded in 2003 by drummer Eric Milano and Lead vocals/guitarist Jon Mulshenock.  As the story goes the two, whom have been in and out of bands together since the early 90’s, where practicing in a third story apartment just outside of Tampa, Fl when now lead guitarist (then bassist) Will Moercke stumbled in.  Will explains that in this area in which they lived it was not uncommon to hear loud or even live music at all hours of the night due to the heavy population of college students.  “It was different though” Will explains, “It had a real rootsy one drop reggae feel and I just followed the music till I found the source.”  This ill advised statement earns Will the new nickname of “Toucan Murk.”  Soon there after the three began playing shows through out South Florida and were able to capitalize on the abundance of students willing to support local music.  The name “Street Credit” came about in response to the popularity of the band growing solely due to word of mouth.  “We didn’t have flyers for shows, a demo or even all our own equipment, but people kept coming out to the shows.”  It is later discovered that this was due mostly to the drink specials the band would negotiate for prior to booking.

     Street Credit continued on until the two original members headed north to Boston (they are originally Rhode Island natives) and left bassist, Will Moercke to “finish handling his biz” down south.  According to Moehrke handling his “biz” consisted of buying a 74 convertible coupe DeVille, finding Jah, breeding miniature schnauzers’, designing tattoos and totaling said coupe Deville before moving to Boston to join the already established band in early 2005.  While in New England new bassist Bill “bildo-baggins” Ferrell was added to provide the much needed bottom-end heavy bass that comprises most of Street Credit’s melodic rhythms.  It was decided that upon Toucan’s return he would handle the new role of lead guitar and Bill would continue to man the bass.

     The new line-up has been together now two years or so and has experienced a self-proclaimed respectable level of success through the New England music scene.  Winners of various battle of the bands and featured in numerous regional music publications.  Upon probing as to what “various” and “numerous” mean all I can deduce from their incoherent ramblings is that these guys are either “really really famous in Singapore” or not even a band at all.  If tonight’s show is any indication I can vouch that they are very much a band indeed, a band worth looking out for.  The music varies from guitar driven rock to subtle bass and drum melodies infused with conscious lyrics that generate a resounding unmistakable urge to dance.  And dance they did.  Tonight’s crowd swayed with the solid beats and unrepentant reggae bounce for the duration of the set and did nothing else but ask for more.  Given the opportunity I will mostly definitely see Street Credit live again, however I can say with certainty that this is the last time I will be joining them for breakfast.