Episode 7 — March 2, 2022
The Shivvers
Podcasts
The Shivvers
This is a good one, folks! I’m not sayin’… I’m just sayin’.
On episode 7, I sit down with John M. Borack (power pop guru, contributing editor to Goldmine Magazine, music journalist, and author) and writer Stanley Clark of If Ever You’re Listening to discuss Milwaukee power pop band The Shivvers.
The school was in session as Borack opened his vault of knowledge about The Shivvers and all things power pop — Stan and I could barely keep up with our note-taking.
This Milwaukee — based power pop group dominated the Wisconsin scene in the late ’70s and early ’80s. And if you listen to them, you can easily see why. These songs are the best of what power pop has to offer, and they’ll punch you right in the solar plexus — and that’s a good thing.
The Shivvers may have only released one official single, “Teen Line,” during their tenure together but have managed to cast a very long shadow on power pop. With the release of a couple of compilations over the years, their impact and influence have grown beyond the Midwest.
With the self-titled 2020 remastered release, the world now has the definitive collection of The Shivvers songs — and if you haven’t heard it, what are you waiting for. This is the album the lead singer Jill Kossoris told Borack would’ve been their debut album if they had ever landed a recording deal.
And why they didn’t get a deal is anyone’s guess, but at least the music is here. At the end of the day, it’s always going to be about the music, as it should be because it’s the music that lasts.
40 years on, these songs on The Shivvers album sound as fresh as anything today… perhaps just better.
I’m not sayin’… I’m just sayin’.