Brother punk duo Kung Fu Juice Box dropping DIY debut

Kung Fu Juice Box is ready to strike.

The brothers behind the punk pursuit, Lars and Maximus Messmer, are dropping debut album, “Blast Off!,” on Friday, Aug. 21. Comprised of 11 tracks, the project is completely DIY. It was recorded in the basement of their parents’ house, while the elder Lars tried his hand at mixing and mastering everything for the first time.  

“Mastering was a pain in my butt, but mixing was fun,” he says. “It took a really long time, but I think that’s what made it fun, because it gave me something to do and I could be busy.”  

Most of the songs included have been live staples since the band got to gigging less than a year ago, including previously released singles “High Expectations” and “Atomic Dream,” along with recent material that hasn’t hit the stage yet. “OK Boomer,” a new tune shared earlier this week, is an example of the latest and greatest.  

Kung Fu is playing “Blast Off!” in its entirety during a free release show Friday at Summit Tacos, 237 Collyer St, Longmont. Local bands We Are All Crooks and Mutt Mouth are also on the bill.  

With Lars entering his third year at University of Denver and Maximus starting high school this year, the album deals with coming of age and all the fun, weird things that happen to us during those times.  

“It’s dealing with growing up and getting older and realizing that everything’s going to be okay, and this is natural and everybody does this,” says Lars, the guitarist and vocalist. “That’s a big part of the album, is coming to terms with who you are as an adult or who you will be as an adult.”  

“Wait, so, growing up is getting old?” quips young drummer Maximus. “There’s that idea of growing up and all the different changes that are happening, the different ways that we’re growing as people, as adults, how we’re maturing.”  

Wrapped up in fast-paced three-chord punk, the lyrics are a little ironic and off-kilter, which Lars believes is crucial — sometimes, it’s better not to take yourself too seriously. He points to one tune called “Dec. 5,” which was inspired by a little light heartbreak, but turned into a nonchalant middle finger.   

“It’s just about getting ghosted by a girl, but, ultimately, it comes down to four words: ‘Fuck this stupid day.’ It’s not a mature song, at all, in that way,” he explains. “It’s, like, ‘I’m just fucking done with this day. I’m ready to move onto tomorrow. I want to go to bed. Fuck everyone else.’  

“I think there’s a lot to be said in that. Along with the whole growing up thing, you can be an immature amateur and you can be responsibly irresponsible,” he continues. “It’s all backwards and fucked up. I think it’s a lot of fun to throw in a mix there and not take yourself too seriously, but at the same time, show everyone that you mean business.” 

The alien album artwork, painted by Maximus, is indicative of that ethos.  

“I just had this idea of an alien sitting there with a juice box and popcorn, watching the world explode,” Lars details. “They had nothing to do with our demise. It was all us humans blowing up the world. It’s, like, a really dark situation, but I think it’s bringing it into a funny light.”  

Maximus, a Tasmanian devil behind the kit, took that vision and put his own spin on it.  

“I didn’t know I could paint like that until I did,” he says.  

There will be 100 copies, all on burnt CDs, available at this week’s show. Recently, the family affair now includes their father, Markus, who’s been playing bass with his boys, too. The siblings joke that he didn’t do enough to make it on the first album, but there’s a chance he’ll play on the sophomore follow-up, which is already in the works.

They’ll be teasing more unreleased songs live on Friday, too. But Kung Fu isn’t getting to ahead of itself yet.  

“I’m just really excited about the future and where this band will go,” Lars concludes.  

See Kung Fu Juice Box with We Are All Crooks and Mutt Mouth at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, Summit Tacos, 237 Collyer St., Longmont.