All Star Ska: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts drummer Michael McDermott talks about his ska supergroup The Kilograms

All Star Ska: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts drummer Michael McDermott talks about his ska supergroup The Kilograms

Author: Aaron Carnes February 5, 2025 Duration: 56:13

We need more ska supergroups! Mutiny and Rude Girl Revue are both amazing. But today we reveal that Joan Jett the Blackhearts drummer Michael McDermott is in the ska group The Kilograms, which formed in 2023, along with Mighty Mighty Bosstones bassist Joe Gittleman, THEE Sammy Kay, Craig Gorsline and J Duckworth. After a handful of releases, on April 4, they release their debut LP, Beliefs and Thieves

We had a delightful conversation with Michael about the Kilograms, Joan Jett and his string of ska and punk bands he’s drummed in since the ’90s: The Bouncing Souls, Murphy’s Law, Skinnerbox, Stubborn All Stars, Mephiskapheles, and apparently, he played percussion for The Slackers one time. 

Plus, we learn which stage one of the biggest shows McDermott ever played was: WWE SmackDown!

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If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

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There's a persistent idea that ska music is just a punchline, a relic of checkerboard Vans and goofy horn sections. In Defense of Ska dismantles that notion with genuine passion and deep knowledge. Hosted by Aaron Carnes, who literally wrote the book on the subject, and musician Adam Davis, this podcast goes far beyond nostalgia. Each conversation, whether with scene veterans or curious outsiders, digs into the genre's rich history, its surprising cultural footprint, and the vibrant community that keeps it alive. You'll hear personal stories that trace ska's influence in unexpected places and passionate arguments for its artistic merit. It’s not about blindly championing every upstroke; it’s about thoughtful, often funny, and always dedicated discussions that give the music the serious consideration it rarely gets. Tune in for a refreshing reevaluation that might just change your mind about what ska has been and what it continues to be. This is a defense built on facts, stories, and undeniable love for the sound.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

In Defense of Ska
Podcast Episodes
Touring in a Ska Band: Life on the Road [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:04
This week on In Defense of Ska, host Adam Davis takes the spotlight to detail his time touring with his ska band Omnigone. The act hit the road back in March, and along the way he interviewed a whole bunch of interesting…
Punching Nazis: A True Gilman Punk Rock Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:56
There’s a piece of Gilman (the legendary underground venue) lore that involves a huge fight between punks and nazis in the late '80s. Thankfully and expectedly, the punks kicked the nazis' butts. So much so, in fact, tha…
The Sound of Ska in Denmark: The Chains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:12
Let In Defense of Ska introduce you to The Chains, a new ska band out hailing from Denmark. Their sound leans heavily into traditional ska, rock steady, and boss reggae, and they put out a killer album last year, Crying…
WTF is Crack Rock Steady? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:54
This week on In Defense of Ska, the crew asks a question that has been on everyone's mind: What the hell is crack rock steady? Along with author and fellow ska-enjoyer Jeff Burk, the crew discusses the subgenre in all of…
Ska as Pop Music in 2025 w/ Catbite and Sarah Tudzin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:04
When people say they want ska music to come back, what they’re really saying is that they want ska music to once again be a part of the pop music world. If that were to happen, though, it likely wouldn’t sound anything l…
When Smash Mouth Was a Ska Band [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:50
Back in the mid '90s, ska was on the rise in the United States. Ready to ride the wave, a new band formed in San Jose, California, that specialized in ska-punk and pop-punk tunes, and they called themselves Smash Mouth.…