Q&A: DAMNAGE: Born From the Stage, Raised by Chaos and Here to Break the Mold
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY DANIELLE HOLIAN ☆
DAMNAGE ISN’T A BAND THAT WAS FORMED; IT ERUPTED — The trio of Tim Stewart (guitar/vocals), Jonny Drummond (bass/vocals), and Tosh Peterson (drums), have spent the last decade playing some of the biggest stages on Earth — the Super Bowl, Coachella, Grammys, Oscars — backing global icons and lighting up arenas night after night. But behind the flashing lights and world tours was a deeper pull: the hunger to create something that was truly theirs. Something unfiltered, untamed and undeniably real. That something is DAMNAGE, a project born not in a boardroom, but in the fire of shared history, punk spirit and relentless energy.
Their self-titled debut album is a feral introduction, ten tracks of pure alt-punk adrenaline that hit like a punch to the chest and a scream in your face. From the explosive opener “Wasteland” to the emotionally charged “Never See It,” DAMNAGE is a visceral ride through beauty, brutality and the chaos in between. It's a record that embraces imperfection, that leans into the scratch, the distortion, and the pain, because that’s where the truth lives. It’s Turnstile rage and Strokes swagger. It’s IDLES' chaos meets Amyl and the Sniffers' grit. But most of all, it’s DAMNAGE, a sound and feeling entirely their own.
And yet, at the heart of the band isn’t just the music; it’s the brotherhood. Stewart, Drummond, and Peterson are a unit forged through years of sweat, missed flights, and spontaneous jams in green rooms across the globe. That chemistry bleeds into every beat and riff.
Luna caught up with DAMNAGE to discuss their origin story, the rush of their first writing session, and why punk is a way of life. From cooking and gaming offstage to bleeding honesty into every lyric, the band invites us into their world and dares us to live a little louder.
LUNA: DAMNAGE is a new project, but your chemistry feels long-standing. How did this band come to life, and what sparked that “now’s the time” moment?
DAMNAGE: The creation of DAMNAGE grew from our friendship. We share a genuine chemistry, on and off stage. We played so many shows together, it felt like we were already in a band. It didn’t click to start our own band until one day, we were in the studio, and Tim was playing some unwritten, unpolished records he produced. One record stuck with us. We started writing, set up a mic, Jonny cut a scratch vocal, and Tosh cut the drums. We've been writing music together ever since.
LUNA: You’ve each had major careers playing with global artists. What made you want to return to something raw and DIY?
JONNY: My career playing for artists definitely wasn’t planned when I picked up the bass. Crazy I've made so far. But DIY is where I'm at my best. I love the grit and hustle of building grassroots. It’s more gratifying to create something you helped to shape.
LUNA: Describe the first song you wrote together as DAMNAGE. What did it feel like in the room?
DAMNAGE: A Million Ways, the first song we wrote together, it’s fast-paced, mean and wild but sonically tight. The song feels like it wants to go off the tracks and descend into chaos, but somehow we stay on the rails. In the room, it felt like a dangerous race, like we were on a mission and also felt nostalgic, like we were back in the garage, but just a little more seasoned with experience.
LUNA: What’s one moment during the making of this album—big or small—that you’ll always carry with you?
JONNY: I’m going to carry the entire process with me for as long as I live. The overall energy of the room was priceless. Us hanging out, cracking jokes, the laughter, shredding material and rewriting songs on the spot, the intensity and purpose, the sound of beer cans cracking and family being there. It was one big vibe, so it's really hard to choose one single moment.
LUNA: “Never See It” hits hard emotionally. Where did that vulnerability come from?
TIM: I think the vulnerability comes from being honest with yourself, which is not so easy sometimes.
JONNY: Exactly what Tim said, it came from a low place about feeling unseen by the ones you love most, even if you change for them. We’ve all been there before, so we wrote about it.
LUNA: How does your friendship impact the songwriting process?
TOSH: I think the fact that we are friends first helps us as a band a lot. We know we can be honest with each other because we truly trust one another's opinions. For me personally, I care what these guys think so much, and it makes me want to write drum parts for the band, not just for myself!
LUNA: What’s something the three of you do offstage that fans might be surprised to learn about?
TIM: I love to cook... I’m not very good, but in my next life, maybe I’ll be a chef.
JONNY: I’m a homebody and gamer at heart. I barely leave my place, gaming on Twitch and writing songs in my basement.
LUNA: In a world obsessed with perfection, why was it important for this album to feel raw?
TIM: Perfection in art, specifically music, is kind of the norm these days, which is fine, but for us, we wanted to try and keep it as raw and unfiltered as possible.. “mistakes” and all…
LUNA: What does punk mean to you today, and how has your definition changed since your teens?
JONNY: The meaning of punk never changed to me. I always felt it was more than sounds, dress code and attitude in music. Being unapologetically you, standing up for yourself, fighting for your dreams and not taking no for an answer is punk. Thinking for yourself and defying the odds, that's punk.
LUNA: Can you describe a moment during recording that made you stop and go, “This is it”?
TIM: I think for me it’s whenever we play together.. There's a special connection between us. But I guess the “this is it” moment is when we are listening back and just feeling the energy and excitement from creating with each other.. never gets old
LUNA: What parts of your individual musical pasts show up the most in this album?
TIM: I think that it’s a fusion of all our influences.. a collaboration of our writing styles and years of playing and creating… for me, it’s hard to escape my influences and the impact of my musical heroes.
JONNY: Songwriting for the past 11 years has helped me bring my feelings to life. I hit emotional depths on this album, I said what I needed through the mic without really overthinking. Running around stages like a madman for 15 years, playing bass everywhere, made me a better musician.
LUNA: How do you stay grounded when you've performed at events like the Super Bowl or the Grammys?
TIM: The pure love of music and artistry keeps you grounded.. I feel lucky and grateful to have been a part of events like this, but also excited about the next opportunity to play and create.
LUNA: DAMNAGE had a motto or tattooed phrase, what would it be?
DAMNAGE: This was a hard one; One ride, live free and rock hard.
LUNA: What advice would you give to young creatives trying to find their voice in a noisy world?
TOSH: If I could give advice to any young creatives, it would be to always be yourself. You can't truly give your all to something that isn't authentic. Trying to copy or mimic someone else will never work out the way you want it to. My other advice is to work hard at what you do individually as well as together. We have put thousands of hours into our instruments and playing with as many people as we can. Doing that has made our ability to mesh with each other much smoother and more fun.
LUNA: The Luna Collective is all about creativity, connection, and youth culture. What’s something you’d want young creatives to take away from your journey?
TOSH: I would hope that anyone who sees our journey feels inspired to do what they want to do. You truly can be whatever you want to be if you put your mind to it. Music/art is a journey and can take you places you'd never expect. Whether you're playing in front of hundreds of thousands of people or one person, the impact of music really is life-changing.
