Interview with Prince Daddy & the Hyena. New Album 'Hotwire Trip Switch' is now out and a massive Australian tour alongside Macseal to come!

Produced by Joe Reinhart, the new album Hotwire Trip Switch captures Prince Daddy & The Hyena at their most urgent, trading their signature sprawling concepts for a focused collection of high-energy singles. Drawing on the punchy lineage of Green Day and the snarky urgency of Jeff Rosenstock, the record finds the band recalibrating after a decade of DIY grit and surviving a near-fatal van accident. Frontman Kory Gregory intentionally crafted these tracks to stand alone, resulting in the band’s catchiest and most experimental work to date.

The band is bringing this chaotic energy to Australia this July for a co-headline tour alongside New York label mates Macseal. The run kicks off at The Brightside on July 17 and winds through Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Belgrave, and Adelaide, before concluding at Lynotts Lounge in Perth on July 25. Tickets are available now via Destroy All Lines, and Hotwire Trip Switch is streaming everywhere via Counter Intuitive Records/Civilians.

Hey, who do we have today and where are you writing to us from?

Kory Gregory from Prince Daddy & The Hyena ! writing to you from my home in Albany, NY

I’m keen to dive into a few parts that make up Prince Daddy & The Hyena but first is this your first time coming to Australia to tour, and what are you looking forward to the most?

This is our first time in Australia, yes! We cannot wait. Been trying to make our way over there for so long. Honestly, I’m most looking forward to just meeting new friends and getting to play shows for people who potentially have wanted to see us since we started a decade ago.

The phrase "Hotwire Trip Switch" comes from the track “Crash Taylor.” Does that image of "borrowed electricity" and "unsustainable living" reflect where the band is mentally right now, or is it more of a retrospective look at the DIY years?

That line is far less regarding the band at all, and more of a personal anecdote. That whole song is sort of about forgetting how powerful some emotions are capable of being. And how overwhelming it can be when you finally are reminded of it. 

You guys formed in the Albany DIY scene and have faced hurdles—from van accidents to personal loss—that would have ended most bands. How does that community-driven "survivor" mentality continue to influence the way you treat the band today?

Hmmm, I don’t really think we have any sort of “survivor” mentality if i’m being real. But I will say that this is pretty much the only band I’ve ever been in and really can’t even imagine what it would be like to be in a band that doesn’t just consist of your best friends. And i feel like realistically that is what plays the biggest part in the band lasting and thriving through whatever obstacles there are. 

This tour hits everything from The Brightside in Brisbane to Lynotts Lounge in Perth. Are there any specific Australian "bucket list" items the band is looking to check off between shows?

I really am not as cultured in Australian staples as I probably should be. So mostly everything is going to be fresh and new and unfamiliar to me. I guess I’d like to see a Kangaroo. Maybe a Koala ? that’s about the extent of my Australian knowledge

Australian fans are known for being particularly rowdy. Given your reputation for high-energy, "breaking point" performances, are you prepared for the level of chaos that usually greets bands of your lineage in places like Newcastle or Wollongong?

The rowdier the better! If I'm being honest with ya, I didn't even know that was a thing Australian fans are known for. So that gets me especially excited. But yea, I think we’re always prepared for any level of rowdiness. Realistically, It takes preparation for the NON enthusiastic crowds haha. 

You’re touring with your label mates Macseal. How important is it for you to keep these tours "in the family," and what is the dynamic like when you have two New York bands traveling across the world together?

Aside from any ethics or anything, It is important mainly in the fact that we get to hang out with our friends! and those are some of our best friends! I think there is something extra special about being able to visit somewhere far away for the first time with people you consider family, ya know?

People often hear shades of Green Day, Weezer, and Jeff Rosenstock in your music. How do you balance paying homage to those "hook-driven" influences while maintaining that Prince Daddy edge?

I don’t think it really takes a conscious deliberate effort, really. Because whatever that “Prince Daddy” edge is, realistically just comes from the fact that it’s me, prince daddy & the hyena himself, writing the songs and not Billie Joe Armstrong or Rivers Cuomo or Jeff writing ‘em, ya know? The same way that I’m sure Billie doesn’t think too hard about not sounding like the Replacements or Rivers about Beach Boys or something. Also, from my perspective, Prince Daddy never wasn’t driven by hooks. We just got better at writing them haha. 

Even though this is a singles record, your fans are notorious for hunting for "Easter Eggs." Did you manage to sneak any lyrical or sonic nods to Cosmic Thrill Seekers or I Thought You Didn't Even Like Leaving in here for the die-hards to find?

More or less. Regardless of it being a “singles record”, it is still written by me. That is always going to be part of Prince Daddy & The Hyenas DNA in one way or another. Even in something like the song title “Sure Could (A Random Exercise In Life-Altering Party Fouls)”, the format of that is ripped from a song on our last record called “A Random Exercise In Impermanence”. I think the world-building aspect of being a band with a growing discography is always going to be exciting and attractive to me.

What’s everyone in the band listening to at the moment records wise?

I'm unsure of what the other guys are listening to to be honest, but I’ve really just been listening to pop music that has come out the past couple of years. The Sabrina Carpenter record that came out last year is my current fixation. But yea stuff like that, Dua Lipa, Tate Mcrae, Olivia Rodrigo yada yada .

Any final words for our readers?

LETS GET ROWDY , NEW FRIENDS !!! 

I’M EXCITED TO MEET YA !!! 

ROCK N ROLL !!! 

BE GOOD !!!