It’s no lie. Local bands Mudland and Half Cap are set to do battle.

On Saturday, Nov. 9, the two bands, along with opener Parking Lot Explosion, will be in Stan’s Room at Piere’s. Obviously, the “vs.” aspect of it is all in good fun for these co-workers at Sweetwater Music Store.

“It mostly started out as a joke,” Half Cap guitarist Brandon Riley said. “We work in the same store and we’re always competing on who’s better. We like to see who can draw a bigger crowd and that sort of thing. It’s not really an actual competition. It’s more friendly.”

Thankfully, Mudland frontman/guitarist Braedon Menchhofer reiterated that this will indeed be all about fun.

“We’ve worked together in the music store, but we’ve also been friends for a long, long time,” he said. “So, it’s going to be cool.

“I think we’re all going to get a walk-out song and dress up and be kind of weird.”

Differing sounds

The “battle” format is nothing new, as local bluegrass band Debutants hosted a “Deathmatch” with The Matchsellers in 2023 at Baker Street Centre. However, those two bands come from the same genre. The same can’t be said for Mudland and Half Cap.

“The hard part, if we were to do that, would be that we play real different stuff,” Menchhofer said.

Mudland are your alternative rock band in the vein of Blind Melon, Alice In Chains, and Candlebox. 

“We have kind of an ethereal band,” Menchhofer said. “I mean, my favorite band is Pink Floyd. So, I’ve always like the dark, somberness of bands. I big one we kind of all agree on is Alice In Chains. We all kind of enjoy the grunge thing.”

On the other side, Half Cap are high energy, influenced by Green Day and Blink 182.

“We cross a lot of genres really, but we like to keep the songs short, fast, and catchy,” Riley said.

Finishing up debut album

One thing the bands do have in common is new music.

Half Cap released their self-titled debut album  Oct. 4, while Mudland are putting the final touches on an album they hope to release soon.

“We’re hoping we can get it out by December,” Menchhofer said. “We’re recording it with Mitchel King (of Listening Eye Studio) — he works in the music store, too, and he actually produced the Half Cap record, too.”

Mudland have singles on streaming platforms as well as a self-titled four-song EP they released in 2023. Since then, the quartet of Menchhofer, Bryce DeCamp (lead guitar), Patrick Losiniecki (bass), and Austin Cottrell (drums) have working on the forthcoming full-length.

“I think the first album is always important in a band’s run,” Menchhofer said. “EPs are cool, but it’s albums that are really talked about.

“I’m a big classic rock guy. My dad was a truck driver, so I was in the passenger seat as a kid listening to Pink Floyd and The Beatles and all these classic rock albums. Our whole basement was The Beatles. We always had to at least get an album done.

“I always joke with people that we could have three EPs done in the time that we’ve been doing this album. That’s kind of why albums are cool.”

There will also be different influences within a band. For Mudland, common ground is Alice In Chains, but each member brings his own flavor.

“The ’70s and ’90s are kind of my two big influences when writing for the band,” Menchhofer said. “I mean, we all like Alice In Chains, but Patrick leans more toward emo, punk kind of stuff. Austin is a huge ’80s head with Bryce — Bryce is definitely a kid that should have been born in the ’80s. I love the ’80s. I grew up listening to Slash and all those guys, but there’s something about the ’70s and ’90s that I like about the stripped down, realness of the lyrics.”

Hard work pays off

For Half Cap, the pop punk influences are clear on their debut.

And proving Riley’s assessment that they like to keep the songs short, the 10-track album flies by in just 26 minutes. Despite its short runtime, there are plenty of highlights and even a shout-out to the Summit City with “Lost in Glenbrook.”

“Honestly, I cried when I heard it,” Riley said of the album. “It was so perfect. I’m so happy with it.”

Along with Upstate New Yorker Riley, the band features Detroit native Jackson Park on bass, as well as three guys from Fort Wayne: Michael Pobuk (vocals), Bruce Christopher (guitar), and Liam Coughlin (drums).

“We started out with myself and (Coughlin) just trying to put together a couple punk songs,” Riley said of the band formed in 2022. “We eventually worked in a second guitarist and bass player, then Michael came along to put vocals on top.”

When talking about the upcoming show, Riley was stoked to be back at Stan’s Room, where he commented their previous show had the best mix they’ve ever had.

While both bands might have the best sound possible, Riley admitted there will be a difference between the two acts.

“We’re usually a bit more rowdy than Mudland,” he said.