Irreverence and pop: they are two things that seem intertwined and unique to the current litter of Columbus bands making records, producing, playing, and multiplying. Sega Genocide, WV White, Nervosas, and now, Brat Curse—all quite different, but each reveling in mutations of punk and pop of the ’90s (and even ’00s) and fringe tropes picked up along the way. They’ve replaced the weirdo trash and lo-fi of the past with this new tact, even though the psycho anything-goes aesthetic of Psychedelic Horseshit is alive and reinvigorated and the gnarl-fi of Times New Viking seems to have carried currency since that band’s departure. This combination has carried over to Dayton and seems to wash up on the shores of the Olentangy again and again.

Brat Curse’s Brian Baker logged numerous hours in Dayton’s last wave of hopefuls—from the blitzkrieg of Astro Fang to the equally pop-smart Smug Brothers—but little of that feeds into the cool blast of Brat Curse’s self-titled and self-released debut album. It’s a balance between the sniveling, snotty and somewhat crusty world of the ’77 punks and stadium-wannabe gods of ’90s indie-rock like Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. But even the Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer are included influences as Brat Curse’s go-for-broke choruses seem to mimic a Lollapalooza bender. It’s a nice line on which to teeter. With Brian’s brother Justin on bass and Chris Mengerink on the drums, this is a power trio steeped in both nervous energy and nostalgic vibes. I recently talked with Mengerink via e-mail to discuss how this all began and how we define indie rock these days.

What’s your origin story? What bands did you play in before this?

Chris Mengerink: I have been friends with Justin and Brian since I was 12. We formed tons of bands in junior high and high school with even worse names than Brat Curse. Few stuck, including Astro Fang and Yakuza Heart Attack. While playing in Astro Fang, Brian had recorded some electronic-style tracks that weren’t quite right for Astro Fang, so the three of us tried playing a more stripped down live version.

You guys are originally from Dayton, correct? Can you shed some light on what the Dayton scene has been like in the last 10 years, post-boom?

CM: Dayton is always an awesome city to play. There are fewer venues there now than there used to be, but shows are generally very well attended. In a city like Dayton, there is not much to do other than drink and go crazy at rock shows. Sure we didn’t become the next Seattle like some assumed in the ’90s, but we still have some incredible bands. I’d move back there just for The Motel Beds.

What brought you all to Columbus? How has it been playing shows here opposed to Dayton?

CM: I had been living in Columbus for a few years after college and was begging Justin and Brian to come up. We all love Dayton, but knew we’d all be alcoholics or dead if we stuck around any longer. Columbus can be rough because it’s a much bigger city. It is definitely harder to get everyone out to shows, since there are so many venues, but we’re slowly building a following. It’s also just great to see new faces every time we play.

I hear a lot of influence in your sound. It’s a bit pop and a bit punk. How do you describe it?

CM: We definitely have many influences across the board, but a lot of what we strive towards is ’70s punk rock and post-punk. We grew up in the ’90s in Dayton so there is definitely a big influence from bands like Brainiac, GBV, The Breeders, and The Pixies.

I’m sure most would give it the term “indie rock.” What’s your definition of “indie rock” in 2014?

CM: I think the term “indie rock” has become somewhat meaningless now. It’s kind of like calling something “rock & roll.” There are so many connotations associated with it now that it means many different things to different people as far as trying to describe the sound of something. I still use the term when bands sound unpolished or raw, but it still feels like a cop out.

“Space Junk,” “Birthday Earthquake,” “Snow Cone”—your subjects seem very abstract. What exactly do you guys write about when you’re putting together a song?

CM: Brian writes all the lyrics on his own. I sing back-up and still don’t really know half of them. When we write songs, lyrics are usually the finishing touch. A lot of our favorite singers are fairly abstract. While recording the album Brian and I listened to that song “Unfair” by Pavement like a thousand times. The lyric “Walk with your credit card in the air, swing your nachos like you just don’t care” is so insane but so good. We need to write a song about nachos and credit cards.

Jam or shred?

CM: Super shredder. Shredded cheese. Shredded lettuce. Angus Young.

Besides records, what influences the sound of Brat Curse?

CM: Movies, TV, and video games have definitely affected our friendship, if not our music. We’re all pretty nerdy. Practices usually consist of a lot of really dumb jokes and movie references. They’re usually from Suburban Commando. “What are you nuts? This is the ’90s. We’re gonna sue you!”

Fill in the blanks:
In 10th grade I was listening to _____ in the _____ with _____ doing _____ wishing I was _____.

CM: In 10th grade I was listening to Zeppelin in the basement with Brian doing whip-its wishing I was dead.