In typical CalArtian fashion, the trajectory of alumnus William Ranson’s decades-long musical career has been nothing short of unconventional, but he can trace its beginnings back to Feb. 28, 1978: the day he showed up to the opening reception of a William Wegman exhibition with a bass guitar in tow.
Ranson, who studied in the School of Art, went to the reception to play and sing in a post-punk project called Art Attack. The half-CalArtian band comprised Ranson—stage name Vex Billingsgate—and his fellow students Sue “Su Tissue” McLane (vocals, bass, and keyboard) and Hester Laddy (vocals), as well as John “John Gleur” McBurney (guitar), Richard “Frankie Ennui” Whitney (rhythm guitar and vocals), and Charles “Chuck Roast” Rodriguez (drums).
The band was renamed Suburban Lawns shortly after Laddy left the group, and began playing shows with their CalArtian contemporaries, including Mike Kelley (Art MFA 78) and Tony Oursler’s (Art BFA 79) band The Poetics. The self-released debut single “Gidget Goes to Hell” put Suburban Lawns on the map when its Jonathan Demme-directed music video aired on Saturday Night Live.
From there, the group quickly carved out its space in the LA punk scene and garnered a cult following. The Los Angeles-based late-night variety television program New Wave Theatre hosted them twice. Iconic alt-rock radio station KROQ in LA had their songs on regular rotation. They performed alongside notable acts of the era: Oingo Boingo, U2, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Wall of Voodoo, to name a few. Frank Zappa shouted them out in SPIN magazine, calling “Gidget Goes to Hell” one of his favorite punk records. Suburban Lawns found its closest thing to a pop smash in the wailing track “Janitor,” arguably the band’s biggest hit with its unforgettable refrain: “I’m a janitor, oh my genitals.”
Fast forward to 2019, when Ranson and McBurney—who never really stopped playing together, even after their bandmates went their separate ways in the early 80s—formed a new iteration of the band, named Suburban John. Legendary drummer George Hurley of Minutemen and fIREHOSE was brought into the fold in 2023, and the trio have since been jamming from Long Beach, California.
“The playing style and the sensibility of the original band is still there through and through,” Suburban John band manager Jen Dessinger told 24700. “No one plays bass like Bill and no one plays guitar like John. The idiosyncrasies in their styles are just as quirky and weird as always. These are the hands of the humans that played on that music.”
Though its band name pays obvious homage to its predecessor, Suburban John and Suburban Lawns are not to be confused with one another. Dessinger made particular note of how their songwriting has evolved: “Things groove a little more and the music breathes at a different rhythm. Like Bill and John, George Hurley has an extremely unique and recognizable style of drumming that fits in perfect with the others. It brings a fresh feel and urgency to the songs.”
This fresh yet familiar sound abounds on Suburban John’s latest EP Sounds, available across streaming platforms and on vinyl, released through Ranson’s new label Air Wave Swimmer. The band is also featured on track nine of Slouch Records’ compilation album Permanent Fixtures with their song “Sunset Pirate.”
A few weeks back, Ranson, Hurley, and Dessinger joined Poorman’s Morning Rush live radio show on KOCI 101.5 FM for the 15 Minutes of Fame segment (listen to the full episode here.) Ranson and Hurley also went on Stella Stray Pop’s show on KXLU 88.9 FM this past March, and last year, the band filmed a public access segment on Highland Park TV—a callback, Dessinger mused, of Ranson and McBurney’s beginnings with New Wave Theatre.
As for live performances, Suburban John has already hit several stages throughout Southern California this past month, with two performances coming up:
Thursday, May 22, 6 pm
Poorman’s Morning Rush Summer Kickoff Concert
Original Pizza Sports Bar & Grill
3100 Irvine Ave
Newport Beach, CA 92660
InfoSunday, June 29, time TBD
The Slipper Clutch
351 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Info forthcoming
In the midst of the band’s various appearances and live shows, Dessinger is also directing, researching, and interviewing for a feature-length Suburban Lawns documentary (currently in production). The film will reflect on Suburban Lawns’ unique legacy, but with Suburban John, she looks to the future, with several projects on the horizon.
“They have a new EP coming out soon,” shared Dessinger. “Bill has also written an essay for an upcoming book on punk and new wave bands from the ’80s. They have an East Coast and Mexico tours coming up in the future as well.”
