Today we’d like to introduce you to Dank Kopp.
Hi Dank, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Matterhorn is the brainchild of two of us— myself, Dank, and Chase Bogle. We met sometime around 2016, and although we did actually go to high school together, we were never aware of each other’s existence even though we ran in the same circles. I was desperate to make music, I had been in bands in high school but we never played shows or really did much but hang out and play. Chase shared my passion, and as he played drums, a piece of a group that is always in high demand. Chase met a couple of guys at a metal show in Orlando, and they also wanted to start a band. So, starting a new band, Chase invited me to join in on bass. One member, who ultimately provided the most drive behind this band had left to study abroad in Australia, so we started Matterhorn with our other band member in the metal band. I took the lead and spurred progress forward on Matterhorn– a project we started to suck time and make blink-182 sounding pop-punk while we awaited the return of our singer. We wrote and recorded an EP, made strides to play live but we lacked a bassist. Our singer from the metal band was gonna fill that role. But, upon return, we all had a rather dramatic split. Chase and I went one way, and the rest went on with their metal project. Dylan was a longtime friend of ours, and while initially I didn’t necessarily get along with him, we had him join on lead guitar. Another longtime friend, Chris, joined in on bass. We practiced for what seemed like eons, but after a long year of work, we landed our first show in September of ’21. Into October, Chris had other obligations and left the band to make time for his personal life, and we had been introduced to Charlie, frontman of ¿sorry? through Chase’s girlfriend. We planned on auditioning other bassists, but we got in the garage with Charlie and there was no question.
We moved on to play Space Coast Music Fest in November, after playing with Reno-based punk act Bosses’ Daughter the night before. Space Coast established a mainstay of our live show. Slowly, through the set, Charlie takes his clothes off. I don’t remember what spurred him to do this, but the crowd loved it, so he kept doing it. We played Orlando for the first time in February ’22, and we’re trying our best to play more in the city.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
If you don’t fall on your face, you’ll never learn how to stand yourself back up and keep going forward. We lost friends. Our split with our bandmates in the initial metal band was a massive setback. It took us a year and a half to get back on track, and then immediately it hit us in the face again after playing our first show with Chris’s departure. But now we’re on the up and up, and it feels like nothing’s getting in our way besides our own availability.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We’re punks. We’re musicians. The kids that were bullied in school for some reason or other. Turns out it didn’t last forever, but we know that kind of emotion. It mostly comes out through anger in my lyrics, If someone listens to our music and knows they’re not alone in their suffering. Eventually, I’d hope our music inspires change. But we’re just getting started. Energy is what we do. Fury about the way the world is. Anger about how hard it’ll be to change. But ultimately, hope about what’s still to come.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
We’re all extremely opinionated. Political. Though we’re working on a full length LP, and our opinions and ideas will become extremely apparent when that’s finished. There’s no better medium to spread ideas than through art. We see all kinds of inequality in the world we live in, especially in our hometown. We hope that we play a part in the orchestra that brings about change for the better.
Contact Info:
- Email: matterhornfl@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matterhornofficial
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MatterhornFL
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatterhornFL
- Other: https://linktr.ee/matterhornfl
Image Credits
Transarctic Media
