Mad Tab & Norwood Fisher on The Story Behind “Awake”, Punk, Ska, Synths, DIY Videos & the New Album!

Mad Tab has been grinding through the Orange County and Huntington Beach punk underground since 2006 — surviving lineup changes, DIY shows, reggae and rocksteady detours, long silences, and the kind of chaos most bands never make it through. Now, with the release of “Awake” and the upcoming full-length album "Alas! The Bomb Voyage…", Mad Tab is stepping into a new era with the backing of Norwood Fisher, founding member and bassist of the legendary genre-breaking band Fishbone. Dave and Graham talk about growing up together, discovering punk, ska, reggae, and hardcore, and turning years of friendship into a creative partnership built on lyrics, riffs, chaos, and instinct. Graham shares how influences like Fishbone, The Specials, Madness, Sublime, NOFX, Strung Out, and classic ska helped shape his playing, while Dave explains how keyboards, synths, organ, and cinematic ideas became part of Mad Tab’s punk identity. Norwood explains why Mad Tab became the first artist he chose to back through InnaNuttshell Reekordingz, calling the band a complete package because of their songwriting, production, and fully realized creative vision. The conversation also dives into the band’s DIY videos, their love of film, the possibility of Norwood appearing in a future Mad Tab video, dream collaborations, touring plans, and why supporting independent music matters now more than ever. This is more than a band interview. It is the story of a SoCal punk band that went through everything, kept writing, built its own machine, and finally sounds fully awake. 👉 Subscribe to The Hang! for more artist interviews, music stories, punk rock conversations, and behind-the-scenes episodes with the people keeping independent music alive. #MadTab #NorwoodFisher #punk #skamusic #skapunk