"Let’s put aside that guilty pleasure nonsense"—The Swellers drummer on music and guilt

Let's face it, we all have that one song or band we don't exactly tell the world we listen to—but is that necessarily a good thing? The Swellers drummer Jonathan Diener has penned a piece for The Runout that delves into guilty pleasures and how detrimental they can be to not only one's musical outlook, but their overall view on life as well. You can read Diener's whole piece over at The Runout's official website, and check out a few excerpts below.

What do you think? Do you see guilty pleasures as toxic? Or are they simply just another facet of your musical tastes?

“I vividly remember the time my friend Tom from the band No Trigger was drunk and yelled at me for only liking one kind of music. I was furious at how much of an asshole he was being, but in the last few years I looked back and realized it was almost this strange moment of clarity, like a warning from the future. It was a wake up call that there was plenty of music out there that I was avoiding on purpose, which is quite stubborn if you think about it. I went on a quest and started listening to as much as I could to find out what I really like. I needed to redevelop my palette. The adventure was relieving and as much as I loved the melodic punk rock I grew up on, I was starting to love everything else much more. I even got to the point where I revisited Sheryl Crow and pop music from the ’90s and loved that too. Regardless of the corporate machine behind it, you have to admit that it’s just good songwriting. There didn’t have to be these dark undertones or Fugazi style revolutionary mentality behind it. I love that stuff, and probably listen to it more, but sometimes I just like putting on music and turning my brain off for a little bit. I don’t feel guilty admitting that.”

“Once I renounced guilt from my musical taste, my band’s career choices and my potential new future, life has been much easier. It’s quite ironic that a large percentage of people indulged in these subcultures based on living the way you want, fighting the establishment and making life easier for others are the same people who will judge you harder than anyone else. Let’s put aside that guilty pleasure nonsense. I prescribe a heavy dose of not giving a fuck and doing what you want. Symptoms include happiness, sanity and career longevity.”