Quick-fire Questions: 10 minutes with Dirt Buyer
When Joe Sutkowski and Ruben Radlauer first founded Dirt Buyer, it was little more than a midweek lark among college friends. They envisioned the group as just one fictional band, signed to a fictional record label, all fronted by the daydreaming duo. But something about the emo-folk of Dirt Buyer stuck with Sutkowski. In the end, it may have even saved his life.
Back in March, Sutkowski publicly revealed that he had checked himself “into detox for opioids”. While the National Institute of Medicine in the US estimates that around 2.1million Americans are addicted to opioids, it is not all that common that a public figure reveals that they are one of the many. But sharing vulnerabilities has always been at the heart of Dirt Buyer, connecting the cathartic band with a growing contingent of followers.
On their latest album, Dirt Buyer III, delves into the importance of self-expression, allowing the music to say things that Sutkowski was struggling to communicate. Speaking about the track ‘Betchu Won’t, he indicatively revealed, “This song is about feeling very alone in a situation I didn’t want to be in, but not knowing how to communicate that. It’s like being really, really tiny and screaming, but you’re too small and nobody can hear you.”
That’s often how Dirt Buyer’s music sounds. So, when we caught up with Sutkowski in the middle of this transformative period, it always seemed certain that we would find him in a reflective and unguarded mood. So, we mused on everything from The Beatles to Bob Lazar in an assortment of quick-fire questions.
Quick-fire Questions with Dirt Buyer:
What song would you want played at your funeral?
“‘Disintegration Loops dlp 1.1’ [by William Basinski]”.
What’s the weirdest show you’ve ever played?
“My college band played this show at a hoarder house in South Jersey years ago. I remember walking in and seeing merchant ship models on the shelves and not really thinking anything of it. I went into the bathroom and there were packages of water bottles stacked to the ceiling inside of the shower, and when I turned around, there was an electric scooter and a Mannekin Pis on the countertop.”
“That’s when it hit me like, ‘Oh, I understand where I am now’. The kid who booked it specifically told us not to go upstairs, but of course, somebody from my band and the other band we were touring with went up there looking for a bathroom, and his parents were home, guarding the bedroom. Nobody came to the show, and the house ended up burning down several months after that. Also, one of the kids from the opening band accidentally grabbed my guitar and dipped, so we had to figure that out the day after, on our way to the next gig. We got it back and all was well.”
What’s one conspiracy theory you kind of believe in?
“Oh boy… I’ll be so honest, I try so hard not to go there, but I’m so destabilised at this point I’ll believe anything if enough people back it. I’m inclined to believe Bob Lazar’s story about studying UFOs in Area 51 back in 1989 because his story has never changed, and he seems very stressed when he talks about it. I feel bad for that dude, he’s doing his best.”
What’s one begrudgement you have about modern music?
“I don’t really have any gripes about the way people make art as long as it’s genuine, but it’s always a bummer when a band sucks, and the drummer takes his shirt off, but whatever.
Who did you have in mind with the song ‘Bullshit Fuck’?
“Me – it’s about a shame addiction I’ve been battling with since I was very young.”
What’s one classic album you’d happily delete from history?
“This could mean like ‘historically relevant’ or ‘from a classic band’ or just ‘old‘ – this question rules. An album from a classic band, probably Honkin’ on Bobo by Aerosmith, but in terms of historical relevance, I guess I’d say Play by Moby. I’ve never listened to Moby. I remember being a kid and seeing this music video where somebody licked his bald head and being really freaked out by it. Not for me.”
What album do you think you’ve listened to the most?
“Probably Hissing Fauna or The Gay Parade by Of Montreal. I’ve always thought Kevin Barnes is an incredible songwriter, and I love his lyrics and cosmic sense of exploration and confidence when it comes to each new record.”
What album due out in 2026 are you most looking forward to?
“I’m not really sure what’s coming out, but a new album I’m really stoked on right now is All Monsters by MX Lonely. Nugaze done correctly.”
If you had a 30-word mission statement as an artist, what would it be?
“Dirt Buyer make, try, stay, help, see, feel, go, grow, be, be, be, no stop, no fear, just go, just try, just be, just be, just go.”
What book do you think should be taught in schools?
“The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van Der Kolk”.
What’s the weirdest subculture you’ve been privy to?
“There are so many of these that it’s hard to pick just one, and the word ‘weird’ stops being descriptive once you hit a certain point on the internet. There are the people who collect and have Instagram pages for hyperrealistic baby dolls, there are diaperfurs, and I’m not gonna say more than that! If you’re on the internet, go explore! It’s an awesome place, super duper awesome.”
Which venue would you love to play?
“It would be sick to play a show on the moon.”
Should AI be outlawed for music?
“Yeah, probably. I feel like they’ve kind of been doing that for years, like with vocaloid, but that was actually cool and was still made by people. The slop that’s being pumped out totally sucks, and it’s not for anybody, and I’m pretty sure everybody hates it. I don’t think that it will affect live music, but I guess we’ll see about that.”
What’s your favourite song by Nirvana?
“‘Aneurysm’ off of Incesticide“.
Are the Beatles overrated?
“NO! The Beatles are legendary pioneers of modern pop music, and I feel like a lot of us are still catching up to their level of virtuosity. It’s rare that four (arguable three) people on the exact same page at the exact same time are in a band together, at least for some years. The Beatles are a great place to steal from for songwriting vocab, maybe one of the best places to steal from. Learn as many Beatles songs as you can, and you’ll probably be writing some absolute heaters. Dirt Buyer forever.”
