I was so happy to sit down with a couple of members of one my favorite Dallas bands from the early 90s, George Reagan and Tony Barsotti of Hagfish. I interviewed Hagfish during my time at KTXT-FM, and they were one of the most fun and enjoyable interviews that I’ve ever done. I’m happy to say that they are still some of the nicest and most generous people you’ll ever meet, and we had a really fun interview full of great stories (despite battling a fierce North Texas thunderstorm).
Hagfish formed in 1991 and quickly gained a following in the Dallas music scene with an aggressive punk sound tempered by great melodies and excellent musicianship. By 1995, they had signed to a major label and their album Rocks Your Lame Ass generated two singles which gained widespread college radio airplay, as well as accompanying videos which found their way to MTV’s “120 Minutes”. Since then, Hagfish has maintained their status as a favorite of Dallas-area music fans, occasionally reuniting for local shows.
Tony was kind enough to invite us into is home for interview, so we also got to enjoy one additional participant in the interview, Tony’s dog Edgar. We talked about their early days of attending and later playing at house parties and how that DIY aesthetic was critical in finding a following in the local music scene. As the discussion shifted to college radio, we talked about how airplay on college stations helped the band gain a foothold in smaller cities and towns where they otherwise would not have been able to sell enough tickets to make a show worthwhile. We also enjoyed some hilarious stories of their experiences on the road and doing hundreds of interviews across the country.