Night Court Turns On The $HIT MACHINE

How the Vancouver trio’s pandemic-born project evolved into an indie punk powerhouse.

by Hannah Harlacher

Published on December 4, 2024

Vancouver’s Night Court is here to remind us why we fell in love with punk rock in the first place. This ‘80s-inspired trio—featuring drummer Emilor, guitarist Dave-O, and bassist Jiffy—knows how to crank out raw, energetic tracks that feel both timeless and refreshingly honest.

Born from a pandemic-era collaboration that sparked instant creative chemistry, Night Court made their debut with the double album Nervous Birds! One + Too. Now, they’re back with their latest project, $HIT MACHINE, and are gearing up for its big hometown premiere following an extensive US tour.

While their sound nods to indie rock nostalgia, Night Court amps things up with a gritty, live-show intensity that leans unapologetically punk. Their newest work balances melodic hooks with just the right amount of edge, proving this band is anything but stuck in the past.

RANGE sat down with the scrappy trio before they headed out on the road to chat about the making of $HIT MACHINE, their love for their city’s music scene, and plans for the future.

Who/what are your main sources of inspiration for writing/producing?

JIFFY: Originally we were trying to be more of an indie rock band, pulling influences from ‘90s bands like Guided By Voices, Built to Spill and Superchunk, but almost immediately we were getting reviews comparing us to early 2000s punk bands like Toys That Kill and Marked Men. So it was less intentional, maybe, but as they say, you are what you eat!

Do you write collaboratively as a group, or how does each member bring something unique to your sound?

DAVE: We all bring our bags of tricks to the table and mess around until something cool comes out. Personally, I hear the parts before I ever play them, so I’m usually just trying to catch up to my own subconscious. So I guess my style is sorta ”not quite good enough to play the part but definitely trying hard.”

What is a $HIT MACHINE? And where can we buy one?

EMILOR: We are all shit machines!

Can you share some of the inspiration behind the record, and any notable moments during the making of?

JIFFY: Our last record HUMANS! was going to be called Sonic Ride and this one was going to be called Sick Fuckin, which are both what might be considered “inside jokes.” We’re hoping $HIT MACHINE as a tongue-in-cheek double entendre is more of an “outside joke.”

What are Night Court’s plans for the $HIT MACHINE release show and upcoming tour?

JIFFY: $HIT MACHINE is out now and we are doing a west coast tour with a bunch of awesome bands including our friends The Drolls, The Dumpies, Lenguas Largas, Feefawfums, Squishers, and Rat Paws among others! The last show of the tour will be our local vinyl release show at Green Auto in Vancouver (Dec. 7) with NatLak and Tremblers of Sevens from Victoria.

Do you have any rituals as a group for celebrating releases and milestones?

EMILOR: I like to smoke weed and eat more shrimp.

Can you tell us about the Church of Euthanasia and the inspiration behind the music video for “D-List?”

DAVE: I’m no expert on the CoE but I remember hearing about them back in the late ‘90s and the images from their protests are wild. The brash antinatalist slogans on hand painted signs seem almost quaint in comparison to the tsunami of rotten shit we are forced to experience online today. “D-List” is sort of about how every generation thinks they live in the strangest times and maybe they’re right. The great pacific garbage patch of ideas has never been bigger or garbage-ier than it is today, and it will be even bigger and garbage-ier tomorrow.

Does the group have a dream collab?

JIFFY: Well, we’ve been working with Todd Congeliere, who runs Recess Records, so that’s been a dream collab for me personally. We also have Jeff Burke from Marked Men and Radioactivity mixing some stuff for us right now so that’s pretty friggin’ dreamy too! I guess maybe doing something with Mike Krol and/or Superchunk on Merge would be our NEXT dream come true if somebody can make that happen…?

How would you describe the current state of the Vancouver punk scene as you’ve experienced it? How does Night Court fit into it?

EMILOR: It’s a wonderful time in Vancouver for music! There are some really great bands and venues that are supporting this. Some standouts for me lately are Tall Mary and Rougaroux. Dead Bob is also the ultimate supergroup led by John Wright (No Means No) and is not to be missed. Catch them Dec. 13 at the Rickshaw!

Anything else you’d like us to know about you, the band or your upcoming release?

EMILOR: I REALLY like shrimp. I feel very lucky to be able to play with these two in this band and I am beyond excited for everyone to hear $HIT MACHINE and for us to tour everywhere so I can find more sunglasses!

Catch Night Court on tour on the dates/locations listed below! Get your vinyl copy of $HIT MACHINE at Recess Records.

December 4 – Arcata @ Outer Space

December 5 – Eugene @ John Henry’s w/ the Dumpies

December 6 – Seattle @ Woodland Theatre w/ Rat Paws

December 7 – Vancouver @ Green Auto w/ Natlak + Tremblers of Sevens

December 14 – Portland @ Fixin To w/ Berzerk + Gaytheist + Divers