THE DRUGSTERS - Boomers With Attitude ! (France - Hard-Core/Punk-Rock - Interview with Milooz & Francis).

Hey — Can you introduce yourselves and tell us how it all started for you? How did you get into this scene, what drew you in, what fascinated you, and what made you want to play music?
Milooz : Hey! So we’re called The Drugsters. The band is me on bass and backing vocals, Thomas on guitar and lead vocals, Francis on guitar and second lead vocals and Seb on drums. He replaced Julien, who actually started the band with us and recorded the first album (out on Dispear Records & L’Oreille Pleure Records).As for why this style — I think we’ve all been into punk rock and so-called “alternative” music since we were teenagers. Personally, I used to play air guitar in my bedroom in front of an imaginary crowd… so 20 years later, we’re basically doing the same thing — just for real now (That's an improvment ! Yeah ! Ed.)
Francis : Like a lot of people, we discovered punk rock as teenagers. There’s always something fascinating about watching guys who look like they’re doing whatever the hell they want. They grab a mic and use it to say all the stuff we always wished we could say — serious or not. It’s the ultimate outlet.

Tell me about the band… How did you meet? What’s the current line-up? Past experiences? And most importantly — WHY did you feel the need to start THIS band?
Milooz : I met Thomas at a friend’s place. He wanted to start a punk rock band — I did too. Back then I was playing in a stoner band and in a Ramones tribute band, but I didn’t have a proper original punk rock band. Thomas still had his band Unlogistic, but it wasn’t super active, and he had time and motivation.
Francis is a friend of a friend — we’ve known each other for a long time. After his old band Rodeo Idiot Engine stopped, he’d kind of stepped away from guitar, but he really wanted to start a new punk project. Julien quickly joined us on drums, but between playing in a million bands, family life, and an overloaded schedule, he eventually ran out of steam.
Seb is a French punk rock veteran. He’s known Thomas forever — from back when he was playing drums in Seven Hate — and he’d also been wanting to get back into a punk band for a while.
And yeah… we also kinda felt like spreading the word as the boomers we are — sharing our experience and our view of the scene and the world in general. That’s why we sometimes call it “boomer’s punk rock.”
Francis: Three of us have been crossing paths for about 20 years through our old bands. Thomas joined later, and he and Milooz really pushed the idea forward. The original goal was simple: we wanted to play shows. We all missed it. And somehow, the stars aligned.

Describe your sound — and tell me why I absolutely HAVE to listen to YOUR band.
Milooz : Because we totally deserve it!!! (What Else ? hey ! Ed.) And also because we play music that’s not original at all and we basically stole everything from bands you already love… so there’s no way you won’t love us too. (Quite simple actually ! Ed.)
Francis: Since we wanted to start playing live quickly, we went for something efficient — very ‘90s in spirit, which fits our tastes anyway, but without ignoring more ‘77 or hardcore influences. And why our band instead of another one? Don’t let anyone force you to choose — listen to both. There’s always time to spin more records.
Milooz : Yeah, death to diktats! Hahaha.

Lyrical and musical influences? How important are the lyrics to you? Are there specific messages you’re trying to share?
Milooz : For me it’s mainly the Ramones, Screeching Weasel, all the Ramonescore stuff in general — and also the ‘80s hardcore punk scene: Spermbirds, Minor Threat, Government Issue, Dag Nasty, etc.
Lyrically, we use humor as our main weapon. We deal with all kinds of topics — addictions, cowardice, playing the victim, getting older in the scene, stuff like that — but always with some irony. At first glance, the band might not seem super “engaged,” but if you read between the lines there’s definitely some criticism in there, either through humor or absurdity.
Francis: We’re not trying to be a political band, but we still want impactful, efficient lyrics — even if they’re about stupid stuff. We’re really into finding that catchy gimmick you can shout along to.

Your first album?
Milooz : We recorded the drums with Julien at Romain’s place, from Minns Du, in Capbreton. Guitars and vocals were recorded by Thomas in the Basque Country. The mastering was done by Cris from The Homeboys at Défibrillator Studio in Paris. The artwork was done by our friend Julien “Stylobic” Lassalle — he’s insanely talented and very active in the punk scene between the Basque Country and the south of Landes.
The album’s coming out on tape through Dispear Records and L’Ouie Pleure Records — two labels whose aesthetics we really dig. Release date is February 25th. The tapes will be available through their websites and physical distros. We’re also doing CDs by ourselves. The tracks will be up on our Bandcamp and on streaming platforms that don’t cause ethical issues.

What’s next?
Milooz : Record a second album with Seb on drums — so that means writing more songs — and play as much as possible.
Francis: For 2026 it’s pretty simple: gigs and songwriting non-stop.

Wildest dream with the band?
Milooz : Being able to measure how much money I make every time I hit a guitar pick… like in football or something… hahaha... More seriously, playing with Seb on drums — when I used to be a Seven Hate fan as a teenager — is already crazy to me. Honestly, everything we’re doing with this band already feels amazing, so I don’t even know what more I could wish for.
Francis : Playing with the bands we’ve loved since we were kids. Getting even the smallest compliment from one of your teenage idols — that’s something I wish everyone could experience.

Best and worst show so far?
Milooz : Best show... the first one with Seb on drums, in a tiny packed bar in Bayonne called Le Soinua, with Minns Du and Kill Kill Diana. All our friends were there. People from the crowd kept grabbing my mic to scream the backing vocals. The place was on fire — there are still footprints on the ceiling.
Worst show? I don’t know. I love every show, even when we suck.

Next shows?
Milooz : April 10th at Le Wharf in Vieux Boucau with The Babes (UK street punk), May 7th at Black Flag in Seignosse with Flying Donuts and Daria, May 8th in Nantes with Maria Tarey, May 9th near La Rochelle at Shapers Club with Enloc, Shutdwn & Left Bank — and a bunch more cool gigs coming up.

A few words about your local scene?
Milooz : There are so many bands that if I name some, the others will hate me! But yeah — Vegan Piranha, Kuma No Motor, Minns Du, Kill Kill Diana, Cold Stress, Roder, Ditched… There are tons of cool bands around here in all kinds of styles. There’s a real buzz in the southwest scene right now — it’s inspiring.
Francis : We’re super lucky to have so many venues around us that support this kind of music, and you can feel it in the local scene. More and more bands, and the level keeps getting higher. Around here you’ve got Kuma No Motor, Kill Kill Diana, Minns Du, Vegan Piranha, Dead Krazukies — they all rule.

Last words?
Milooz : Uh… I dunno… “Fuck fascists” sounds good, right? And yeah — it’s pretty relevant these days. (Fuck yeah, Fuck those retards ! They suck BIG TIME ! Ed.)