Detroit-based rock band Protomartyr has carved out a dedicated cult following over the past ten years. The group — comprising guitarist Greg Ahee, bassist Scott Davidson, drummer Alex Leonard, and singer and lyricist Joe Casey — has released six albums and one EP, all of which have enjoyed widespread critical praise for their intense, melodic, ever-evolving post-punk style.

Casey in particular has received attention for his onstage presence (which reviewers have likened to “a badass middle-school English teacher” and “a frustrated family man back from his fifth failed job interview of the week”), vocal delivery (which can quickly bounce between screaming anger and restrained rumination), and the allusive, socially conscious nature of his lyrics. Matching the band’s socially conscious lyrics, Protomartyr played a Bernie Sanders rally in Detroit in 2020 — a “high point,” Casey says, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jacobin contributor Owen Schalk recently spoke to Joe Casey about US politics, his creative process, the state of the music industry, and more.