The spirit of Social Distortion thrives in the form of Long Beach rowdy punks The Hardship Anchors. Cars, beaches, leather, denim and girls are the order of the day, as the band snarl their way through many a local set. They play local haunt Alex's Bar with John Poddy & the Secret Robots on Thursday, so we spoke to frontman Trevor Lucca about it all.

L.A. WEEKLY: When and how did the band form, and what was the mission?
TREVOR LUCCA: 2013 — Brett [Gillies, bass] and Joey [Luck, bass] were hanging out a lot and jamming, Brett and I were old friends, so we all linked up with a mission to keep true punk rock & roll alive, while playing with other cool bands, being able to see different cities and making friends along the way. Doing our own thing our own way while trying to contribute to something we care about.

Describe the sound. Who are the main influences?
Punk rock & roll. Raw yet melodic with an aim to appeal to not just your average punk rocker but anyone who enjoys all forms of rock & roll. Influenced by everything from hardcore punk rock to classic country.

What do you think of the current Long Beach punk/rock & roll scene?
Just like any scene, there is cool shit and wack shit. There are a good handful of killer bands we've had the pleasure of playing with/becoming friends with over the years. If you're keeping it real, and being as original as you can, that's all that matters.

What can we expect from you at Alex's Bar this time?
We just try to hit it harder than the last time, every time. We always  give it everything and hope it stokes out people who haven’t seen us before. If we make at least one person happy they saw us, then that’s all that matters.

What's next for you, after this gig and going into 2019?
 We'll be doing a 7-inch split with our good friends Death Lottery from Florida (check 'em out), and getting our full-length Turn You Off put on wax after a year of it only being available on online platforms. We’re all looking forward to more shows with cool bands at home and in different cities all over. We’re gonna run it till the wheels fall off.

The Hardship Anchors play with John Poddy & the Secret Robots and Shave at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 10, at Alex's Bar.

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