Interview and photos by Keith DeBottis.

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Ever see that Always Sunny episode where Frank takes people on tours around the Schuykill with some random boat?

Nah, but oh my god I saw a body get pulled out of the river one time. It was like two years ago, we were skating on Second and Race and a bunch of cop cars were driving towards the river on Front Street and I go down and they’re pulling out a dead body with a crane.

Wow, that had to put a damper on the session…

Oh it definitely did! I was like “Oh shit.” We kept skating though.

I was talking to Itchy when I got here, they were saying you all were gonna start playing shows again!

Yeah with Eat, we’re about to start playing again. We’ve been able to practice again so yeah.

Are you still with that one tape label?

Oh they just released that one album for us. But actually I think Jared is starting a little tape label. We have this one Eat album we recorded in the basement of the Dome, which is this house venue our friends used to do. We recorded an album there with Jared and we’ve been sitting on it over a year now. We recorded it a day before the lockdown. So we’re about to release that soon I hope.

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That’s exciting! You gotta make another music video once that happens!

Yeah that’d be fun! We were gonna film this music video for the song “Bug’s Life.” We bought a cockroach suit and Kade was gonna dress up and be a cockroach and we were gonna chase him around the city. He was gonna be working at a restaurant serving people food in the cockroach outfit and we were gonna pull up to the restaurant and he just runs away. Eventually by the end of the video we find him and stomp him.

That sounds wild! You should definitely do that.

Oh yeah, I think Carson was gonna film it but it just never happened.

The one video Carson filmed for Walt Funk!

That was fun! We went to our friend Raffy’s and he lived in an abandoned church, it was one of those churches that had classrooms and shit. There was kind of a kitchen, he lived in the one big room with like carpet.

How eerie!

Yeah! But upstairs looked like an abandoned laboratory so we kind of just filmed the video in and out of those rooms. It was pretty fun! But yeah, now he lives in New York.

That’s cool.

I haven’t seen him. I was gonna link with him when I was there last but I was just skating. It was one of those trips where you get out at like 10 and don’t get back until later that night. It’s New York too, there’s always people doing something. Philly’s like chill, you go home, hang out for a bit and then you can go back out, but in New York you’re just out!

Oh I think those are my friends over there! That’s Ale and all of them pulling up. Ale played at a rave in a what’s it called yesterday, something gardens, what’s it called… Over there somewhere.

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I’m not sure, when’s Lauren pulling up? I think she’s playing tonight!

Oh really? DJ lsrdsc! I’ve been hanging at my friend Sim’s house and Ale was spinning but that’s when she was learning. I think she’s a fucking master now!

Seems fun!

Yeah DJing seems so fun!

All you need is a guitar?

Yeah haha, I’m more like I’ll pick up a guitar or I’ll pick up a microphone. I don’t know I just started to learn how to record myself on an interface. It’s really easy but most of the time I end up turning on the phone recording and have a drum machine playing out of one amp and play the bongos or keyboard or guitar. Then try to sing over it, but it never sounds good. I just like singing and playing guitar, it’s really fun! Playing in a band is very different, like playing live as a front person.

It was always so energetic when you all were up! Cousin Danny’s show has to be my favorite so far!

Yeah that was one of my favorites. IT’S SO FUN PLAYING LIVE! Like you’re just singing in peoples’ faces, dancing around, goin all crazy just tryna keep people entertained pretty much.

I’ve never really done anything live like that, I’d be so nervous!

Yeah, I always get really nervous before and sometimes I’ve been kinda buggin just like “Oh shit, I really gotta do this, get up there and sing.” But once you get up there you kinda just turn on and you’re able to do it. Once the music stats you just dance around!

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Imma put that set on my YouTube.

Yeah! I remember watching som of it a few months after and I was like “You should put this out” and you said “I wanna let it age a little bit” and I was like “okay!” but now it’s aged it feels good, put it out!

How about your YouTube? You got one?

Oh yeah my YouTube, I have a little YouTube channel. I’ll put up funny videos. I did a double stuffed Oreo review with my friends and then I also did a pepper spray review with Kade but it’s private. It’s unlisted now cause you know, it’s a little embarrassing but it’s funny. It’s a good video. If you want the link to watch it I’ll send it to you. But right now I have music from albums and EPs I’ve recorded. Just random songs I feel like putting up, or if I ever record a new song, or if I’m just singing and playing guitar I just kinda put an iPhone demo up. Cause…Well it’s fun to put it out there. Yah know, it feels good, it feels like yah did something.

Yeah, it’s cool to look back on, also a great way to organize.

I just started shooting more photos with that point and shoot I got off you! It’s addicting!

Isn’t it!? I’m glad! How about the clothes you’ve been making, anything new?

I wanna learn how to make the clothes from scratch and then print on it! Instead of buying thrifted pants and printing on those. Me personally, I wanna be involved in the whole process of it.

Yeah, that’s cool to know all approaches to a piece of clothing.

Cause then I feel like it’s more yours yah know. I want to do more than just buy the thrifted pant or shirt or whatever.

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That’s definitely the start though. Going through a bunch of clothes at a thrift store gives you an idea of what you like.

Yeah. I’m looking for a certain fir of pants when I go look for pants or certain texture or material or whatever so if I could just make it, that would be amazing! My friend Jessica has a bunch of cut outs. She made this beeeeaauutiful trench coat and she was wearing a shirt the other day that she made. It’s really impressive, makes you wanna make some shit like that. I started with like cutting and uh…Did I bring my grinder? Damn, hopefully someone has a grinder cause I’m trying to roll up! But I started with sewing and cutting fabrics and just sewing a lot of stuff onto pants. I would just cut up clothing and sew it onto other shit, but then I saw the stuff you were doing and I was like “oh printing on it is really cool” and you’re doin that spray paint shit with the stencils from photos you make. I was like “that’s a cool idea. But I wanna do my own thing with it.” But I was definitely inspired by the ink on the clothes. I remember I had this cut out from this book of poetry that I made so I started printing onto the pants like that. I made three pairs of pants that I was really proud of! I shot my friends wearing them, like Kade sitting on the toilet. My roommate John cooked some eggs while he was wearing the pants. Had Lauren driving her car. Just having people do natural stuff while wearing the pants.

In my opinion that’s the best shit, those natural activities when it comes to capturing clothes. That studio stuff is rad but it makes those clothes seem too fragile or something.

Yeah I know, that stuff is beautiful. People need to see that more. People are so normal yah know! You gotta capture that shit!

Something normal to us could be totally different to another. It’s cool seeing what people make and how they put it out there. In my opinion media naturally adjusts our eyes to what we like to see, unknowingly or knowingly. You pick up on a lot looking at photos everyday.

Yeah! Social media is great, I actually met a lot of queer skaters and trans skaters through social media, and like just seeing other trans people is comforting and makes yah feel good.

An accepting community is the backbone to anyone’s confidence.

Yeah once you have a community you’re so much more comfortable with yourself! It’s scary at times.

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You’re fairly early into your transition, how do you feel?

It’s May now, I’m six months on HRT so I just had my little sixth month HRT anniversary! It was amazing! I feel amazing! I’ve wanted to be here for so long and I’m finally here. When I look to the future I know I’ll be this far along HRT. I’ll be this far along my transition. It’s a beautiful feeling! It’s an amazing feeling to be in a place you were wishing to be in the future. Finally being there and being happy, it’s only gonna get better!

What a huge milestone for you, what an accomplishment!

Yeah, I feel really good! I’m proud of myself, and like, I look back at myself six months ago and I’m proud of her yah know! She got me to where I am today. Me!

How about physically, like while you’re skating. Do you feel differences?

Yes, I get really sore now. I have to pace myself when I skate. I try to stay on top of it but it gets scary if I’m about to skate a big set, like “can I physically still do this?” Maybe I’m just getting older, I don’t know.

We’re definitely getting older…

Yeah! I feel better than I used to because now I stretch everyday. I used to not stretch. I also drink way less. I used to drink like every night since I graduated high school but now it’s only like once, maybe twice a week!

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That’s awesome! Nothing but positivity from here on out! You look super healthy!

Thank you! Yeah I feel great, I used to feel like shit all the time. I used to wake up at 12, 1, 2pm. Now I wake up at 7, 8, or 9am yah know. I like getting my day started early now. You get the whole day!

It’s refreshing for sure, whenever I sleep in I feel fucking crazy, like I just got hit by a truck.

Yeah for real. I’m about to grind this up with my hands…But yeah I feel way better physically and mentally than I did in the past because I’ve wanted to be here for so long. Where you actually see the changes happening and become more comfortable with yourself.

And being tunnel driven to get to these goals!

Yeah, like what is best for me? What will make me happy? What is in my best interest? What can I do to help myself out and make myself happiest?

Beautiful! So what’s next? Where do you see yourself in the next two years or whatever?

Well I have to take this one drawing class so I can get into school so I can go for fibers, but I’m pretty busy with other stuff. I don’t know, I’ve been skating a lot and there’s some like, modeling gigs that I, I don’t know if I could just do that.

For sure, well I think just where you are right now is a huge accomplishment. You should be really proud of yourself! You being yourself and doing what you love will only place you where you gotta be!

Thank you Keith, I never thought I’d be able to skate as much as I do. It’s really fun! I fell in love with skating again. I was on and off the past few years but since the fall I’ve been skating like everyday!

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What motivates you to go out and skate, maybe get a clip or whatever?

Ummmm, OCD…I feel like, remember the other day we were skating. I wasn’t doing the trick and then I was like “ah fuck it” and then you were like “yeah well” but then I kept trying it even though I said I was gonna stop. Like I can’t stop until I do it, you know? It bugs me, I need to follow through. Like today, remember when I got the line and I was like, “I’m done!” Like I was so happy!

That was fuckin rad! Half cab crook 180 then you switched heeled into us standing there, looked up and yelled “I’m done! I can smoke weed the rest of the day.”

Yeah that’s how I felt! Like I said I get tired, I’ve been skating for the whole month. I was so ready to chill and skate flat!

Getting back to normal will be fun, it’s gonna be the roaring ’20s all over again. Shit’s gonna explode in a way!

Yeah it already feels like things are going crazy! I never thought that me and you, I never thought we’d be doing what we’re doing right now. Look at us two years ago!

I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you Efron!!

Thank you! I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you. I feel like we’re all just having a good time, tryna do what we’re interested in, what we love! Imma smoke this spliff now!

Really getting into what you love!

Yeah haha, weed. I love weed!