Enemy You

ByLets Go Punk
Enemy You formed in San Francisco in 1997

Enemy You was a punk rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1997. The music leaned into sharp, melodic songwriting and brisk tempos. The path ran from early split releases to full length albums, steady touring, and a final chapter that friends and fans still talk about with care.

How The Band Got Started

Before Enemy You, songwriter David Jones recorded with his pop punk band After School Special on Mutant Pop Records. That group never toured or played live shows, yet it gathered a small dedicated following. In 1997, Enemy You began rehearsing and writing together, drawing inspiration from Bad Religion and other melodic punk acts. Interest followed. Ben Weasel reached out from Panic Button Records. Connections through Fat Wreck Chords also helped, as bassist Chris Matulich worked there and kept the band on the radar.

Early Releases and Touring

The first appearance landed on the four way split Four On The Floor with Screeching Weasel, Teen Idols, and Moral Crux. The debut album Where No One Knows My Name arrived in 1999. Touring opportunities opened with Bouncing Souls, Lagwagon, Bad Religion, T.S.O.L., Mad Caddies, and NOFX. A Fat Club seven inch followed on Fat Wreck Chords. The band then released the 1980s themed EP Video To Radio on Geykido Comet Records. In 2017, that EP was re released by the label with proceeds going to suicide prevention.

Lineups and Labels

Guitarist Ken Yamazaki also played in Western Addiction while remaining in Enemy You. In 2005, the album Stories Never Told was released on Red Scare Industries, a move that came through friendship with label owner Toby Jeg. Red Scare later reissued Where No One Knows My Name. The band then signed to Nitro Records. The third album, Fade Away, was released on December 2, 2008 as an iTunes exclusive after being shelved for a period.

Later Activity and Remembrance

Vocalist David Jones died in March 2015. Friends, peers, and listeners remember the writing, the shows, and the way the songs still feel immediate.

Members

  • David Jones, lead vocals, guitar
  • Ken Yamazaki, guitar
  • Joe Yamazaki, drums
  • Chris Matulich, bass guitar

Discography, Albums

  • Where No One Knows My Name (1999), Panic Button and Lookout
  • Stories Never Told (2004), Red Scare
  • Fade Away (2008), Nitro Records, iTunes exclusive

EPs

  • Fat Club, seven inch, Fat Wreck Chords, 2001
  • Video To Radio, seven inch, Geykido Comet Records, 2002

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