Why you won’t find the band Snooper without its posse of punk paper mâché characters

Listening to Snooper, the American rock band that started up in 2020 and has since rocketed to indie rock stardom, you get the impression that the band is made up of pranksters. The genre is “egg-punk”, which feels like a joke in of itself – characterised in the 2010s it’s defined by a satirical tone, wry lyrics, cheapo sound and use of internet memes. But the unabashed fun of Snooper is what has garnered them such a dedicated fanbase. “Growing up, my mum and I would frequently prank each other – it has become a bit of a love language of mine,” says Blair Tramel, the frontwoman of Snooper and creator of the band’s signature paper mache characters. During the pandemic, Blair made the best of isolation by staying creative, creating music, and basically just killing time by making each other laugh – of course, the band’s sound and aesthetic followed from these humble, fun-loving lockdown activities. The band also just happens to have a bunch of bonkers music videos, too.

Coming from an animator background, Blair could create warped worlds where tricks would play on viewer’s eyes, but once she found herself at the front of a punk band and facing a crowd, nervousness kicked in. “ I had never performed live or even played music at all before Snooper so I didn’t necessarily feel confident as a performer,” shares Blair. “I did, however, feel confident in my ability to create surreal situations so I felt that if venues would allow me to bring in the puppets, I would feel more confident overall as a performer.”

Inspired by Bread and Puppet Theater, a politically radical puppet theater based in Glover, Vermont, it seems so obvious why tongue-in-cheek punk could go hand in hand with puppetry. Outside of puppetry, Blair’s influences reach into other bands that have sorts of alter egos and mascots, like Gorillaz’ creation of absurdist worlds with cartoon avatars.

“My intention with Snooper is to continue creating characters and introducing new puppets and props when it feels appropriate to do so. Snooper has given me the world building opportunity of a lifetime!” says Blair. “I remember the first time we brought out the big green Bug puppet and people were so surprised, confused and excited. Those reactions from people are what I live for!”

The puppets themselves are filled with DIY, childhood charm. Some characters resemble strange insects, others have Earth for a head. The puppets often make their way into the crowd, dancing as if they were anyone else – and they’re accepted as so. Intertwined so intimately with the Snooper’s scuzzy rock tunes, they’re the best type of harmless prank. “I think people in general take things way too seriously and my aesthetic is a jab at that,” says Blair. “My art is simple, I make it with my friends, and that’s what it’s all about! I think that’s what egg punk is all about too. It’s frenetic, imperfect, energetic – it’s cathartic.”