Shame Penguin Frontman Talks Fatherhood, Cannabis, and Riding ‘the Wave’

Five years ago, not long after New Haven-based musician dad Dustin Sclafani started the band Shame Penguin, social unrest and the pandemic sabotaged spring. As 2020 lockdowns took hold, the band, like so many of its peers, couldn’t find a space to share its creations with the world.

Yet there was a silver lining to these dark times. The band had just recorded and released its first single, the activist rallying cry, “Live in Technicolor.” Little did they know then how much that song would truly meet the moment — then and now.

Today, Shame Penguin’s songs are still a rallying cry as much as they ever were — thanks to Sclafani’s deep, bellowing growls and poignant lyrics, coupled with the psych-punk grooves courtesy of lead guitarist Matt Brown, drummer Kenny Maraczi, and bassist Jon Ozaksut.

Their debut full-length album, Ride The Wave, released in March, captures the dramatic urgency of their live performances — truly proving that good things come to those who wait. The album is both a compilation of old favorites — like “Live in Technicolor” and “Sam Jackson” — and new songs that explore fresh musical territory.

We caught up with Sclafani, a dad of three, to talk about riding the wave and everything else — including the hilarious story behind how the band got its name.

Rockmommy: Congratulations on the album! It’s a long time in the making! The first time I heard you guys, at the beginning of Covid, you had just released “Live in Technicolor!” What does this full-length album mean to you? 

Dustin Sclafani: A full length album has been my musical goal from the moment I bought my first cassette tape, a fully finished thought, a snapshot of a beautiful moment when the song aligns and you have this new life.  

Rockmommy: How did you select the songs? I see some oldies and a couple of new ones. 

Dustin Sclafani: We wanted an honest look at where we started but we also wanted representation of who we are as a band with an eye on where our sound is evolving too. To be honest there are songs on this record that you will never hear the exact way if you ever hear them again. The takes were too pretty, the pain was too real we had to put it out into the world. So we have some older songs and some new songs because we wanted to capture songs with Matt Brown on guitar.

Rockmommy: I’ve never asked you this before, but what does the name ‘Shame Penguin’ come from? Is there something about penguins that inspired you? 

Dustin Sclafani: Ah the question I tried to avoid until my kids were old enough lol, I have always been honest about my mental health journey so here we go….. I smoke cannabis [and] I lived in a place where I didn’t want my kids to know what the smell of cannabis was, so before the amazingness of vape pens my partner has this stuffed penguin that we would blow the cannabis smoke into tamper the smell, that penguin became our shame penguin, and the night the guitarist at the time and i used said penguin we just kind of realized it’s a band name. and yes I still have the og Shame!

Rockmommy: When we connected a few years back, you had three pretty young children, and now you’re a teen dad! How have you been managing the balance between that and your musical and other aspirations? 

Dustin Sclafani: I have an incredible support system that I couldn’t do anything without them. Now that they are teens I can be honest about the name story lol

Rockmommy: Your music deals with a lot of social justice challenges — bias, sexism, homophobia, etc. What are the most important issues of the day? How does your political activism play into your songwriting? 

Dustin Sclafani: It’s stories that need to be told and those are the stories I want to tell. Bob Dylan once said “if you’re going to be an outlaw, you better be honest,” that is where half my creative brain lies and the other sits with Tom Waits “I want beautiful melodies toi tell me terrible things”. I grew up on message music. I am as influenced by Chuck D as I am by James Baldwin, tell the truth your truth even if it’s dirty heck especially if its dirty. As per political activism tbh i am more of a social activist as i believe the entire political system is so far broken we need to rip it down and start over.

Rockmommy: How do you hope your art fuels change or inspires others? 

Dustin Sclafani: Honestly we just want to resound in people’s hearts hoping they know that they are not alone and that the intrusive thoughts don’t have to win. If one song makes one person feel like staying on this planet another day then I am good, I added my piece to the big song in the sky. 

Rockmommy: Over the last few years, you’ve made a name for yourself as a podcast host for New Haven Independent (Behind the Brand with Preston & EZBluez). How did that evolve? 

Dustin Sclafani: I truly appreciate that, it started because of a friendship Preston is no joke my best friend in the world and part of that support system that I talked about earlier. So when he hits you up with an opportunity you must say yes and you must have as much fun as possible telling the stories you don’t get too hear all the time, like the shop owner or the touring ska saxophonist. 

Rockmommy: If you were going to offer a college or high school course on the music business, what would it be called? 

Dustin Sclafani: That’s the goal if i am real I want to put together a college course that goes over the booking of shows from the ground up. Get the school to work with local venues and local press for promotion the benefits of boots to ground promotion over purely digital/social media and visa versa.

Rockmommy: Who do you hope to collaborate with in the future, near or far? 

Dustin Sclafani: That’s interesting because we are actually opening our practice space to any musician that wants to jam with us any style any instrument come on thru and ride the wave with us. Just hit us up on Instagram @shame.penguin

Rockmommy: Anything else you’d like to share? 

Dustin Sclafani: Please register to vote and vote in every election you can from local to national your life truly depends on it, also if you need free dad hugs I got you just come to a Shame Penguin show and ask, and remember I am proud of you. Thank you so much for this opportunity.