Scam Likely Has Cult-Like Following

Scam Likely. Photo courtesy of Scam Likely.

Denzel Dondiego and his bandmates were struggling to come up with a name for their newly formed band when inspiration struck in an unlikely way.

“We had been mulling over names for a few weeks and nothing was sticking,” Dondiego says.

But that’s when he got a phone call from an ID that most would groan at the sight of. A warning to not pick up flashed across his phone’s screen: “Scam Likely.”

“…and I freaked out for no reason,” says Dondiego.

Scam Likely is a Milwaukee-based indie-punk band featuring Dondiego on guitar, Cary Dean Elger on drums, Charlee Grider on vocals and guitar and Thierry Diatta on bass. The band describes itself as Gothic-punk rock, but the group’s sound is more akin to a cocktail whose recipe calls for the grit of ‘90s grunge acts and the sleaze and jangle of early 2000’s indie-rock revival bands like The Strokes. Garnish that drink with a touch of Riot Grrrl attitude, and you have Scam Likely.

The members of Scam Likely met through bittersweet circumstances. Grider, who was attending UW-Milwaukee, pulled out of classes to check into a mental health hospital. When she was ready to return to classes, her schedule was shifted to make time for outpatient therapy. In her new curriculum, she met Diatta – who stood out to Grider partly due to a film score that he composed. Dondiego was added to the band after Grider came across a video of him playing guitar on social media. Scam Likely would have a different drummer for its infantile stages, but Dean Elger would later fill in on drums for a tour. This was supposed to be a temporary measure, but the chemistry was there, and Elger became a permanent fixture.

“We were gelling musically and personally and having fun playing shows and partying,” Elger says.

Scam Likely would go on to generate an almost cult-like following – if the name Scam Likely is on a bill, there’s also a great chance that the words “sold out” will eventually become a descriptor of that show. This is in part due to Milwaukee’s post-pandemic DIY community – a young and healthy music scene that is still playing catch up after so many months without live music. But it’s also thanks to Scam Likely’s charm and attitude – the band has a knack for writing endearing yet sleazy indie-punk songs that thrive in both a dank basement setting and on stage in front of a sold-out crowd at The Back Room. As Grider tells Milwaukee Magazine, “You can dance along to it; you can mosh to it.” It’s gritty, honest and unhinged music, yet doesn’t sacrifice its pop sensibilities. Now, thanks to the release of the band’s debut album Getting Worse, the songs that the Milwaukee music scene has been dancing and moshing to live have finally been recorded.

Getting Worse wastes no time in bringing the listener up to speed on what to expect from Scam Likely – the opening track “Sushi at Gunpoint” kicks off with the ferocity of a hardcore band, before opening up and giving Grider room to introduce her vocals. Grider has a playful snarl to her singing, and her lyrics paint the picture of someone who simultaneously wants to be left alone and unjudged, but also yearns for the comfort of another human being.

“S.P.I.T.” slows things down and sees the band jamming out for nearly six minutes. Grider takes a spoken word, confessional approach to her vocals as she yells, “You convinced me/That I need help/But it’s you that needs/Fucking help.” It’s a fine example of why so many relate to Scam Likely – the band’s songs are catchy and confessional – it’s cathartic to get some shit off of your chest while sweating on the dance floor.

Up next is “Watch Your Step,” an anthemic breakup song that chooses to be bitter and spiteful instead of sad and mopey. After lamenting about a relationship gone sour, Grider sings “I don’t care how it looks/I like how it feels” – a sentiment that is likely to hit home with any heartbroken misfit. If there is one song out of the 10 tracks on Getting Worse that encapsulates the attitude and soundscape of Scam Likely, it would be this one.

The titular track “Get Worse” is an instrumental that starts off atmospheric and gloomy before slowly descending into a cavern of noise. It’s an interesting choice to make the album’s namesake song a departure from the vibe of the rest of the album, but is also proof that the band can thrive even without Grider’s strong vocal and lyrical presence.

“Jesus Christ, Stop Yelling I’m Right Here” kicks off with a catchy, chorus-soaked guitar riff. That poppiness carries throughout the rest of the song – establishing it as the most radio-friendly track on the album. There’s a moment where the opening guitar riff is reintroduced and the band picks up a clap-along pace. Suddenly, the instruments cut out, and, in a goose-bump-inducing moment, Grider belts out the song’s title. The band launches back in, spending the remaining minute-and-a-half of the song raucously jamming out. It’s one of the most memorable moments of the album, and one that will likely inspire listeners to make a point to see Scam Likely live.

Getting Worse ends on a somber note – closing track “Voodoo Doll” is a slow-burning ballad that gradually picks up speed towards an explosive conclusion. Here, Grider appears to turn her anger inwards. She sings, “I’m stuck/I’m sick/In memories/I’m losing sleep.” It’s a fitting end to an album about struggling with mental health, drug use and betrayal. We can superficially cope with our problems by going out and partying, but when we’re alone at the end of the night, the hefty weight of those issues returns. Numbing the pain helps – if only for a moment.

Scam Likely’s knack for selling out shows speaks for itself – its a young Milwaukee band to look out for. But what’s even more impressive is the fact that the band has managed to marry grimy, basement garage rock with poppy indie-rock and make it stick. As  the lyrics of “Watch Your Step” might suggest –“I don’t care how it looks/I like how it feels” — Scam Likely isn’t so concerned about the public opinion on the music it creates; the band just wants to feel good making the raw, confessional music that comes naturally to its members.

Luckily for Scam Likely, that music has struck a chord within the Milwaukee music scene.