I.D.K. is a punk/hardcore band from Bergen County, New Jersey, formed in 1991. The group has released multiple EPs and full-length records on labels including Bush League Records, Earache Records, and The Music Cartel. After several lineup changes and over three decades of activity, the band continues to record and perform with its current lineup: Anthony “Red” Paladino (vocals), Tom Conti (bass), Fabio Amato (drums), Mike Nappi (guitar), and founding guitarist Adrian Spoleti (guitar). Recent releases include “What We Do,” “Adjustment: Live at CBGBs,” “Symptom of the Universe,” and “Nark 5,” all issued in 2025.
With “Nark 5” out now, we took some time to hear from I.D.K. Read below to learn more about I.D.K., the story behind “Nark 5,” and what’s to come.
Hi! Let’s start with how did the band’s name come about?
Back when the band started, we’d play and write punk rock songs, thrash metal songs, hardcore, and new wave/alternative-type songs. We didn’t know what we should call the band. We didn’t necessarily have our own style — we just wrote songs that sounded like the bands and music that we listened to, which was a lot of different kinds of stuff.
My cousin jokingly mentioned that we should call ourselves I.D.K., which was an abbreviation for “I Don’t Know.” I thought it was brilliant. If you were asked what I.D.K. stood for, the answer was “I don’t know,” which would then be followed by, “You don’t know? It’s the name of your band and you don’t know?” It had a funny edge to it.
I also loved three-letter bands like D.R.I. and S.O.D., so to me it was cool as h*ll — and the guys thought so too — and that was it.
One thing to add: back in 1990, text messaging didn’t exist because this was pre–cell phone age. So, “IDK” and what it stood for was a very original idea at that time.
What city are you all from, and where are you all based now?
We’re all from and based in New Jersey. Fabio and Adrian are from and currently based in Cliffside Park. Mike and I are from Fairview, and Tom is from Little Falls.
How and when did the band form?
I.D.K. was officially formed in 1991, but the seeds were planted back in 1989–1990. Adrian and I were both in high school together and were friends. (Fairview didn’t have its own high school, so after graduating middle school, Fairview kids were sent to Cliffside Park High School for the remainder of their public-school years.)
At the time, Adrian played in a band called Animosity, which I followed and hung out with. I eventually wound up joining the band as the singer. That lineup lasted maybe a year or so before we broke up.
After that, Adrian and I decided to continue making music together. That’s when I.D.K. was born. Our drummer and bass player from Animosity joined us and completed the first incarnation of I.D.K.
How would you all describe your band’s sound?
Punk rock at its core, with a strong hardcore backbone and touches of metal.
Who are some of your band’s main musical influences?
I’ll just throw some bands out there that we all commonly like: The Ramones, Quicksand, Sick of It All, The Clash, The Police, The Beastie Boys, Iron Maiden, Leeway, Cro-Mags, Fugazi, Metallica, D.R.I., Slayer, Agnostic Front, Joy Division, Descendents, Foo Fighters, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Anthrax, Mucky Pup, Rush, Dog Eat Dog, The Cure, Van Halen — and there are many more.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your group’s music career so far?
There are probably a few, but the first one that comes to mind is when we released our 7″ DIY vinyl back in 1994. That felt great. To me, that’s when we came full circle—from just being a live band with demo cassette tapes to putting out our own record.
What would you all say are the greatest lessons that you’ve all learned so far?
Make sure that you’re having fun with the whole playing-in-a-band thing. It starts with the people—being on the same page and genuinely getting along.
Now onto “Nark 5.” What inspired this song?
The current state of the world, really. It started out being about the political climate at the time. The working title was originally “The Next Bad Thing.” There are groups of people around the world experiencing social, civic, and political oppression. Meanwhile, powerful forces seem intent on reversing progress and weakening our shared sense of humanity. In recent years, I’ve noticed more of that here in the U.S.—at least that’s how it feels to me as I navigate my own life.
What is “Nark 5” about?
Lyrically, I pulled a lot of inspiration from the recent Star Wars series Andor. I was really into it at the time, and it sparked ideas for how I wanted to shape the story of the song. The lyrics draw from the show’s themes—especially Cassian’s imprisonment on Narkina 5 and his refusal to give up—but it also gave me an outlet to express how I feel about the current state of the world.
While the narrative ties into Andor and the struggle against the corruption and brutality of the Empire, that sense of tension, resistance, and navigating dark times feels very relatable to what we’re all living through right now—if that makes sense.
At its core, though, the song is really about pushing through negativity and keeping your head up. Like Cassian, who was never going to give up on getting out of Narkina 5, it’s about holding onto that determination even when things feel stacked against you.
What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for “Nark 5?”
Since the beginning of the band, all of our releases have featured these superhero commando-style characters on the artwork, so the cover had to include them. The inspiration came directly from the storyline of the song—it’s about being captured by the bad guys, plain and simple. So, that became the concept for the cover: our main I.D.K. commandos have been captured.
I also want to give a big shout-out to our artist, Lucas Singer. He created the cover art for “Nark 5” and has done a lot of great work for us over the years. He definitely deserves the credit.
What was the creative process like when making “Nark 5?”
“Nark 5” came out of a period when the band wasn’t active. Life just happened — families, careers, responsibilities — and things naturally slowed down for a while.
Then one day, Fabio, our drummer, reached out to me with a demo he and our guitar player Mike had put together. It was just this raw track they’d written and recorded, and he asked if I thought I could work some vocals into it. The moment I heard it, vocal patterns started popping into my head right away. It came together surprisingly fast.
Originally, it was a tight two-minute punk rock blast, but as we kept working on it, we added more of those I.D.K. elements — a stompy, hardcore style intro to set the tone, and then a breakdown at the end to give it more weight and drama.
How long did it take to complete “Nark 5?”
It was written over a two-year period, but because of life, there were long stretches where we had to put it down. If you’re just counting the actual time spent working on it, it was probably only a few weeks—if that makes sense.
What do you all hope fans take away from “Nark 5” and your band’s music in general?
More than anything, I hope people find our music fun to listen to—whether they connect with the sound and energy or the lyrics and overall vibe.
What’s next for you all? Are you all working on any upcoming projects, or do you all have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
We’re currently writing new material for an EP that we’re hoping to release later this year. We also have an upcoming show in Morris Plains, New Jersey, on March 7th at Autodidact Brewery. Joining us that night are T. Gunn & The Semantics, Neckscars, Bad Boys, The Adventuring Party, Jefferson and The Inversions, and Joe Galuppo.
It’s a fundraiser for some friends who are going through a tough time in their battle with leukemia. For anyone who’d like to come out and support, there are still some tickets available at the show link below.
I.D.K. Morris Plains Tickets, Autodidact Beer Mar 07, 2026 | Bandsintown
Where can we follow you all on social media?
Follow us at the links below, and be sure to jump on our mailing list to get updates sent directly to your inbox. You can sign up right on the homepage of our website.
Official I.D.K. Website – https://idkpunk.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IDKNJ
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/idk_nj_punk
Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/idkpunk.bsky.social
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@IDKnj
Are there any shoutouts that you all would like to give before we conclude the interview?
Absolutely. First, we want to shout out our friend—and sometimes sixth member—Scott Dorey, who’ll be helping with guitar duties at our March 7th gig.
Also, Nedd Jacobs and Stone Fisted Productions, who directed our upcoming “Nark 5” music video. He’s doing a great job, and we can’t wait to release it.
We also want to give a shout-out to Scott Earth of Scorpion Records for helping with our releases and promotion.
Last but certainly not least, our families—for putting up with the noise and the scheduling. I.D.K. simply wouldn’t happen without their support.
Thank you all for the great interview; wish you all much continued success!
