The Taxpayers

The Taxpayers
OriginPortland, Oregon
GenresFolk punk, punk rock
Years active2007-present
MembersRob Taxpayer
Noah Taxpayer
Elise Taxpayer
Beni Taxpayer
Alex Taxpayer
Kevin Taxpayer
Andrew Taxpayer
Past membersNasrene Taxpayer
Patch Taxpayer
Nate Taxpayer

The Taxpayers are an American punk rock band formed in 2007 in Portland, Oregon. The band is known for their DIY punk ethic and commitment to inclusivity. They have been noted for experimenting with different styles like folk punk, hardcore, and bluegrass in addition to writing narrative-based concept albums.

Career

God, Forgive These Bastards (2012)

Their album God, Forgive These Bastards (2012) is a concept album that details the life of a fictional baseball player named Henry Turner. It was released alongside a novel of the same name written by Rob Taxpayer, the band's principal songwriter. The album has received critical acclaim. Since its release, the song "I Love You Like An Alcoholic" off the album received a large boost in streams due to its popularity on TikTok. The song currently has over 117 million streams on Spotify.

Recent activity

In 2018, a few of the members from The Taxpayers formed the band Trusty Snakes and released one country record called New American Frontier.

The Taxpayers headlined the 2024 edition of the volunteer-run folk-punk festival Hobofopo in Hobart, Australia alongside local bands like The Stragglers, Gusto Gusto, and Operation Ibis.

In 2025, they released their seventh studio album, Circle Breaker, on Ernest Jenning Record Co., after a long hiatus. It was recorded within the span of a week and touches upon themes of the angst of living through a national pandemic, nihilism, and weathering personal tragedies while practicing resilience.

A live version of their 2007 song "Medicines" serves as the opening and closing theme for the long-running comedic medical podcast, Sawbones.

Members

Current

  • Rob Taxpayer - vocals, guitar, piano, clarinet
  • Noah Taxpayer - percussion, backing vocals
  • Elise Taxpayer - cello
  • Beni Taxpayer - vocals, bass, tambourine
  • Alex Taxpayer - saxophone, accordion
  • Kevin Taxpayer - trumpet, piano
  • Andrew Taxpayer - lead guitar, banjo

Former

  • Nasrene Taxpayer - vocals, accordion, bass
  • Patch Taxpayer - bass
  • Nate Taxpayer - bass

When they perform live, the band fluctuates between three and eight members. Band members have chosen to adopt "Taxpayer" as a last name to keep themselves pseudonymous.

Discography

Studio albums

  • Exhilarating News (2007, Useless State Records)
  • A Rhythm in The Cages (2009, Useless State Records, Quote Unquote Records, Secret Pennies Records, Rib Fest Records)
  • To Risk So Much For One Damn Meal (2010, Plan-It-X Records, Quote Unquote Records, Useless State Records, Tiger Force Ultra Records, Rib Fest Records)
  • God Forgive These Bastards (2012, Asian Man Records, Really Records, Plan-It-X Records, Useless State Records, Microcosm Publishing)
  • Cold Hearted Town (2013, Plan-It-X Records, Useless State Records)
  • Big Delusion Factory (2016, Secret Pennies Records, Useless State Records)
  • Circle Breaker (2025, Ernest Jenning Record Co.)

Collections/EPs

  • Modest Proposals (2011, Useless State Records)
  • Modest Proposals 2 (2020, Useless State Records)

Compilations

  • Dangerous Intersections VI (2009, Traffic Street Records)
  • PDX Pop Now! (2009)
  • Asian Man Music For Asian Man People Vol. 1 (2013, Asian Man Records)

References

  1. ↑ Rosson, Keith (April 1, 2013). "Taxpayers" (PDF). Razorcake. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Keith, Cup of (November 26, 2023). "The Taxpayers Have Stuck With Me, and I didn't Realize it Until Now". Medium. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  3. ↑ Caraeff, Ezra Ace. "Anarchy in Margaritaville". Portland Mercury. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  4. ↑ Pigeon, Rock the (March 23, 2025). "The Taxpayers' New Album Circle Breaker Delivers a Folk-Punk Explosion, Featuring the Anthemic "Outline of Your Blood"". ROCK THE PIGEON. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Hodgman, Alec (January 31, 2020). "ROB TAXPAYER - Interview | A Fistful of Vinyl". A Fistful of Vinyl. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Hopkins, Dem (July 24, 2015). "The Taxpayers". Busted At OZ. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Mamoun, Tracy (June 21, 2012). "The Taxpayers' New Album Out On Saturday!". The Deli Mag. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  8. ↑ Crawford, Sean (January 16, 2017). "The Taxpayers - Big Delusion Factory". PunkNews. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  9. ↑ dcobenour (March 3, 2025). "The Taxpayers' Rob Taxpayer • Off Shelf". Off Shelf. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  10. ↑ Keith, Cup of (November 26, 2023). "The Taxpayers Have Stuck With Me, and I didn't Realize it Until Now". Medium. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  11. ↑ Morton, Rob (November 1, 2025). "God, Forgive These Bastards". Microcosm Publishing. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  12. ↑ The Taxpayers – I Love You Like an Alcoholic, retrieved February 10, 2026
  13. ↑ "TikTok - Make Your Day". www.tiktok.com. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  15. ↑ "New American Frontier, by The Trusty Snakes". Useless State. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Into Music: Rob Taxpayer". KMUW. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  17. ↑ "'The Taxpayers' To Headline Hobofopo 2024 - Tasmanian Times". July 7, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  18. ↑ Cipolle, Alex V. (March 27, 2025). "On new album, DIY punk band The Taxpayers seek solace during violent times". MPR News. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Album Review: The Taxpayers - Circle Breaker". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  20. ↑ Buzz, Valentino Petrarca (July 23, 2025). "Punk Rock Integrity – Side Stage Conversations with The Taxpayers". The Aquarian. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  21. ↑ "The Taxpayers - Medicines - Free Music Archive". freemusicarchive.org. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine". Maximum Fun. June 19, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  23. ↑ "The Taxpayers, Thursday, Jan. 22". Willamette Week. January 21, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2026.