William: Please give your name and the name of your band?
Murtaza: Murtaza and the name of our band is Until Your Heart Stops.
W: What’s your role in the band?
M: I sing.
W: Can you give us the name’s of the people in your band and what they do?
M: Mike plays guitar, Tony plays bass, and Matt plays drums.
W: How did the band come to be?
M: Well I always wanted to sing for a punk band. Mike, Tony, and I were involved in another band. We then added Matt after recording some demos and the rest just fell into place.
W: So what’s your home town and hows the scene there?
M: We are from a town called Concord. It's located in the East bay of Northern California. I guess the closest major city is Berkeley. Our scene is one of the best. Its not a coincidence that some of the most well known bands today are from Northern California. Its a tight scene, everyone knows each other in some form or another and we have the best venue on earth in Gilman St.
W: What are your thought on the California hardcore scene right now?
M: California as a whole, is pretty awesome. Just look at all the awesome fests that we have each year. Also the diversity of the different cities to play in. Lots of kids come out to shows especially in the Los Angeles area and a lot of new younger kids are coming out to shows. Hardcore is definitely growing and I think it has benefited California as a whole because when more kids get involved it means more venues in cities, which means more shows.
W: You just had a two week tour how did that go?
M: It was a lot of fun. It was UYHS first tour and overall it was really successful. We met a lot of awesome people as well as old friends. Are friends in New Mexico are the best. They always treat us so well when we are out there. Dead Hours and Excruciation are amazing.
W: Any plans for upcoming touring?
M: We are doing some short weekend trips but I think our next big tour will be in the summer. We still need to finalize what dates everyone can do and what not. We will announce it in the next couple months.
W: You are having your “We Are Not Coming Down” 7 inch released by Heart In Hand records, hows your relationship with them?
M: Will is an awesome guy. He has been so helpful and is really on top of getting things done. We are stoked to have Heart In Hand release our record. I hope to see his label grow and hopefully we can help that happen.
W: What’s your favorite song on your 7” and why?
M: Honestly, my favorite song is "Digging Holes". We definitely were thinking outside the box when we recorded that. Its hard to hear in the mix but at the end of the song there is a plethora of percussion going on which gives the song a really groovy feel at the end. If you listen to the song its just not your typical hardcore song and that is what this band is trying to do. You might hear this from a lot of bands but we are not just trying to make music that has a formula to it. We just want to people to know that punk doesn't come in just certain styles.
W: What are your plans for the near future?
M: As of right now, we are waiting for our EP to come out. Then we are planning to tour on it for awhile. We have a couple of new songs written and we are actually going to demo them soon. We also have a surprise we are working on with our friends in Hear the Sirens. That band rules and hopefully our plans become reality.
W: And are you planning any other releases?
M: Yeah there will be future releases. Again, we are taking it slow. There is no need to rush things at this point especially with this record coming out. I think our plan is to release another 7" maybe in the summer. We are not sure, get back to us.
W: What would you say are your biggest hardcore/non-hardcore influences?
M: Personally my biggest influence in writing lyrics is just from my own experiences that I have gone through in my life. If you are familiar with our band then you are probably familiar with my lyrics I suppose. I was thinking about it, there are a lot of bands that preach messages or telling people how they should live there lives. Or they sing about how fucked up our country is right now. While I think all of those are excellent messages and I feel like I do not have authority to tell people how to conduct there lives. Instead I know how it is growing up and there are a lot of personal problems people are individually going through. If I can provide an outlet for those kids to feel better even if its for the 15 minutes we play, then I feel like that means much more than any message. Sorry I went into a tangent.
W: What other bands have you or your band mates been involved in before or currently?
M: We have all been in bands before. Tony, Mike, and I use to play in a band called First To Leave. Tony played in band called Lost Again, Mike has done a couple local bands, same with Matt. I have also played drums in some other bands as a fill in.
W: How did you start getting involved with the hardcore/punk scene?
M: We all basically got into hardcore when we were in high school. My friend Nick Dunn changed my life when he introduced me to bands that I just fell in love with. When I was in high school the East Bay scene was huge. We also had a lot of local venues such as the Danville Grange and it also helped that Rival Records is based in my hometown. One of my first shows ever was at the Danville Grange when For the Crown played. I was all about them. Check them out. Oh and check out those guys other band Gunsmoke which is also amazing.
W: Is there anything that you would like to add?
M: Please pick up our record! Support local hardworking labels and venues. If money is thin download our record. Im sure you can find it somewhere. Also if you are not in a band start one! Its always awesome to see what type of music people are making up. Also listen to all types of music. Do not just limit yourself there are so many awesome bands/artists out there. Oh, and big ups to Murder Practice. There newest record is fucking awesome.
Thanks again to William for getting shit done, check out his label here
Until Your Heart Stops Big Cartel
Until Your Heart Stops Blogspot
Until Your Heart Stops Myspace
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Interview with Alex from At Our Heels
William: Please give your name and the name of your band?
Alex: My name's Alex, the band is At Our Heels.
W: What’s your role in the band?
A: In the studio, I play guitar, bass and sing. Live, I sing and run into people.
W: Can you give us the names of your band mates and what they do?
A: Well, I’m the only official member of the band. When we record and play local shows, my friend Ben (Light This City) plays drums. When we have shows, I get whatever friends are available and down to party to play the songs.
W: How did the band come to be?
A: A couple guys from my last band decided to focus on their other project, so I decided to start fresh, and eventually I realized I would get more done on my own than I would if I waited for permanent members.
W: So, what’s your home town and what do you think about the scene there?
A: My hometown is Burlingame, which is in between Redwood City and San Francisco. The scene here has been on hard times the last few years with venues closing and stuff, but bands continue to come together and make cool music. The last year or so it seems like there has been an upswing in shows and band activity in general, which is great.
W: What are your thought on the California hardcore scene as of now?
A: There are some cool bands coming up, and some not so cool ones.
W: Any plans for a up coming tour?
A: We'll probably be doing some weekend stuff before summer, hopefully a couple weeks worth of shows when school gets out.
W: You are having your “S/T” 7 inch released by Heart In Hand Records, how do you feel about the records label so far?
A: William's been totally cool and helping get the record done the way I want it. I'm stoked to see the final product.
W: What’s your favorite song on your 7” and why?
A: Probably “Epitaph“. There's a lot going on in that song. I like playing all of them though.
W: What are your plans for the near future?
A: Put out this record, play shows, record again, put out another record, play more shows, and see the watchmen movie and drink a lot of root beer.
W: Are you planning any future releases?
A: Been talking to a few bands about possible splits. I'm just going to record like 10 songs and figure out what to do with them after. At some point I'd like to do a record with all of our recorded material.
W: What would you say are your biggest hardcore and non-hardcore influences?
A: AFI, early 2000s hardcore, The Nerve Agents, American Nightmare, Panic, Death By Stereo, Shai Hulud. Currently I've been way into Pulling Teeth, Bad Religion, Torche. This answer was way too long.
W: What other projects have you or your band mates been a part of?
A: Ben was in Light This City. I was in Love, Hope and Fear and These Days and then some smaller local bands like The Hollowing, The Mourning Dawn and some others I am sure I am forgetting.
W: How did you start getting involved with punk and hardcore?
A: I got into Green Day when i in middle school, that kind of got me into all the bigger/mainstream punk bands at the time. All the kids I went to school with told me about other bands they were into and eventually I discovered AFI, Poison the Well and Shai Hulud and started doing my own research by going to shows, hearing new bands. I started playing music with kids and eventually figured out how to actually run a band. That's right about when i started Love, Hope and Fear with Ben.
W: What first attracted you to hardcore and what other music styles are you into?
A: The sincerity, the passion. When I first started hearing hardcore bands, it was the most pissed off thing I'd ever heard but at the same time, these guys had things to say, things that maybe other people didn't want to say or hear. You could tell a lot of thought went into what some of these bands were doing and it was just way more interesting than anything else I'd heard.
W: Last words?
A: Thanks for giving me the opportunity to answer some questions and get our name out. keep up the good work.
Big up's to William of Heart in Hand Records for doing this interview
At Our Heels Myspace
Order stuff from Heart In Hand Records
Order stuff from Hellfish
Alex: My name's Alex, the band is At Our Heels.
W: What’s your role in the band?
A: In the studio, I play guitar, bass and sing. Live, I sing and run into people.
W: Can you give us the names of your band mates and what they do?
A: Well, I’m the only official member of the band. When we record and play local shows, my friend Ben (Light This City) plays drums. When we have shows, I get whatever friends are available and down to party to play the songs.
W: How did the band come to be?
A: A couple guys from my last band decided to focus on their other project, so I decided to start fresh, and eventually I realized I would get more done on my own than I would if I waited for permanent members.
W: So, what’s your home town and what do you think about the scene there?
A: My hometown is Burlingame, which is in between Redwood City and San Francisco. The scene here has been on hard times the last few years with venues closing and stuff, but bands continue to come together and make cool music. The last year or so it seems like there has been an upswing in shows and band activity in general, which is great.
W: What are your thought on the California hardcore scene as of now?
A: There are some cool bands coming up, and some not so cool ones.
W: Any plans for a up coming tour?
A: We'll probably be doing some weekend stuff before summer, hopefully a couple weeks worth of shows when school gets out.
W: You are having your “S/T” 7 inch released by Heart In Hand Records, how do you feel about the records label so far?
A: William's been totally cool and helping get the record done the way I want it. I'm stoked to see the final product.
W: What’s your favorite song on your 7” and why?
A: Probably “Epitaph“. There's a lot going on in that song. I like playing all of them though.
W: What are your plans for the near future?
A: Put out this record, play shows, record again, put out another record, play more shows, and see the watchmen movie and drink a lot of root beer.
W: Are you planning any future releases?
A: Been talking to a few bands about possible splits. I'm just going to record like 10 songs and figure out what to do with them after. At some point I'd like to do a record with all of our recorded material.
W: What would you say are your biggest hardcore and non-hardcore influences?
A: AFI, early 2000s hardcore, The Nerve Agents, American Nightmare, Panic, Death By Stereo, Shai Hulud. Currently I've been way into Pulling Teeth, Bad Religion, Torche. This answer was way too long.
W: What other projects have you or your band mates been a part of?
A: Ben was in Light This City. I was in Love, Hope and Fear and These Days and then some smaller local bands like The Hollowing, The Mourning Dawn and some others I am sure I am forgetting.
W: How did you start getting involved with punk and hardcore?
A: I got into Green Day when i in middle school, that kind of got me into all the bigger/mainstream punk bands at the time. All the kids I went to school with told me about other bands they were into and eventually I discovered AFI, Poison the Well and Shai Hulud and started doing my own research by going to shows, hearing new bands. I started playing music with kids and eventually figured out how to actually run a band. That's right about when i started Love, Hope and Fear with Ben.
W: What first attracted you to hardcore and what other music styles are you into?
A: The sincerity, the passion. When I first started hearing hardcore bands, it was the most pissed off thing I'd ever heard but at the same time, these guys had things to say, things that maybe other people didn't want to say or hear. You could tell a lot of thought went into what some of these bands were doing and it was just way more interesting than anything else I'd heard.
W: Last words?
A: Thanks for giving me the opportunity to answer some questions and get our name out. keep up the good work.
Big up's to William of Heart in Hand Records for doing this interview
At Our Heels Myspace
Order stuff from Heart In Hand Records
Order stuff from Hellfish
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Interview with Evan from Pagan
Mike MDC: How would you describe your band to a kid on the street?
Evan: Skate punk influenced hardcore with viking metal lyrics
MMDC: I'm gonna change it up a bit: Favorite non-california based hardcore bands?
Evan: New Lows, Off With Their Heads, and Sleepwall. The last two aren't really hardcore but have been on steady rotation lately
MMDC: I know you have a few things to say about this, least favorite trend in hardcore?
Evan: Kids talking shit on the internet, the weird ass Liferuiner style of straight edge kids. I mean there's always going to be people selling out or whatever and that's cool for them but that whole trend/crowd is just fucking stupid to me and it pisses me off that those shows fucking sell out venues but when a show like Internal Affairs comes through there's 15 people.
MMDC: What is the most appealing aspect of having a band for you?
Evan: Meeting friends that I wouldn't have met is what does it for me. Tour, records, merch, that shit's whatever, don't get me wrong that's fun too, but meeting friends is the biggest thing hardcore's given me. That and playing shows and a kid you don't know is singing along to words you wrote in your fucking dive apartment or something. That means the world to me.
MMDC: How many band names did you go through before PAGAN?
Evan: Ummm for Pagan we were pretty set. However I was in Raging Bull, Too Legit, and Dead End. Dead End went through a couple names at the end but we never played under them.
MMDC: Let's say a kid just starts his first day of middle school and you want to get him on the right track to good music. If you could intervene into his life and hand him one album what would it be?
Evan: The first album I got. Misfits - Earth A.D. / Wolfsblood. That and the Never Healed 12"
MMDC: Lars or Tim Armstrong?
Evan: Lars for sure. I still listen to the Bastards albums at least once a week.
MMDC: What's up with kids that act like they never liked embarrassing metalcore bands 2 years ago?
MMDC: I don't know man. Hardcore's really judgemental, espicially with the internet, it makes it really easy to be faceless and sling shit on people. Everyone has embarrassing bands they liked or still like. Be open about that shit. I think it's far better to like shitty bands than pretend to jock the fuck out of Integrity then when Pressure covers them no one knows what the fucks going on.
MMDC: Favorite moshing shoes?
MMDC: Ummm I don't really know what that means. My friend works at Vans so I usually just wear those. Or 14 holes.
MMDC: Hardcore girls?
Evan: Oh man. I'm not even trying to see who I can piss off by answering that.
MMDC: Who is your favorite Christian?
Evan: Satan
Big thanks to Michael Del Campo for throwing this together. Check out his art blog here.
Pagan Myspace
Download the Pagan Demo
Evan: Skate punk influenced hardcore with viking metal lyrics
MMDC: I'm gonna change it up a bit: Favorite non-california based hardcore bands?
Evan: New Lows, Off With Their Heads, and Sleepwall. The last two aren't really hardcore but have been on steady rotation lately
MMDC: I know you have a few things to say about this, least favorite trend in hardcore?
Evan: Kids talking shit on the internet, the weird ass Liferuiner style of straight edge kids. I mean there's always going to be people selling out or whatever and that's cool for them but that whole trend/crowd is just fucking stupid to me and it pisses me off that those shows fucking sell out venues but when a show like Internal Affairs comes through there's 15 people.
MMDC: What is the most appealing aspect of having a band for you?
Evan: Meeting friends that I wouldn't have met is what does it for me. Tour, records, merch, that shit's whatever, don't get me wrong that's fun too, but meeting friends is the biggest thing hardcore's given me. That and playing shows and a kid you don't know is singing along to words you wrote in your fucking dive apartment or something. That means the world to me.
MMDC: How many band names did you go through before PAGAN?
Evan: Ummm for Pagan we were pretty set. However I was in Raging Bull, Too Legit, and Dead End. Dead End went through a couple names at the end but we never played under them.
MMDC: Let's say a kid just starts his first day of middle school and you want to get him on the right track to good music. If you could intervene into his life and hand him one album what would it be?
Evan: The first album I got. Misfits - Earth A.D. / Wolfsblood. That and the Never Healed 12"
MMDC: Lars or Tim Armstrong?
Evan: Lars for sure. I still listen to the Bastards albums at least once a week.
MMDC: What's up with kids that act like they never liked embarrassing metalcore bands 2 years ago?
MMDC: I don't know man. Hardcore's really judgemental, espicially with the internet, it makes it really easy to be faceless and sling shit on people. Everyone has embarrassing bands they liked or still like. Be open about that shit. I think it's far better to like shitty bands than pretend to jock the fuck out of Integrity then when Pressure covers them no one knows what the fucks going on.
MMDC: Favorite moshing shoes?
MMDC: Ummm I don't really know what that means. My friend works at Vans so I usually just wear those. Or 14 holes.
MMDC: Hardcore girls?
Evan: Oh man. I'm not even trying to see who I can piss off by answering that.
MMDC: Who is your favorite Christian?
Evan: Satan
Big thanks to Michael Del Campo for throwing this together. Check out his art blog here.
Pagan Myspace
Download the Pagan Demo
Friday, February 13, 2009
Interview with Albert from Don't Trip
Mike: Please state you name, band role, and your favorite kind of m&m's?
Albert: Albert or beast whatever you like. Loud speaker and crispy m&m’s. Bring those back now.
M: Sorry man, those things were disgusting. Peanut butter all day everyday. So who else is in Don’t Trip?
A: That statement is untrue. Well we have Jack who plays guitar. Ed plays the other banjo, Frank slaps the skins and Justin hits the low tones.
M: Different strokes for different folks. So for the uninitiated give us a little rundown of your history including releases?
A: Hmmm, so we been a band for almost 2 years now, we just started as a 4 piece and just came together to have fun, record some music, play shows and see where it goes. Frank and Jack wrote the tunes, then brought in Ed and myself and it really just went from there. We started off with a demo in June of 2007. We recorded a full length in winter of 2007 and released it in the spring of 2008. Our split with What Life Is was put on tape in the summer of 2008, so we have been keeping ourselves busy and will be having more new things to come.
M: From my understanding Frank and Jack are also in Sick and Tired. Are you or your other band members in any other projects?
A: Yes they are. Ed plays bass in Grace Alley. Jack and I will be starting a side project in next few weeks called River Bed. It’s a harder, more fast paced vibe but you can still party hard to the tunes.
M: Speaking of partying hard, some of your lyrics convey that you like to do so. Would you like to make statement on the subject?
A: Yea, you only live once so live life to the fullest. No regrets.
M: Sick. The bay area seems to be a breeding ground for awesome music. Bands like Comadre, Sabertooth Zombie, Ceremony, Skin Like Iron, and Annihilation Time have put the bay area hardcore/punk scene under a microscope. Has this put any pressure on you or you’re band members to create something great (which in my opinion and many others you have already done)?
A: You know, not really. All those bands are amazing and I respect them. But for us, were just dudes playing music and the fact we have even made it this far is awesome for us. I won’t lie, you always want to write something great and it puts some pressure on you but if the pressure was immense it wouldn’t be fun and not worth pursuing. I feel whatever we write is something that we all came together and put effort into, so no matter what it is, it’s important to us as a band.
M: Sounds awesome in theory and practice. Well, while I’m on the subject of bay area hardcore, what’s your favorite hometown venue?
A: For our hometown shows, it has to be the Oddstad or the Jungle. Both don’t do shows anymore, rather lame. As in all time venue, I wish the Pound was still around. Miss that place.
M: Okay, last question about bay area hardcore. Well, actually not a question. More of an opinion. You’re vocals sound a lot like Connor’s of Lights Out (rip). I know this cant be the first time someone has told you this.
A: No it has not been the first time, and I have no problems with it. My goal was never to sound like him, but it just came out that way and you really cant be bummed off people comparing you to one of the best bay area hardcore bands.
M: Truth. You hinted at new material earlier and I’ve spoken to you before about a possible 7" release. Any details?
A: All I can say is late spring or summer. Keep an eye out for Don’t Trip in 2009.
M: Super secret 7” I see. Can a Lights Out cover be expected? hah.
A: Haha, nah. Just not much info yet, just expect it to be some good tunes. We have a unreleased Nofx and Descendants cover. We will be departing on a full us tour in may. Our 7” will come out on DTC.
M: Nofx? Seriously my all time favorite band. First CD that was given to me was "Ribbed". I didn’t even have a CD player and I had to beg my mom to buy me one. Which song is it and who's the Nofx fan in Don’t Trip? On a similar note, what album got you into the whole punk thing?
A: “Stranger than Fishing“. The whole band is into Nofx, there one of my biggest influences. We also cover “I’m Telling Tim“. What album got me into punk, hmmm I’m gonna have to say (Nofx‘s)“Public in Drublic” or “The Decline” when I was in 7th or 8th grade. Pretty much changed how I feel about society. I went to a catholic school and never really felt like I believed in god in the 7th and 8th grade. Listening to punk made me realize there are other people out there like me that choose to think otherwise.
M: It’s pretty ridiculous that I’m listening to “So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes” in my car while I read that. Don’t trip just got a lot more awesome in my book.
A: My favorites, shits hard. So next time we are in Fresno I think the party needs to rage dawg.
M: For sure. You guys should play Visalia instead. Its about 30 minutes south and there’s a pretty decent pizza place/venue here. I think Full Blown Chaos is playing this month or next. I’ve seen the flyers for shows their and they usually say “buy beer” so you know it would be a rager. This is pretty much turning into a conversation so I got a few last questions for you. What would you like to see more/less of in the California hardcore scene?
A: Lol yea... just not giving a fuck dude. Everyone should just accept each other no matter who they are. That’s it really. Bands need to keep playing, kids need to keep chilling hard and live life.
M: Awesome words. What up and coming bands (besides you guys) should we be on the lookout for?
A: Oh man so many.... Farley Overdose, Skin Like Iron, Grace Alley, Creatures, Downpresser, Plank Walk, Street Walkers, so many more...
M: Fuck yeah, all those bands are doing their thing right now. Final words?
A: Stay up.
Myspace
Download the full length - "Root of All Evil"
Download Split w/ What Life Is
Albert: Albert or beast whatever you like. Loud speaker and crispy m&m’s. Bring those back now.
M: Sorry man, those things were disgusting. Peanut butter all day everyday. So who else is in Don’t Trip?
A: That statement is untrue. Well we have Jack who plays guitar. Ed plays the other banjo, Frank slaps the skins and Justin hits the low tones.
M: Different strokes for different folks. So for the uninitiated give us a little rundown of your history including releases?
A: Hmmm, so we been a band for almost 2 years now, we just started as a 4 piece and just came together to have fun, record some music, play shows and see where it goes. Frank and Jack wrote the tunes, then brought in Ed and myself and it really just went from there. We started off with a demo in June of 2007. We recorded a full length in winter of 2007 and released it in the spring of 2008. Our split with What Life Is was put on tape in the summer of 2008, so we have been keeping ourselves busy and will be having more new things to come.
M: From my understanding Frank and Jack are also in Sick and Tired. Are you or your other band members in any other projects?
A: Yes they are. Ed plays bass in Grace Alley. Jack and I will be starting a side project in next few weeks called River Bed. It’s a harder, more fast paced vibe but you can still party hard to the tunes.
M: Speaking of partying hard, some of your lyrics convey that you like to do so. Would you like to make statement on the subject?
A: Yea, you only live once so live life to the fullest. No regrets.
M: Sick. The bay area seems to be a breeding ground for awesome music. Bands like Comadre, Sabertooth Zombie, Ceremony, Skin Like Iron, and Annihilation Time have put the bay area hardcore/punk scene under a microscope. Has this put any pressure on you or you’re band members to create something great (which in my opinion and many others you have already done)?
A: You know, not really. All those bands are amazing and I respect them. But for us, were just dudes playing music and the fact we have even made it this far is awesome for us. I won’t lie, you always want to write something great and it puts some pressure on you but if the pressure was immense it wouldn’t be fun and not worth pursuing. I feel whatever we write is something that we all came together and put effort into, so no matter what it is, it’s important to us as a band.
M: Sounds awesome in theory and practice. Well, while I’m on the subject of bay area hardcore, what’s your favorite hometown venue?
A: For our hometown shows, it has to be the Oddstad or the Jungle. Both don’t do shows anymore, rather lame. As in all time venue, I wish the Pound was still around. Miss that place.
M: Okay, last question about bay area hardcore. Well, actually not a question. More of an opinion. You’re vocals sound a lot like Connor’s of Lights Out (rip). I know this cant be the first time someone has told you this.
A: No it has not been the first time, and I have no problems with it. My goal was never to sound like him, but it just came out that way and you really cant be bummed off people comparing you to one of the best bay area hardcore bands.
M: Truth. You hinted at new material earlier and I’ve spoken to you before about a possible 7" release. Any details?
A: All I can say is late spring or summer. Keep an eye out for Don’t Trip in 2009.
M: Super secret 7” I see. Can a Lights Out cover be expected? hah.
A: Haha, nah. Just not much info yet, just expect it to be some good tunes. We have a unreleased Nofx and Descendants cover. We will be departing on a full us tour in may. Our 7” will come out on DTC.
M: Nofx? Seriously my all time favorite band. First CD that was given to me was "Ribbed". I didn’t even have a CD player and I had to beg my mom to buy me one. Which song is it and who's the Nofx fan in Don’t Trip? On a similar note, what album got you into the whole punk thing?
A: “Stranger than Fishing“. The whole band is into Nofx, there one of my biggest influences. We also cover “I’m Telling Tim“. What album got me into punk, hmmm I’m gonna have to say (Nofx‘s)“Public in Drublic” or “The Decline” when I was in 7th or 8th grade. Pretty much changed how I feel about society. I went to a catholic school and never really felt like I believed in god in the 7th and 8th grade. Listening to punk made me realize there are other people out there like me that choose to think otherwise.
M: It’s pretty ridiculous that I’m listening to “So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes” in my car while I read that. Don’t trip just got a lot more awesome in my book.
A: My favorites, shits hard. So next time we are in Fresno I think the party needs to rage dawg.
M: For sure. You guys should play Visalia instead. Its about 30 minutes south and there’s a pretty decent pizza place/venue here. I think Full Blown Chaos is playing this month or next. I’ve seen the flyers for shows their and they usually say “buy beer” so you know it would be a rager. This is pretty much turning into a conversation so I got a few last questions for you. What would you like to see more/less of in the California hardcore scene?
A: Lol yea... just not giving a fuck dude. Everyone should just accept each other no matter who they are. That’s it really. Bands need to keep playing, kids need to keep chilling hard and live life.
M: Awesome words. What up and coming bands (besides you guys) should we be on the lookout for?
A: Oh man so many.... Farley Overdose, Skin Like Iron, Grace Alley, Creatures, Downpresser, Plank Walk, Street Walkers, so many more...
M: Fuck yeah, all those bands are doing their thing right now. Final words?
A: Stay up.
Myspace
Download the full length - "Root of All Evil"
Download Split w/ What Life Is
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Interview with Dan from Downpresser
Devan: Who are you and what do you do in the band?
Dan: I'm Dan, I do the vocals and write the lyrics.
Devan: First off, Perverted Justice is an awesome ep. What would you say was your biggest influence for this record?
Dan: Hey thanks a lot man, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I can only speak for myself as far as influences go, I didn't write any of the music.. Definitely No Warning, Biohazard, Stigmata, Pittbull, Madball, and Pantera (to name a few) were strong influences at the time and still are today.
Devan: I've heard of you guys being compared more than once to the NY hardcore sound. Were bands such as Cro-Mags and other NY hardcore bands influences to your sound?
Dan: NYHC is clearly a huge influence on me as you can tell by some of those bands listed above. I know some of the other guys in the band are getting sick of that comparison, because we draw influence from all sorts of heavy music. As far as hardcore bands that we're influenced by, it's usually the ones with that NY vibe.. But yeah, Cro-Mags are a huge influence on us. Me and Sean used to be in a 'mags cover band several years back called Do Unto Others, we played a few local shows around SB and shit. Strictly AoQ jams. I think I ruined it for myself though because I can't play that record as much as the other ones anymore.
Devan: The first time I saw you guys was about a year ago in Fresno. The show featured about 60 people squeezed into 10' by 15' garage/bedroom lined with mattresses and tons more outside. Needless to say it was pretty fucking intense. Which do you prefer, the larger venue-backed shows or the smaller, more personal shows?
Dan: Man, we still talk about that show! So much fun. Well it depends on the show I guess, I mean, we definitely love playing in garages and houses and that sort of thing, because it's such a personal setting, as you mentioned. There's no room for people to move away so they have to stand up close. But if you have a big venue show that is packed the same way, it's not quite as personal but it has the same intensity. I remember growing up shows at venues would be completely packed up front. Nowadays there's usually a huge hole in the middle of the crowd cause people are too cool or shook to stand up front and take a couple hits.
Devan: How was it being included on the California Uber Alles compilation?
Dan: The CUA comp. was an awesome deal, put together by our friend Josh from Pressvre. I'll admit I was pretty surprised when we first got the tapes in and we were the first song on side A, but that's cool I guess. Several good friends of ours are on it, and it's cool to be considered an integral part of the current CA scene because we have such a long history of punk and hardcore in this state.
Devan: What has been the highlight of your band's progressing?
Dan: Highlights? Too many. I guess going from like, drunken backyard shows to Sound & Fury would be a serious highlight. Or this little tour we did to TX, we headlined a few shows on our first time out and kids were sticking around for us, singing along, moshing.. Stuff we never thought would happen. We were thinking before most of the shows like, "Oh these kids don't know who we are, nobody is going to stick around." And most of the time it would turn out amazing, or decent at the worst. We've been a band since like '05-'06 and honestly I thought we'd be broken up by now, so every show and every practice is a highlight for me.
Devan: What's your current state of mind on whats going on right now? The band, politics, anything? What's going on?
Dan: Haha man, I always have so much shit on my mind it's not even funny. If you ask the people I hang around, they'll tell you I have a lot of strange theories on the world and shit.. It depends on what I'm reading, going through, etc. I guess what's going through my mind lately has mostly to do with people's definitions of truth. If something is real and has real effects for an individual then how can it not be true? It depends on people's definition of the word "truth" as being a singular idealistic notion, and not something that can be defined by the individual. Like, outsiders to the scene will think like "oh those kids are just living a lie, it's a fantasy, they're avoiding the real world etc." But punk and hardcore has made me happier than probably anything in the world, and it's been a part of my life for 12 or 13 years now, so this is my subjective truth that I'm living. It's a reality to me, a fantasy to you; it's the real world to me and a waste of time to you. When I'm fifty, maybe I'll need to accept a different truth to make myself happy. Who knows. I think people would be a lot happier if they stopped thrusting their world views onto other people and people could agree to disagree. Sorry, reading this over it seems a little long-winded and metaphysical but hey, you asked.
Devan: Haha. Any plans for the future?
Dan: I have plenty of plans for the future, hopefully one day I'll make them happen.
Links to purchase music online can be found at the Downpresser Myspace page
Interview with Nick from Final Fight
Devan: Who are you/what do you do in the band?
Nick: Nick, I play guitar
D: Everyone I've talked to is super stoked on your new lp, "Half Head, Full Shred". What do you think are some of your influences on this new record?
N: Its awesome to hear that people are stoked on our new album, we put a ton of work into making it. Personally, a major influence for me was the desire to put out another album. When we started writing new songs we all began to see that we were taking a different path than from Under Attack, or even the split with Life Long Tragedy. We didn't intentionally change the overall sound of our songs, but it was more the way in which they started coming out. We gave ourselves a little more freedom when it came to writing, and we opened our minds more to different possibilities. I expect whatever we release next will take another step to being more progressive, whether people like it or not.
D: How was it making this record?
N: Incredible, and terrible at the same time. Every time we wrote a new song, we essentially developed a new favorite final fight song. I can remember several times leaving practice just being stoked on a new song we wrote, especially considering it was a major piece in the upcoming album. On the other hand, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make sure the songs were as good as we felt they could be. We have never been a band that writes songs quickly; we like to be perfectionists. When our recording session was booked, we still hadn't finished every song on the album, so that really put us in a tough spot.
D: Its been a few since your first full length and the split with life long tragedy. What have you guys been up to since then?
N: Well we started final fight when I was barely 18 years old. I'm 23 now, so of course there are going to be a lot more responsibilities in life other than the band. Last year David and James both graduated college, and I'll be joining them in June. We have all had full time commitments, whether it be jobs, school, or both, so it takes time away from what we can do for the band. I don't want to say that the band was a secondary priority, we all still love playing shows, meeting new people, and traveling. But sometimes you have to put the band aside to straighten out other shit that's going on in your life. Its a tough thing to balance, but so far I think we have done a pretty good job of doing it.
D: What do you think has changed since your first full length, as far as sounds or influences?
N: Probably everything. Shaun, the other guitar player, and I both agreed that the old songs just aren't that much fun to play on guitar outside of a show. We wanted to change that, and we wanted to challenge ourselves a bit more. It may not sound like it, but a lot of our new songs are pretty tough to play, especially considering the way in which we have strayed away from using just standard power chords. We have all gotten a lot better at our instruments, and now we have luxuries that other bands may not have. We have a really good drummer, a really good bass player that actually writes song, and has a major input on the writing of songs, and a singer that has constantly gotten better not only in how he sounds, but the lyrics he writes. Also, we party a lot more. Way more.
D: How's your home scene?
N: Our home scene has always been awesome. It started out as a tight group of friends that went to every single final fight show, regardless of how far it was. Now we see a lot of new faces at our shows, as well as some of the old familiar faces that have been there the whole time.
D: Do you still stay active in it?
N: Not as much as I used to. I still love hardcore, and listen to it just about everyday, but we all started to explore life outside of shows. When we started out, we were playing shows just about every weekend, so after a while I got kind of burned out on going to shows.
D: What kinda of music have you been into lately?
N: Pygmy Lush, Pink Floyd,
D: Are there any bands you think show potential? Any we should look out for in the future?
N: Xiabalba and Run with the Hunted are the first two to come to mind. Both bands are full of awesome dudes, and they are doing shit that most bands aren't. Considering how many bands start out attempting to sound like an already established band, its nice to hear bands coming up with new styles of music. Add Let Live, Purple Mercy, and The Sunset Limited to that list as well.
D: Anything planned for the future? Anymore tours or projects we can look forward to?d
N: We have had talks about writing an ep and trying to release it sometime in the future, but nothing is set in stone yet. Were also looking to try to tour more in 2009. Were planning an east coast weekend in Spring, as well as a European tour sometime this summer.
D: Last but not least, spits or swallows?
N: Those two aren't mutually exclusive. I think I speak for everyone when I say Snowball is the only acceptable answer.
Myspace
Pick up the new CD!
Or pick it up on vinyl!
Nick: Nick, I play guitar
D: Everyone I've talked to is super stoked on your new lp, "Half Head, Full Shred". What do you think are some of your influences on this new record?
N: Its awesome to hear that people are stoked on our new album, we put a ton of work into making it. Personally, a major influence for me was the desire to put out another album. When we started writing new songs we all began to see that we were taking a different path than from Under Attack, or even the split with Life Long Tragedy. We didn't intentionally change the overall sound of our songs, but it was more the way in which they started coming out. We gave ourselves a little more freedom when it came to writing, and we opened our minds more to different possibilities. I expect whatever we release next will take another step to being more progressive, whether people like it or not.
D: How was it making this record?
N: Incredible, and terrible at the same time. Every time we wrote a new song, we essentially developed a new favorite final fight song. I can remember several times leaving practice just being stoked on a new song we wrote, especially considering it was a major piece in the upcoming album. On the other hand, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make sure the songs were as good as we felt they could be. We have never been a band that writes songs quickly; we like to be perfectionists. When our recording session was booked, we still hadn't finished every song on the album, so that really put us in a tough spot.
D: Its been a few since your first full length and the split with life long tragedy. What have you guys been up to since then?
N: Well we started final fight when I was barely 18 years old. I'm 23 now, so of course there are going to be a lot more responsibilities in life other than the band. Last year David and James both graduated college, and I'll be joining them in June. We have all had full time commitments, whether it be jobs, school, or both, so it takes time away from what we can do for the band. I don't want to say that the band was a secondary priority, we all still love playing shows, meeting new people, and traveling. But sometimes you have to put the band aside to straighten out other shit that's going on in your life. Its a tough thing to balance, but so far I think we have done a pretty good job of doing it.
D: What do you think has changed since your first full length, as far as sounds or influences?
N: Probably everything. Shaun, the other guitar player, and I both agreed that the old songs just aren't that much fun to play on guitar outside of a show. We wanted to change that, and we wanted to challenge ourselves a bit more. It may not sound like it, but a lot of our new songs are pretty tough to play, especially considering the way in which we have strayed away from using just standard power chords. We have all gotten a lot better at our instruments, and now we have luxuries that other bands may not have. We have a really good drummer, a really good bass player that actually writes song, and has a major input on the writing of songs, and a singer that has constantly gotten better not only in how he sounds, but the lyrics he writes. Also, we party a lot more. Way more.
D: How's your home scene?
N: Our home scene has always been awesome. It started out as a tight group of friends that went to every single final fight show, regardless of how far it was. Now we see a lot of new faces at our shows, as well as some of the old familiar faces that have been there the whole time.
D: Do you still stay active in it?
N: Not as much as I used to. I still love hardcore, and listen to it just about everyday, but we all started to explore life outside of shows. When we started out, we were playing shows just about every weekend, so after a while I got kind of burned out on going to shows.
D: What kinda of music have you been into lately?
N: Pygmy Lush, Pink Floyd,
D: Are there any bands you think show potential? Any we should look out for in the future?
N: Xiabalba and Run with the Hunted are the first two to come to mind. Both bands are full of awesome dudes, and they are doing shit that most bands aren't. Considering how many bands start out attempting to sound like an already established band, its nice to hear bands coming up with new styles of music. Add Let Live, Purple Mercy, and The Sunset Limited to that list as well.
D: Anything planned for the future? Anymore tours or projects we can look forward to?d
N: We have had talks about writing an ep and trying to release it sometime in the future, but nothing is set in stone yet. Were also looking to try to tour more in 2009. Were planning an east coast weekend in Spring, as well as a European tour sometime this summer.
D: Last but not least, spits or swallows?
N: Those two aren't mutually exclusive. I think I speak for everyone when I say Snowball is the only acceptable answer.
Myspace
Pick up the new CD!
Or pick it up on vinyl!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Interview with Chad from Masterpiece
Mike: Please state your name and band role.
Chad: My name is Chad Harley Leddy and I do vocals, come up with horrible shirt designs, book shows and say dumb shit on stage.
M: Okay, well give us a quick rundown of the other members and how you guys came together.
C: The rest of the band is Jimmy on drums, Wade on guitar, Pat on bass and Mike on guitar. Me, Jimmy and Wade have been in since the beginning but Pat and Mike joined later. Jimmy came up with the idea of doing a straight edge band in Motel-6 at the first Sound and Fury. I have always wanted to do an edge band anyways so it just made sense. Our first practice was the day after S&F.
M: Awesome. So this past summer, you guys did some euro gigging. How'd that go?
C: It was out of this world. Niclas from fields of hope booking hooked us up with AYS from Germany. Niclas is probably the most punk kid I have ever met in my life, that dude doesn’t give a shit. AYS ruled and were so nice. The shows were insane and we had a much better reaction than what we expected. At one show in France some vampire goth dude showed up wearing fish nets and a corset and paid with a check.
M: Oh wow. That sounds amazing. Were they puppy dog checks?
C: I'm going to assume they were checks with images of the band Candlemass printed on them.
M: That would be awesome. Okay, enough funny stuff. So you guys are from San Diego, which from an outsiders view seems to have a rich and diverse music scene. Do you believe this has helped in your bands success at all?
C: San Diego has a pretty bizarre scene. The shows are mostly made up of the same regulars. The Chula Vista kids, the North County kids, etc. We live in a city with over a million people within city limits and when a big tour comes through shows are packed. No one cares about the local bands and its bullshit. If we play a big show we get an insane reaction but if its a local show there will only be like 20 kids there. There’s a lot of crappy metal bands, a lot of shitty pop punk bands, but also some sweet SD bands around right now though are Lewd Acts, Northern Towns, Impulse, Fed to the Wolves, Modern Man and Take Offense. All the bands from Tijuana rule.
M: Shitty about those kids, but all those bands are sick as fuck. So you guys released a 7" e.p. back in 2007 on Words of War Records. How is your relationship with the label and what are your plans for future releases?
C: Zak WoW is a good person. He loves guns a little too much though, ha-ha. I used to be in the marines so every time I talk to him he wants to know my opinion on some new scope or something. I'm always like, "I was a combat photographer and haven't shot a rifle in 2 years, how do I know?". We actually have an LP coming out soon that we recorded a while ago called “No Rest“. Its been delayed a million times but I am really excited about it coming out.
M: Looking forward to it. Did you or the band take a different approach to writing this record compared to your e.p. or the demo before that?
C: We are notorious for writing songs and then forgetting them. This album has 10 songs on it but we wrote around 17. Wade and Mike come up with most of the songs but I get ideas for full songs and since I can't play anything I have to make stupid sounds with my mouth to get the song I want.
M: Haha! Jud Jud status. It seriously sucks trying to get across an idea for music when you have no knowledge of how to play an instrument. I’m pretty sure half of everyone that listens to music can relate. So who would you say are some of you’re bigger hardcore and non-hardcore influences in writing song lyrics?
C: Life of Agony, Blacklisted, American Nightmare, Stone Temple Pilots, and Earth Crisis are some of my influences. Really, I just write what I'm feeling but all of the bands I listed are bands that have lyrics that actually mean something to me. I can sit down any time and pull out the inserts for their albums and read them. Actually, in some of our songs I will borrow a line kind of as an homage to their bands. For example, the "I am straight edge" in Living Legend is from Earth Crisis. Another example would be "My souls worn thin, time to catch a ride" in the song “Piece of Mind“ is a line from a Stone Temple Pilots song.
M: That’s pretty sick. A lot of bands are to stuck in the way that they’re just trying to replicate a sound already heard and it seems they’re not really interested in looking outside of hardcore for any musical/ lyrical for influences.
C: Yeah, one of the most important factors for me liking a band in 2008 and now 2009 is there has to be something unique about them. I can't keep listening to the same youth crew songs cycled through every couple years.
M: Well on that note, what are your thoughts on the current California music scene, specifically hardcore?
C: California overall is pretty tight as far as music goes. There are some fucking awesome bands doing great things out here, A Better Hope Foundation, Violation, Ceremony, Rotting Out, Pressvre, Trash Talk and Terror all kill it and are my favorite Cali bands. There are so many new kids showing up all the time that its insane. The only downside to that is that it seems like they burn out fast. Shit, I'm 25 and people act like I'm some old man. Hardcore is the only place in the world that 25 is considered old.
M: The hardcore crowd does seem to be getting younger and younger. I’m only 20 and it amazes me how many kids I see getting dropped off at shows by their parents. Hopefully they'll stick around and do something positive for the subculture.
C: We have all been there. I remember going to shows like 11-12 years ago and getting rides from my friends parents, but most of the time we relied on the bus or the trains/subway to get us where we were going.
M: Yeah, for sure. You mentioned earlier that masterpiece is a straight edge band. Are there any other ideologies or movements that are backed by yourself or your band mates?
C: Well, there are a couple guys in the band who are vegetarian or vegan. Pat is very into the whole politics thing and is very anti Wal-Mart, even though he will devour McDonalds like no big deal. In Europe he must have spent $200 at that place. Wade doesn't give a shit about anything though. As for me, I just try to live a decent life and see as much as I can because you only live once.
M: Haha, I work at wal-mart. Place is crazy. Well, do you have anything else you'd like to say?
C: Thanks for doing the interview. Be on the lookout for No Rest. Straight Edge RULES.
Myspace
Blogspot
Words of War Records
Chad: My name is Chad Harley Leddy and I do vocals, come up with horrible shirt designs, book shows and say dumb shit on stage.
M: Okay, well give us a quick rundown of the other members and how you guys came together.
C: The rest of the band is Jimmy on drums, Wade on guitar, Pat on bass and Mike on guitar. Me, Jimmy and Wade have been in since the beginning but Pat and Mike joined later. Jimmy came up with the idea of doing a straight edge band in Motel-6 at the first Sound and Fury. I have always wanted to do an edge band anyways so it just made sense. Our first practice was the day after S&F.
M: Awesome. So this past summer, you guys did some euro gigging. How'd that go?
C: It was out of this world. Niclas from fields of hope booking hooked us up with AYS from Germany. Niclas is probably the most punk kid I have ever met in my life, that dude doesn’t give a shit. AYS ruled and were so nice. The shows were insane and we had a much better reaction than what we expected. At one show in France some vampire goth dude showed up wearing fish nets and a corset and paid with a check.
M: Oh wow. That sounds amazing. Were they puppy dog checks?
C: I'm going to assume they were checks with images of the band Candlemass printed on them.
M: That would be awesome. Okay, enough funny stuff. So you guys are from San Diego, which from an outsiders view seems to have a rich and diverse music scene. Do you believe this has helped in your bands success at all?
C: San Diego has a pretty bizarre scene. The shows are mostly made up of the same regulars. The Chula Vista kids, the North County kids, etc. We live in a city with over a million people within city limits and when a big tour comes through shows are packed. No one cares about the local bands and its bullshit. If we play a big show we get an insane reaction but if its a local show there will only be like 20 kids there. There’s a lot of crappy metal bands, a lot of shitty pop punk bands, but also some sweet SD bands around right now though are Lewd Acts, Northern Towns, Impulse, Fed to the Wolves, Modern Man and Take Offense. All the bands from Tijuana rule.
M: Shitty about those kids, but all those bands are sick as fuck. So you guys released a 7" e.p. back in 2007 on Words of War Records. How is your relationship with the label and what are your plans for future releases?
C: Zak WoW is a good person. He loves guns a little too much though, ha-ha. I used to be in the marines so every time I talk to him he wants to know my opinion on some new scope or something. I'm always like, "I was a combat photographer and haven't shot a rifle in 2 years, how do I know?". We actually have an LP coming out soon that we recorded a while ago called “No Rest“. Its been delayed a million times but I am really excited about it coming out.
M: Looking forward to it. Did you or the band take a different approach to writing this record compared to your e.p. or the demo before that?
C: We are notorious for writing songs and then forgetting them. This album has 10 songs on it but we wrote around 17. Wade and Mike come up with most of the songs but I get ideas for full songs and since I can't play anything I have to make stupid sounds with my mouth to get the song I want.
M: Haha! Jud Jud status. It seriously sucks trying to get across an idea for music when you have no knowledge of how to play an instrument. I’m pretty sure half of everyone that listens to music can relate. So who would you say are some of you’re bigger hardcore and non-hardcore influences in writing song lyrics?
C: Life of Agony, Blacklisted, American Nightmare, Stone Temple Pilots, and Earth Crisis are some of my influences. Really, I just write what I'm feeling but all of the bands I listed are bands that have lyrics that actually mean something to me. I can sit down any time and pull out the inserts for their albums and read them. Actually, in some of our songs I will borrow a line kind of as an homage to their bands. For example, the "I am straight edge" in Living Legend is from Earth Crisis. Another example would be "My souls worn thin, time to catch a ride" in the song “Piece of Mind“ is a line from a Stone Temple Pilots song.
M: That’s pretty sick. A lot of bands are to stuck in the way that they’re just trying to replicate a sound already heard and it seems they’re not really interested in looking outside of hardcore for any musical/ lyrical for influences.
C: Yeah, one of the most important factors for me liking a band in 2008 and now 2009 is there has to be something unique about them. I can't keep listening to the same youth crew songs cycled through every couple years.
M: Well on that note, what are your thoughts on the current California music scene, specifically hardcore?
C: California overall is pretty tight as far as music goes. There are some fucking awesome bands doing great things out here, A Better Hope Foundation, Violation, Ceremony, Rotting Out, Pressvre, Trash Talk and Terror all kill it and are my favorite Cali bands. There are so many new kids showing up all the time that its insane. The only downside to that is that it seems like they burn out fast. Shit, I'm 25 and people act like I'm some old man. Hardcore is the only place in the world that 25 is considered old.
M: The hardcore crowd does seem to be getting younger and younger. I’m only 20 and it amazes me how many kids I see getting dropped off at shows by their parents. Hopefully they'll stick around and do something positive for the subculture.
C: We have all been there. I remember going to shows like 11-12 years ago and getting rides from my friends parents, but most of the time we relied on the bus or the trains/subway to get us where we were going.
M: Yeah, for sure. You mentioned earlier that masterpiece is a straight edge band. Are there any other ideologies or movements that are backed by yourself or your band mates?
C: Well, there are a couple guys in the band who are vegetarian or vegan. Pat is very into the whole politics thing and is very anti Wal-Mart, even though he will devour McDonalds like no big deal. In Europe he must have spent $200 at that place. Wade doesn't give a shit about anything though. As for me, I just try to live a decent life and see as much as I can because you only live once.
M: Haha, I work at wal-mart. Place is crazy. Well, do you have anything else you'd like to say?
C: Thanks for doing the interview. Be on the lookout for No Rest. Straight Edge RULES.
Myspace
Blogspot
Words of War Records
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