Free Show In Van Nuy$

Written Off Interview 2014

Finally uploaded an interview. ive been extremly lazy with this blog and kinda not into it as much as i was when i started it. ill evuntually upload interviews with Terror, Lion Crew, Bent Life, Civilized, Cold Cave, Magnum Force and Pure X. mind you these are interviews were from last year or the year before that so a bunch of shit has happened but whatever. thanks if you still look at this thing from time to time. <3

Okay chris what do you do and who is currently in WxO?

I do vocals. Daniel Johnson and Scott Holston play guitar, Megan Morgan on bass, and Cameron Cousins on drums

How did WO start?

We started about two and a half years ago. We actually played our first show a couple of weeks after our hometown dudes Another Mistake did.

What bands influenced WO?

I think when we first started we were trying to capture that kind of early Lockin Out sound, but since then I think we've really tried to branch out a bit. We all still love those bands, but the way you write music just changed over time I guess.

How did iron mind crew approach you guys for the demo and 7"

Well that label actually is run by our guitarist Dan, haha. So basically he said "Hey, I'm gonna start a record label and put out our first 7 inch" and I said "Damn fucking right you are!"

Do you like how the all the release and the split with out crowd came out?

I think we were all really happy with how the first 7 inch came out for sure. We honestly weren't too crazy about how our recordings came out for the split, but it's alright. We actually re-recorded one of the split songs for our new 7 inch. Not to mention how good the Out Crowd side to that split is...man. I am honestly so stoked to even be a part of that shit. Those songs just blow our side out of the water haha.

Iron mind crew is awesome, is WO still going to release from imc?

It's hard to say but it's possible. We're pretty busy people so it's not often we get to write music so it may be a little bit before our next release. I mean Dan (our guitarist) runs it, so it's a nice fallback for when no one likes our shit haha

Tell us about the new 7" coming out on six feet under

Well it's 5 new songs, and one older song from the Out Crowd split that we re-recorded. I'm excited for people to hear it. I think it's definitely the best stuff that we've written so far. I think we have finally "found our sound" or whatever cheesy thing I can say like that.

When can cali expect written off?

Hopefully soon! We would fucking love to come out there for sure. Like I said, we are all pretty busy with work/school and whatnot so it's difficult to arrange time for all of us to get off for things like that. I'm trying to get out there and play on the beach or some shit.

How do you feel about sexism and homophobia in the hardcore scene?

Well we had a gay drummer, but he quit. Our bassist is a girl. They are the most sexist and homophobic people I've ever met.'

Written Off Bandcamp
Written Off Facebook

Another L.A. Show.

Cheap Art in L.A.

If you're in the area, please make it out and help out cheap art with a couple of bucks! also don't forget to check out the local talent.

Bastardass Interview 2013

BASTARDASS INTERVIEW with moses. keeping it real in 2013
How did bastardass start? Where, when, reasons?

Bastardass was the result of deciding to take the originating band's sound to something harder and heavier than it was. I was the addition to what was originally The Juice, a thrashy/crusty band, back in mid 2003. They were all school chums at some catholic high school and were introduced to me after David (lead vocalist) got kicked out of the school and landed in mine. They all got kicked out of that school lol. The name originated from trying to combine the two funniest words we knew.

How did you guys get into hardcore/punk?

I'd hate to speak for all of them haha, but we all have very different pasts. In sum, one of us was really into metal which in turn led to interests in grind, etc., others into punk (from pop to street punk and beyond). As for me, my first encounter with hardcore/punk was in 411VM's Europe 1999 skateboarding video. I was 12 years old, and first encountered 7seconds and Minor Threat. The latter stuck with me much more. In sum, everyone had a different background coming in, but we all ended up on similar grounds at the beginning.

Do you see any differences in the crowd or scene from the early mid '00s to now?

As much I hate to say this, in generalities; no. One thing I've learned playing shows here is that the scene is in Los Angeles is very fragmented. My proof? The numerous scenes in Los Angeles. There are so many kids here; from different communities, preferences in these subdivisions of punk, and means of accessing the diversity offered in the "scene." the only time they seem to come together (from what I see) is when touring bands come around. and it'd have to be a pretty relatable band for this to apply, such as discharge lol. This is just what i see though; it may be a different case for someone else. Some of the upsides to its stagnancy is that the youth are still very much into it, no matter what it may be. It shows it has definitely not died. Also, touring bands used to come by way more often. But, the story of one genius messing it up for the rest of us when it comes to willing venues and what not is all to familiar here... ANNDDD!!!!!!!! promotionial companies, social networking, and their helpful hand in furthering the fragmentation.

What's the story with life in prison? Who's the young fellow in the pic? Haha

I don't know the guy in the pic. Andres (guitarist) might know. But when it comes to the content of the "Life in Prison" session, I can easily say it was the most honest batch of music ever written by us. It truly reflected who we were, what we were experiencing, what we were feeling about everything and each other; tired. Bastardass always called it how we saw it. It was always a reflection of our environment. high at a funeral was a true story.... cycle of violence can be applied to our experiences, mine included.... its difficult to revisit these songs hahah

Before the break up, was there anymore talk about releases? I know you guys have the.all gone dead and say why? Splits on vinyl.

Life in Prison was supposed to be a split with AxRxM. that seems very improbable now. Andres always threw out ideas for an LP, but no other material was ever written (as a band) to realize that. This comes as no surprise though; for we the majority of us were very irresponsible in regards to it (with the exception of Andres)

Why didn't the split with arm happen? Why was bastardass so inactive?

Immaturity and disinterest. Mainly immaturity. We were very fucked up; to some of us, this still applies.  It was also because we were troublemakers HAHAHA

Why did bastardass break up?

Immaturity and disinterest. It had nothing to do with resentment between its members

What other bands are you guys involved in?

Andres raps in Shadowrunners. The rest of Bastardass continued as Syntax, where I switched to guitar. Some of our past musical ventures came in the form of ¡Libérate!, Apathetic Ronald McDonald, among others. I believe Andres was in Asshole Assassination Squad for a minute, too. There're others, but those possibly the most note-worthy

Are you guys planning to be more active with syntax?
are you planning any other projects?

We've been pretty active, actually; just out of sight. We have a release coming out soon entitled "corridos grind," which will be available in multiple formats. Aside from that we are planning a split lp with san diego's IDOLS PLAGUE (awesome intricate thrash and awesomer dudes), and an lp of our own. All the songs are finished, its just a matter of going to the studio. We're also getting a west coast mini tour together for the last week of July. We are trying to get some more shows tho, insofar as they land in satyrdays n sundays lol. Mike and Dave work nightshifts, so weekday shows are pretty much outta the question unless the show is exceptional We're also planning something pretty neat to coincide our split with IP. More info as it becomes actualized

So how did you start playing in arm? When you toured with arm did you see differences between la and others?

We've been throwing the idea around for some time, and was necessary once tom decided to jump on drums. We've known each other forever; they started the same year we did, we played countless shows together, grew up together. They are brothers. It was only natural haha.
What do you mean between LA and others? like their scene(s)/people/etc?

Yes that's what I meant haha what are current bands you support?

Well there's a lot less fragmentation. I think when a show goes on ppl go bc options are limited to bigger cities. There are so many things to do here that it can be easy to take some things for granted. Thru my personal experiences, I've gotten much more love out of Other cities than LA; maybe ppl dont like me/my music? Meh. Ppl are friendlier and make you feel appreciated. Sometimes I wonder why I'm driven to play more shows here haha; there's too much drama when LA gets together anyway. Sorry; I probably sound jaded as hell, but I'm speaking for myself, not anyone else. One of the bands I have and will always stand by is hoy Pinoy. They should be in the Guinness book f world records for "band longest overdue for a record/noteriety. Greedy filth/gore wax , she's dead, goner & Alex's new band absurdity, noisear,idols plague, stapled shut, runamuk, cancer patient, matka Teresa . Honestly I'm really out of the loop; I'm sure there are many bands that are great out there right now that I've failed to mention, but I list them by the relationships I've built w em over the music in general.

Speaking of shes dead!!! Did they beak up and reunite for the sergio benefit?

As far as I know, Carl (drummer) lives far. They seem to play in large gaps; the way I see it, their disbandment will never happen, just long hiatus periods haha

Will bastardass ever grace us ever again?

Why should we? I'd hate to reminisce on those times attached to bastardass. We were all fucked individuals, and it showed. The best for any of us to do is just move on from it, bc I definitely don't wanna be in that place again. It is most definitely eternal, but very much so not the present. Jk ill do it for a million dollars

Haha thank for the interview moses. Last words? Shout outs? Hate?

Shout out to the Los Angeles Lakers; it's been a rough year, but resiliency pumps the blood. Fuck the LAPD, and leeching scrubs. East side grind killers ain't no one iller

 

Abuse. Interview 2013

Finally a interview after all this inactivity.
Interview with the homie Connor!

How did Abuse. get together?

Alex and I originally wanted to get together and do a Man Is The Bastard style project with me on drums and him doing bass/vocals, but one day he called me up and was like "fuck that, let's just do a Crossed Out/No Comment style band and I'll sing". We got the sickest Grinding dudes in the area to be the string section (Christophe on guitar and Ace on bass) and in December of 2011 Abuse. was born.

Who influences Abuse.?

Obviously the first wave of Powerviolence is big for us (Crossed Out, No Comment, Infest, Neanderthal, etc), but a lot of our songwriting takes from other stuff we like. Death Metal and Doom Metal are huge for us, as well as Swedish/Japanese Hardcore. We also all really like Queens of The Stone Age, and if you don't you're a fuckin' poser.

Swedish/Japanese hardcore all day! what happened to will from TLAL releasing the 7"?

Well we had the 7" all recorded and Will was going to release it, but when we told him we had an LP basically already written he seemed more into releasing that instead. TLAL has been doing a lot more LPs lately so I'm just assuming that's what Will's focus is on right now haha. Jordan from Hygiene Records released our 7" and we're stoked as fuck that we have 2 super cool labels/dudes who got behind us!

When do you guys start writing for the LP?

We're had some of these LP songs for forfuckingever. Christophe, Ace, and myself all contribute to songwriting so at any given point we'll have a bunch of new songs just ready to go that the bands hasn't learned yet. I'm sure we had a few of the LP songs before we even recorded the 7", but to be honest I don't remember haha.

Hygiene records has some dope releases coming up! How's the NC scene?

Yeah, Hygiene rules. Jordan is the best dude too so I'm glad his label is doing so well!
The NC scene is pretty vast. Raleigh, Greensboro, WIlmington, and Charlotte are the main places where shows happen, and all of those places are at least a couple hours apart (roughly). Speaking strictly about Raleigh (where Abuse. is from), I think the bands here are fucking awesome and there is a good amount of really dedicated people who always come to shows and help support the scene. The big problem with our city is venues. Raleigh is a "bars and banks" kind of place, and at this point it's incredible difficult to find a place that is willing to do an ALL AGES show (something that is SO FUCKING IMPORTANT to me). It's a real bummer because even shows that have the 18+ age limit restrict a certain demographic of kids from going to shows, but hopefully soon there will be more houses/DIY spaces that pop up so that shows can happen more frequently and everyone (regardless of age) can go!

Are you the only member in abuse that's straight edge?

Yup. My edge is strong enough for the 4 of us though. I listen to Side By Side every day and the saddest day of my life was when I lost my Judge hoodie... R.I.P. (sorry for the long answers haha)

It's all good! It makes the interview more interesting haha I think we should start a youth crew band Strictly 80s NYHC! Project X, straight ahead, bold, youth of today, wide awake(i know they're from Connecticut but, they're still tight) type shit!

yo all those bands are MY SHIT. The Straight Ahead-Breakaway 12" is definitely one of my favorite records ever.

Have you seen any sexism, homophobia and or racism in NC?

Being that NC is definitely in the "bible belt" (we even have a song with that very name haha), there's a lot of that kind of bullshit around here. I haven't really seen any in the Hardcore scene (thank fucking god), but I guess I try my best not to hang around sexist/racist/homophobic assholes haha. Nobody has time for that shit.

Did you see judge or are you going to see them at black in blue in Chicago?

You know, as much as I love Judge, I'm sick of fucking reunions man. I was honestly pretty bummed when they announced they were playing, especially when Mike Judge was quoted a few years back saying he'd never do a Judge set again. If Crossed Out or Last Rights ever do a reunion I might have to kill myself... Just let bands stay dead! I can't lie though, I'll be moshing during Infest at Chaos In Tejas and I saw 86 Mentality do a set a few weeks ago and it was the sickest shit ever. Ok, let's just say I'm GENERALLY very strongly against bands reuniting. I'm a poser anyway so don't listen to me.

Saw infest twice and yall are in for a treat! Mosh hard for framtid! For the abuse lp, are you guys going to record where you had your previous recordings? How's demolish tapes going?

fuuuuck yeah. I can't wait for Framtid. That's going to be insane!!!
We actually recorded the 7" in our practice space ghetto style with one of those little Zoom H2 recorder things. We originally had studio time booked, but then I got meningitis/pneumonia at the same time when we were supposed to record and then couldn't find another time to reschedule. We're doing the LP with Kris at Legit Biz in Greensboro, NC. He did that Torch Runner LP that To Live A Lie Put out (and it sounds badass as shit), and he also records lots of Abuse. members' other bands (Last Words, Future Binds, etc).
Demolish Tapes is run by Jeff from Stripmines/Last Words, who is essentially the honorary 5th member of Abuse. haha. He recorded our 7" and records demo tapes for lots of bands around here. He hasn't released anything in a while but hopefully soon there will be a newer band for him to record/release!

Bands you Support?

No Tomorrow, Violent Reaction, Hounds of Hate, Coke Bust, Future Binds, Torch Runner, Altered Boys, Thick Skin, Misled Youth, Water Torture, Meth Lab, Barge, Gay Kiss, and all the DFJ bands (past and present)!

Last Words?

Thanks for the interview homie! Hopefully my long answers weren't too boring to read. Buy the Abuse. 7" @ abuse.storenvy.com and look for our LP coming out soon!

DFJ till death.
Thanks Connor for the interview man. Shit dude I forgot to ask about west coast shows!

dude anytime, thank YOU. i'm glad you got to listen to me rant about things haha

and unfortunately west coast shows wont be happening for any of my bands any time soon. maybe next summer for abuse

Abuse. Bandcamp
Abuse. Merch
Abuse. Facebook 

Kurb Stomp

Stomp The Druggies Demo

New Media...

xCATMOSHx in now on tumblr. follow so you can see when i update this thing. i'll follow back. thank you. sorry for the inactivity.

http://xcatmoshx.tumblr.com/ 

Sex Prisoner Interview 2012

It's finally done. here it is! Down To Nothing will be posted next. Interview with Kevin. the sex prisoner / hoax show was fucking nuts.

How did SP start?

Sex Prisoner was started by Kyle and Gilbert about a year before I joined. Honestly, I’m not too sure on the details, but we all went to the same high and played music with each other before, so I’m sure Sex Prisoner was spawned out of our mutual love for hardcore and punk. Nothing too crazy…

How did you guys get into hardcore/punk?

My brother Kyle and I got into hardcore through our cousins when we were still in elementary school. They had given us a Minor threat and a Youth of Today CD, after that it was all downhill from there. As for Gilbert and Matt they got into punk through skateboarding and that scene, other than that I’m not too sure.

Hows the Arizona scene?

The Arizona scene is very hit or miss. Some shows draw large crowds and are out of control, while other shows only a handful of kids will show up. It depends on who’s playing that night which is a shame because some really sweet bands get overlooked. That being said, there is nowhere else I would rather be then Tucson.

Any bands we should check out?

Defiantly check out our buddies in Magnum Force. They’re heavy, fast, and pissed, basically everything we love as Sex Prisoner. They have a 7” out on To Live a Lie… GO BUY IT!! Also check out our buddies in Territory. They’re super heavy metalcore in vain of bands like Ringworm and All out War. They have an LP out called Sic Semper Tyrannis which is also A MUST BUY!

How did to live a lie contact you guys about the 7"


Actually it was the other way around haha. After we had just finished recording the material we used for our s/t 7” we had no one to put it out. So as a last resort, before just putting it out ourselves, we sent it to Will from To Live a Lie and he agreed to put it out for us. We were all so shocked/stoked that we were actually putting out a record on a label, especially To Live a Lie. We hands down owe all our success to Will.

Any more releases in the works?

We are currently working on a three way split with Magnum Force and ACXDC which To Live a Lie is putting out. It should be out by the beginning of next year if all goes well. We are also going to be featured on a 7” comp called Wake up Dead that John form Weekend Nachos is putting out on Bad Teeth Recordings. The comp is going to feature some really sweet bands, The Ropes, Curmudgeon, Sucked Dry, To the Point and Thick Skin. Keep your eyes out for that too!

When can we expect you guys an cali/LA again?

Very soon… we are planning on coming out in January. We will most likely post a date on facebook within the next couple of weeks.

Did you guys enjoy your recent cali date with Hoax?

We had an AWESOME time with that show! Probably the most fun/ best show we’ve played so far. Can’t wait to come back out!

Bands you support?

This is going to sound cheesy as hell, but I don’t give a fuck… I support any hardcore or punk band that’s in it for the friends and music. It doesn’t matter to me if they’re some hyped up touring band or a local band, just as long as they’re having fun and not taking hardcore too seriously.

Last Words? 

Thanks to family, friends, and anyone who supports us… you make this worthwhile.

To The Point Interview 2012

As you should already know TO THE POINT is a los angeles power house of hardcore. sharing members of Lack Of Interest, Spazz, Despise You and Now Infest. this interview is with Mr. Burns. shout out to all the people who went to the first TTP show @ the smell with Bastard Noise and Retox. Finally got the sex prisoner Q's back and on top of that TERROR, Down To Nothing and Like It Or Not (LION Crew) interviews are all done.
when did TTP start and why?
 
TO THE POINT STARTED IN THE SUMMER OF 2011. ROPES (GUITAR) AND RED 40 (DRUMS) WANTED TO START SOMETHING FRESH AND STARTED CHURNING OUT SONGS. CAVEMAN AND I GOT WIND OF IT, LIKED WHAT WE HEARD, AND WANTED IN. THE REST IS HISTORY.
 
why did you go with the fast hardcore sound?
 
IS THERE ANY OTHER WAY TO GO? THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE CORE OF WHAT WE ENJOY ALTHOUGH WE ALL COME FR

OM PRETTY DIVERSE SONIC BACKGROUNDS. WE DIG THE HIGH ENERGY STUFF. THE DEVILS IN THE DETAILS THOUGH, AND A LOT OF OUR NEWER STUFF HAS LITTLE INFLECTIONS IN IT THAT PULL FROM THE AFOREMENTIONED MUSICAL BACKGROUND, BUT WITHOUT STRAYING FROM WHAT WE ENJOY MOST. SHITS CRAZIER THAN A SACK FULL OF RABID WEASELS.....

what did you guys think of your first show?

WE FUCKING LOVED IT. WE WEREN'T EXPECTING MUCH SEEING AS THOUGH MOST FOLKS HAVEN'T HEARD OF US, BUT WE WERE BLOWN AWAY BY THE SHOW OF LOVE AND SUPPORT THAT CAME OUT. PEOPLE GOT INTO IT, AND WE FED OFF THAT ENERGY, AND STEAMROLLED THROUGH OUR SET PLAYING AS FAST AND HARD AS WE COULD........TWAS GOOD SHIT, COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR MORE!

what other shows do you guys have line up besides the Nov 17 date with vitamin x?

THAT'S IT FOR NOW.......IF THE WORLD MAKES IT TO 2013, YOU CAN BE SURE OUR UGLY MUGS WILL SHOW UP SOMEWHERE.

any more releases in the works and hows the split with yacopsae ?

OH HELLSYEAH..........DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATUS OF THE SPLIT WITH YACOPSE IS.........WRITE THE FUCKING KILL RECORDS AND DEMAND JUSTICE! HA! IT SHOULD BE OUT SOON, THAT'S ALL I KNOW. WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE-SIDED 7" COMING OUT NOW ON DEEP SIX RECORDS CALLED "SUCCESS IN FAILURE". WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON SPLITS WITH PICK YOUR SIDE AND EXTORTION............

any other projects you guys are in?

YES.......IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER: ACTUARY, BACTERIA CULT, FETUS EATERS, INFEST, LACK OF INTEREST, MARION BARRY, MURDER CONSTRUCT, AND SUFFERING LUNA..........JUST TO NAME A FEW.

bands you support?

TOO MANY TO NAME...........BASICALLY EVERYONES WHO'S REAL AND PUT THEIR HEART INTO WHAT THEY DO.

last words?

DON'T SWEAT THE PETTY SHIT, JUST PET THE SWEATY SHIT.
-MR. BURNS

Veins

Demo

Step Forward

S/T

Deathrats

S/T
Give Up

Weekend Nachos Interview 2012

Happy Halloween Everybody! here's a Weekend Nachos/Spine Update w/ snyder. interviews with to the point, mindset and sex prisoner are up next/in the works.

How's the spine tour coming along?
 
the Spine tour actually just ended last night...it was fucking great! it was our 1st real tour besides just a weekend so we weren't sure what to expect but it turned out awesome. some of the "bigger" shows were D.C. and Boston, lots of people were there and we got a great response, i couldn't believe it. for Spine to be able to visit those cities for the first time ever and be received so well is almost unheard of when a band is first starting out, we felt lucky as shit to be able to experience such a thing.

Are you guys happy on how the to the spine 7" came out?

Definitely, it came out great. the layout looks good, the covers were printed well, the record sounds really good too, our friend Mike/Mark recorded it. I put it out on my new label Bad Teeth Recordings so I'm still getting used to distribution and webstores and all that nonsense.

Is bad teeth releasing anything else?

I hope to!!! right now money is tight, i am still trying to break even with the Spine record and that takes a verrrry long time when a band is new and not hyped or anything. but things will be okay, i plan on doing my label for the rest of my life if i can! i'll never make any money doing it, at least i don't think, but whenever the funds present themselves, i'll put out more records for sure!

Why did you decide to release the spine 7" on bad teeth instead of tooth decay?

well, Tooth Decay was a label i did with my friend Nick and we decided years ago not to use that name any more. he has his own label now Cowabunga Records and now i have my own again...working together was cool but i am glad to do my own thing. i like knowing that the label is 100% mine and no one else's, it's just the way i am.

Lets get to the nitty gritty, the new weekend nachos single "watch you suffer" when can we expect a song to drop?

it's undecided, because we have the 2 songs recorded for the single but we do not know when we should let everybody hear it, haha. we are thinking Dec. 1st is when everybody will get to hear the new jam. it's going to appear on our full-length in 2013 so we're really hoping that this 7" single on A389 will hype that up a little bit and give people a small taste of what's to come. i'm ridiculously fucking excited about this new LP, it's our best work for sure.

When will you guys be writing the new lp?

we are in the process of writing it now...we got about 4 songs that we're pretty happy with, it just takes time. i can't give a definite answer as to when we'll be finished and ready to record, but that's a good thing, it means we're really working hard and not rushing anything. the WN supporters will have to just wait and see.

Are you excited to be playing with INFEST at maryland death fest?

to be honest, i'm more excited to play with CARCASS, does that make me a true hardcore poseur? obviously if it does, i don't care. Carcass is one of my favorite bands of all time, i really am just looking forward to seeing them without clearing my entire bank account to make it happen. i am very lucky to be able to travel with my band to go to this show and see a bunch of bands that i like.

Rumors about playing with INFEST down here in LA in the spring, confirm/deny?

how the fuck did you hear about that? my answer to this question is that Rocky V is very underrated and should be appreciated more as a legitimate part of the series. i think a lot of people feel that the 5th one isn't good and they're incorrect about that.

Last words?

yeah, everybody stay true to what they believe hardcore is about because only you can decide what that may be... the fashions, the records, the shows, the zines, the drama, the messageboards, etc. are all just filler. let the hardcore community help you understand yourself before you try to understand the hardcore community cuz that's all that really matters in the end. look out for "WATCH YOU SUFFER" in January on A389. don't fight at shows.

Cold World Interview 2012

Interview with Nic Woj. "Here’s a brand new COLD WORLD interview. Pretty in-depth w/info on our new LP and all other types of ill shit." -CW, SEX PRISONER up next.

How did CW start?

Dan, Alex and I were in a band together called Magnus years ago and
after that Alex was in Frostbite for a little. Since then, none of use have
done a real band so we had the itch. We recruited Dave Foster, who also was
in Frostbite towards the end, and figured out how we wanted to sound and
went from there. At the time, Alex and I lived in Philly while Dave and Dan
lived in Wilkes-Barre. We'd practice pretty much every week, usually in Philly.

What influenced you guys?

While the hardcore scene was definitely fun at the time, there certainly
wasn't anything that really sounded like what we wanted to do. I think that void inspired us mostly. We loved bands like Life of Agony, Leeway and Biohazard and no one was really doing that at the time. Not that we wanted to sound exactly like those bands but we liked the crossover vibe. We wanted to appeal to all the different walks of life within the scene. In the end I'm not sure it worked out that way but it was definitely a goal of ours. I remember Alex only wanted to make XL and XXL shirts at first! But less specifically, I'd say coming up in the Wilkes-Barre hardcore scene was the biggest influence on CW. It was the kind of scene where people were always trying to do something different (for better or worse) and that probably has a lot to do with why we thought nothing of incorporating hip-hop elements into our sound.

Whats the background on the ice grillz 7"?

Ice Grillz was our second 7". Our first was a self-titled on Walk All Night Records. I think it was a solid release but I don't think we really discovered our whole sound until Ice Grillz. I remember writing a lot of Ice Grillz in Alex's basement and being really psyched on what we were coming up with. I specifically remember writing "Copernicus" one day. At the time, we thought that intro was so long and ignorant. It doesn't really seem that way now. Anyways, Greg asked us to do the record on Lockin Out and it was a no-brainer. We recorded the first 7" with Don Fury and we were pretty much happy with how it came out so we went back to do "Ice Grillz" with him. He said he wasn't happy with how the first record came out so he went harder and paid more attention to things on this go round and I think it really shows when you play the records back to back.

What got you into hc and hip hop?

Hip-hop was my first musical love and that was very early on. Like 6-7 years old. I stuck with it even through getting into metal, punk and other kinds of music. I didn't really get into hardcore until probably 94-95. My first punk show was when I was in 6th grade and lived in FL. A friend took me to see Ill Repute. Soon after, there was a death in my family and I had to move back to Wilkes-Barre so that stunted my getting into going to shows. Where I lived wasn't very cultured. There were no skaters, punkers or anything of the sort in my high school. I've never realized it until right now but my friend Jarrod and I were literally the first kids in our high school to get into punk and skateboarding. Bobb Mac from Walk All Night Records was the first wagger of our high school, but that was a couple grades ahead of us and he had transferred to a Catholic School uptown by the time we were there. He was there for my first year actually and I remember him handing me down a really ill Tommy Hilfiger lumberjack coat and his sketchy friend Gary Moore showing me the "weed plant" he had growing in his locker (it was literally one tiny sprout in a dixie cup). Anyways, after becoming full-fledged "skaters", Jarrod and I got into going to local punk/hc shows soon after. We would get dropped off in Wilkes-Barre on weekends and skate with our friends, hang out at the mall and go to shows. One of the first good shows I remember going to was Both Worlds at Sea Seas. I also remember seeing local bands like Burial Ground and Bedford at various fire halls and places like the Mantis Green and Cafe Metropolis. Northwest High School's notorious first wigger soon found his way into hardcore and we started rolling with him. Bobb was older and drove, so we were partaking in all the 90s hardcore/wigger activities like writing graffiti, skating all night and other mischief. There was also an older dude from my high school named Len who drove us to shows a lot but he wasn't that into hardcore, he was more into punk stuff like Bad Religion and Propaghandi. He was pretty into the Wilkes-Barre political straight-edge scene stuff though so he'd take us to any of those shows. i remember him giving me a SOIA tape and an Insted cd saying he tried to get into them but he couldn't get past the cheesy lyrics. I played drums from an early age so I ended up starting a band with my friends Gary, Nate and Eric from high school. We were mostly influenced by 90s Victory stuff but I was into "old school" stuff and Nate was really into death metal so we put those influences in as well.

How did you enjoy your tour with backtrack, dead end path and expire?

It was chill I guess. I dunno.

What did you guys think of your west coast shows?

They were really slammin. I specifically remember the show at Alladdin Jr's because it was packed with tons of kids and people really went ham and the show in Oakland cause of this cute chick with half red and half black hair in a Giants tee. I used to not really fuck with Cali but I've recently made some friends out there (shouts to Soul Seach & Julian) and have been seeing it in a different light.

When can we expect you guys back in cali/los angeles?

I'm not sure man. Unfortunately not soon enough. Dan lives in England now so it's hard for us to do shows unless it's a big tour or fest, which kills us because we used to love just doing our own thing. Fests are cool I guess but you lose that sense of intimacy that comes with regular-sized hc shows. We have a new album coming out early next year so hopefully we'll be able to do a tour to support it and we'd definitely come out for that.

Did you spit your game at that cute girl?

Man, I have no game to spit. 

Speaking of the new lp when is it coming out and what label is releasing it?

Hopefully it's coming out early 2013 and Deathwish is putting it out. I really like how it's coming out and I think it may end up being the Cold World record that I'm most proud of. We did a decent amount of exploring how far we can take our sound and we have guest spots from Kool G Rap and Meyhem Lauren. 

Any more chelsea girl jams coming out soon?

Parts Unknown is putting out a tape of the material I have so far. I think it's 7 songs and it's getting made in the next month or so. I'm not sure what I'm doing next with the project but there will definitely be more material in the future because I really enjoy making those songs. It's cool doing something that's all you and the material reflects my feelings and personality way more than and hardcore band could. I'm a major creative contributor in Cold World but when it comes down to it I'm just the drummer. Even though I write all the lyrics, I write them to be delivered through Dan so the material has to be something that makes sense and something he's comfortable with.

How do you get into DJ mode? and how did you come up with the reign supreme DJ song for their DEFIANT single?

i was in dj mode since high school. My friend Jeff and I just got into it and would spin records and learn scratches, mixing and different techniques every day after school. We eventually got into making beats and just kind of learned together. I already knew how to spin and make beats a

little so I taught him what I knew and we both learned from there on. Robby Redcheeks is a friend of mine and he put that RS record out. He wanted to make it look like a DJ 12" single and have a hip-hop intro so he hit me up. It was a beat I had laying around and i threw some cuts that said "Reign Supreme" on it.

whats "can it be so simple" about?

It's basically just about living and dying and looking at what you did in your life. It's pretty basic lyrically and definitely has an existential side to it as far as questioning if there's a spiritual side to life and if you're going to get judged for what you've done. Personally, I don't think so but that's something everyone thinks about.

favorite hip hop artist?

That's really tough! My favorite rapper is probably Kool G Rap, but as far as records go, Eric B & Rakim have probably had the most impact on me from a young age. I'd have to mention Mobb Deep and Raekwon as well. I don't really have a straight-up favorite anything besides The Smiths/Morrissey.

what do you think of this song? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsFGZkgWO-Y

It's pretty good. Khrysis is a name I know for sure. I think he's connected to the whole Little Brother/NC scene right? He's cool but the whole 9th wonder style gets a little repetitive for me. That drum pattern they always use gets kind of boring.  But yeah, it's alright haha

What about big L and ghost face killa? hahaha (i mentioned GFK cause of Raekwon and big L cause hes fucking tight)

I obviously love Ghost and Big L and that's why I said it's so hard to pick a "favorite". I also try to seperate best from favorite. Certain rappers can "outrap" other rappers but that doesn't mean I enjoy their music more. East coast 90's hip-hop is the illest. Nothing can touch it and there's so many artists with classic albums that it gets rough to put them against one another.

Hows was your japan tour?

Japan is amazing and I can't wait to go back. I think about it all the time. It was cool to go record shopping and be able to get GISM and Death Side records and stuff like that. I got some Robotech and Gundam shit as well as some ill sneakers. It's the mecca of cool shit. We made a lot of great friends there as well. Tome from Bowlhead Records, Senta, everyone in Numb, Fight It Out, Sand, Creepout & my homie Katsu who does a great clothing company called Winiche & CO.

What current hardcore bands do you support?

Honestly hardcore is pretty wack to me right now but I think it's just because I'm getting older. My favorite bands now are Soul Search and Stick Together. I support all my friends bands like Beware, Build and Destroy, Free Spirit, Dead End Path, World War 4 etc. There's not too much getting me excited though. I can't really relate to much of the lyrics. Every other band has lyrics like "be yourself!" or whatever and that's cool but how many times can bands say that shit and why the fuck do I wanna be myself? I hate myself. The last thing people want me to be is myself, believe me. I've been myself for a while and it still hasn't done much for me. It seems like the only bands that have interesting lyrics and stuff aren't included in the regular hardcore scene, it's always some left field shit which is cool for them but that's not really what I'm into. Regular hardcore is going to suck probably forever now because kids get into it through either pop punk or Alternative Press shit. With that said, my opinion means nothing. The shit I thought was so great when I was young was probably shitty too, it's just that hardcore is such a time and a place thing. It's also extremely subjective considering in the grand scheme of music there's not much difference between one hardcore band and the next. So don't take my criticism (or anyone else's) too serious.

Ok nic last words?

Thanks for the interview, Alex. Our new album will be out sooner or later and in the mean time please check out the stuff we're doing on the side. Build and Destroy, Gypsy, Pegasus, RZL DZL etc. Also check www.coldworldhardcore.tumblr and the CW myspace for all the dj mixes I put up. I put them up frequently and I do a range of different mixes from hip-hop to grime to house to uk garage. Hopefully something for everyone.

Rape Revenge Interview 2012

First Off i would like to say that RxR is a fucking awesome band and most of all, awesome people. i got to talk with Samantha, Jessey and the rest of the dudes at one of their L.A shows a couple of months ago and it was a blast. everyone should most definitely check them out. cool tunes cooler people. if you get a chance to check them out grab the 7" and have a nice chat with them. you can listen to the "PAPER CAGE" EP on their bandcamp  Rape Revenge Bandcamp
Interview with Samantha.

Hi Alex,

We did get home alright! It was actually a shock to me that our van made it.  Tour was amazing! Thanks for the rad chats we had.  Here are my answers:

How did rape revenge start and why?

Rape Revenge started with me and Matt almost 3 years ago.  We wanted to make a band that was aggressive, in your face, and feminist as fuck.

First show and how did it go?

Oh man... our first show was at this weird all ages venue called The New Black with a bunch of bands I don't even remember.  Our drummer at the time showed up super late, had to borrow a ton of gear and was just generally a total jerk.  We kicked him out shortly after the show becuase he kept cancelling practice to go drink wtih friends.  This was before we decided to form a straight edge member'd band.  I think we did ok though, for a first show.  It was just exciting to be screaming in people's faces.

What bands influenced you guys musically? and what influences you lyrically?

Personally I am really inspired by any other women identified singers.  The band Hysterics blows my fucking mind, same with Deathrats when they were around.  I really love Limp Wrist too, and am a huge fan of Thou.  I like doomy hardcore and a lot of sludge bands, so I am always trying to bring that into the mix.  Lyrically my roots are in krust because that is where I first started and where I read the most politically inspiring stuff, like with Crass or Poison Girls or Initial State. 

What happened to the other female members of RR?

The other women in Rape Revenge lost interest, didn't want to be as dedicated (ie. practice regularly, play shows, go on more tours), and just weren't feeling the music anymore.  It was mutually agreed that they would no longer be in the band.  They both are incredibly talented musicians, both of them play in this awesome band called The Shrapnelles, Arielle is in The Throwaways who are one of the best bands in Calgary and Gwen is always starting new fun bands.  It is really unfortunate it didn't work out with them, but I think it was the right choice for everyone involved. 

Matt and I struggled for a long time, trying to find women identified members to join Rape Revenge.  We live in Calgary AB, we play a really specific underground type of music, we wanted women who were stoked on not just what this band is about but in for all the places we wanted to take this project.  It became a choice between adding man identified members who were everything we were looking for besides the gender we wanted, or not playing shows anymore.  I know Matt is still pretty upset about the fact that there are no other women.  After a tour with 3 men I am also feeling it's time to start playing music with women again.  That said, I am still really grateful for Jesse and Ethan's contributions to this band and am very glad they joined Rape Revenge because they really believe in this project.

How did you get asked to do a 7" by will from to live a lie?

We asked him! He ordered a tape and our original 7" and I was stoked because he has released some of my favorite records.  We are really lucky to have had a few labels contact us and offer to do a release, so we got to really make our own choice.  We also were burned pretty hard by our past label and so we wanted someone to put out our record who had a few releases under their belt, who would really have our backs and be open and fair with us, and Will seemed to be all of that.  It's been totally awesome working with Will.  I am still kind of blown away that someone will pay to put out a record I make!

Paper Cage is out, so how has the reception been like?

Really great! We are super grateful for all the support.   I personally think this record is more aggressive, more full, and still raw and furious, so it is great to hear similar reactions and know we are creating the effect we intended.

Any new materiel in the works?

Yes! We wrote a few new songs before leaving for tour.  One is called Safe and Soundless and it's about women's experience of agoraphobia.  I am really proud of this song.  It was our FIRST song that just arose out of a free jam.  Most of our songs have bee written in this sort of cold and calculated way, like Jesse will bring a riff and we will be like "ok, play it faster, take away all the major notes, and don't let it groove at all.  Oh and play it once instead of 8 times".  But then one jam Ethan was just busting out a riff and Jesse did all this cool noise over it and we went with it.   We also wrote a few other songs, one about how being straight edge isn't about protecting myself from rape.  It's not a women's fault she is drunk when she is raped, it's the man who raped her's fault for raping someone.  Women have a right to choose to use drugs or alcohol and still be safe.  Anyway, we will be writing a new album in the next few months and already have a few songs in the works!

What did you guys think of your L.A. shows? and California? oh and meeting us haha

Our show at Corazon Del Pueblo got shut down by the cops, which fucking sucked.  But it was amazing before then.  The band that opened, Agowilt, blew my fucking mind.  Yay primitivist punks!!!  The space itself was very inspiring.

The LA House show was really awesome, super intimate and like the house shows we play here.  La Bella is such an incredible band and it was so nice to play a show with them again (we played with them at New Directions Fest in Olympia). 

Meeting you was really great!

What did you guys think of the entire west coast tour? and how did you guys spend it while not playing shows?

The tour was so fun! It is really nice to see new places and learn from different communities.  In Calgary, our shows are like 99% white straight dudes, and so it was really exciting and awesome to be at shows with tons of people of color, more women and queers, and just feel... at home.  People were incredibly kind and welcoming to us, which was very nice.

When we weren't playing shows, we were stuffing our faces with vegan food.  We don't get much of that in Calgary, so we hit up a lot of awesome restaurants.  We were also at some record stores, books stores, doing stupid buying related shit.  We also went for lots of swims in lakes and rivers and had really awesome hang outs with people! In Redding I jumped off this old abandoned car bridge into the coldest river of my life.  It was so scary and awesome!

When can we see you guys down here again?

Hopefully soon!

Bands you support?

Local bands from Calgary:
Brain Fever
Lab Rat
Tel Fyr
Apologist
Gummers

Non-Local:
La Bella
Hysterics
Agatha
Ahna
Violent Restitution
Vile Intent
Stress Relief

Last words?

Thank you very much for doing the interview with us! We really appreciate the support.  If people want to get in touch they can email us at raperevengeband@riseup.net or they can check out our tumblr at raperevengeband.tumblr.com

Homewrecker

Portrait Of Nothing
The Love Below / Homewrecker Split
Worms And Dirt