designing positive change
jump to band: honeychild coleman / rival squad / keith freeman / rebelmatic / soul glo / wacko / the house opinion / no more moments / spew / the bollweevils / shiiva
Honeychild Coleman // unedited interview
written interview via email // spring 2023
how have your intersecting identities shaped your experience in the punk scene?I never fully felt a part of any punk scene until we formed our own with The Sistagrrl Riots. The beauty of the community we built made room for everyone to come as they are, all different styles, united by heavy guitar based music, and all bands fronted by black femmes. It was extremely liberating and once you have that, it becomes harder to tolerate other non-inclusive or problematic scenes in my opinion. During this time I was already meeting other bands like Lionel Rocks and Mascara playing at NYC's only lesbian / womxn run venue, Meow Mix. And I was hanging out at Max Fish, on the edge of the LES skateboarding scene which also overlapped a bit with the Liquid Sky / DrumNBass DJ scene (where I also performed). Many years later when Max Fish re-opened in their new location it felt like the perfect home for the monthly residency started by my band The 1865, Rebelmatic and MAAFA, "The Rock House". It had the vibe of being a basement party, with a nice blend of loyal regulars and a walk in crowd. Once the pandemic hit, Rebelmatic brought that energy to the renegade pop-up shows on the street, and a fresh crop of younger punks started turning up mixed with folks from the neighborhood as well as people just biking or driving by. We set up tables, sold merch, connected with folks, and danced together outside. All of these things encompassed what I feel belonging to a scene is all about.
what type of impact do you feel you’ve had, or hope to have, within the scene? I feel honored and privileged to still be actively creating and performing - and to witness younger bands and people seeing what we are doing, and hopefully feeling empowered to get outside of their comfort zones. Being of Punk Auntie status in the community (AKA "over 30") it's cool to hear younger bands and people talking about the Sistagrrl Riots, finding The 1865, and listening to the music of other bands in our community.
What people or ideas have impacted your thinking, creativity, or approach to living your life? Jospehine Baker and Nina Simone (fearlessness), Zora Neale Hurston (wordsmith and adventure), Grace Jones (everything she does), Judy Nylon (inclusivity, timeless),
what types of ideas, subjects, or values have you tried to focus on through your music? I love utilizing music and art to express stories of authentic experiences - good and bad. And to speak on the climate of the times we are living through. Subjects include class issues, gender issues, racial tension, love dynamics and historical incidents that we have witnessed or lived through as black folks in the U.S.
what is your message to young Black girls and femmes who feel as if they can’t express their authentic selves? I understand that sometimes it's dangerous to fully BE yourself in volatile environments, and experienced that feeling of being "the only one" even when you have friends and family who are accepting of you. Strive to find a way to share your story and connect with people - even if they are in another city, state or country. Your voice is valid and NEEDED.
how would you describe your own development as an artist and the transition towards your own voice? I began making art and music to have fun, got more serious as I began to study my craft, grew extremely serious and lost some of the fun as my focus and ambitions shifted, found my true mission inner voice, and regained the fun aspect along the way. There is no one way to find your journey - you just have to stay on your path.
any other Black femmes that fit into the scope of this project that others should know about? Militia Vox, Madame St.Beatrice, Universe Ignore Her, Nicole Daniels (band: Low Presh), Gerilyn Hayes (BondBreaker), original CBGBs punk Felice Rosser (Faith NYC)
Rival Squad // unedited interview
written interview via instagram // nov/dec, 2022
note: the full interview below is in english. rival squad were kind enough to provide spanish translations for the highlights we included in the instagram feature post.
¿Qué tipo de impacto sientes que has tenido, o esperas tener, dentro de la escena?Nos propusimos nunca poner en peligro a nuestros fans. Ya sea rechazando lugares que tienen abusadores conocidos o informando a las personas que hablen con nosotros si les sucede algo a ellos o a alguien que conocen para que podamos solucionar el problema y asegurarnos de que no vuelva a suceder. Después de un incidente en uno de nuestros shows, trajimos armas de autodefensa y se las regalamos a las chicas presentes. Creemos en empoderar a las jóvenes de hoy para que dejemos de ser víctimas en el futuro.
¿Qué personas o ideas han impactado su pensamiento, creatividad o enfoque para vivir su vida?Intentar hacer todo el bien y ayudar a tantas personas como pueda. No hagas daño, pero no te dejes pisotear.
¿En qué tipos de ideas, temas o valores has tratado de enfocarte a través de tu música?Damos luz a los problemas sociales en México y los Estados Unidos. Hablamos sobre el efecto del gobierno corrupto, el capitalismo y el cambio climático. Tocamos temas como la depresión porque vivir en el mundo de hoy es emocionalmente agotador. Sé que la gente a veces se pierde en el pensamiento nihilista y en la actitud de "Me vale madre", pero queremos demostrar que sí te debería importar. Esperamos a tener a la gente enojada e inspirada.
¿Cuál es su mensaje para los jóvenes de color que sienten que no pueden expresarse de forma auténtica?Nuestro mensaje para las personas de color sería que dejen de disculparse por ocupar espacio. Dejar de pensar que nuestras historias no importan. Alguien en algún lugar se identificará contigo y te agradecerá por publicar tu trabajo. Creo que muchas veces estamos esperando que alguien diga algo que sentimos y necesitamos ser esa inspiración para que otros sigan.
english translation:
how has your experience been, existing as both a latino/x and punk? any positive or negative experiences within the scene that have shaped you?We weren’t safe or exempt from gang bangers back in the day. Growing up was tough. Lost many friends to the streets and gang violence. We are glad we found an escape in the punk community even if punks had their own gangs.
what type of impact do you feel you’ve had, or hope to have, within the scene? We made it a point to never bring our fans into harm's way. Whether it’s rejecting venues that have known abusers or letting people know to talk to us if something happens to them or someone they know so we can take care of the issue or make sure it doesn’t happen again. After an incident at one of our shows, we brought weapons of self defense and gave them away to the girls in the crowd. We believe in empowering the young girls of today so we stop being victimized in the future.
What people or ideas have impacted your thinking, creativity, or approach to living your life? I’ve never really had any role models or idols. Just winging life. I try to dive into things and try not to dwell on what others may think. Try to do as much good and help as many people as I can. Do no harm but take no shit.
what types of ideas, subjects, or values have you tried to focus on through your music? Our music is very political. We shed light on social issues in Mexico and the U.S. We often talk about the effect of corrupt government, capitalism and climate change. We touch issues such as depression because living in today's world is emotionally draining. I know people often get lost in nihilistic thinking and in the whole “I don't give a fuck” attitude but we want to show that you should give a fuck. We hope to keep people mad and inspired.
what is your message to young people of color who feel as if they can’t express their authentic selves?Our message to people of color would be to stop being apologetic for taking up space. To stop thinking that our stories don’t matter. Someone somewhere will relate to you and will thank you for putting your work out there. I think a lot of time we are waiting for someone to say something we feel and we need to be that inspiration for others to follow.
Keith Freeman // unedited interview
live interview after a Restraining Order show // oct 4, 2022
So first question. I'm curious about your experience at the intersection of being Black, being punk. Has that been a good thing, a bad thing?It's been cool.
how do you feel like it is having a foot in both those worlds?Do you mean like right now?
Yeah, I think it could be now or growing up or whatever. It can shift from year to year.Growing up, it was a little weird because I grew up in a household that always viewed the kind of music I was into as not the standard, stuff that black people listen to. Like, “Oh, why are you listening to that White boy stuff?” And it's just music I like. So I had to deal with it from my parents, I mean, my family, which was not to like a really annoying extent, but it was always annoying just to hear it every now and again because you're just expected to fit this mold of just like being like, rap, and dressing the part and stuff like that.
Yeah, it's part of the expected culture.Yeah, but it's like, I like hip-hop, I like R&B and stuff growing up too, but I also like rock music too. So getting into hardcore is weird because when I first started going to shows, I had this friend Trey who I met because I used to be into arcades and video games and stuff like that every weekend, and I met him through that. And my first or second show I saw him there because that was his first and second show. So we just linked up and me and him are like the two new Black kids at shows and everybody was really cool to us in my area. I'm in New England, so it's pretty laid back. I'm from Springfield, Mass which is like probably the biggest city in western Mass. It's very diverse, a really big Puerto Rican population, Black people, everybody. So I never really dealt with -- at least I never noticed it, but I never dealt with racism or anything even going to shows. The only thing which is obviously I was one of very few black people at shows. There was a couple of older people that were that I kind of looked up to. I never told him that. In my head, I'm like, oh, this is cool. It's not just me kind of thing. It's a lot different now because it's very inclusive. There's a lot of people color doing bands. I see shows. Even our friends, like Aria, who’s filling in for us [as Restraining Order guitarist], he’s a person of color. So it's like, it's just normal.
Do you think that that has been influenced by larger cultural shifts or do you think it's always-- I don't know, I'm curious. What's driving what?Yeah, it's weird. I think, honestly, I don't know. I don't know when that shift happened. I know there's like certain – usually in pop culture, whenever a rapper or an R&B artist or anybody kind of changes their dress style because obviously a lot of kids look up to these icons, they'll start wearing. I know it's taboo to wear skinny pants or skinny jeans growing up, even though that's kind of like the staple of punk and hardcore and stuff like that. But a lot of people's like, “oh, you're dressing like a girl” or something like that. But when Chris Brown or somebody in hip hop started doing it, he just caught a little flak in the beginning and everybody just started doing their own thing. So it's probably the pop culture artists like Lupe Fiasco or Lil Wayne or something, they started dressing differently. And maybe people just started to think, "Oh, yeah, I can just kind of be myself a little bit more." So what I think is, a lot of people are afraid to do what they want to do because of always people trying to fit you into this moral expectation. And now when they see popular people doing it, they're just like, "All right. I want to do it."
Yeah, you kind of feel like you get permission in some implicit way, maybe,But in hardcore? I honestly don't know. I just think those kids-- those kids that did that, However they discovered hardcore, they just gravitated towards it and was just like, "Oh, this is cool." And then they see another person of color and say like, "Oh, this is cool. I can do this, too." And it's kind of just a domino effect over time.
Yeah, that's awesome. What kind of influence do you feel like you're having being in the band, being in the scene that you've been or that you hope to have?Well, I hope people see me kind of in the same way. I mean, obviously, I'm no famous icon or anything, but--
But you're on stage.yeah. A kid going to a show and seeing me up there and being like, "Oh, wow. He's Black and playing in a band like this and that's really cool." When I was young going to shows, whenever I saw somebody, a person of color in the band, I always said things like, "I'm going to back this band no matter what. Even if musically, I don't like it. This is sick. I'm just going to back it." It was just kind of an unwritten code of conduct kind of thing that's going on. We would give a nod or like, "Yo, what's up?" We're immediately always friendly to one another just because we're such a-- it was such a rare thing. I don't know. I just hope that people see us and see me and just know they can just do what-- do what you want. Who cares if you don't fit a stereotype? Who cares?
What types of ideas or subjects or values have you tried to focus on in your music? I don't know if you work on lyrics or--?I don't. I used to sing in a band called Violence To Fade. More of a New York-style band from 2012 to 2017. And I wrote all the lyrics. And it was pretty much everything that I felt inside. Treating people like humans, because I'm very about seeing things, but from the perspective, though, that person has a family, has a life, has their own – people are so quick to judge and just be mean to other people, and it's – you don't know what that person is going through. You don't know anything about them. They have a family. They have brothers and sisters. So I wrote pretty much all humanitarian-type lyrics that I'm into. I let it all out with that band. For Restraining Order, it's all Pat. He does everything. So I can't really say, but he's along the same lines. All the stuff that he's feeling.
Yeah. You kind of touched on this already, but what would you say to young people of color? Kids that come to shows that feel like they can't express their authentic selves? It sounds like you've sort of been there with your situation with your parents early on, at least.Yeah. I feel nowadays it's way easier. I don't know how it is to be a person of color, a young person of color now. I know back then it was very hard just because no matter where you went, somebody was always saying something. I had my niche group of friends that were just-- we just did our thing. But I would just say-- especially now more than ever, it's so much easier to just do it and be yourself. Don't let anything hold you back. If you want to play guitar in a rock band? If you want to do hip-hop? You want to do-- whatever you want to do, do it. Dress however you want. You don't have to fit this mold to live your life. Don't be afraid. Because I was when I was growing up, it took me a while to really be where I am. And I'm not even already-- I'm not even all the way there. There's certain things I still get anxious about. I'm not perfect, but it's just work in progress. Try to be yourself as best as possible. And it's cool to have friends or other bands or people to look up to that you can see them and say, "They're doing it. Why can't I?" Kind of thing.
That's the cool thing, like you mentioned earlier, with the increasing diversity, it's easier to find those people out there that have been the trailblazers and like, "Oh, yeah, they look like me. And I feel like I can easily follow in those footsteps."My world is mostly hardcore and it's like, you got bands, like Move and like, Zulu, and Buggin’ and they're doing exactly that, you know what I mean? They're just like, we're just going to do our thing and if you have something to say about it, they're just like, “We don't care. Get over it. Deal with it.”
How would you describe your own development as an artist, as a musician, and your transition toward that voice? You said you're still kind of a work in progress, but...Yeah. So when I got into hardcore, I was very into the whole youth crew type stuff, which is, like, very positive energy. I was very a positive thinking. Even with my bands later on, even now, I'm not the same person, but at the same time, it helped me; that and different bands, like, listening to different bands helped me realize, gain more confidence. And the longer I've been in the scene, the more I notice more people of color coming into it and doing things. It's cool. I would say I kind of forgot the question again. [laughter]
To your own development as an artist, originally, being influenced by youth crew stuff and positivity?Yeah, I played guitar for a year and then I switched to bass. And thankfully, the group of people that I've been with, the Restraining Order guys – the drummer, Will, we've been in bands since 2007 together. So I just surround myself with people that are accepting and want me to create with them because they acknowledge that, "Oh yeah, he's really passionate about playing bass." I was not good in the beginning and we just keep at it, and then eventually I'm like, "I want to be in a band, I want to sing in a band because I got stuff to say." I went through that, did all everything I had to say, and then we broke up and then another project. Keep it going.
Keeping it at it. That's cool that you found people that are supportive in that way.Yeah. Like I've never had to really deal with any kind of prejudice or racism, really. Not on an extreme level. Maybe just like, subtle things that would bum me out, like, “Oh, yeah, there was a black kid at the show.” Like, that kind of thing that got kind of annoying. But that's not a thing anymore, usually – at least in the Northeast. It’s very diverse.
Yeah. That's great. So any other artists or bands that we should know about that kind of fit the mold of this project? You mentioned a few earlier that those are big ones.Yeah.
Still working on those...Yeah. Yeah, Corey would definitely be down. He's a good friend of mine; in MOVE, the singer. I just saw him, actually, last weekend. He's also grew up through hardcore and stuff, like, one of the very few....[poc folks] He's a little bit more-- see, I'm not very, like, activisty, you know what I mean? I kind of just keep to myself. I'm not very outspoken in that sense, which I know could be a good or bad thing, depending on who you ask. But he's a little bit more outspoken about it. So he's definitely one that I'm sure a lot of kids look up to people because he's definitely, like, very--
He puts it out there. Yeah.Yeah, he puts it out there. I’m trying to think. There are so many bands right now. I know you said you did Soul Glo a couple of weeks ago. I don't know any of them, but…
Yeah. They’re pretty amazing.I just met some of Zulu because we played with them in Europe. They're cool.
Do you know the guys in Minority Threat?No, I don't.
From Ohio?No, I know about them.
They're pretty awesome.One of my other bands, Maniac. We played a show in Columbus with one of the dude in Minority Threat’s other bands, because using more of, like, a metal band. So I think I'm still friends with him on social media or something. But, yeah, I remember them. I thought there was a band from California. It was like a lot of Mexican guys called Minority Unit that’s friends with them.
Okay. That's awesome.They honestly were like-- I don't know if you remember them, but they kind of set the bar, too. They were just a bunch of dudes in Southern California. And they started a band that's kind of like a groovy New York style band called Minority Unit. And they had all their friends do different parts, and they were all Mexican and very like – I remember loving that when it came out. I was just like, "Yes!” I was all about it.
They're not still together then?No, they're kind of short lived. I never even got to see them, sadly. Yeah, they're awesome. But for me, it wasn't any particular band where everybody was a person of color. It was just like, "Oh, that drummer."
I like that band The First Step a lot. They're from North Carolina. Very important band, to me, lyrically. And their drummer, he's my friend now. I remember seeing him and saying, "Oh, that's so sick."
All kinds of bands, even, like, older bands, like Burn from New York.
Rebelmatic // unedited interview
Remote video interview with Creature, vocalist for Rebelmatic
So I'll just kind of jump in here. The first one that we've been asking is, what has your experience been existing at the intersection of punk and hardcore and being African American, and particularly with you, like, with your Muslim the Muslim background, what's been your experience been at that kind of intersection? Have there been any positive or negative experiences that have shaped you in any way existing above those worlds?Well, that's a full question. I'm going to try and articulate the best way possible. So I started in hardcore. I was in a band about 1989 in high school and start going to shows and stuff and getting interested in the music and listening. It's hard to go back, but I'm just trying to give a back story. So probably right now I think it's vibrant. I think it's real vibrant. I think it's for black folks, African Americans, and people involved in it of all genders and all and how to present themselves in different ways. I think there's a lot more representation. I think growing up, I saw bad brains and I saw representation. I see shock, I see a couple of other people, but I had a lot of positive experiences [in the scene] and then I had negative experience in my high school Battle of Bands. There were kids chanting Nigga go home. And I grew up in Queens. I didn't grow up in like I didn't grow up in the Deep South. I went to high school in the suburbs. But it wasn't that. It was different. A bunch of different ethnic groups there.
So I've experienced macro and microaggressions over white supremacy [put this statement with the above statements] premises. The cost of comparison to Bad Rains, which I think a lot of black punk groups get HR about us. So I guess that perpetuates it. But I don't know. I mean, I think the whole ethos as far as growing up Muslim-- my core values I didn't get from punk. My core values I got from how I grew up. You know what I mean? But punk helped shape me in a lot of other ways, being a grown up Muslim, trying to tell me to do it yourself, which kind of aligns with punk, doing it yourself and a lot of that whole DIY ethos. We definitely embraced that DIY ethos. And actually DIY actually becomes independent, becomes do it yourself, becomes do it together. Do it yourself until you can do it together with like-minded people. Independent becomes interdependent, actually, when you start thinking about it, and it really starts growing more. But the whole just-- I love that aspect of punk, just doing it, learning. If you don't play well, just getting in and starting and getting better as you go.
So I love that aspect of it. There are so many experiences, dude. It's hard to just-- I feel like [inaudible] do it. Really, it's a lot. But overall, in the space I'm in right now, I'm in a healing space. So I'm in a great space. So right now, for me-- I mean, we've been touring so much. We've been playing since the pandemic, September 2020 to now. We played over 120 something shows. So for me personally, I'm thriving. I'm feeling great. We did about 34 pop-up shows during the pandemic. We just got off tour not even a couple of days ago. So I'm in a great space. But when I go back, I could definitely look and be like, "Ugh." There were some great stuff. There were some ugly stuff. It's still some wacky shit, but I'm kind of focused on the positive right now, really just [inaudible].
I appreciate that. I think that's amazing. I'm super glad to hear it. We always want people to be in a positive and healing mode. Right? You mentioned seeing yourself in Bad Brains or earlier bands. Can you describe that? Pinpoint that a little bit more, what that feeling was like early on when you saw people like you that were up there just doing it, like you said.L'Amour, Brooklyn. I'd just gotten out of the hospital for my appendix, and I remember clearly I still had stitches in my stomach. Me and a couple of my friends were supposed to go. I already bought my ticket. They didn't buy their ticket. They went, "I'm not going." I went by myself. I'm from Corona, Queens. The [inaudible] was in Bay Ridges. Bensonhurst was a predominantly Thai neighborhood. I went by myself, 16 years old, to see Bad Brains. Life changing. Scary, but life changing. Prior to that, before even the hardcore, I was into metal and Metallica and all the thrash stuff and stuff like that. I remember hearing Living Colour, actually. That's when Cult of Personality came out. That was popular. And I dug it, but Bad Brains spoke to me more [than Living Colour] because I was into hardcore, and I just thought it was more raw. So hearing it first, it was like, "Yo." My friend was like, "Yo, you got to check out this band. Four brothers in the roster. They're from DC. They're incredible." I was like, "Oh, shit." It blew my mind. The lyric to this day that still resonates for me is, "To the youth, we're saying it right now. Don't sway to the unjust, no matter what they say. Never give in. Never give in." 16-year-old me heard that, and that still to this day resonates with me. So seeing them visually and seeing HR specifically, but seeing them visually was like, "Oh, shit, I could do this." And I just felt like they're the greatest. So it was like, "Oh, wow, they're the greatest. I'm a part of that." It didn't start doing the history about them and how many people they influenced in the business that I like, they influenced. So I'll say, "Oh, shit, this is it. I know I belong," so yeah.
Yeah. That's awesome. So let's go further down the line in terms of lineage. So what do you feel like you all are doing? What sort of influence do you feel like you've had up to date or that you want to have if you look back on your career or your contribution?We're still contributing. We're not finished. We're nowhere near finished!
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. What do you feel-- okay, so we'll talk about present time. What do you feel like-- what type of influence have you had so far? Do you get a sense of that at all?Yeah, yeah, to a certain point. I think-- I mean, people told us they've never seen bands look like us, play the shit we play because we don't just play in hardcore spaces. We play in spaces that are maybe predominantly African American, Latino, where they don't listen to this type of shit. So their exact words is like, "I don't really fuck with this kind of shit, but I fuck with you all." That's their exact words, and that's not one time. That's numerous times that's happened, like, "Yeah, I don't fuck with this kind of shit, y'all." So that, I think, aesthetically-- I mean, the sound is described as James Brown in a mosh pit. It's very groove-oriented. It's socially aware. It's fun. It's a fun experiment. I'm not to compare it to Bad Brains. I'm on the PMA. I'm really about positivity, being the best person I can be more than just cliches but really just being the best person I could be and putting that energy in the music. I don't know the significance of it to the fullest of things yet because it's not over. And we act like we just really-- even though we've been around for a while, it's just starting to really rev up. But I see kids just being very appreciative, seeing us, seeing us do what we do.
And I think from our merchandise to our Instagram when we're traveling to museums and cemeteries to pay our respects to our ancestors, people see we're very comfortable being us. And I think for a while, people didn't realize you can be Black and be punk, and it doesn't have the conflict. We speak how we speak. We make the kind of music we make unapologetically, and it's for everybody, but it's for people who are willing to vibe, but we don't feel like we got to indicate who we are to do it. So I think that's a huge part of what we do. And every time we're on a row, we see kids that it resonates to them. You know what I mean? They're like, "Yo, [inaudible]," have to see us and have to see [what?] you're doing. I mean, It's crazy because there's so many bands. There's more Black punk bands [than?] ever. We run into a whole lot of them. We meet them on the road, talk to them. So [inaudible]. I don't know the total impact, but I know we're having an impact for sure. I know that. Yeah, I know that for a fact.
Quick side note. You said paying tribute to ancestors, and I love the recent post that you all made when you were on tour. I think were you in Philadelphia when you were--? The photos of the landmarks and things like that, I thought that was--Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Listen, I do that on my regular life. That's me regular. That's not like--
Cool. I think it's good to put it on the instagram page. That's even better because you work in that education component.Oh, yeah. Well, that's why I use it as a platform. Exactly. Edutainment, edutainment, to take that from KRS-One. But I like to make it subtle but overt. So the landmarks, those were at-- oh, that was actually when we were in Pittsburgh. The last one when we were in Pittsburgh.
We just played Skull Fest. And August Wilson is incredible. So I'm like, "Yo, take me to August Wilson's house." And then I get to August Wilson's house, I'm like, "Yeah, I got to go live. I got to show them this." And then I talked to his sister, and it's on a video. And she's like, "Well, you know Josh Gibson's Park is down there where the Pittsburgh Bar [inaudible]." And I said, "What"? She was like, "Yeah, the negro lady-- and I'm like, "Oh, wow. We got to go." So then we met Josh Gibson's great-grandson. He was a beautiful person. It was just really cool. I'm into history, and I'm specifically into black history. I'm very much in history. So I just started realizing sharing this stuff within our-- someone else just told [what you?] just said. We just did Vermont. A guy who's a fan of ours, David-- shout out to David. He's a history teacher. He may be an ex-history teacher, but he was just like, "Man, I liked seeing that because I'm a history teacher, and now you're teaching kids about stuff they might never learn."
We went to Mohammed Ali's grave. We went to Rick James' grave. We went to Peoria and seen the statue of Richard Pryor. We went to the Lorraine Hotel when we were in Memphis. We went to Stacks Records. We went to the Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro, where they had the sit-in. I mean, me personally, I've been to John Coltrane's-- we've been to John Coltrane's house in Philly. I've been to John's Coltrane's grave. I've been to [Alanis?] Davis' grave, Billie Holidays' grave. Yeah, that's what we do. Paul [inaudible] grave, James Baldwin, Malcolm X. We went to Malcolm X's family's house in Lansing. We went to Magic Johnson's house in Lansing but I didn't want to take a picture because the people were there. They were kind of warning you about-- I'm like, "You moved to a place-- you know this is a childhood house, and now you're acting up. But I respect you." But, yeah, so I'm just about that. And just I feel like education is very important, but I've never wanted to just be beating people in the head with it. So I'm just kind of like, "This is what I like, this is what I do."
So and it's been resonating with people. People will tell me like, "Yo, that's so dope that y'all go to these places"? I'm like, "Yeah, man." I just feel like traveling, just playing the show, and me personally, I don't drink or smoke or anything. So it's like I just want to learn shit. I don't want to just go-- we went to New Orleans and went to Congo Square. And that was fire because learning the history of Congo Square, that's the genesis of where slave Africans came to communicate and would later turn to Marti Gra. And sharing that because some people don't know that. You know what I mean? And I'm learning, we're learning, we're educating our audience. And plus, even though it's very fun to see us and exciting and we're high energy, we're actually talking about shit. You know what I mean? It's about something. We're a band that rocks the party and we like to have fun, but we're not a mindless party band. You know what I mean?
The bag's out. I shouldn't have told people. The truth's out, we're not a mindless party.
All that stuff is a great segue to the next question, which is what people or ideas have impacted your thinking, your creativity, your approach to living your life? It sounds like there's a lot in there, so give me some of the big ones.I met Mohammed Ali when I was seven years old. That was huge.
That's amazing.I met him at a Muslim convention.
Because my father's an Imam and a city councilman. So I met him when I was real young. And I've met a lot because I came up in that same community that he came up in. So that was big. I mean, a lot of the truth sayers, man. Truthsayers, like Richard Pryor. Everywhere you go you see it. And you look at our posts and you see where we're visiting. Coletrane is my favorite-- so my favorite band in the world is Sly and the Family Stone. So I need to meet Sly and Stone. You're hearing this live. You ever hear this? I need to meet you in person. I think one of my favorite musicians, that spirit of music is John Coltrane. Every time I learn about John Coltrane, I research John Coltrane, and I hear interviews, he was just about working-- besides being a brilliant musician, about being a better person, being a good person. So I was already thinking that myself when I started getting my stuff together. And then seeing him, I was like, "Dude, that's it." So inadvertently Trane, Richard Pryor, Mohammed Ali, Bab [Rings?], Public Enemy, Wu-Tang. Everything, man. Everything in life, man. I mean, Paul Robertson. People should know about Paul Robertson. Langston Hughes.
It's crazy. We got a song called Blood and Gold. Right? And I do a lot of, you know what I'm saying, research and I read and all this stuff. I just live my life and absorb. Right? And I don't even realize, I'm writing the song Blood and Gold-- I'm not sitting around researching. I'm just writing it because the music's playing. I'm writing it. And then I'll go back and I read this poem for Langston Hughes, and I was like, "[inaudible]." I said, "My God, I had to get it from reading this poem from Langston Hughes." He said something, something about blood and gold. And I was like, "I had to have read this and it stayed in my subconscious. And when I was writing the song Blood and Gold, it was there." So I said there's a lot of people. I mean, me personally, as far as-- yeah, there's a lot of people, because our ethos is not just punk and hardcore. It's funk, it's hip hop, it's culture. We personally brought the cookout to hardcore. And I mean, I specifically mean the black cookout. The cookout that you see that, we bought that shit to hardcore. Rebelmatic, we brought that.
I say we brought that. That feel. I mean, that's what makes it interesting. Right?
Right.When you bring the stuff from the outside or the outside of the hardcore scene. Right? I think you said it in another interview, "Like we just don't want to be incestuous or cannibalizing this – small, set of ideas." Right? When you bring all that stuff in there, that's what keeps it interesting and fresh, so.Yeah, and thank you. But yeah, after a while, people sound the same because they listen to the same bands. And I say this a lot because I like to be purposely redundant. It's like we're not trying to make an ultimate hardcore record. We're not trying to do that. We're not trying to make a hardcore record with hip-hop people. We're just making the shit we like. We don't sit around and be like, "I'm going to make Bad Brains 2.2." We're not thinking none of that shit. I just make music, man, I promise you. We do not sit around and try to formulate music. We make songs. That's why the songs, they sound a little different. But if you listen to us, you know it's us. We're not trying to be anybody. So the lane is wide open for us. I mean, it's stemmed in hardcore punk, but it's a lot more.
So let's talk a little bit about the subject matter. I know over the years, it's kind of ranged. What's been on your brain lately in terms of the themes that you're focusing on through your lyrics?I mean, right now it's good times, good times. It's always about perseverance and overcoming shit. But right now, I'm in a good space. So [from the album] Fire This Time, [the song] “Ghost in the Shadows”, let's just go there quick because it's the anniversary of Emmet Till's death. So let's go there. So the first line on Fire This Time is a play off of Fire Next Time from a James Baldwin book. So I was representing so people could catch on later. But the first line is, "Emmet Till died for your sins. You sit with a cynical grin. You claim you're an ally. Don't look like John Brown to me." That's where I was in that mindset for that song for, "The fire, the fire, this time we normalize the trauma to deal with pain. Through the eyes of my mama, won't die in pain." So for me, it's always resistance. And at the same time, it's celebratory. I don't really sit around and think about shit. I swear to God, I don't-- I just live life. And when I hear the music, I write. I write all the time. I just write about [inaudible]. Yeah. But generally, it's always-- on the new album that's not out yet, I got stuff that's more-- it's in that vein. I'm wired that way. I didn't need someone to get shot or I don't shoot. Do you know what I mean? I'm wired that regularly.
I don't watch the news. I just kind of [inaudible] or-- so I write stuff like that. I write stuff about waking up and living, man, just maneuvering through life and as a black male, as an African American, as a black man, but at the same time, on the human experience as well, not to negate the blackness [inaudible] everyone to absorb it. They can get it. If you can get it and you can vibe with it, it's for you. So I don't know if I went all over the place if that wasn't clear enough. But yeah, it's hard to sometimes explain that because I just write from my heart. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes it's introspective. Sometimes it's a little more abstract. Sometimes it's straight-up candid. Right now, I mean, right, some songs are just really fun. And then I can never get away from writing social-political stuff even if I want to because it's a part of me. But I don't really sit and think about it. Do you know what I mean? I don't like, "I need to write a song like this because this is going on." I'm like, "Everyone's writing it, and maybe I shouldn't write it." Maybe they said it better than I can say it right now.
So for you on the social political stuff, does it just come when it comes?I live it. I mean, I live it, man.
I mean, when you put pen to paper, like you said a second ago, "I don't wait for something to happen and then write about it."
I just feel it. All right, so I'm constantly studying, right? I'm studying. I'm always listening, and I could just be inspired by a story. I could have a conversation with a elder from New Orleans or from Brooklyn, and they're going to just tell me a story, and I'll be like, damn. And [inaudible] so poignant, it might just sit with me, and I might just write about it. I won't think. I won't be conscious like I'm going to write about that. But later on I'll be like, "Damn. Shit, I need to write about that shit, I need to write about that." That's some shit that people need to hear about, and especially to me in the hardcore punk realms, right? Because some of the things I might say, it was in hip-hop, [inaudible] conscious level of hip-hop like bone marrow. Some of the themes are more similar, but those are the things that shaped me as well. The Public Enemies, the KRS-Ones and stuff like that, so those things come-- I don't know if you're familiar with KRS-One had a song like You Must Learn, but the people he was naming those songs, I learned about those people through that song. Benjamin Banneker, Eli Whitney, Lewis Latimer, Elijah McCoy, Sojourner Truth, all these people. As a teenager, I'm learning these people. I knew who Frederick Douglas was at a certain point. I knew Harriet Tubman was at a certain point, but then I didn't know who Benjamin Banneker was. I didn't know who all these great, wonderful people he's naming. Granville Woods. So inadvertently, I'm inspired by stuff like that. I felt like without overthinking, I'm like, man, that hasn't really been done [inaudible] from a Black perspective, but not in a contrived way. It's just a part of who I am.
Yeah, that's great.Maybe I'm giving too much of the [source?] stuff. Maybe I should just be keeping shit to myself. People be like, "That's what he's doing. Aah." Even if there's five Benjamin Banneker songs that come out, yours is going to be yours, right?
I don't know. I don't really worry about it. I don't worry about people doing-- even with another bands, I don't worry about them doing stuff we're doing. I feel like our stuff is our stuff. It's uniquely us. It's inspired. It's familiar but distinct.
Yep. So what would you say to young folks of color who feel like they're kind of like-- they're constrained, they can't really express their authentic selves?Right. In what space in hardcore punk or just in life? What are you talking about
We'll say in life like maybe they haven't been exposed to any of these amazing bands, or they're going about their life, and they don't feel like they can truly be who they are. Maybe they're at a predominantly white school.Yeah, I mean, it's hard to just make a blanket statement like that because for me to respond-- I would just say, "Hey, just be you and put your chest out," but you know what? Sometimes if people are in different moods, [inaudible] different and like all right, so some enslaved people had to be more docile to live; some people say, "I'd rather die than be fucking enslaved."
Yeah. That's a great point.And you can't tell. In hindsight people say, "Why would I do this?" But you don't know. You don't know that. So it's a big thing. I would just say study more of the history and learn about yourself. Learn about people that you look at. If you're into sports, someone who you’re inspired by, look at that. Start maybe peeling the onion, learn about their story, and you probably see it's quite similar. I'm sure there were maybe these Black people, children of color that grew up in predominantly White areas that they find themselves. Then you might read about, I don't know, Colin Kaepernick or whoever and just say, "Oh, shit, that's similar to what I went through." And how did they get through that? At one point, Obama wasn't Barack. He was Barry. That was what it was. Honestly, with people of color and Black folks, we always have to-- Not always, but in life, in this world we're in, there's a lot of code-switching. So I just say learn it. The more you know who you are and you learn about-- Find someone that you identify with that looks like you. Start figuring out and learning their story, and that might help open the key to your story. You know what I mean? Because it's easier to say [inaudible] leave that town. But that's kind of Kamikaze style. I was born and raised in New York City, so I grew up around a lot of different stuff. I can say shit like that. And I don't live in Iowa City, 20 blacks in a predominantly white area. I wouldn't want to send somebody in a Kamikaze mission that might get them hurt.
Good point.But I would say learn. See someone that you identify with and just learn a story, because that's how it is historically. I think even through-- People read books of other people and were like, "Damn, he or she, they came through the same-- similar struggle as me or similar life as me, and they made who they were." So that's what I would suggest. I think that's kind of a healthy way to it.
Yeah, that's great. Well, I appreciate you challenging me on that. Okay. It depends on the context. It depends on the culture, where is it coming from? So that's a good thing for me.And then another point, I would have answered it differently-- At a different point in my life, I'd be like, just say, "Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." But now I'm like, "Ah, you got to think about that." Because it's not like everyone is in-- The more I study history and I understand what people had to go through and persevere with, it's easy to say it when you're not in that position. And even though we're not necessarily enslaved, people are not enslaved like that, people are in peculiar situations, and bravery is shown in different ways. Living to see another day is important. You go do something brazen and something happens to you, you're a memory after that. People keep going on with their life. I guess I wasn't always like this. Just something hit [inaudible] thinking about it. I hope that helps somebody.
Do you have any other bands or people that would fit into the scope of this project that you think we should know about?Yeah. I have a heart for-- they're called Maafa. The 1865. Winter Wolf is good. Minority Threat. Yeah. We just played with them. Those are the homies. We played with them in Pittsburgh at Skull Fest with [inaudible]. Rough Francis, the homies from Vermont who are the sons of Death, in Detroit.
My homies, Seize and Desist, they're from Memphis. They were formerly Negro Terror, but the singer passed away. Crystal Axis from Kenya. Gimme Mores, but they're the OBGMs. They're from Toronto. They're dope brothers. It's a lot of fucking bands, man. It's a lot of people. really cool shit, man. There's a lot. I'm actually, fucking, really happy about a lot of shit. I'm not going to lie. I'm pretty happy about hearing a lot of shit. I love that--
Yeah. I mean, it's amazing. If you think about who the big players were and who people were talking about 20 years ago, and now, all these--And it's so many more, dude. And it's so many more. And big up to the Bad Brains; the Fishbones; the Living Colours; the 24-7 Spyz; and the numerous other bands that we-- the Follow for Nows; my homies, The Belt, from North Carolina. Big up to everyone that was doing their thing. Respect to them. Because people paved the way to even make it here. And then, on another level, big up to the Sister Rosetta Tharpe, where this shit would never be here, sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Bo Diddleys, the Chuck Berrys, Big Mama Thorntons. But yeah, the Little Richards. We need to [inaudible]. We got a shirt-- we got a shirt about that. We got a shirt dedicated to Big Mama and Sister Rosetta.
Cool. Well, that's pretty much all I had, Creature.Hey, man, I appreciate it. I appreciate it.
Yeah, it is awesome talking to you. I loved that history slant. It feels like we should almost do a whole another talk, just about all the-- because you could school me big time on that.Oh, yeah. I mean, it's just a part of the being of who we are. You know what I mean? I mean, I don't know. Just in New York, there's so much history in New York that-- so I'm going to give you a tidbit real quick. I don't know. Even if it goes off, I'll still just tell you this.
So our photo, the band photo, where I have a red hoodie on, that's in Minetta Lane. Minetta Lane used to be called Little Africa. You can Google it. It's in the Village; it's in Greenwich Village. So before black folks moved to Harlem and moved uptown, they lived downtown. They lived downtown. And Central Park used to be called Seneca Village before that was razed. And black folks and, later, other immigrants came and lived there with them. Seneca Village. A lot of black communities that were started were downtown: San Juan Hill, Weeksville in Brooklyn, Sandy Ground. These were free blacks and enslaved blacks who bought land to own this stuff. It's a lot of stuff, man. But that picture we took was in Little Africa in New York City with free blacks and half black-- not half black, but half-free blacks used to live. It's significant.
Yeah, that's good to know. Thanks for the detail.Absolutely.
All right, man. Thank you.Have a great day.
You, too.
Soul Glo // unedited interview
Live interview with Pierce Jordan, vocalist for Soul Glo
@soulglophl
So I guess, maybe long-term, what's your experience been like being African American but also being punk? Positives? Negatives? Have there been any standout moments that give you kind of insight into the mixing of those two worlds?I'm not used to being called punk. It's something that's happened more and more as an adult since I've been doing this band. People who can explain punk as an ideology, which is usually not teens or kids-- and so as a result, at the end of that time, I was listening to death metal a lot. So even though my very existence or whatever is, ideologically speaking, inherently punk, no one was affirming me in that way until I was in the Glo. So that's a short answer for that. I'm not even used to hearing it. That's an easy way to answer that. I don't identify it as it actively because I feel like it's like saying, "I'm from Philly." I'm not from Philly. I lived in Philly for 10 years. I've been listening to punk rock for a long time. But I'm not sitting here trying to memorize the fucking history and shit and try to have a fucking denim vest with all these patches on it and shit because those kinds of people don't identify with me and vice versa. So it's like, am I really punk? People wouldn't call me that. Maybe they would now, but [inaudible] [them?]. But I guess I had to do all of this [the band], like, prove it.
Right. So it sounds like it's more about the mindset, the ideology, that deep dive.That’s the only thing that fucking matters. I mean, that’s cool to me. I know to a lot of other people, a lot of other stuff comes [into play].
Right. Yeah. Awesome. What type of impact do you feel like you're having within the scene, given that kind of background of that angle that you have?I feel like you'd have to ask somebody else. I don't know if I answer that question because I just be living. You know what I'm saying?
wifigawd: What's up with ya'll? Ya'll got the kush? Ya'll got the kush yet?.
Yo, I would have brought it because we can probably smoke out here. I would have brought it out here. You could ask Wi-Fi God [ed – who also played that night] because this is the third time that you've [ed – Wi-Fi God] seen us live. You could ask him what it feels like to-- your question.
What do you think about Soul Glo's influence on the music scene so far?Wifigawd: Yeah, the shit is fire, bro, raw emotion, you know what I'm saying?
It seemed like the crowd showed that tonight as well.And that's what I try to be, is with the name of the band, Soul Glo, the glow of your soul, raw emotion. That's one of the many sides of a person that you can see. And then where the people just doing it, putting it out, living it, whatever. You know what I'm saying? Just existing and writing our songs about our experience and [about all that?].
So quick thoughts about influences, ideas that have impacted your thinking. I know there's a lot of stuff packed into your lyrics. So people, ideas, stuff that's--Off the top of my head?
Yeah.Always Stanley Clarke, always Prince, just the two of them. The music my dad raised me on. You know what I'm saying? I'm a Beyonce fan. She went solo when I was in elementary school, probably second or third grade. And then just my whole life has pretty much been soundtracked by Destiny's Child and her solo work. So I'm a lifelong Beyonce fan. Yeah, I always had Prince and Stanley Clarke. Who else? Just a lot of funk music, Graham Central Station, War, and then a lot of metal-- a lot of metal like Arch Enemy, Cephalic Carnage and Between the Buried and Me.
What about ideas that are influencing the lyrics and kind of the concepts?My life, my family, my interpersonal relationships in strife. I don't think I have any problems in terms of relating to people. I feel like I have a personality, or whatever, that makes it easier for people to talk to me. And I know how to talk to people, however, I still have conflicts with people all the time that are indicative of larger societal shit. And if you're not a dummy, which most people are not, you can recognize the shit for what it is, depending on your background and your set of experiences and shit. So that's just where a lot of my life is influencing this shit, like a lot of the time that I just spend living in this world. And then when I want to dig deep, when I talk about my development as a person, I just think about what it was like to be in a rural town in Maryland and to be into alternative rock and also to have a very specific level of internalized anti-Blackness that I allowed to affect how I related to other people.
But it's all just like a party, the majority of your growth, the non-linear path.
So what would you say to young people of color who feel like they're not comfortable expressing their voice? It seems like you've been able to work through that pretty well [yourself].I mean, I would say that the things that you're most uncomfortable expressing or the things that you guard the most closely, are the things that people most desperately need to hear from you because they are the things that you most desperately need to talk about.
wacko // unedited interview
Interview with Zaine Drayton, guitarist and vocalist for wacko
@rvtchet.wizvrd
@wacko_thebandofficial
how has your experience been, existing at the intersection of blackness and punkness? any positive or negative experiences that have shaped you?ngl i been punk longer than I haven’t been punk and in a mostly white scene back in 2007, being black and punk had it’s weird racist moments. The memory that always sticks out is these corny ass jocky str8edge foos in Orange County found out that everyone kicked it with a black punk (me) and they used to talk a lot of shit so I talked it back and then they threatened to jump me with tasers cause that was the poppin thing for lame str8edgers back then, attacking people with tasers. I’m a freak tho, ya know as far as culture goes I kinda grew up always being too black for some white kids and too white for some black kids, always been a freak/weirdo so In a sad way I’m used to this kinda bullshit. My mom was a rocker too and she got shit for it as well and probably much worse than I did bein black in the south at heavy metal shows like she was. I think all my experiences regarding being POC in punk music and art have fully shaped me I’m literally still doing the same shit I been doing since I was 14 and Wouldn’t give up that or my melanin for the world💪🏾
what type of impact do you feel you’ve had, or hope to have, within the scene?ahaha shit, it’s crazy for me to think of my musical impact at this point in my life. I’ve been playing in punk bands consistently since I was 15 and I’m 29 now and people hmu from all over the world expressing appreciation and that real special to me. I love when people are open enough to express that love. I’ve had multiple kids come to me in person and In the DMs telling me that somehow our music and our shows have made them feel a lot less suicidal and cmon, that’s like the greatest thing to ever accomplish artistically. Music is the strongest form of magick✨
What people or ideas have impacted your thinking, creativity, or approach to living your life?tbh CRASS is the punk band that radicalized me as a 13 year old. I know my parents were bummed when I found that band cause I started doin weird shit like burning flags and writing hilarious things on my collared church shirts like “fuck the army” as a little child 😂 alot of my creativity in the past has come from a FTW mentality but maybe in the past 5ish years did I start to nerd out on how important community is. This world is rough and if a kids gonna make it they gotta be tough:( that’s why this punk shit is so important. Something like that offers an outlet that is much needed in the current matrix we live in 😔 so curating a positive place of expression in your scene is literally something that saves lives and it shouldn’t be taken light heartedly
what types of ideas, subjects, or values have you tried to focus on through your music?steal your groceries, make art, spray paint on walls, love each other, fuck the police, love yerself, lower the property value, bigots can kiss the ass, dance as much as you can.
what is your message to young people of color who feel as if they can’t express their authentic selves?ORGANIZE ON ALL LEVELS!!!! Tbh that’s the best option for all of us to fight the opposition but when it comes to yung people of color especially. The future is here, even my black ass is the most expressive I’ve been in my whole life and I see it happening with a lot of black folk. It’s cool cause Hispanic peoples been runnin the punk scene in LA for a minute now but lately idk I been def seein a lot more black punks in the pit and it’s cool af. Events like BACK2BLACK that the homies thru with all bands having black members being a nonprofit fundraiser for black femmes is a perfect example of that.
how would you describe your own development as an artist and the transition towards your own voice?idk my crazy life now and growing up made it kinda easy to develop as an artist. Life is crazy ya know, so it makes sense that my art is the same. Whatever art I make, music or visual art like my collages, it always has to have 2 things. Have powerful imagery and be thought provoking, everything after that will follow⭐️
any other bands or people that fit into the scope of this project that others should know about?idk I got love for so many bands I’ll just name ones that inspire us:
Vantana Row, The Sleeperz, Hoy Pinoy, Nightmare Enterprises, Fusian Babies, Hoop Jail, Family Vacation, Machine Girl, Gartex, Obacha, Haggus, Tension
the house opinion // unedited interview
interview with Russ Ariel, singer / guitarist for The House Opinion and member of raven/frog Tsimshian clan from Juneau Alaska via Kitwanga British Columbia
Russ Ariel - Guitar/Vocals
Justin Kyle – guitar
Lisa Cannamore - Bass/Vocals
Jonathan Cannamore - Drums/Vocals/Keys/Acoustic
how has your experience been, as both a native and a punk?that’s a great question.. I think it’s common that Indigenous people are treated as 3rd class citizens in our own fucking country and Alaska is certainly no different. We’re perceived to be just a bunch of drunks and homeless drug addicts and treated as merely trash to be discarded. Our current mayor and governor are both fascists whom, if were legally allowed, would hunt the homeless for sport I guarantee it. That stigma and the white washing of history made me ashamed of my heritage for the longest time.
Then I met this other native kid wearing a misfits shirt, we became fast friends and introduced me to this whole world of loud, fast and snotty music. I was already into the offspring, but this was something else entirely. Nofx, Bad Religion, black sails era AFI.. I was home. In that process I began exploring my heritage, my family, where I came from.. and given colonizer’s perception of me as a native kid I already felt like an outcast so those two worlds just blended together seamlessly.
what type of impact do you feel you’ve had, or hope to have, within the scene?we’re still a relatively new band so we haven’t had much impact yet. But with the direction we are going in on this next record I want to bring anger and awareness back to this music scene that’s been missing for years
What people or ideas have impacted your thinking, creativity, or approach to living your life?I used to be pretty conservative and that started to change in high school.. I read a lot about people like Elizabeth Paratrovich and Huey Newton and my personal musical hero Laura Jane Grace from the band Against Me! Who are my absolute fave. I was a liberal for a long time but as the years pass by and the angrier I get I’m a pretty big socialist these days (both in spirit and in stature) I might not be a brick thrower but I know that the change I want and need probably can’t be done peacefully.
what types of ideas, subjects, or values have you tried to focus on through your music?our first record was full of older songs I had from a previous band and that had the typical fare of love and break ups, a little personal anxiety to round it out. The new record will be VERY social/ political. I’ve done a lot of living and have seen a lot of changes in society and I fucking hate it. idiots and bigots have gotten awfully brazen and my goal is to make them scared again.
On a fun note, our song Lagavulin Neat has references to ravens which is part of my Tsimshian heritage (raven the creator) specifically in the chorus “little black bird, holding the world in your mouth along with the sun”
what is your message to young native people, or other people of color who feel as if they can’t express their authentic selves?if you can, do a deep dive on your family, explore your heritage! We have such a rich, beautiful history and you should be proud! Listen to the stories of your elders! I’m telling you, everything you’re going through they’ve gone through in one way or another ten times over.
And find a way you love to express yourself and just go for it! Don’t let anyone and I mean anyone tell you you can’t. Naysayers would never even DARE to do something creative much less do it in public, and I may not know you, but I believe in you in a big bad way.. just fucking do it already!
how would you describe your own development as an artist and the transition towards your own voice?god you ask such good questions.. it’s weird I listen to old tapes and performances and it’s so night and day. The improvement of my singing, the quality of songwriting, my guitar playing! Overall I think at this point in my life even though I’m older, I’m much more comfortable in my creative skin and I feel like I know who I am as an artist.. and punk allowed me to do that
any other bands or people that others should know about?Against Me!.. they are my Rolling Stones, the absolute GOAT in my opinion.. uhhh Go Betty Go, Pet Symmetry,Strung Out and Paul Baribeau are all amazing
Also, there’s Alaskan bands called the Nameless and Concrete To Clouds that blow my mind.
no more moments // unedited interview
Quarthon-Singer
Cory-Bass/backups
Oscar-Guitar/backups
Carlin-Drums/backups
how has your experience been, as both a native and a punk?What can I say I'm sure everyone is aware of the types of issues we face. Punk just feels like home. Everyone is accepting and I'm glad they can see the truth behind the stereotypes. It showed me that the world isn't as dark as I thought it was. I just had to find the light in it.
what type of impact do you feel you’ve had, or hope to have, within the scene?I hope we can help people be ok with who they are while at the same time realize we are healing from years of propaganda fed to us by old school thinking.
What people or ideas have impacted your thinking, creativity, or approach to living your life?My dad has had a huge impact on my life. The way I think and the way I approach life. I've begun to ask questions to people who come from these backgrounds while ignoring media sources. I've learned everyone is fighting an uphill battle but with different circumstances. It led me to not think "if I can do it you can do it" but more "I just want to understand what led you here so I can understand you as an individual".
what types of ideas, subjects, or values have you tried to focus on through your music?I try to keep some humor into the music with some wild stories that I feel would be funny to talk about. But I also like to be vulnerable with my own emotions, mistakes and thoughts. Tell it as it is rather than what I wish it could be.
what is your message to young native people, or other people of color who feel as if they can’t express their authentic selves?There are people out there willing to hear your story and give you that chance. It's a big world and it will take time and effort. But never give up! The day you give up is the day you rob yourself from that chance. Don't do it. In a world that is formed through new ideas, yours just might be the one we need.
how would you describe your own development as an artist and the transition towards your own voice?I started out as a hopeless person, just destructive and saying whatever. Being in a band was about having fun for me. But when we started to get some pull, I thought this is my chance to say what I really want to say. This is my chance to show my siblings and community that anything is possible, even if it seems ridiculous.
any other bands or people that others should know about?Check out Mixed Blame, Half Dead, Double Rider and Citizen Rage.
NMM. 2022
spew // unedited interview
how has your experience been, existing at the intersection of blackness and punkness?
I enjoy existing inside the community even though I’m very aware of the fact that in the U.K. there are not many people that look like me involved in the scene especially at the higher levels of operation. This has always been something I’ve been trying to change.
what type of impact do you feel you’ve had, or hope to have, within the scene?I hope that even just by being visible whether it be at shows or online that it lets other BIPOC know that this space isn’t just for white people.
what types of ideas, subjects, or values have you tried to focus on through your music?Inequality / Micro-Agressions and the day to day struggles navigating as a black male in this scene.
Our main value is EQUALITY we want everyone to have the same opportunities the same support and the same shine!
what is your message to young black people who feel as if they can’t express their authentic selves?Don’t believe anything or anyone that makes you feel like that! Trust your heart trust the things that bring you joy and never stop following that feeling!
Not everyone understands straight away but when you persevere things become harder and harder to deny.
how would you describe your own development as an artist and the transition towards your own voice?I think allowing myself the freedom to just create without boundaries going from Rap to link to ambient to indie styles between projects is just a reminder to live freely. As a result of this I feel like I give myself no choice but to inform my music with my real life situations and feelings. The more I make the more I learn about myself!
any other bands or people that others should know about?ZULU / END IT / BUGGIN / MOVE / MH CHAOS / 377 / Rucktion Records / Everything is perfect Records
the bollweevils // unedited interview
interview with daryl wilson, frontman for the bollweevils
how has your experience been, existing at the intersection of blackness and punkness?The intersection between blackness and Punkness is interesting. I think that the idea of punk is inherently rebellious. The experience of many African Americans has been that of bucking the status quo and is inherently punk by the definition of rebellion. It's interesting that the community of punk is a place where those that have felt ostracized by society have congregated. I think with all that said blackness and Punkness should mesh together seamlessly. The world of punk is like any other place in society in that there are still segments that believe it's only for them and not for others.
I love to be told that I don't belong in a place. It only makes me determined to show that anyplace is my place.
what is your message to young black people who feel as if they can’t express their authentic selves?To all young people, regardless of color, the way to true happiness is to embrace what makes you unique. Be true to yourself and everything works out in the end. Don't just follow the voices around you. Follow the tune in your head and stay on a path that makes you fulfilled.
how would you describe your own development as an artist and the transition towards your own voice?My voice came about from my own anger at events around me. My parents split, moving, feeling ostracized from peers because of my unique love of the things I loved. Black kids thought I was too white, white kids thought you were trying to be them and some could not accept my choices in music, or art. It's the inherent belief that the default is "white", when there really isn't any default. Seeing through the illusion that people put up as the way things aught to be, and living the way I want helped to establish my voice in punk. Hell its my mantra in life.
what type of impact do you feel you’ve had, or hope to have, within the scene?I hope my impact has been to show other African American kids they can do anything they strive to achieve. It can be punk, medicine, it could be all those things like myself. There are no limits unless you limit yourself. Never limit yourself. I hope I am though of as a unique character in a world full of unique individuals and can be remembered as a pioneer as well.
what types of ideas, subjects, or values have you tried to focus on through your music?The subject matter of the music I have done is all over the spectrum. Songs about relationships and the Ups and downs of loving people and being hurt abound. Songs about racism and bias. Songs about emotional turmoil. But each song tells a tale and ends with some form of redemption. I think that we are all working at virtue but to gain perfection is impossible. The virtue is actually in the effort you make and the outcome is just the outcome good or bad. The outcome really isn't good or bad, it just is, and it's in how we respond to these things is how we are in control. We can't control the outcomes, just our response.
shiiva // unedited interview
how has your experience been, existing at the intersection of blackness and punkness?So far our experience has been very welcoming. All of us have been in the music scene for years and have seen a lot of different cycles and patterns in this subculture. But one thing that has always been a consistent was the lack of POC in Punk and it really started to show when the political climate started change, (MAGA era). It was interesting to hear a lot of marginalized voices in punk speak out and place their experience on the forefront as a discussion topic, but one thing that was very scarce was the voice of African Americans and other POC's. It was evident that this needed to change drastically, and through all that blackness that was once silenced was brought up to its rightful throne in punk. Whereas things still are in dire need of change, it's been a little bit easier to feel like we are welcomed, despite the significant amount of work that needs to be done. More recognition of Blackness in Punk please.
what type of impact do you feel you’ve had, or hope to have, within the scene?The impact that we hope to have on the music scene is to display what the phrase “influence” really means amongst this subculture. The punk and hardcore scene is so vastly fused with many genres and we feel its apparant through our music artistry to show what has brought us to where we are not only in our personal lives, but also in the form of music. We want the scene to see that you don't have to fit a certain sound in order to exist in this world of music, and you don't have to dress a certain way. What’s most important to us is the history of our sound and what it really means to us, and SHIIVA is the product of that.
what types of ideas, subjects, or values have you tried to focus on through your music?A few ideas and subject we want to focus on in SHIIVA is the idea of hard work and positivity. This world is a wicked place that beholds so many moral and natural evils, we are all a of this world but it does not mean we have to be a "product" of this world so to speak. The goal of SHIIVA is to provide a way to deflect the negativities of the world, harness it and deploy it aggressively, while still holding the beauty of positivity.
what is your message to young black people who feel as if they can’t express their authentic selves?As someone who has grown up going to all white schools I can relate to the feeling of not being able to express myself authentically. Feeling as if you are a slave to your "Double Cousiouness" as W.E.B Dubois has stated. My message to those who are feeling that they are in this hole, is to make sure that you are true to yourself as someone who is black. Remember that this culture is still the most sacred culture, and despite those who attempt to mimic it, will not be perfected by anyone else but you.
how would you describe your own development as an artist and the transition towards your own voice?As mentioned earlier SHIIVA was manifested from musical influence. We all grew up with some type of Jazz influence next to punk, dance hall, and Harcore music in one form or another so finding my voice was something that was not too hard. The difficult part was making sure that it was aesthetically true to myself and I was able to agree that this is not something that's popular, but something that I truly know I would wanna hear.
any other bands or people that others should know about?Plenty!!
- Shred Bundy
- Kind Eyes
- Wacko
- Soul Glo
- Buggin
- Ozai
V/R
SHIIVA