This a bit different of an entry for this week. I wanted to take a moment and talk about what I’ve learned, and how I’ve grown because of this subculture and it’s music. I got into more aggressive and, unbeknownst to me, hardcore-adjacent music. Since a young age I’d been drawn to ska-punk and punk music, as well as some thrash and other guitar music. At around 17 I started to get into really adjacent bands, or bands that had ties to hardcore. Some of my favorite bands for a long time were The Devil Wears Prada, Taking Back Sunday, and August Burns Red. Prior to that I was listening to The Ramones, Sex Pistols, and several other punk bands. As I grew into other musical styles, I discovered hardcore and felt more alive and apart of something attending the shows than I’d ever felt before.
In this community I found more belonging than in religion, in school, or anywhere else. Another thing that I’ve gained from this is a love for activism, social and political awareness, and art. It is in this that I’ve discovered a love for creativity. Here I’ve found my reason and my purpose in life. That is to defy and question everything. It is because of bands like Bane, Gorilla Biscuits, Rotting Out, Trapped Under Ice, and Angel Du$t that I’ve found the ability to write and create something meaningful, at the very least, to me.
I’ve not done this blog for long, but I have done it enough to see the results. It is also because of this that I’ve been able to make friends. The other amazing thing I’ve learned is the fact that no matter who, what, or where you are, you have the ability to create, belong, and contribute to the overall progression of this subculture. I love hardcore and I love what it’s taught me. I still have so much to learn, but what I’ve learned so far is that it is what you attempt with what you have that matters most.
What I find most interesting, especially in scenes like AZHC, is the variety of sounds, styles, and preferences of hardcore. Even with these varying preferences, I feel elated by the fact that, for 15-30 minutes, that doesn’t matter. What matters is the feeling, the emotions, and the message. There are bands that have political messages, ones that talk about difficult lives, frustration, being straight edge/addiction, and many other important and moving things. However, the fans and kids that support the scene are able to put whatever preferences and differences in music aside and just have a solid time and create a space where you can let off any negative energy in a positive way. This is crucial, and what drives much of hardcore, in my personal opinion, to continue to be such a groundbreaking and inclusive subculture. It creates a space for influence from everyone and does all it can to have a positive and beneficial impact on the people that belong to it. Hardcore isn’t for everyone, but for those that belong and find it a place of peace and are willing to call it home, it’s rewarding and has so much to offer.
I've never loved anything as much as I love this, and I’m lucky to be a part of it.
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Friday, December 6, 2019
Too Blessed to Stress about what you think.
This past October I had the humbling experience to chat with Sammy from DRAIN. We talked about DRAIN’s growing success, their influences, signing to Rev Records, as well as touring, making music, and being with friends. I want to take a moment and just talk about Sammy’s character. In the few minutes that we talked, and the initial introduction, I was thoroughly impressed with his demeanor and genuine kindness. I felt immediately comfortable talking. It was easy to tell that he felt confidence and comfortable in his skin and in his music. He talked about the adventures Drain, Gulch, and Hands of God have had and just how much of a blast it's been seeing the music have an impact on people.
What happened that caused the Rev Deal?
“Honestly, a buddy of ours introduced us to one of their friends that had just started working at rev. So anytime we recorded something we’d send it to him, but it wasn’t until Sound and Fury that it clicked. After our set I was selling some shirts and he ran over frantic and said ‘That’s it, I’m in! Let’s do it!’ So we signed to rev.”
What do you want people to get out of Drain?
“Honestly, I want them to feel [the music] in their fucking belly, in their gut. I just want people to feel free and feel energized. Just get into it… Anybody can do whatever they want with a little can-do attitude.”
What have you read, watched, or listened to recently that you think people should be checking out?
“Check out bands from the Bay Area. Jawstruck just put out an ep that I love, they have a message- a lot to say. There's just so much!”
What influences or sound were you looking for with DRAIN?
“Honestly, so the thing with DRAIN is that when the band started I wasn’t even an original member. Instead, it was kind of like the band that you and your buddies make in high school and then things kinda change and you meet new people and start a second band. That was this band. We started out trying to [do] a sleazy Motörhead, but then we kinda decided to start [doing] some more heavy hardcore with solid cross over...it’s mostly about doing something fun, something new, and something we haven’t done before.”
What’s the best part of touring?
“For real, the best part isn’t the drive, the food, the shows- I love all of that!- but it’s the chance I have to be with my brothers, my best friends. Honestly it wouldn’t work if it were any other way. We just want to have fun! We’ll sleep in the van, someone on the floor, on the seat, on the roof, doors open under the stars. It’s like camping but so much more fun.”
How has this blow-up made the band feel?
“It’s so surreal, it doesn’t feel like reality. Like you dreamt about it, thought about it, and wanted things to happen as a kid. That’s kind of what it’s like now, and now we get a chance to see this all come to be.”
“Seeing how the music impacts people is crazy.We have kids dancing, singing along, coming and telling us about how our music influenced them to start getting better at their music. It’s so cool, and it’s really emotional-like it makes me feel so happy.”
Being given the chance to speak with Sam about music, touring, and life was a really cool experience. He is honestly one of the nicest, humblest, and most genuine people I’ve spoken to. His love and interest for hardcore in both his local scene and the worldwide community of hardcore has shown me, even more, that this is more than music and lyrics.
Sam mentioned that DRAIN would be dropping some new stuff at some point. So pay attention and keep a lookout for it. I typically have nothing but positive feeling for bands that I speak to, and DRAIN and Sammy are no different. I urge everyone to listen to the 2018 Promo and the other music they’ve put out. It’s fun, ass shaking, blisteringly fast, heavy hardcore.
Follow the Band on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drain831/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drain831
Bandcamp: https://drain831.bandcamp.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)