(no subject)
1) You guys just recently released a four song demo on Contrast records. What's a good description of your band for someone who hasn't yet heard of you guys?
Fast and melodic at times, energetic breakdowns. We just try to write emotional sounding music.. that is still fast and with a hard edge.
2) I know that What Feeds the Fire (your old band) was a very positive straight edge band and made their message very clear. What Kind of message is Verse putting out and who is it more directed to?
Verse is going in more of a environmentally and socially conscious direction. Paying more attention to what happens when we just sit by and let the world go to shit. And pointing out how easy it can be to fall into this hate filled type of lifestyle : racism, sexism, etc. We also have some newer songs that are a bit more on the personal side as well. one that my best friend Kirsten and i wrote about watching someone close to you die... or just knowing you have to say goodbye to someone and knowing they are leaving you for good. It's something that her and i really needed to get out.. so we wrote a song.
3) Is Verse a straight edge band?
Yes. Although we don't feel the need to shove it down anyone's throat. To us it's a personal choice. And not a choice for everyone, as much as i wish everyone would stop smoking , drinking , and doing drugs. I know we do not live in that world. So we do not exclude anyone who does or is into that from our music. The hardcore scene has lots of different people.. not just straight edge kids. Live how you want to live, just do it because it's what you want to do.
4) On the topic of Straight Edge... a lot of people seem to have a different definition and view on it. what does Straight Edge mean to you and how is it a part of your life?
If i hadn't found Straight Edge I would probably be in jail or dead right now. My life was a total mess from age 7-17. Doing drugs, drinking every night. I was really bad, and i started really young. The environment that i grew up in, that's what you did. My dad was dead...mostly due to heavy drugs and depression. Everyone around me growing up were doing drugs, drinking heavily and smoking cigarettes and shit. So i just didn't know any better. I honestly can't remember a day when i was younger that my mom wasn't totally wasted w/ whatever boyfriend she had at the time. We were really poor, living in really shitty neighborhoods. And all that just added to it. I blame me getting into drugs on my ignorance and not really understanding the fact that living that way was killing me. And once i was into it and i felt it was to late to stop living that way...I just didn't care anymore. I really didn't start to feel like" hey i have to get off this shit..it's killing me" until i was around the age of 17. the things that helped was my grandmother and family telling me i was going down the same road my dad was.. and it was scaring the shit out of them. That in turn scared the shit out of me. And listening to what straight edge bands were saying in their songs, It just really helped me out a lot to hear something so powerful going against everything i thought was ok growing up. It wasn't really even a straight edge thing for me at 1st.. it was just like, Realizing what i was doing was so bad for me. And no good for anyone around me. I didn't start to call myself edge for like year into being straight. So yeah.. Straight Edge means the world to me. Being free from all that shit means the world to me.
5) In your opinion has the hardcore scene changed at all since you've been in it? Would you say it's been for the worst or for the better?
hmm.. less violent.. although i'm starting to see the ongoing trend of kids acting tough again... more so than i have in years. I see more fights at shows again. It's like hello.. We are all here for the same reasons, we love hardcore, we don't quite see eye to eye w/ the rest of society. So why would you want to hurt someone that's on your side ? ya know ? I'll never understand that. I think all in all, There are still enough kids out there that understand what this really means. So i guess It is better in a way.
6) What city would you say has the strongest/best hardcore scene right now? Why?
Hmm. I really haven't been to a lot of shows outside of New England, But i hear Seattle is amazing, and that most places in Cali are rad too.
7) Have you ever played a show there with What Feeds the Fire or Verse? If so... how was it?
Seattle, no. Cali. yes.. it was awesome. Everything about Cali was so damn fun, I want to go back so bad! 8) On the demo you guys have a song called "Nothing More" (Track2... my favorite song). What is the deal with that song and are there any bands in particular that caused these words to come out in the song?
I/m not trying to call any one band out in particular. There are so many bands out there, not just in the hardcore scene...but in the mainstream too, that just write shit to please everyone and to sell more records. Totally not meaning any of it... just writing it because it's what everyone is doing or because it is what's selling. And unfortunately kids hear this shit... and instantly fall in line and follow suit. The type of bands i wrote about in that song do not care about hardcore or the people supporting them at all... or the fact that you might be being mislead in life by thier music. They just want your money and some fame.
9) For any local hardcore band in the scene right now that's trying to get their music out... what's the best advise to getting out there?
Make a shitload of demo's... hand em out for free. Mail them everywhere. That's how WFTF started.. handed out about 800 demos for free. And it definitely helped us out.
10) How was the Pre-party show for Posi Numbers this year? Was it what you expected?
It was such a fun time. All the bands were awesome and all the kids there were really nice. Everyone was behaving and not acting stupid. Plus Outbreak played.. and we love those dudes. . We got to see friends that we never get to see from all over the country. It was just great to hang out with everyone that entire weekend.
11) Any bands out right now you feel deserve more recognition (please name them all)?
Look Alive,MA. Say Goodbye,MA. Police Beat,MA.Another Dead Juliet,RI. Dead Wrong,CT. Some Kind of Hate,MA. Kill Your Idols,NY. The Damage Done, CA.Guns Up,NH. My Revenge, VT.Bad Business,NY. Scraps and Heart Attacks, NY. There are more but that's all i can think of off hand,.
12) In your opinion.. do you think there are any bands in the hardcore scene setting out a negative message to kids? Yes. I'm not naming names... but yeah, that seems to be the cool thing to do today. The thing that sucks the most is that some bands are just doing it just because all the other bands are doing it. Lame.
13) Any last comments or things you want to let out?
If you want to check out some things on Vegetarianism and why it is so important to some people, go to veganoutreach.com . Also check out all the above mentioned bands, And if you want some info or anything on how to get in touch w/ them drop me an email and i will direct you to them. Thedanceofdays17@aol.com. Look for an LP coming out on Martyr Records early March of 04. Check our website for news and all that good stuff... a couple of downloads as well. oldschoolhardcore.com/verse Thank you for hooking up the interview. xxx
Interview with VERSE!!!!
Fast and melodic at times, energetic breakdowns. We just try to write emotional sounding music.. that is still fast and with a hard edge.
2) I know that What Feeds the Fire (your old band) was a very positive straight edge band and made their message very clear. What Kind of message is Verse putting out and who is it more directed to?
Verse is going in more of a environmentally and socially conscious direction. Paying more attention to what happens when we just sit by and let the world go to shit. And pointing out how easy it can be to fall into this hate filled type of lifestyle : racism, sexism, etc. We also have some newer songs that are a bit more on the personal side as well. one that my best friend Kirsten and i wrote about watching someone close to you die... or just knowing you have to say goodbye to someone and knowing they are leaving you for good. It's something that her and i really needed to get out.. so we wrote a song.
3) Is Verse a straight edge band?
Yes. Although we don't feel the need to shove it down anyone's throat. To us it's a personal choice. And not a choice for everyone, as much as i wish everyone would stop smoking , drinking , and doing drugs. I know we do not live in that world. So we do not exclude anyone who does or is into that from our music. The hardcore scene has lots of different people.. not just straight edge kids. Live how you want to live, just do it because it's what you want to do.
4) On the topic of Straight Edge... a lot of people seem to have a different definition and view on it. what does Straight Edge mean to you and how is it a part of your life?
If i hadn't found Straight Edge I would probably be in jail or dead right now. My life was a total mess from age 7-17. Doing drugs, drinking every night. I was really bad, and i started really young. The environment that i grew up in, that's what you did. My dad was dead...mostly due to heavy drugs and depression. Everyone around me growing up were doing drugs, drinking heavily and smoking cigarettes and shit. So i just didn't know any better. I honestly can't remember a day when i was younger that my mom wasn't totally wasted w/ whatever boyfriend she had at the time. We were really poor, living in really shitty neighborhoods. And all that just added to it. I blame me getting into drugs on my ignorance and not really understanding the fact that living that way was killing me. And once i was into it and i felt it was to late to stop living that way...I just didn't care anymore. I really didn't start to feel like" hey i have to get off this shit..it's killing me" until i was around the age of 17. the things that helped was my grandmother and family telling me i was going down the same road my dad was.. and it was scaring the shit out of them. That in turn scared the shit out of me. And listening to what straight edge bands were saying in their songs, It just really helped me out a lot to hear something so powerful going against everything i thought was ok growing up. It wasn't really even a straight edge thing for me at 1st.. it was just like, Realizing what i was doing was so bad for me. And no good for anyone around me. I didn't start to call myself edge for like year into being straight. So yeah.. Straight Edge means the world to me. Being free from all that shit means the world to me.
5) In your opinion has the hardcore scene changed at all since you've been in it? Would you say it's been for the worst or for the better?
hmm.. less violent.. although i'm starting to see the ongoing trend of kids acting tough again... more so than i have in years. I see more fights at shows again. It's like hello.. We are all here for the same reasons, we love hardcore, we don't quite see eye to eye w/ the rest of society. So why would you want to hurt someone that's on your side ? ya know ? I'll never understand that. I think all in all, There are still enough kids out there that understand what this really means. So i guess It is better in a way.
6) What city would you say has the strongest/best hardcore scene right now? Why?
Hmm. I really haven't been to a lot of shows outside of New England, But i hear Seattle is amazing, and that most places in Cali are rad too.
7) Have you ever played a show there with What Feeds the Fire or Verse? If so... how was it?
Seattle, no. Cali. yes.. it was awesome. Everything about Cali was so damn fun, I want to go back so bad! 8) On the demo you guys have a song called "Nothing More" (Track2... my favorite song). What is the deal with that song and are there any bands in particular that caused these words to come out in the song?
I/m not trying to call any one band out in particular. There are so many bands out there, not just in the hardcore scene...but in the mainstream too, that just write shit to please everyone and to sell more records. Totally not meaning any of it... just writing it because it's what everyone is doing or because it is what's selling. And unfortunately kids hear this shit... and instantly fall in line and follow suit. The type of bands i wrote about in that song do not care about hardcore or the people supporting them at all... or the fact that you might be being mislead in life by thier music. They just want your money and some fame.
9) For any local hardcore band in the scene right now that's trying to get their music out... what's the best advise to getting out there?
Make a shitload of demo's... hand em out for free. Mail them everywhere. That's how WFTF started.. handed out about 800 demos for free. And it definitely helped us out.
10) How was the Pre-party show for Posi Numbers this year? Was it what you expected?
It was such a fun time. All the bands were awesome and all the kids there were really nice. Everyone was behaving and not acting stupid. Plus Outbreak played.. and we love those dudes. . We got to see friends that we never get to see from all over the country. It was just great to hang out with everyone that entire weekend.
11) Any bands out right now you feel deserve more recognition (please name them all)?
Look Alive,MA. Say Goodbye,MA. Police Beat,MA.Another Dead Juliet,RI. Dead Wrong,CT. Some Kind of Hate,MA. Kill Your Idols,NY. The Damage Done, CA.Guns Up,NH. My Revenge, VT.Bad Business,NY. Scraps and Heart Attacks, NY. There are more but that's all i can think of off hand,.
12) In your opinion.. do you think there are any bands in the hardcore scene setting out a negative message to kids? Yes. I'm not naming names... but yeah, that seems to be the cool thing to do today. The thing that sucks the most is that some bands are just doing it just because all the other bands are doing it. Lame.
13) Any last comments or things you want to let out?
If you want to check out some things on Vegetarianism and why it is so important to some people, go to veganoutreach.com . Also check out all the above mentioned bands, And if you want some info or anything on how to get in touch w/ them drop me an email and i will direct you to them. Thedanceofdays17@aol.com. Look for an LP coming out on Martyr Records early March of 04. Check our website for news and all that good stuff... a couple of downloads as well. oldschoolhardcore.com/verse Thank you for hooking up the interview. xxx
Interview with VERSE!!!!