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CONVERSATION

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Elexa: Hey, Kriss! We appreciate you taking the time for this interview. Mind starting us off with the band you're in and what your role is?
Kriss: Thank you for having me, and sure. I play in a band called Casteform and I am the guitar player.
Elexa: No problem! What city is your guys' hometown?
Kriss: We are all scattered around. I'm from Downey, the vocalist is from Los Angeles, the bassist and drummer are from the Hawthorne area. But generally, we just go with Los Angeles.
Elexa: Tight. And you guys consider yourselves melodic-hardcore. What're some features that separate you from other melodic-hardcore bands in SoCal?
Kriss: We don't consider ourselves melodic hardcore; there are so many sub-genres now, especially In melodic hardcore. It's a bit hard to try and explain to someone what our actual sound is so we leave that to our listeners. Even though the music we have up now may give off that pretense, it wasn't planned to sound like that, lol. On another note, I think what separates us from other melodic hardcore bands is that we seem to be drifting more towards a darker and underground sound.
Elexa: Interesting. Are there any bands or that influence your guys' sound?
Kriss: We are all fans of early Touche Amore, Calculator, Loma Prieta and comadre. I would say those bands make up a big part of this band. Which is why it's here today.
Elexa: When and how did Casteform start as a band?
Kriss: This band started in June of 2014. So we haven't even been a band for that long. Before this band started, we were all part of different bands doing our own thing. But I was always joining someone else's band which was cool. I just wanted to play and I was always open to playing anything. But the downside was I never really got the chance to put in my own input. When I wasn't playing with whatever band I was in at the time, I would always be writing at home and one day I just wanted to start something on my own from the ground up. Luckily, my vocalist now, at the time was playing in a heavy heavy band, lol. But he had contacted me saying he wanted to start a side project so it was perfect timing. After that, I got in contact with my bass player and drummer who were already great friends of mine. So one day we just scheduled a day to meet up and jam the songs I had. From there on its been going really well and we couldn't be happier how this has turned out.
Elexa: Fuuuck, haha. The odds were definitely with you. That's tight though. So have you guys played any shows yet? And if not, when do you plan on doing so?
Kriss: Yeah, I got really lucky, haha. I am very thankful for every member in this band. We have played a good amount of shows and already have done small tours. It's been going great. We are leaving at the end of April up North, so we are very excited about that. Casteform has a lot of things already set up for the rest of the year, we're super stoked.
Elexa: Haha, ace! Are there any other bands from SoCal tagging along with you? You guys have a very unique sound which is rare to say about the hardcore scene down here. Are you guys coming out with more songs?
Kriss: Not on this one, but later on we might. We are actually just finishing up recording two new songs for a split we will be doing with a band from Mexico. Once that's done, we plan to record a new EP that's also currently half way done.

Elexa: Are there any local or signed bands you'd ever wish to share the stage with?
Kriss: We have had the chance to share the stage with a lot of great locals and to us that's more than enough. Our friends in Lesser, VRIL, Sleep Spindles, Echoes and Method Act- all very great locals and great people. We are playing a show on April 4th with a great line up so we are looking forward to meeting and playing with more great bands from the area.
Elexa: Nice, nice. I've seen Lesser and Echoes a number of times. You guys are also signed on Open Door Records with A Shark Among Us. How'd that come about?
Kriss: Yeah, they are a great local independent label just trying to help out the local scene come up. The EP we currently have out now is on their site. They were nice enough to help us out with that so we are thankful we have some sort of support.
http://opendoorrecords.limitedrun.com/products/538983-casteform-cd
It's also available for free on our bandcamp. http://casteform.bandcamp.com/releases
Elexa: What should we expect from this EP?
Kriss: I can't really say what to expect, other than to just take a listen for yourself and be the judge. Two songs seem to be one style and another two completely change, so there's definitely a sort of diversity. But already we have gotten great feedback. We are still fairly new, so more listeners telling us what they think would also help us progress as a band.
Elexa: As we end this, is there anyone you'd want to thank or would like to have future fans keep in mind?
Kriss: We just want to thank Open Door Records, my band mates, and everyone who has taken the time to actually listen to us, download our music, or buy a CD and merch. It means a lot to us so we hope to keep seeing more and meeting more great people. Also a big thanks to SHDC, you guys are great! Don't stop helping the local scene.

CONVERSATION

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Elexa: Glad you could be interviewed with us, man. So, would you like to introduce yourself and what Keepsake is?
Andrew: Well, my name is Andrew and I play guitar in the band Keepsake from Las Vegas! Keepsake is the band that we formed back in 2013 with the purpose of delivering a positive message to all who wanted to listen.
Elexa: Is there a specific message you guys wanted to extend to the hardcore scene?
Andrew: Realism and hope is the general message we try pass on. Understanding the bad things that happen in our lives and growing from them rather than dwelling. Our latest EP has a few different topics regarding it but it's all the same message overall.

Elexa: I feel that. I'm sure many people relate to your guys' stuff then. You guys just announced a tour with Anchors Overboard next month- will you be performing any songs from the new EP?
Andrew: Yes, that's going to be starting the end of this month! We'll be playing nearly the whole EP along with an old song from our 2013 demo EP.
Elexa: I've also taken note that you guys play many shows in SoCal, why is that?
Andrew: Our first out-of-state show was in Pomona at the Aladdin Jr. two years ago, in August I believe, and we had an incredible reaction. It surprised us considering we were a new band testing the waters in other states. We made a lot of friends that day and we keeping making new ones every time we visit so we always try to come back whenever we can!
Elexa: That's so fucking awesome to hear. I feel like most bands are losing their touch about what the hardcore community is about, but you guys got it on lock. What would you say is your guys' dream tour?
Andrew: I think any tour that can take us to awesome places with awesome bands would be a perfect dream tour whether it's with another young band or if we're the opening band for other bands that are already doing it pretty big. Playing a festival is something I would love to do one day as well!
Elexa: Ace. So who designed/s your merch and/or logo? I like the classic traditional touch it has to it.
Andrew: Our white shirt design with the hand design was done by a talented friend of ours in Vegas and our first ever shirt design was actually made my Tyler of Being As An Ocean. Other than that, all of our shirt designs were made by us! We like playing around with simple designs!
Elexa: Is there anybody specific you'd like to thank that's maybe helped a lot along the way?
Andrew: As cheesy as this sounds, I would sincerely like to thank anyone who has supported us in some way whether it was go to a show, buy a CD or a T-shirt, share our music, let us sleep on their floor, or even give us a chance. Vegas is a great support system but every city we've been to since we started going on runs and tours have been equally as supportive.
I would also like to thank the Napoli Pizza in Vegas for being delicious and tolerating the large group of bands we always bring in. Lol!
Elexa: Shout out to your local pizza parlor (Take notes). What would you say has been your favorite part of being with Keepsake?
Andrew: I could probably name a thousand things that are my favorite but I'll try to shorten it down to one thing! I think my friends are my favorite part. Every person in my band and everybody we meet out-of-state. Usually if anybody shows interest in us, I try to be their friend. I'm not really good at having just fans of my band!
Elexa: What keeps you going through the hard and the good times, as a band?
Andrew: The bands that we listen to and all of the things right and wrong with the world keeps us going and plays strong roles on our inspirations. We want to be more than just a band but rather a movement. Spreading the message of realism and hope through loud and aggressive music that can be heard.

Elexa: What do your family members think about your decisions, career and music-wise?
Andrew: My dad actually bought my first guitar when I was 16 (I'm 23 now. I'm a late bloomer) and my brother's first guitar (our vocalist). He always supports us by wearing a shirt and telling us how proud of us he is!
Elexa: That's awesome your dad supports you guys with a band that's expressing a positive message to this scene. I had nooo idea your brother was in Keepsake with you! Are there any perks or disadvantages to that?
Andrew: Even way before Keepsake, we were always in the same bands together! We both got into music together and I would probably feel a little out of place if we were in separate bands.
Elexa: What other bands have you and your brother started? And what makes Keepsake different from those?
Andrew: We were in two metal-core bands that were pretty short lived. Played a few shows and recorded demos but there wasn't a sense of direction. I don't think anybody liked us that much either. Lol. The band before Keepsake included my brother on bass, our drummer, and myself. The band decided on splitting up but the three of us stayed together and that's how Keepsake came to be. Our other guitar player Matt and old vocalist were in other local bands that ended up splitting as well so we picked them up. That lasted until a couple of months after our first show when the old vocalist had to leave the band and my brother moved from bass to vocals and we picked up our current bass player Christian. The band has had the same members ever since. This is the longest amount of time I've ever been in a band, the first band I've been in that toured and had any legitimate songs/merch. That's the major difference between this band and the previous bands I've been in.
Elexa: Wow. That just goes to show that bands will go through a fucking lot, before making it. Props to all of you for persuing your aspirations and making it this far. To conclude, is there anything you'd like your fans to keep in mind?
Andrew: I would like to thank anyone who has made us feel like we matter. We can never repay all of the kindness but we try to give back as much as we can. And I would like to thank you for your time in this interview.

CONVERSATION

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(Ben Hoagland, Ryker Morrow & Jared "Jay Sweeps" of Extortionist)

So, I roll up in Bremerton at the Charleston, or "the chuck," as people call it. It’s an old movie theater turned into a venue. That’s tight. The bands and a few early arrivals are outside just sort of hanging out. I get a cool vibe off the city, it being my first time here and all.

The show starts off with a band of younger guys, probably ages 15-17. They were called temptress. Their first track was a groovy "djent," if you would, song. It was just guitar and drums. That was their only original song. It was pretty good, but a little generic. They covered two motionless in white tracks, whose names I forget. They cover a skillet song, and stricken by disturbed. They’re a talented group of guys but I feel that they honestly shouldn't be doing shows if they don't have at least a set list of original songs. Covers are just redundant, and honestly it was just a weird opener. I'm stoked to see what they're up to, musically, though.

Next up was Groundfeeder. Let me say now, that I'm really into Groundfeeder. They played all the tracks from their 3 track demo, and a few unreleased ones. And holy fuck. They’re like sworn in/barrier on a combination of coke and steroids. Their drummer held it down, and was able to do some guttural type vocals while playing. The guitar & bass were tight together and with the drums, and they were still getting rowdy on stage. Their vocalist, a shorter guy, has the loudest & most projected voice I've ever heard. He has a high-ish hardcore/shout vocal that he does most of the time. He dropped the mic and was yelling at the crowd and it was still super loud. His lows are super good too, not as loud as his shouts, but fucking sweet. Their set was a constant wall of sound that you couldn't help but hate mosh too. They set the bar for the rest of the show.

The third band was umbra. They’re really fucking heavy. If you could mix djent and beatdown, they did it, and super well. Their first track was Blackheart, which they released back in July of 2014. It’s a banger, and the pit opened up right as the eerie intro started. They have a lot of hardcore influence too, their vocalist does mostly hardcore type vocals. I dig it. Their instrumentation was pretty tight, but it could've been more together, especially the leads and the breakdowns. Their set got slower and heavier with every song, and I loved every second of it. They got less tight during the slow stuff but that may have been purposeful, because it sounded super nasty and heavy.

The band up after Umbra was Prometheus. Definitely one of my favorite locals. They have a straight up deathcore sound that's just too fucking heavy. Their vocalist gets up on stage after their eerie intro, and starts yelling a bunch of pissed off shit about back stabbers and such, which seemed to get everyone going. Then the music really started. They started off with a super slow, nasty breakdown. Gets everyone riled up. They go through their set, which consists of a wall of I Declare War caliber heavy noise. Their instrumentation was the one of the tightest bands at the show. They had a few passages of softer stuff where some Middle Eastern scales were utilized, which is the dopest thing in heavy music, in my opinion. Their vocalist has some of the gnarliest gutturals I've ever heard. He mixes them will mid-range shouted vocals and a few highs. Their set was fucking awesome, over all.

The 3rd to last band was Projections. They had a super aggressive style of metalcore. Usually that's not my type of music, but damn. They had a really tight set. Their guitar & bass tones were dialed in really well, and their playing was, again, one of the tightest bands of the night. The vocals, all be them solid vocals, were sort of uninteresting to me. Basic low throated metalcore vocals. They sounded good with the music, but if he had mixed it up a bit more I would've been into the vocal parts. Over all, they're a solid band. Really fucking heavy and easy to throw down too. The crowd response was insane.

Next up was We Rise the tides. They have a really melodic style of metalcore that would drop into some of the gnarliest breakdowns of the night. Their instrumentation was very calculated. The tightest band of the night, instrumentation/togetherness wise. They had a few clean singing parts, but they weren't bad at all. Usually I can’t get into clean singing in metal, but the guy had a really full voice. It was in a good range too, that matched the music. One of my biggest pet-peeves is vocals that don't match the music, such as high vocals and low-mid guitars. There was definitely a lot of thought into their music. Really solid band.

The last band of the night is a personal favorite of mine. Extortionist, from Idaho. They're the perfect mix of hardcore, beat down and deathcore. Their music is too good. I expected a lot, and frankly I was a little disappointed. They had two fill in drummers. Their normal drummer had some life stuff going on, and I hope he’s doing well again. The guitars and the vocals were on point, just like I expected. The fill in drummers, from Groundfeeder and Projections, did a pretty alright job, they had their moments but it was just off and they had to cut their song Dead ends short. At the end of the set, everyone was yelling "come on one more" "encore," and stuff like that. So the drummer of Groundfeeder rushes the stage and practically throws the drummer of Projections off the kit, as the guitarist breaks out into the beginning of The Black Sheep, the title track of their debut EP. That song was the tightest song of their set. Ben even handed the mic off to me for the end of the song, where Dan Watson is featured on the EP. It was sweet. Overall, I'd have like to have seen the normal drummer play instead of the fill ins. but hey, life happens. Their set was very energetic, which made up for the lack of togetherness in the instrumentation. A lot of people grabbing the mic and yelling the words back at the band. A guy even got knocked out in the pit. It was craziness.

The night closed out with Crimewave. Crimewave is a rap project led by the guitarist of Extortionist Jared, or more commonly known as "JAY SWEEPZ." He got up there, and did his thing. Rap has never been my music, but I definitely could see the talent it takes to rap, for one, and all the time it took for them to make the background beats and such. People were getting into it, it was cool to see a bunch of hardcore & metal kids dancing to rap. The stage antics were interesting. There were two guys in ski masks yelling some of the lines with Crimewave. The lyrics were interesting. A lot of talk of recreational use of marijuana, having relations with other guys' women, etc. not my cup of tea, but interesting. Crimewave had a guest come on, who went by the stage name ghoulish, if I remember correctly. I needed some air during ghoulish's first song, but I heard the second one. It was about performing oral sex on a woman’s back door... if you catch my drift. I didn’t know how to feel about that, honestly, but again; talent and time are things I can respect in the music. It was a good way too cool off after losing my shit to extortionist, and just cooling off at the end of the night in general before I had to make the journey home all the way to Seattle.

The show was fucking awesome, all things considered. Although extortionists set wasn't perfect, neither was anyone else's. I dig the vibe of The Chuck, being an old movie theater and everything. Apparently, during Prometheus' set, some guy was going ape shit outside, running from the cops.. I dig the excitement. I'll definitely be returning for more shows.

CONVERSATION

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Elexa: Thank you for taking some time out of your day for this interview. So Joseph, you're the guitarist for xDefiantx. Would you mind telling us a bit about that?
Joseph: Not at all. What would you like to know exactly?
Elexa: How did you come up with the name? And what genre of music are you guys?
Joseph: Well, one of our good friends ended up suggesting it. My vocalist and I eventually grew a liking to it. I feel like it represents independence and not letting others keep you close-minded. Like, we are defiant against what society views as "music" since hardcore is more underground than mainstream. We have a beat-down influence incorporated with thrash since we all have our own roots. Which is why I would categorize our genre as hardcore so we are not put in a box.
Elexa: Ace. And do the x's around the title symbolize anything in particular?
Joseph: When the band started, it consisted of four members who were all straight edge (including myself). We now have new members, which three of us claim edge; our drummer, vocalist and I. Our bassist and new guitarist do not.
Elexa: Do your personal preferences influence the content of your guys' music?
Joseph: Yes, most definitely. I think it comes out in our lyrics the most since our vocalist is writing from his experiences and perspectives on life. As for my writing on guitar, it also applies. From the kind of music I listen to and influence off of. Does that answer your question? Not sure if that was what you were asking.
Elexa: Haha, yes. You guys have been playing soooo many shows lately (which I still have yet to see), is this something 2015 has welcomed you with?
Joseph: We lost a lot of our followers since we took a little over a year off because of member changes, equipment expenses and finding dedicated members. My vocalist and I are the only original members- been together since day one. That being said, we had a lot of time to make up for. So with our new drummer and bassist, we really wanted to come back strong. Which I like to believe we did. So we have constantly been jumping on shows to build our following. This way when we release our merch and album in the next few months, people will actually take the time to listen it all the way through.
Elexa: Are you guys already working on a new album?
Joseph: Starting April 18th will be our first recording day.

Elexa: And exactly a week before, you guys are sharing the stage with Backtrack and Bane. Any words?
Joseph: Just that it's a real honor to be playing with such amazing bands. Backtrack has been a huge impact on my writing as far as being a guitarist goes and I can't wait to finally see them.
Elexa: I'm pretty fucking stoked for you to be playing with such a great band. And you guys were asked to play with them. Props to that. Are there any bands you have in mind that you'd eventually want to play with?

Joseph: Tbh, I love playing with any band- popular or not. They are all humble people which I love about this scene. If I had to choose, it would be my influences like Suburban Scum, TERROR, Lionheart, ect.
Elexa: Lionheart's one of my favorites! What would you say is Defiant's greatest accomplishment so far?
Joseph: I think coming across our new members because they are very talented and dedicated. Also, us opening for Backtrack. A lot of exposure and an honor.
Elexa: I feel that. Congrats to you guys. Is there anything else that's coming up for Defiant later this year?
Joseph: Well, we got offered to sign with On Attack Records which is a great opportunity. They basically will manage and invest in us.
Elexa: That's awesome, dude. As we wrap this up, is there anything you'd like your readers to know?
Joseph: Just that we really appreciate all the support our fans have given us. From compliments, show offers, to promotions; it all makes a difference and we couldn't be more thankful.

CONVERSATION

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Elexa: Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed. Would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?
Shwayze: Hey everyone, my name is Shwayze and I'm the vocalist of Anchors Overboard.
Elexa: Tell us a bit about your band and what you aspire to do with it.
Shwayze: We are a 5-piece Melodic Hardcore band from Riverside, California. Hopefully AO grows into something big but if not, that's cool. As long as someone somewhere vibes with us.
Elexa: What drew you to want to make melodic hardcore? Are there any bands that've influenced you?
Shwayze: I personally feel as if hardcore music is meant to be filled with emotion and about realistic things. The whole stigma of "I'm brutal and tearing flesh apart" thing never really appealed to me. And melodic hardcore seems to be the zone where emotion and well-written music mesh. Influences for us range from a huge spectrum but as for melodic styles Heart In Hand, Counterparts, Killing The Dream, For The Fallen Dreams and Hundredth are where it's at.
- Elexa: I've seen a few of your guys' performances myself and you really do know how to bring emotion to the table. Speaking of which, you guys have been consistently playing shows lately. And you're going on tour with Keepsake from Las Vegas, Nevada, and a few other bands, if I'm correct. Are you stoked?
- Shwayze: The dudes in Keepsake are so solid and really chill. We're ALL incredibly stoked to be on this tour. It's going to be a lot of fun hitting the road and getting into nonsense along the way.
- Elexa: Will this be your guys' first tour as well as Keepsake's?
- Shwayze: We had a previous run a while ago and I can't speak for Keepsake with certainty but I'm sure they've toured before.
- Elexa: Ace. You guys currently have one album, "Beacon" and one EP, "Sonder" out. Are you guys currently working on anything else?
- Shwayze: Yes we are, we're currently recording a full length that we're aiming to release later this year. 10 new tracks that we hope everyone will enjoy.
- Elexa: Will you guys be incorporating anything new as far as content or music goes?
- Shwayze: We're still AO, but we found a love for ambience. We're pretty stoked on it.

Elexa: What bands has AO played with or would like to play with?
Shwayze: We've played with a lot of different bands, it would be hard to pin point it down to a small list. I can't speak for everyone but I think playing with Hundredth, Counterparts, Stray From The Path, FTFD and Elephantis (R.I.P) would be most fun to play with.
Elexa: What's your favorite part about being the vocalist for AO?
Shwayze: I have a strong belief that people are quick to hear but never listen and when you need someone to be there it's in one ear and out the other. But with AO people listen, they relate and I guess it helps to know I myself and everyone else isn't as alone as we sometimes think.
Elexa: Like many bands, there is always a struggle. Whether it be meeting up on a regular schedule or finding dedicated members- what would you say was yours as a band?
Shwayze: Definitely clashes of schedules, some members are balancing school, work, family life and perusing their own social life. But we manage to make it work, and have a blast when we're doing our thing.
Elexa: You are also the lyricist for Anchors Overboard. What would you say is your muse?
Shwayze: I just write out what I feel, it's my way of venting. It plays into that whole people hear but never listen thing.
Elexa: Which song do you think most people are able to relate to?
Shwayze: I feel as if a lot of people relate to Gone, But Never Forgotten. I lost a few friends and family in a short time span and it's sort of me coming to terms with things. Everyone's lost someone, and everyone will fade away. That's life.
Elexa: And as we wrap this up, is there anything you'd like your fans to keep in mind?
Shwayze: I think that everyone, whether a fan or not should keep in mind that being in a rut doesn't have to define you. Don't be scared to admit you have a problem and please don't try to hold it in; it will only do more harm and affect your personal lives.

CONVERSATION

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