Interview with Nicktape from Coke Bust

I first heard Coke Bust while eating some pizza at Swerp Mansion (while it existed) a while ago. One of the dudes who lived there just put it on and it was awesome. When I was a beer salesman, I used to drive around and listen to Coke Bust's record Lines in the Sand because I always seemed to be angry at bar owners, who are often the scum of the earth and hearing some more anger was really therapeutic for me.

I finally got to see the band last year at the Coach House when they played with Culo, which was a great show. Coke Bust knows how to play a lot of different styles of hardcore, which makes for an exciting pit and also for exciting records. At the show, I got to pick up a tour-only copy of Confined, which was supposed to come out a little bit afterwards and it blew me away. It's a seamless record. But saying that is almost a cheapening of the flow so I'm going to expand upon it a little bit. When I listened to it, I definitely thought that the whole record was recorded in one take. Parts come and go effortlessly, which is something of a rarity in a hardcore record.

I don't know how many times I listened to "Sent in Circles," though. That song blew my fucking mind. And hearing the lyrics saying "we need a fucking change" before ending with "we're sent in fucking circles" made a lot of sense to me. It's a bit of world weary exegesis on pretty much anything. I could apply it to so much that was going on in my life.

In addition, I've become straight edge since the new year, so it had real-life application to me. It's a reminder of what needed to change in my life, so on a personal note, thanks Coke Bust (who are a straight edge band.)

You can check them out on FACEBOOK or see their WEBSITE or listen to them on spotify. But seriously, buy a damn record.

Jordan: Who all is in Coke Bust? When did you guys start? How did you guys know each other? What made you decide to start a band?

Nick: Coke Bust is Me (Nicktape), Jubert (Bass), James (Guitar) and Chris (Drums). Chris and I started the band in 2006, after being friends since about 2002. Our old high school bands used to play together and we grew up in the same suburb of DC. We wanted to start a fast straight edge hardcore band. Two of the members ended up leaving, but they got replaced by James (someone else we grew up playing music with in high school) and Jubert (a younger dude who we saw at lots of shows).

J: Has the lineup changed at all?

N: Yes, we replaced Jeremy and Parsons when they both quit.

J: When you think of Coke Bust, what adjectives would you use to describe the band? Are there any central ideas that end up making it on each song or release?

N: From a musical standpoint, "fast, energetic, independent." Lyrical, "therapeutic." There isn't really a set of rules or central ideas. We just do what feels right, as vague as that sounds.

J: How does a Coke Bust song get made? Is there a central songwriter? Does each person make their own part?

N: Typically, James or Jubert will come to practice with a set of riffs. We'll jam them out and then we will go around the room and say "I like X and Y but maybe we can add Z." Sometimes we trash the songs. Sometimes we end up re-working the songs so much that they sound nothing like they did when they were just a set of riffs. Each person makes their own part, but we are all pretty open to different ideas. For example, Chris (our drummer) wrote a riff. I sometimes suggest ideas for crazy drum shit. Jubert (bass) has written guitar parts, and everyone at some point has given me cool ideas for vocal arrangements. 

J: Similarly, how do you know when a Coke Bust song is done?

N: Once we jam it out and it's done we all kinda just know. There have been some times when we've gone back weeks later and said, "ya know... that one song... I think it could use something." So maybe it's not done until it's recorded? Haha.

J: How has the songwriting process changed throughout Coke Bust's existence? Or rather, has it changed at all?

N: I think it's changed for the better in the past couple of years with James in the band as our guitar player. The song writing process is much more democratic, free and there is kind of an unspoken "don't get your feelings hurt" rule that we sort of have. It works out well. Maybe it's just the fact that we've been doing this for so long?

J: What topics do you like to cover lyrically? Are there any consistent themes in terms of lyrics? (if you think you covered this in the above question, you can skip - i'm just a lyrics dude since I was an english major haha)

N: I just tend to write lyrics about things that are stressing me out or things that I feel like I need to get off my chest. That's really the only inspiration for the lyrics. There might be some constant themes, but ultimately it all just come from my anxiety!

J: You guys have been with Grave Mistake Records for a bit now - how has that been? Have you worked with other labels?

N: We have worked with other labels and I wouldn't say that we've ever really had a bad experience (aside form a tape that came out in Southeast Asia) working with labels. For the most part every label we've ever worked with has been great. Grave Mistake and Refuse Records have both put out multiple releases for us though, and we're very happy with them. I like the fact that when we do a record it's a conversation with a friend who we trust. It doesn't feel "business-y" at all and I like that. 

J: How do you all record your music? I saw that you used a studio in a video about recording the 12" "Confined" - is that typical? What studio is it?

N: We usually demo stuff either ourselves or at a friend's house. Whenever we do a record we go to a studio, though. Degradation, the Vaccine split and Confined were all recorded with Kevin Bernsten at Developing Nations Studios in Baltimore, MD. 

J: What was making "Confined" like? Was it any different than other times?

N: I wouldn't say it was much different. We tried pretty hard to make sure that the record flowed in a way that made sense. We wanted to make sure that the record was 100% all killer. We cut a bunch of songs and tried to record the songs like we would play them live. 

J: How was Hopscotch? I know it's kind of a different scene for you guys. Did you all get to see any other bands? How did you like Raleigh in general?

N: Hopscotch was weird, man. I liked playing the DIY pre-show at the record store way more! I enjoyed seeing Broken Prayer. They were cool. Raleigh has always been a great city for us, and I love playing there.

J: I got to see you guys in Chicago with Culo, which was really an amazing show. I thought it was kind of funny, though, that it was Culo since you're a straight edge band and they are like the antithesis of that. How was that?

N: Culo is an awesome band and everyone in Coke Bust is a fan. We like to play with all kinds of different bands. If we only played shows with bands that sounded like Coke Bust and had the same set of ideals I think what we do would get boring really fast. Everyone in our band loves all kinds of music outside of fast, straight edge hardcore. Pentagram, Sabbath, Hendrix, the list goes on. We just like good music. Culo is great. 

J: What all do you guys have lined up for the future?

N: We just got back from a Brazlian tour, but we're headed back to Europe soon to do a Western European tour: England, Scotland, Belgium, Spain, France and Portugal! After that we're going to play Damaged City Fest in DC. Then we will play Rain Fest in Seattle and tour our way down to Central America. We're working on a new record too. I'm stoked. 

Interview with Kate Eldridge of Big Eyes

I have a huge confession. I had this interview done a while ago and have honestly been slacking a little bit when it comes to posting on my blog. There are reasons for that, but none worth really reporting; plus, you know what happens when you make excuses - you make an ass out of u and me. So, first and foremost, sorry Kate and the rest of Big Eyes for taking so long.

And that's not even the worst part. Kate and I had done a phone interview but I seemingly did not hit the red record button (talk about amateur!) and we lost a great conversation. But Kate was really gracious and helped me out with an e-mail interview that covers a lot of the topics that we originally discussed. I'm really grateful to her for helping me out because I know it was a hassle.

Anyway, Big Eyes are a rock n' roll band that has some of the best vocal melodies I've ever heard. Kate has completely mastered the domination of a song. Her guitar work is impeccable even while the rest of the band sounds confident (and even moreso on their newest record Almost Famous). Where the background leaves off, Kate takes over and creates some absolutely dynamite songs. Between down-to-earth lyricism and a truth-be-told delivery, Kate has it all for a vocalist. Kate is truly a special songwriter that takes honesty to a really intimate level, as her lyrics have gotten even more blatantly poignant throughout her career.

To put it simply, I have never heard a Big Eyes song that I wasn't in love with. Big Eyes do punk and pop and rock n' roll well. It's impressive for such a young band. Then again, the band has released a lot of material in their brief career and toured a staggering amount, including a joint-venture with Mean Jeans last summer and Audacity as well.

This band is going places and I strongly recommend checking out their FACEBOOK and buying their new record on GRAVE MISTAKE

Jordan: Who all is in Big Eyes? How did you guys get started? How did you all know each other?

Kate: My name is Kate Eldridge and I play guitar and sing.  Chris Costalupes plays bass.  Dillan Lazzareschi plays drums.  Big Eyes originally started in NY with a completely different lineup (other than myself).  In late 2009 I recorded a handful of songs on my laptop, I showed the guys I originally had playing with me the songs and we became a live band.  I relocated Big Eyes out here in Seattle in September 2011 with our original drummer, CJ Frederick, but due to health issues he became unable to continue playing with us, and we recruited Dillan.

J: What all have you guys released?

K: Our first 7" came out in early 2010.  We released a 7" single ("Why Can't I" b/w "Your Lies") and an LP ("Hard Life") on Don Giovanni in 2011.  Grave Mistake released our "Back From The Moon" 7" single in 2012.  We have 2 splits, one with Audacity on Volar Records and one with Mean Jeans on Dirtnap Records.  Our new LP "Almost Famous" will be released on May 14th on Don Giovanni.

J: You guys now live in Seattle, but I know you were originally from New York. What has the change been like?

K: It's so much easier to have a band out here!  New York is really expensive.  Our practice space rent is really cheap, van insurance, etc.  It's mellower out here too.  People aren't as high strung.  I don't have to work as much as I did in NY because my house rent is so cheap, so I can spend more time focusing on the band.

J: How has it been being on a label that generally puts out hardcore records when you all play such a different style of music? Clearly it's punk-influenced but there's a lot of pop-sensibility in your songs too.

K: It's been really cool, even though there's some major differences with us and the rest of bands on the label, I think it's a perfect fit.  We have a pretty straight forward vibe, and so does that label.  No frills kind of shit.  

J: What ideas, bands, events would you say influence the songs you write?

K: Most of my songs are about anger, sadness, heartbreak, dark thoughts.  I'm influenced by the people around me and day to day minutia.  I can be a very angry and emotional person, so I try to use Big Eyes as an outlet to vent all those negative thoughts and feelings. 

J: What was the process of touring and making the split 7" with Mean Jeans? That band rocks! Any good stories?

K: Mean Jeans rule.  We immediately hit it off with those dudes when we first met them back in the fall of 2011.  We were both planning on touring down to Awesome Fest in late August 2012 so we decided to save some gas money and all pile in to one van.  The shows were all awesome!  We decided to put out a split together where we covered one of each others songs, cause we are all big fans of each others bands.  Great guys, great times!  

J: How has the recording and songwriting behind your upcoming album been different from the stuff that you all have done before? Would you say your songwriting has matured or you've become more comfortable writing songs?

K: We put more thought and effort into the recording of this record and I think it shows!  It has a much fuller sound than our first LP.  I've been told that this new LP has a "darker" vibe than our earlier stuff.  Lyrics for my songs have gotten so much longer than our first few songs.  There's more complex changes and ideas in the songs as well.  I would say my song writing has been maturing :)

J: Do you guys have any plans to tour after releasing your next album? Any specifics you can talk about?

K: We are heading out on a 4 week tour to the Northeast in late May.  Really excited for this tour!  Some great shows.  We are playing with our buddies/Grave Mistake labelmates Night Birds in Washington DC and Richmond.  Playing with our buddies/Don Giovanni labelmates Shellshag in Brooklyn.  Really looking forward to our Northeastern Canadian shows!  We always have a blast up there.  Hitting a handful of Canadian cities we've never been to on the way home as well (Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary).  This is gonna be a good one.  Official dates will be released soon.

J: What are some bands that you like playing with or that you currently like to listen to?

K: There's some really awesome bands that are around right now!  Audacity, Mean Jeans, Flesh Lights, Criminal Code, Swearin', The Shivas, Guantanamo Baywatch, La Luz, obviously there's more but those are the first ones I could think of.

J: What else do you see as being in the future of Big Eyes?

K: We take whatever comes our way.  Our new LP comes out on May 14th, 2013 on Grave Mistake Records.  We have been getting asked to play some really rad shows lately!  More interviews and write ups.  Things have been getting better and better!  We are going to Europe in October, very excited for that.  We will be working on lots of new songs and we are always keeping ourselves super busy.

J: Anything else you'd like to say?

K: Thanks for interviewing me!  You can check us out at www.bigeyesband.com, on Twitter and Instagram "bigeyesband", and on Bandcamp http://bigeyes.bandcamp.com

Interview with Sickoids

I don't know how many times I have listened to 2012's Sickoids' LP off of Residue Records. I first heard about it in Maximum Rock n Roll about the time that I was moving back to Chicago from Durham. I didn't really know what all was going on in terms of music there, but I did want to keep my interest in hardcore alive and so I would read Maximum Rock n Roll and pick up fliers whenever I saw them, which eventually got me into my first DIY spaces. Needless to say, I missed the Sickoids playing here, but eventually I hope to see them again.

One of the major things I noticed when listening to the Sickoids record along with the lyrics sheet was the maturity and intelligence in their lyrics. I was really blown away actually. There's a lot going on in that record when listening to it - people coming and going in, death, war, and a general unease with life. That and the uncanny ability to throw really great hooks and anthemic choruses on top of a violent amalgamation of irritated guitars and panic-attack drums made the record really stick out to me. I was totally hooked.

They just put out a brand new record released by Sorry State Records and Grave Mistake Records (two of my all-time favorite record labels). It's a six-song twelve inch that can be streamed on the SORRY STATE BANDCAMP and purchased as well from either label. In addition, you can check out the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE or follow the band on their BLOGSPOT

Jordan: Who all is in sickoids? How long have you guys been playing together? How did the band start?

Sickoids: SICKOIDS is Rob (guitar), Vince (drums), and Eric (bass).  Rob and I were in another band together (Witch Hunt), and when it became inactive, we wanted to keep something going.  We began writing songs in 2010, and we acquired Eric towards the end of that year.  We played our first show in March, 2011. 

      

J: What's the name sickoids from?

S: The name was pulled directly from the SUBHUMANS (Canada) song 'Death to the Sickoids.'  We were looking through some of our favorite records - for band name inspiration, of course.  After going through 100s of potential names (even considering some of the hilarious results on the band name generator website), SICKOIDS just made perfect sense.

J: What all have you guys released? What's the history of releases you've done?

S: We released a demo in March 2011, a full length in March 2012, and our next 12" titled 'No Home' is coming out this month (April 2013).

J: What have been some of the bands you've enjoyed playing with?

S: We've been lucky to play with a lot of great bands: NIGHT FEVER, BUKKAKE BOYS, MANIPULATION, CULO, BLOODKROW BUTCHER, RATFACE, NIGHT BIRDS, MUTANT GENES, NEGATIVE DEGREE, PERDITION, BOSTON STRANGLER, TRAUMA, DOUBLE NEGATIVE, STRIPMINES, among many others.

J: Do you have any bands from your home that you particularly like?

S: Philly was our home, but we all recently moved to other cities.  Bands worth checking out from there include: BAD ENERGY, BAD SIDE, THE BROOD, BACKSLIDER.  Apparently the best current Philly bands have names that start with 'B.'

J: On your self titled record on residue, you talk a lot about war and social issues and alienation. How did those come to be so important?

S: The lyrics stem from things going on inside our heads.  So, they're not really limited to one approach or agenda.  Though, they tend to focus more on personal matters, rather than broad political new items.

J: Similarly, how does a song get written? What roles do you have in terms of the songs getting made?

S: One of us will bring a riff or two to the table and the others will add their own parts as they see fit.  Sometimes someone will have the entire song more or less mapped out.  We all have ideas or suggestions for all the instruments, and we're all pretty good about adapting to what works best for the song.  We've developed a really chemistry playing together, so things tend to fall into place quickly and naturally.

J: Your logos on your shirts are really intense from someone hanging to a man with a gun to a child to frank booth. I was surprised by the frank booth since it was so different being separated from things in real life. Where do the designs come from?

S: Even though some of the things going on in the shirt designs might seem random or separated from actual lyrical content, they do convey a mood.  That's something that's crucial to our artwork.  Rather than spell something out blatantly, we prefer to make it a bit more abstract.  When we look for new things to use in the art, we tend to levitate toward that kind of content - whether it be from a magazine or movie or AP photo from the library archives.  In the end, usually some sort of overall (dark) mood comes across.  

J: What is a live show like? How different is that from practicing? Do you have certain things that become staples of a performance?

S: One thing that has always stayed the same with our live sets is not stopping between songs and basically bursting all of our energy into that 15-20 minute block of time.  In that way, we try to make the music speak for the band, and playing as hard as we can is the best thing we know how to do.  

J: What was the process of putting out a 12 inch on residue?

S: We set out on a week-long tour just weeks after playing our first couple shows.  That's not always a good idea, but we felt that there was no point in waiting around.  We all agreed it just had to be done.  We played an awesome show in Chicago (it was probably the best set we had played as a band up to that point), and after the show we were hanging out with Jordan (Residue) and some other friends.  He liked our set and told us he'd be down to do a record for us when the time came.  We were obviously really stoked to hear that and glad that we were dumb enough go on tour after less than a month of being an active band.  As soon as we had enough songs, we recorded them with our friend, Steve Roche (Permanent Hearing Damage, Philly), and Jordan did a great job of making it a tangible thing!  We were all really happy with how it came out.

J: How was that record different than the new one on grave mistake/sorry state? Was the recording process the same? How was it working with those dudes?

S: The process was more or less the same for 'No Home.'  We knew that those guys were down to put it out for us (after talking to Daniel when we were on tour with the first LP - Alex got on board a bit later), and we knew we HAD to record the songs before we all moved out of Philly.  We knocked it out in basically one weekend, just weeks before we packed it up for Oakland, LA, and Richmond.  Again, Steve made it sound great, and the last six months has been getting all the artwork together and ready to print.  Alex and Daniel have really solid taste, and they know their shit when it comes to putting out quality records!  With all of our heads together (and all being in different cities), it took a little bit longer to produce, but we definitely came away with a better package in the end.  We're actually incredibly excited to see the finished product!

J: Do you guys have any other plans in the future?

S: Our only plan after the record coming out is to tour Europe for a little over 3 weeks in June.  The tour is being booked by Flo from Trapdoor Tours, and Chris from Hardware Records has been cool enough to press both of our LPs in Germany for European distribution.  

J: Anything else you'd like to say?

S: Thanks a lot for the interview!!

Big Eyes

Happy Saturday everyone,

About a month ago, I picked up the newest edition of Razorcake, probably my favorite zine. For those who don't know, Razorcake is an absolutely incredible compilation of goings-on, interviews, columns (not strictly limited to music), reviews, and comics (Ben Snakepit is a regular comic contributor). I couldn't tell you how many amazing bands have been featured in it. I bought LPs from each of the bands featured with interviews in the last month (big eyes, wreck of the zephyr, and lenguas largas). Each band was radically different from the others, especially in terms of ideology and ethos of their music and I could talk about each one, but today, I'm writing about the band Big Eyes.

Big Eyes are a powerpop/punk band out of Seattle, Washington who are about to embark on a ludicrously long and dense tour throughout the United States, including stops in Chicago and Asheville. They have a raucous intensity backed by impeccably catchy song structures.

The band consists of three people - 2 New Jersey Natives and A Reno-ite. Kate Eldridge plays guitar and sings. Chris Costalupes is on the bass. And C.J. Frederick is on the drums.

They have a few releases so far - a great first LP called "Hard Life" and a 7-inch. They also have 2 split 7"s. One with the Mean Jeans that will be on Dirtnap Records and one will be with Audacity on Volar Records. They are sure to be two of the year's great singles, especially since those line ups are stacked! I will definitely be ready 2 rip (you can check out my interview with Mean Jeans HERE).

They have also recently put up a mail-order page on their website, which can be found HERE and includes tour dates as well as links to streams of their albums, which are absolutely definitely worth the listen.

You can also check out the band on FACEBOOK

Hopefully, Chicagoans will be able to check them out at the Subterranean.

Happy Saturday listening!

JRey