Interview with Ben Lowrey from Failure Pact

Failure Pact is a newer hardcore band from Portland, Oregon that has some rocking tendencies which remind me of The Hope Conspiracy or The Suicide File. They’ve been pretty busy the last couple years, having put a song on the Blasphemour Records comp, self-releasing their “Care Less” 7” and most recently putting out a new tape called “Late Nights”.  They’re currently in the midst of their first tour which is taking them along the West Coast.

I actually booked their guitar player Geoff’s old band Cynarae a few years ago but only realized recently that he was in the band, haha. Anyway, we hooked up a distro trade when their 7” came out last year, and the other day I was super stoked when an unsolicited copy of the “Late Nights” tape showed up in my mailbox. The new songs are an awesome step up…..the final song “Choice” is particularly strong with it’s awesome opening and deep emotional resonance.

I recently exchanged emails with their singer Ben to get some history on the band and talk about what they’ve been up to since. Read on.

Alright so one of my favorite things about doing these things is just getting to know people better, so talk a little bit about your background, childhood, family, etc.

My names Ben Lowrey, I was born in southern Oregon & moved to British Columbia when I was 2. My parents went there as missionaries for 6 years. I spent a lot of time just hanging out in the woods & swimming in leech laden rivers. After that we moved to Prescott, AZ where I spent a good chunk of my life. I formed some good friendships there that are still important to me. Living in a small town didn’t leave you with a lot of options for things to do, especially if you didn’t care about partying & getting fucked up. Spent a lot of time hanging around in parking lots goofing off all night or filming ourselves doing stupid shit like throwing things off of a cliffside behind our mall like watermelon, soda bottles or a box spring mattress. I moved to San Diego for 7 years before I finally moved to Portland & the last 13 years of my life has just been working random jobs to pay rent. I’ve gone to a lot of hardcore shows in that time frame but haven’t really had much of an opportunity to get involved.

Tell your story of how you started getting into punk and hardcore. At what point did it go from something you were curious about to being like "Damn, this is it!"

I got into punk & hardcore thanks to a friend of mine when I was a sophomore in high school. There used to be this show that I watched that played skate videos & underground band videos. One time they played a video from P.O.D. funny enough from one of their independent albums & I hadn’t been exposed to heavier music like that before. I listened to mostly rap like Snoop Dogg, The Fugees & Busta Rhymes. So when I asked my friend Matt if he had ever heard about P.O.D. he showed me bands like Overcome & Focused. When I heard Overcome for the first time I knew from that point I wanted to be in a band & that this was something I needed to be a part of. This was when I lived in AZ so a couple years later I was able to go see Overcome & get exposed to the hardcore scene in Phoenix. From there it was only a matter of time before I was being exposed to bands like Minor Threat, Gorilla Biscuits & other bands most people start with.

Oh shit dude, you are talking to a definite OG spirit-filled hardcore kid, haha. Did you get to see the original Overcome line-up or the later Facedown incarnation? Also, tell me you got to see Jeremin at some point when you lived in Arizona!

Haha yeah I can't say I'm still into or a part of that scene anymore but there are still a few bands I can listen to & respect for exposing me to hardcore. I never saw the original line up of Overcome by the time I was able to get to shows. It was shortly after they released “Immortal Until Their Work is Done”. Seeing them in the Nile Basement in Mesa, AZ is still one of the most exciting memories I have from going to shows. Walking down into a dank graffiti covered basement that feels more like a dungeon than anything else, feeling slightly terrified & not knowing what to expect, it doesn't get any better. 

Can't say I've heard of that band. A lot of the bands I saw then escape my memory. There were so many that came & went. A few that I still have stuff from & remember are Kyds vs. Columbus, Kilnemia & Abishai.

It's been really cool to watch Failure Pact come out of the gates really pushing things DIY with the "Care/Less" 7" and now the "Late Nights" tape, both of which you guys have self-released. Talk about what's motivated you guys to go that route as opposed to perhaps holding off for label support.

Self-releasing records has always seemed to me the way you at least have to start out. I wanted to start this band to have an outlet; I didn’t know what would really come of it when I talked to Geoff about it. I’ve been trying for years to put bands together with no real success. I figured if we could at least practice once in a while & I could blow off some steam that would be better than nothing. I’ve also never had the chance to record with a band before so when we had songs that were ready I wanted to record them. The next step was to press it simply so I could have some kind of proof that I could do it. Now I think the motivation is to get songs out so people can hear them & hopefully enjoy them enough to come to our shows.

So after years of trying to get something going, how did Failure Pact finally come together? What were some of the initial ideas you had for the band, influences, you discussed, etc.?

The band got started back in March of 2013. I had known Geoff for a little bit & knew he played music. He was looking to do something after his band Cynarae called it quits. He told me he had talked to a few people about starting something & whoever got at him first was in haha. So we got a practice space & started writing stuff to make it official. As far as influences vocally I really like Blacklisted, No Warning, With Or Without You & I love the vocals on the Harley's War record “Cro-Mag”. I'm not good at relating our music to other bands. When I first heard parts to what would become "Only A Memory" I was blown away. I felt it had a sound all to its own.

In addition to FP I noticed you've been booking a decent amount of shows out in Portland. What's your favorite part about organizing gigs and perhaps the biggest drawback/frustration?

When I lived in AZ the closest place for shows was 2 hours away. So when I was done with high school I wanted to start bringing shows to my town so I didn’t have to travel to see the bands I liked. My dad was a pastor so I was able to use his church to put shows on & I brought quite a few shows through. Bands like Figure Four, End on End & As I Lay Dying. 

I’ve always enjoyed doing shows so when Geoff was getting hit up to book bands I was excited to get back into it. It was hard for a little bit to find suitable venues in Portland that were all ages after some shut down. right now it’s pretty good & seems to be only getting better. My favorite part about doing shows I think is being able to help support bands on the road & building a community where we live that supports that. The drawback to doing shows for me is the thought that we might not make much for a band. That’s one of the worst feelings is having a show that people don’t show up to.

I know a lot of times people within the church can be stuffy or put off by aggressive music.....were your folks cool with you getting into hardcore? Did your pops face push-back from people within the church when you started throwing shows?

The people in my dad’s church didn't care at all about the shows we did. Most of them might have not even known. He was never really involved past saying yes or no, haha.

You guys are in the middle of a tour right now....how's it been going and what bands are you most looking forward to playing with in the next week or so?

My only goal for the band initially was to just get in a room & scream. Anything past that I was would be a bonus for me. Now having two releases & quite a few shows under our belt it feels great but a little unreal for me. After I hit 30 I assumed it wouldn't happen. Now we are on our first tour & it's exciting. A lot of headaches to get to this point but it's worth it. 

At this point we are 3 days in, last night we played in Santa Barbara with pale hands who was really good & PTD a bunch of young kids with an amazing energy & intensity. I'm looking really forward to playing Tijuana, Mexico with Bonebreaker! I haven't been to a show in TJ for probably 10 years. They were always a lot of fun & this band is brutal as fuck!

Your lyrics are very straight forward and to the point.....who would you say have been the biggest influences on your writing style?

I can say that lyrically George Hirsch is by far my favorite writer but I don't think I can say that's an influence cause I don't think I'll ever write on that level. I just try to write about what I know or how I feel. I don't think I'm very good at being poetic or clever with my writing so I just try to be as honest as possible. That's what I've always loved about hardcore is that sincerity goes a long way.

The song "Choice" on the new tape is obviously incredibly powerful and I imagine it must be extremely cathartic to play every night. Talk a little bit about how that song came together with the voicemail and all that.

“Choice” was written for my late friend Andrew Ashcraft who died fighting a fire in yarnell AZ back in June 2013. His troop was overrun by the fire & 18 other firefighters died along with him. My group of friends & I from Prescott, AZ have had to deal with some tragic deaths of friends over the years & the second phone call I had received telling me news of this sort. It really hit me in a bad way.

When Geoff showed me the opening for what would become “Choice” I knew that was going to be the song I used to try & channel my thoughts & deal with the pain. Every time we practiced it I just tried to sing whatever came to mind in that moment. Eventually the ideas of the song came together & it all came out in a matter of minutes on paper. It was a very good experience for me & one of my favorite songs to play live. The voice mail had been on my phone for a long time & when we finally recorded it just made sense to put it on there.

What's up next for FP after this run? An LP? More touring? 

After our tour we have a few local shows lined up for the next couple months. After that we are gonna take a break to finish up some new songs we've been working on & record then for another EP. After that hopefully an LP.

Jams: www.failurepact.bandcamp.com

All photos taken by Adrienne Dee-Olsen

Tom Colello as Servant (Ex-Hollow Earth, Shai Hulud, etc.)

My buddies Steve and Mike have done some touring with Shai Hulud over the years, which is actually how they met and came to form their current (sick) project called Hollow Earth. At some point along the way they met Tom while touring with Hulud, and eventually recruited him to play with Earth for a while.

Anyway, they were super stoked when they first told me that he was gonna join the band, and true to form, when I met him I found him to be a truly awesome dude. He’s since had to step out of Hollow Earth and move back to Long Island, but we’ve kept up on social media and whatnot so I was pumped a few weeks ago when he said he had self-recorded and was self-releasing some new songs he’d been working on under the moniker Servant.

As always, I wanted to know more about the project, as well as get to know Tom a little better. So yeah, all hail the DIY spirit!

So the first time I met you, you literally stepped out of the van while touring with Shai Hulud, and having not practiced with them even one time, played a show on bass with Hollow Earth, proceeded to play your last show with Hulud, quit on the spot and then joined Hollow Earth, leaving for tour with them the very next day. That was probably one of the most epic and ballsy things I've ever seen anyone do, haha. So two questions....number one, did you have any sort of formal musical training as a kid, and if not, how did you develop the ability to just learn music by ear?

You make me sound way more badass than I am for sure haha. I started playing guitar when I was 9 and took about a year of lessons from a friend of my dad's. I never really took it seriously until I started playing in bands. I really decided to try and actually learn what I was doing when I was playing in the band The World We Knew and would sit for hours practicing and writing songs. That was also around the time I started to learn about recording which helped me out massively.

Number two, you obviously just do not give a fuck! How did you come to develop that sense of confidence and that feeling of just doing whatever you want and rolling with it?

I never thought of myself as a confident person but reading your question back I guess it would appear I am?! I suppose I just really stopped caring what other people thought. I spent a lot of time worrying about how my actions would be perceived by others (and I still do), but instead of sitting around and being miserable in certain situations, I just did what I felt would be better for myself and my own well -being. Playing with Hollow Earth was the best decision I could have made at that time.

Also, I guess I do feel more comfortable playing music than doing anything else.

So talk about your time in The World We Knew. I seem to remember that band being fairly active for a good number of years. What were the highlights of that project and what lessons did you draw from it that you applied later when you were jamming with Hulud and Earth?

My time in The World We Knew isn't easy to sum up. I joined the band playing guitar when I was 19 and we rushed right into trying to tour and play out as much as much as possible and I worked on trying to come up with as much material as possible and recording mostly DIY. Me and everyone else at the time had different ideas of how we should go about things and it severed some good friendships I had. I went on to play in a few other bands on the Island and worked and went to school.

Flash forward about eight years and bands to playing a show with none other than Shai Hulud! I reconnected with Frank who sang for the band. He soon got in touch with me about playing bass for them for their upcoming tours. It was very weird at first playing bass in a band that I helped start out with all different members but it was a fun experience. I had a different role where I was just playing someone else's songs for a change and it was a very welcome change of pace. I definitely picked up some good experience being out with them and every band I played with in between.

How did you wind up getting involved with Shai Hulud? What aspects of that experience lined up with what you were expecting, and what things were different (for better or for worse)?

My tenure with Hulud came about the same way presumably as most; friend-of-friend mentioned they needed someone. I had become friends with people who sang for the band in the past, one being Mike Moynihan, and they were in circles of friends close to me at the time. I got a text from a friend saying Hulud was looking for a singer. I went home, recorded me yelling over instrumentals and e-mailed them in. I got a response from Fletcher saying it reminded him of Integrity and I laughed and assumed that was that.

About a month later Fox messaged me on Facebook saying he knows I sent a vocal tryout, but also knew I played guitar and that they were in more need of a guitarist at the time. I drove down to Jersey and barely hacked through “Profound Hatred Of Man” with him and went home thinking "well that was awful." The next thing I know he's calling me telling me I need to send him scans of my passport because I'm going on a tour that Metallica is headlining.

I thought this was honestly some inside fucked-up joke being played on me and then a few days later I see the line-up for Soundwave announced with Metallica headlining and Shai Hulud being just announced. For the next few weeks I drove out to Jersey and learned as many songs as I could and now you and several other people know me as "that other guy who played guitar after Tony."

I really didn't know what to expect from playing with Hulud. I was always a fan and had seen them play packed-out shows and some lackluster shows, but every time I had a blast. In retrospect, all I can say is no matter what, Matt Fox will always pull something together and keep Hulud going.

Touring with Hulud overall was one of the best experiences I've had. I saw places I honestly never thought I'd have the chance to see and I got to meet some really good people. Not to mention connect with friends and family of mine all over the world. Hulud introduced me to people that I consider some of my favorite friends that I still talk to almost every day. There were ups and downs through it all but overall it was an unreal experience and I'm grateful it was offered to me even if it was out of desperation, haha.

I know towards the ends of your time in Hollow Earth the responsibilities of adulthood sort of started catching up with you which brought you back home to Long Island.  Talk to us about that transition out of tour mode and the process of starting your new project Servant.

The end of my time touring with Tha Earf was kind of abrupt; it wasn't something that was set like "okay, this is my last tour with these dudes" or "this is my last show playing with them". Life just happened and that was that. Transitioning back to the "civilian life" wasn't and still isn't easy sometimes. I have a steady job now working at a record store which isn't glamorous but it pays the bills and then some. I have a house where I live with my girlfriend and we're slowly fixing it up. It's a big difference from the impulsiveness I've grown accustomed to!

Going from ending a tour with absolutely no money and a one-way plane ticket to start another tour to now; I actually have money set aside and I don't owe anyone anything. It's like a major shock. I miss touring; waking up somewhere different every day and seeing what dumb stuff me and the boys would get into that day, seeing old friends from home who moved elsewhere, and most of all EATING. I wouldn't give up anything I have now but I do hope to get back to it at some point. I'll be a part time punk, weekend warrior or something!

As for Servant, in between tours with Holla, I just started writing some heavier songs and figured I'd try and get friends here on the Island to play some shows here and there. I wrote about five and then after being back home for good, I wrote about fifteen more. I decided I had enough material to work with and reached out to some friends about playing, had a few practices, and even tracked some vocals with other people, but as it does, life got in the way. People got busy, changed jobs, etc. and after sitting on these songs for over a year, I just decided to record vocals myself, mixed it, and sent it to Audiosiege to have it mastered by Brad Boatright. Instead of just releasing it online for free like I've done with other projects, I went through and actually got some 45’s pressed!

Damn, that's so tight! I noticed the first one is a lathe, where did you get it done?

The first one I got done by VinylOnDemand. Check them out at www.vinylondemand.com. They do super small runs with no minimum. It's pricey but if you only want like 10 copies of something, it's worth it. Quality wise, it sounds just like a pressed record.

I think for a lot of music nerds like us, there’s this idea that working at a record store is sort of a dream job. Is it awesome or like any job do you find it feeling like a grind?

Working at a record store is definitely a cool gig but there is far more work than one would realize. I figured I'd ring up customers and post a few social media updates and that would be that. The store I work at is one of the bigger independent's on the East Coast so we have a lot of crazy promotions and in-store events where bands come and play or do signings, etc. which is always interesting when the tour/band life overlaps with my work.

We've had bands like Counterparts and Stray From The Path play in the store as well as people like Frank Turner and New Found Glory (Hulud brotherhood 4Lyfe). Being an independent store, we only have 4 employees but still maintain a retail storefront as well as an online presence through marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Discogs, and our own webstore. It's very fast-paced and quite the opposite of what most people would believe. Picture Jim Breuer's character in Half-Baked, it's the exact opposite of that.

Now that the two records are out physically, are you planning on recruiting some of the people you originally started writing with to play some shows, or are the records the end game for now?

Now that there's some music out there, the goal is to get a couple of schmucks together to make some loud noise in front of people. Ideally, I would like to just play guitar but we'll see what happens. I still have another 15+ songs already written for this project so I'd like to head into a studio and do an LP within the next year. I really haven't set any expectations for this project; it's something I just wanted to do, so I'm doing it, haha.

Man, I love that you're just going for it! Have you always had that sort of DIY gumption or has it been borne more out of necessity since you've been home?

I've always tried to do everything I can on my own. I just hate relying on other people and if something goes wrong, I'm responsible for it. With this project, I didn't feel like I could go to a label or friend and say "Hey, here's this thing I'm doing but it's not REALLY a band but I want you to put it out anyway." Tying back to my job at the record store, they run a small label from the storefront as well which deals with vinyl reissues and licensing stuff so I picked their brains, got a few contacts, and went from there. I had a local guy from the Island cut a lacquer for me; Alex Abrash of AA Mastering and he put in a word at Gotta Groove and that was that. It was cool because it's not music he normally worked with but he was really excited about it!

While I guess this wasn't entirely out of necessity because I just wanted to do it on my own, I don't think anyone would be sinking money into a "band" that hasn't played a show and has no plans of touring, haha. Hopefully that will change soon and maybe I can convince someone to hook me up with a studio to track some loud ass, mean songs for said LP.

For that LP, are you thinking of self-recording again or would you prefer to have someone else engineer it?  And do you foresee doing it all solo again or would you wait to record until you have a full (or at least partial) band in place this time around?

If I get impatient enough, I will probably self-record again, but I'd have someone else mix the next time around. I already have everything tracked musically! I would like to head into a studio and I'd probably just bring a drummer. It would be a nice change of pace to just focus on playing.

Talk a little bit about the lyrical focus of the material, particularly of the songs on the two 7 inches....

Lyrically it's pretty straightforward. I'm not very good at being cryptic with the exception of maybe the last song, haha.

I'm just saying the same things that have been said before. I've got nothing new or profound to say, just reiterations. Everything I ever could've wanted to sing about has been done by Propagandhi or Burn.

Scornful

cynic, outcast, your claim

sincere in hate of the light

serving a reminder of what you’ll never have

cast yourself outside

writhing in a sorrow

writhing in a fear

of being welcome

of being loved

coward, caitiff, your truth

burn down the bridges you’ve been building

falling into despair

you will fall

cast yourself outside

you’ve cast aside

any hope of finding more

in sorrow, you’ll die alone

die alone

you coward

you fool

you will fall

- - - - -

Unbridled Earth

this world was not made to serve man

with the rising tide and skies of ash

Mother Nature will expel human existence

we’ve ushered in our own demise

Earth be no bridled beast

we have yet to learn

we’re no masters

just servants

- - - - -

Son Of Civilization

I am a bastard son

a son of civilization

with a blind thirst

we trudge on and on

trying to hold the reins that harness the Earth

controlling life

to grow, to breed, to die at our will

asserting man’s rightful place as ruler of the globe

depleting resources

shaping her face to our liking

with disregard of a sustainable future

- - - - -

From The Dark

never left the shackles of sadness

left one cell for another

the walls change but never the confinement

pleasing all before the self

it’s what I’m made to do

lowered deeper in an internal hell

with a smile, I’ll be burning

I blame you for what you’ve given me

you brought your solace

you brought a light

it ripped me from the dark

Jam/Purchase: https://servantofearth.bandcamp.com/

Interview with Thommy Browne from Miracle Drug, By the Grace of God, etc.

The first time I encountered any of Thommy Browne's bands must have been at Michigan Fest in probably 1997 or 1998. In the midst of their powerful performance, I remember singer Rob Pennington reading a bunch of poetry at the beginning of their set. I didn't much care for poetry then, nor do I now, but something about it made an impression on me and BTGOG immediately became one of my absolute favorite bands from that day forward. I saw them a couple more times over the years in Chicago and even now I can never decide whether BTGOG or Snapcase is my favorite band from the golden years of Victory.

A few years later I got to see Black Widows a couple times right when they started, and while not quite as immediately gripping as BTGOG, I really liked them as well.

Anyway, when I heard about Miracle Drug a year or so ago, I immediately got stoked, and was super bummed I had to miss them when they played Detroit a few months ago, due to it being counter-booked with a record release show for some friends whose 7" I helped put out. At any rate, being that I play drums, I'm always stoked at the prospect of interviewing other drummers.

Being that Thommy has dropped the backbeat for some of my favorite bands, I nervously decided to reach out, a couple months ago and was psyched when he got back with me. Be sure to check out Miracle Drug if they roll through your town, and grab their demo when it gets released this summer as a 7" via Trip Machine Labs.

What was going on in your youth/adolescence that took you down the path to punk and hardcore?

My father collected vinyl from the late 60's and 70's, so I grew up looking through his records and listening to them. Music was always being played in the house. I became pretty passionate about music from an early age, was into skateboarding and by middle school was getting really deep into metal. I obsessively watched Headbangers Ball, loved Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Anthrax, etc.

I also had an older brother who introduced me to punk rock, mostly The Misfits, Descendents, Fugazi, and local Louisville bands like Squirrel Bait, Solution Unknown, Kinghorse, Slint and Endpoint. I would borrow, dub and keep most of my brother’s cassettes. Around this time I got serious about playing drums and would rent drum kits from Doo Wop shop (local music store) and then eventually bought a crappy used kit from a friend.

I didn't have any cymbals, or cymbal stands, so I would piece together what I could and hang metal garbage can lids from my bedroom ceiling. In 7th grade on a school field trip an older kid in 8th grade introduced me to Minor Threat and straight edge, and it all spiraled from there.

Garbage can lids from the ceiling, holy shit! In terms of picking up drumming, what drew you to your instrument? Did you have any sort of musical background/training, or did you just decide to go for it?

No musical background whatsoever, but was always drawn to the drums and watching other drummers play. I've never taken lessons or even know how to read music. I just got that rhythm in my soul bro.

                                                                      Thommy playing with Enkindel in 1995

What were some of the first shows you attended, bands you were inspired by, etc.?

I started going to local punk/hardcore shows in Louisville when I was in 9th grade, which was 1991/1992. The first show I went to on my own was an all local show with Indignant Few, Dybbuk and Bush League at The Bar With No Name. I went to grade school with the guitarists of both Indignant Few and Dybbuk so it was fascinating to me that guys I knew were playing in actual bands!

Around this time I met other like-minded kids my age and started my first band. Soon enough I was going to shows every weekend and was seeing local bands like Endpoint, Kinghorse, Sunspring, Crain, Step Down, Dybbuk, Sancred, Shut Out and national acts like Jawbox, Integrity, 411, Born Against, Bloodline, Avail, Split Lip, Shelter among many, many more.

I soaked it all in but was most inspired by passionate aggressive music.

My first contact with your playing was through BTGOG. What projects were in you before that and how were they similar or different from what you wound up doing later?

During my Freshman to Junior year in a high school I was in a handful of bands that never played shows or even recorded. During my Junior year of high school my friend Ramsey and I were asked to join Enkindel after their bassist and drummer quit. Enkindel was the first band I played a real show with, the first band I recorded with in a real studio and the first band I toured with.

I was also in a short lived band called Amaroq with Rob Pennington and Nathan Salsburg. If you have never heard of Nathan, look him up. Since we were in high school he has always blown my mind with the songs he writes on guitar. Amaroq was a punk rock band, but Nathan's soul is drenched in folk music. The majority of his work is instrumental acoustic guitar, but it is so much deeper than that. I can't ever NOT express how much his music means to me and it blows my mind that we were ever in a band together.

In the fall of 1995 (right after I graduated high school) Rob talked to me about forming a new band with Duncan Barlow, Jonathan Mobley and Jay Palumbo. We started practicing immediately, wrote 5-6 songs and played our first show opening up for Earth Crisis in December of that year. From there we started playing more shows, played out of town a lot and we recorded what songs we had with plans on releasing it on Initial Records. Later things changed and it was released on Victory Records.

The rest is history.

                                                              Thommy playing with Miracle Drug in 2015

BTGOG was obviously known for being very political, both in terms of your lyrical stances and then later for being critical even of Victory when they started running ads in porn magazines and whatnot. How would you say the band (and your earlier experiences in hardcore in general) influenced your outlook today as a business owner, a father, etc.?

I didn't grow up in a religious family or go to church at all. My parents installed good ethics in me and taught me right from wrong in their own way ... but I was still missing something. Punk rock and hardcore filled that empty space. The positive messages from lyricists like Rob Pennington, Taylor Steele, Pat Dubar, Ray Cappo, Anthony Civarelli, Kevin Doss, Kevin Seconds, John Coyle, Dan O'Mahoney, Chris Hannah (and many, many more) helped shaped me into the man I am today.

Punk music was my religion. Whether it was opening my eyes to animal rights and how disgusting mass factory farming is, to improving race relations, or putting an end to sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.

Thommy playing with By the Grace of God in 2015

So I've read in various places over the years that the original dissolution of BTGOG was a result of violent altercations/attitudes and a general rightward/apolitical tilt in hardcore. I guess over the years I've always felt that while the more progressive/socially/politically conscious bands have always been around if you know where to look for them, there's definitely been less of an emphasis on those things over time. I'm curious if you share that sentiment, and if so, whether you see it as a problem, or more so just the natural evolution of things.

The reasoning you mentioned may have been that of individual members in the band, but as a whole I would say that there were a handful of various things going on that led to BTGOG taking a hiatus. If anything the reasoning you mentioned is exactly what the song "Goliath" is about. Keep in mind it has been almost 20 years since then, so I may have my facts wrong, but I believe the original dissolution had to do with Duncan wanting to move to Denver, CO. to finish school.

As far as the violence and militant ideologies go, I think it's always going to be around in some shape or form and certain individuals will be drawn to it, just like certain individuals will be drawn to the antithesis of it. Right now in 2016 I am overwhelmed with the positivity and rarely encounter those problems. I am very thankful for being able to be part of such an incredible scene right now.

After BTGOG you did Black Widows/Cross for a while, and now you're back with Miracle Drug. Have you had other projects you've worked on in the intervening period, or was it more work/fam for a while?

Yes, I've had a handful of different projects between BTGOG and Miracle Drug. To keep things brief I try to list all of the projects I've done in-between BTGOG and Miracle Drug. 32 Frames, Black Widows/Black Cross, Get Dead (never played a show, or found a singer!), Lincoln & The Lost Prayers, Chime Hours, Straight A's (played a handful of shows as a second drummer), Ritual Void and Miracle Drug. Intersperse BTGOG, Automatic and Endpoint throughout that list for the occasional show as well.

                                                                   Miracle Drug-2015

Talk about the impetus to start up Miracle Drug. How did you guys all come together and what were some of the initial reference points both sonically and lyrically for where you wanted to take the band?

About three years ago I had heard that Bricks Avalon, the singer from C.R. had somehow ended up in Louisville with his family. It wasn't long before we crossed paths and started hanging out. At the time I was playing in Ritual Void, but it really wasn't where my heart was at. I was very good friends with the people in the band and it was literally the best band situation I had ever been in, but I was never really 100% into what we were doing. I was yearning to play hardcore again the type of hardcore I grew up watching and listening to.

Matt Wieder and I tossed around the idea of starting something and I told him if we get it going we should get Bricks to sing. I asked Bricks if he would be interested in singing in a hardcore band again, and he was! Everything was slowly coming together. I was talking to Jeremy Holehan about playing with us, as well as Jay Palumbo, but he only practiced with us a couple times. The idea of the band was that we wanted to draw inspiration from the 90's hardcore bands we loved like Inside Out, No Escape, Worlds Collide, Undertow, Outspoken, Lincoln, Burn, Downcast, Juvenocracy, etc.

As far as MD goes lyrically -- that's all Bricks. I can't possibly begin to describe what is going on in his brain but it is fucking genius.

The demo was obviously well received and I know you guys have done a bunch of shows around Louisville/Indy, plus a bit of touring. I think I read the demo is coming out on vinyl via Trip Machine.....what else does MD have in store going forward?

Yes! Our 2015 Demo will be released on 7" vinyl on Trip Machine Laboratories this summer, and we are very excited about it. We plan to demo some of newer material in the next couple weeks and but there is no plan to release it. We will probably pass it around to some labels and try to stir up some interest for someone to put out an LP.

More than anything we are just going with the flow and sticking to our original plan for the band. We want to have play music that makes us happy, and have fun, period. We are all older dudes in our early 40's and we still need this need and want this outlet.

Miracle Drug-2015

Speaking of BTGOG, you guys toured Europe with Trial last summer and just a few days ago mentioned that a new 7" is in the works.  First off, how did the tour with Trial come together/how was that experience?

Well, I didn't play on that tour (sad panda) and our friend Kent Pledge filled in for me. I work full time as a web designer/developer and the vacation time I do get gets spent with family. I heard from the guys that the shows were great, and the tour overall was a lot of fun, minus Duncan catching some gnarly strain of the flu, the heat and constant van problems. That's tour though! Gotta roll with the punches.

I've noticed you guys have played a few show shere in the States, are there plans for any more extensive U.S. touring?

No plans for extensive touring ever, as BTGOG will never be a full time thing for us. I think the reason we still keep BTGOG alive is because we aren't a full time thing. Duncan is a professor at University of South Dakota, Rob is a professor at the University of Louisville, and Tree and Jay both are very skilled carpenters.

Besides work we all have our own things going on whether it be other bands, parenting, publishing, consulting, exploring the hills and valleys of central Kentucky, pet rescuing, skateboarding or veganing (you know ... like, being a big nerd about the newest and best vegan hot spots. It's a full time job). Playing shows sporadically every year works really well for us and our lifestyles.

How does it feel to be writing new material with those guys again, and how would you describe the material thus far?

It feels great, and often times feels like starting a new band all over again. Over the past 6+ years we have been sitting on a hand full of half-written songs that need some finishing touches. To me they fell similar to the first 7" era of BTGOG.

Final question....you mentioned still wanting/needing the outlet of hc punk. What is it that continues to draw you in and keep you inspired 25 years after you first started going to shows and were hanging trash can lids from your bedroom ceiling?

First and foremost I have an undying love and attraction to aggressive music. Playing it, seeing it live and listening to it. Over the years I have strayed away here and there, but I always find myself back on that path. Secondly, the punk community are my people and I don't see myself growing out of the progressive ideologies I've been taught from it. I mean, I'm going to be 40 in December. I think it's already damn well rooted in me for life. I still get energized and motivated by so many bands even this day. It all keeps me going.

                                                                   Miracle Drug-2015
Upcoming Miracle Drug Shows:
April 22: Louisville, KY @ Haymarket. Benefit for Alex Rhema w/ Knocked Loose, Fairlane, Breaking Wheel, Nine Eyes and others
May 1: Louisville, KY @ The New Vintage w/ Bane
May 13: Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club, How Much Art Can You Take? Fest w/ Fuck You Pay Me & lots more
May 20: Lombard, Ill @ Brauerhouse w/ 88 Fingers Louie
May 22: Chicago, Ill @ The Cobra Lounge w/ Sheer Terror
July 3: Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus
September 16: St. Louis, MO @ Fubar Lounge w/ Break Away and others

MD HQ: http://miracledrugband.com/
Peep the Demo: https://miracledrug.bandcamp.com/releases