I was not around/paying attention to the first iteration of Atomic Action Records, but since its re-birth a few years ago, AA has become one of my favorite labels, and I've even had the chance to book bands like Fucking Invincible and Raindance a couple times. Anyway, when the "Absolutes" comp 7" came out a couple years ago on AA, I was really stoked to check out some new bands from the East Coast. While most of the bands on the label are heavier/more aggressive, the song that really stuck out to me on that comp was from Holy Hands, a band I'd never heard of before, but whose Elliott/Quicksand vibes are right up my alley.
I wasn't able to track down much else about them until last week when their new 7" "Sweet Love" was posted, which I promptly listened to and once again was overjoyed with. I had to know more, so after doing a little research I saw that their vocalist/guitarist Adam also plays bass in Sweet Jesus, who put out what was probably my favorite LP of last year.
That sealed the deal, I had to talk to this guy. So emails were sent, Adam was really enthusiastic about chatting, and here we are.
Hey
Adam! So I usually interview people I know or have at least met before through
booking their band or whatever, but that’s obviously not the case here, so give
a little intro of sorts...aside from bands and such, what do you for work,
where do you live, etc.
Aside from my bands I am first and
foremost a dad and a husband. I have a daughter that makes life very
interesting. I am also an elementary public school teacher, who occasionally
works a shift or 2 at our local taqueria called No Problemo. I am from New
Bedford, Massachusetts. It's a smaller city about one hour from Boston, and 30
minutes from both Providence, and Newport, RI. I grew up here and it proved to
be a great central location for going to hardcore/punk shows. I have also
lived in Queens, NYC and Seattle, WA; both of which were really positive
experiences.
Probably
my favorite thing about interview folks in bands is hearing their "origin
stories" so to speak. Talk a little bit about how you got into punk and
hardcore...random kid at school, cool older sibling, what drew you in?
I discovered skateboarding in 1989, which inevitably changed my
life forever. I am still traversing through life on paths which stem from that
moment. This was simultaneously my introduction to punk and hardcore, as it
often was the soundtrack to skate videos. The sound and fury of hardcore really
made an impression on me. Coupled with the ethos of bands like Minor Threat,
Fugazi and Gorilla Biscuits, I knew that hardcore was where I belonged.
Our local hardcore scene in New Bedford was really awesome as
well. My first local show was in 1992, to see a band called Intent to Injure.
Over the last decade I have played bass in that band, for several reunion
shows. Even my current bands: Holy Hands, and Sweet Jesus have members who I
met back in the early 90's at these local shows.
As you know,
balancing family, bands, and work is no easy ride. To be successful in the
balance struggle it all comes down to trust, understanding and maintaining my
PMA! Trust and understanding are crucial. Both my family and bands agree that
family always comes first. Having this understanding, my wife knows that even if
I have practice tonight, I would cancel if she needs me at home. On the same
token, all band members know that this is always a possibility and that I will
work with extra diligence next practice to catch up.
I am also very
fortunate to play music with such incredible musicians. I have three active
bands (Holy Hands, Sweet Jesus, and Fiddlehead). Holy Hands is the only band
that has a regular weekly practice schedule. Both Sweet Jesus and Fiddlehead
can have gaps as lengthy as months in between practices. For example, after our
9 day EU/U.K. tour, Sweet Jesus played a show per month for 5 months with no
practices at all. It may not be ideal, but we make it work. In the end, because
of our infrequent practice schedule I am able to have 3 bands, stay married and
maintain a career. See, there is evidence that the Positive Mental Attitude is
also a critical element in the struggle for balance!
I
always get jealous of people who came up on the East Coast...not that Detroit
hasn't always had a lot of cool stuff going on, but damn. Anyway, did you have
a sense when you were a kid that you were a part of something special or did it
just seem normal to always have these incredible bands playing all the
time?
When I was a
kid I certainly felt like I was part of something special. Without question,
the most incredible band I have ever seen was called Chilmark and they were
actually from Cape Cod. Their shows were insane with people just losing it in
the crowd. Ben, the singer could guide/uplift/control the crowd in an
amazing way. I found a way to get to every show of theirs that I could…from
some tiny hall on Cape Cod, to a show in someone's bedroom in New Bedford, or a
real club show in Boston. I was fully committed to being a part of the Chilmark
experience.
That feeling of
being part of something special has stuck with me through my 25 years of
participation in the New Bedford hardcore scene. In the late 90's until around
2001 we had an all ages venue at an AA club called Reflections. We (the kids)
built the stage in the room, we had benefit shows to buy air conditioners for
summer shows, we had national and local bands playing in our city.
Even in the
present day that feeling remains. So many people I grew up with in the scene,
now own local skate shops, restaurants and coffee shops, it's great to be here.
Also, Brian Simmons who runs Atomic Action Records resurrected his label again
and he is a major contributor to our local music scene, and a great friend.
Both HH and SJ are on Atomic Action and since they are such a cool grassroots
label (and also organic farmers) I feel very special and satisfied to be a part
of that as well.
I'm
curious about your musical journey...you mentioned getting into stuff from a
pretty young age, at what point did you pick up an instrument and start
playing in bands?
My musical journey
began with guitar around 1989 when I was 12…my friend Marc and I started
playing music together but could never find a drummer! We once played a basement
show with no drummer, just Marc screaming, me on guitar and our friend Brian
playing bass. It was weird, but still a cool memory! We finally materialized
into a full band and I played my first show in 1993. Chilmark was headlining
and all of my favorite local bands at the time were also on the bill (including
Ryan from Holy Hands' old band and Atomic Action records alumni called Third
Age). It was a great show, and a benefit for our high school photo club!
Shortly after that we stopped playing and I went through a 3-year lull of
playing music.
I was still a
very active show goer, and had become really close friends with Ben Coleman who
used to sing for Chilmark. We decided to start a band, (called Before I Break)
and after tiresome searching for a bass player, I decided to buy a bass. I
bought a 1983 Fender American Precision Bass (that I still use today). That
moment ultimately brought me to where I am today. Ironically, the guitarist for
Before I Break was George who plays in Sweet Jesus now...we also had a band in
2000, called Voices Forming Weapons which a young Pat Flynn used to really
dig...it was because of this that we started Sweet Jesus a good 14 years later!
So
you've played in all kinds of projects over the years, which one(s) would you
say you are most proud of, and more importantly what lessons would you say
you've learned (this could be in terms of writing, performing, recording,
or just the dynamics of being in a band) that inform your work today with
HH and SJ?
I have played in so many bands, and honestly every one of
them meant something to me. Most of them never left New England and we mainly
put out our music ourselves. (Side note: Atomic Action actually put out the
Before I Break CD in 1999.. the band had changed singers at the time). I try
not to look back too much; truth be told, I have never been more satisfied
musically than I am right now.
Holy Hands allows me to sing and play guitar, and challenges me
to write lyrics as well as music (we are recording our best songs yet for an LP
at God City with Kurt Ballou in February). Sweet Jesus gives me my hardcore
fix, and I absolutely love to play bass in that band (we are currently working
on a new 7" for Atomic Action). Fiddlehead allows me to approach bass in a
different way; playing with my fingers instead of a pick (we have a 7" out
on Lockin out, and are writing an LP right now that should be out on Run for
Cover at some point).
I would say the most important lesson I have learned is simply
to never give up on your dreams. Even when I was really young watching Van
Halen videos on MTV in the 80's, I dreamed of being a musician. In my mind, I
have reached my goal and am still realizing my dream of being a musician. Every
show I still get to play is bonus. Every song I take part in writing, another
mile-marker. Every 7" or LP I can continue to create is another solid
chapter in my life. I am truly happy to be exactly where I am
today.
This
is a question I'm starting to think about with regard to my sons...you
mentioned you have a daughter; have you/are you planning to introduce her
to hardcore and punk? On the one hand I feel like there has been at least
a little bit more consciousness being raised about gender-related issues
lately, but on the other hand hardcore is still primarily a sausage fest, we've
recently had some pretty prominent people in our scene exposed as creeps, etc.
I guess it's no different from the rest of the world where you have a lot of
beautiful things existing alongside a
lot of fucked up things, but is it something you want your daughter to be involved in the way you've been involved?
I have already
begun the introduction to my daughter of hardcore/punk music. Whether or not
she decides to get into it is totally her decision. It is our goal to raise an
empowered person who will be able to tackle whatever obstacles come her way. If
she chooses to be a part of the hardcore scene, I would certainly try to guide
her towards the positive end of it, in hopes that she would have that sonic
assistance to make good decisions as I did.
I feel that as
members of the biggest scene (the world) we know there are pros and cons to all
things or good and evil in all people. Everyone, regardless of gender has to
stay vigilant and learn to help one another. As both a parent and a teacher, I
can see that modeling appropriate behavior is the best way to teach kids to
stay on a good path. As a dad of a daughter, I hope she sees me treating her
mom (and all people) with total respect and will expect that level of respect
from others. If I become a father to a son, I would hope he would learn also
how to respect others in the same way.
I
always love to talk to fellow teachers who work in the classroom. Aside
from the obvious and silly question of how do your kids react when you tell them
you play in bands, I'm always curious to hear how people weave their punk
experiences into their classroom, or how perhaps growing up going to shows got
people thinking about going into teaching.
As far as punk
in the classroom, I tell my students that I play in bands but usually don't
tell them which bands until the end of the year. Most elementary school
students I have taught haven't been exposed to punk or hardcore yet.
So
the SJ LP was recorded a couple years ago with J Robbins. Given the sound and
apparent influences of SJ I imagine everybody was pretty stoked to work
with him. What was that experience like and were there any cool stories or
tidbits of wisdom he shared with you guys?
When Sweet
Jesus recorded with J Robbins it was really the icing on the cake to celebrate
our collective love for D.C. hardcore. Sweet Jesus formed because we all loved
Swiz…so when Shawn Brown from Swiz came to do some vocals on "The Same Man"
that was the cherry on top of the cake. The entire experience was fantastic; we
were there in Baltimore for 3 days. We tracked 8 of the 10 songs on Day 1, and
on Day 2 finished the last 2 songs and moved to vocals. Day 3 was mostly
mixing.
J Robbins was a
real class act guy. I love Jawbox and the later Government Issue records that
he played on so it was really an honor to work with him. We went out to eat
with him at night and he would tell us so many cool stories about the early
80's DC hardcore scene…his wife even baked us vegan brownies at one point, they
were awesome! (George, Jim and I are vegans). Totally amazing experience, and
we all absolutely love the sound we got at Magpie Cage. Actually, maybe the
coolest moment was when we had just tracked the 8 first songs and the band was
just winding down and one of us noticed that J had posted on Facebook that he
was recording Sweet Jesus and described it as " A Rebirth of Hardcore
Pride"! He was impressed that we tracked everything live together.
Lyrically,
the songs on the 7" seem very down to Earth and honest (I don't think I've
ever heard a punk song about the way nature can serve to calm us)...where do
you draw your lyrical inspiration from, and what sort of things are you
addressing on the new record?
I am happy to
hear that my lyrics are down to earth and honest. That's certainly my goal when
writing. My inspiration for writing comes from every aspect of my life, love,
the search for peace, truth and justice...sometimes the nucleus of a song stems
from reflecting upon conversations with friends, a film I might have watched,
daily activities with my daughter, life experiences (for example "The
Evergreen State" is about when I lived in Seattle, WA and travelled
frequently to the Olympic Peninsula, one of my favorite places on Earth), even
things that have happened at school ("Be a Friend to your Friends").
For our next record, there is a song about Chilmark (the band I referenced to
earlier), a song about autumn in Massachusetts, I address President-elect
Trump, and continue with themes of peace, love and justice.
You
mentioned being super excited for the new HH stuff...how would you compare it
to the stuff on "Sweet Love"; any new wrinkles or dimensions to the
sound or more of a refinement of what you guys have already established?
I am very
excited to make this LP. I feel it's the next level from "Sweet Love"
mainly because it features our new guitarist Ryan, who wasn't in the band yet
when we wrote and recorded the 7". I played all the guitar tracks on “Sweet
Love” as we were a three piece at the time. My prediction is that if you like “Sweet
Love” you will love the LP, since our sound has expanded and slightly evolved
as well.
In
your roughly three decades in the punk and hardcore scene, I'm sure you've seen
a lot change and evolve. What would you say have been the biggest changes,
and for you, what things have remained constant?
I have seen a lot of change and evolution in the hardcore scene.
I have also witnessed the cyclical nature of hardcore in the way that styles
(both sonically and fashion) come and go and return again. I got into hardcore
when cassettes were big. I saw the CD emerge and be usurped by MP3s, then vinyl
came back and even cassettes, it's really wild! Aside from that, I would have
to say the biggest changes have to do with the current ability to trade and
find records online, and social media in the way you can network and
communicate so easily.
The constant is that I still can follow the musical journeys of
people that started it all, or that I discovered at the beginning of my
journey. Ian MacKaye is one of the few people that I have consistently felt I
could look up to. I am so happy to know he is still out there making music and
continuing with Dischord. I admire his unwavering consistency in his approach
to life and music.
Walter Schreifels as well. I have followed him since Gorilla
Biscuits, I saw Quicksand come up, and now both bands have returned again. I
loved Rival Schools too. I truly admire his incredible songwriting and the fact
that he never turned his back on his roots in hardcore. Ever heard his cover of
"The Storm" by Judge? It's incredible.
Lastly,
I know I have felt music has always spoken to me, and I actually feel like
it's gotten more important to me over time rather than the other way around.
For you, as a guy with a career, a family, etc. what continues to draw you
in and keep you excited?
Music has
always spoken to me as well. I listen to music every day, every chance I get. I
almost always have a song or a riff in my head no matter where I am. Right now
is an incredible time to be involved with hardcore. So many long gone bands
have returned. I missed out on initially seeing a lot of the 80's bands that I
grew up listening to and just assumed that was it. I had missed the boat.
Bands like
Negative Approach, Gorilla Biscuits, Soul Side, Judge, etc. have all come back
and I finally got to see them which was fantastic. That keeps me excited as a
fan and the fact that I just cannot stop writing and playing music also keeps
me involved. Having the pressures of family, life, and career it's always great
to have new music and shows to look forward to.
I love the
songwriting process....coming up with the skeleton of a song and watching it
take full shape when everyone else in the band adds their individual sound to
it. There are so many songs that I love. Songs that really put specific
feelings into words and sound, and I will always have a need for that in my
life.
Sweet Jesus “You Destroy Yourself”: https://atomicactionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/you-destroy-yourself
Fiddlehead 7”: https://fiddleheadma.bandcamp.com/releases
Live photos by Reid Haithcock (http://www.reidhaithcock.com/) and Todd Pollack
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