With so many bands already in the scene and hundreds being added daily it becomes increasingly difficult for fans to keep track of all the changes to the hardcore landscape and for bands to distinguish themselves. A Plea For Purging has consistently found a way to keep their sound as fresh and sincere as their personalities. As though the 2009 release “Malevolence” wasn’t epic enough, Plea accompanied their hit single with perhaps the video that tops all videos via “Make Me Metal” which includes a hilariously adept parody of the carousel of trends within the hardcore scene. Fans who are fortunate enough to have been enraptured by A Plea for Purging’s lightning fast brutality have also discovered a refreshing layer of sincerity beneath the humorous surface of the member’s laid back natures. With the anticipation growing for their latest release The Marriage of Heaven and Hell on Facedown Records (7/6/10), we were able to steal a few minutes with lead singer Andy Atkins for a behind the mic session to discuss life and music.

A Plea For Purging as a name is poetic, dark and resonantly spiritual as it rolls off the tongue, what is the story behind your name?
Andy Atkins (vocals): Well, I wasn’t in the band originally so the name was around before I was. Its basically a snazzy way to say a prayer for cleansing. Funny thing is, the guys didn’t know there was a band already called A Prayer for Cleansing. I remember our 1st conversation about it when I joined the band. They had already been a band long enough to not deal with a name change though.

This year you all are working with “Scream The Prayer Tour” – for those who aren’t familiar with STP what is this and how did you get involved?
AA: Scream the Prayer is a 10 band, festival style tour that hits venues, much like Thrash and Burn or Summer Slaughter. The only difference is the line up is made of mainly “Christian bands.” We played the tour last year. It was a good time and we made a lot of friends so we decided we’d jam on it again this year.

Your Wikipedia says you have been a band since 2005, what has 5 years in the game taught you about yourselves, music and life?
AA: Man, that is a huge question. My answer could take up 10 times the bandwidth this website has, haha. I’ll keep it short. You can really trust no one, only yourself and God. And sometimes its hard to trust yourself. You wanna trust your friends but they will let you down too. Wash the naivety from your eyes. The music biz is hard and life is harder. You have to take the bitter with the sweet and keep your head up. And no matter what you are doing, at some point, the grass is gonna look greener on the other side. I always hated that saying but I truly understand it now.

Is APFP music that is fun, brutal and just happens to be Christian too or do you intend for your music to be a vehicle for something specific?
AA: These days the term Christian is thrown around real loosely in our music scene. I have realized I don’t really know what the term “Christian band” means. Here’s what I can tell you about the five of us. Personally we are followers of Christ. That will make itself evident in our music. We are just trying to be honest with ourselves and our listeners in our music. Honesty for us is whats most important.

The “Make Me Metal” video for your song “Malevolence” and your t-shirt (notably the Air Jordan and B.A. Barakus) designs are some of the funniest things currently in metal, what sort of feedback have received to your combination of humor, brutality and conviction?
AA: I think most people get it. We aren’t trying to be something we’re not. We’re just trying to jam and have a good time. We like to laugh a lot so we make humor a big part of our band. I mean look at us, we are a funny looking group of guys. I think if anything, we’ve only received negative feedback from the Christian side of the fence. We’ve played some festivals where some of the officials or just older show goers have had a problem with some of our merch. I guess they just don’t get it.

This will be your third full length release with the Facedown Records family, with the metal landscape changing almost daily, how do you stay on top and expand your sound without burning out?
AA: If you haven’t caught my carefree vibe yet then I’ll try to lay it on thick here. We seriously want to write jams that we like and that we think will be fun to play. Yeah, you want the kids to like it too but that doesn’t mean follow every music trend out these days. We try to grow with every record. I think our song writing has improved over the last three records. We are proud of this new record. I think its the record we’ve been trying to make for years.

Last year APFP covered T.I.’s song “Live Your Life,” did you get any feedback from T.I.’s camp? When is the T.I. and A Plea For Purging Tour set to launch?
AA: HAHAH no way man! I wish. We are a small blimp in the music industry. I would be highly surprised if anyone in relation to T.I had heard of the cover.

You’ve mentioned that with “Depravity” you were more honest with your lyrics and are expanding on that with your new album, what do you feel you were holding back that you have decided to communicate with greater clarity this time around?
AA: This time around we are talking about a lot heavier of a subject. The last record was really introspective, dealing with personal trials. This record is focused on the things we see around us. It has its introspective moments. We always have that mindset of – when you point at someone, you got four fingers pointed back at yourself.

With this upcoming release, “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell,” you continue your signature rapid fire brutality while early offerings such as “Eternal Female” showcase electronic elements and other variations to your sound. Is there a base theme behind the imagery, sounds and lyrics of this album?
AA: Musically this record is faster at times, heavier at times, and we have added some new tasty treats we haven’t really ever touched in previous releases, such as clean singing and a wider scale of production. Lyrically the record is a calling out of wolves in sheep’s clothing so the art work with the record really show the listener a good depiction of what we are going for lyrically.

There seem to be a lot of bands of bands that are self producing, whether to save money or keep creative control, how valuable has it been to the maturation of the band’s sound to work with good producers?
AA: I guess its all in opinion. The five of us are pretty headstrong and know what we want. We demo everything out in pre-production before we ever go into a studio with a producer. This allows us to really shape the songs into what we want them to be. The only producer we have worked with is Joey Sturgis. He just would throw ideas in here and there and we could take it or leave it. Its definitely a plus to have a 6th opinion and someone that has fresh ears listening to your tunes but I wouldn’t say its a must.

A Plea For Purging recently was picked up by El Shaddai Records to distribute in Australia, what has been your favorite tour stop outside of the USA and how has APFP been received overseas?
AA: Well, we haven’t been to Australia yet. I hope that works out soon. Out of the 14 other countries that PLEA has been to outside of the U.S. I’d say Germany is one of my favorites to play. All of our Germany shows were pretty fun. Holland totally rules too. Surprisingly we did pretty well in Europe on our first tour. We didn’t know how it’d go but kids were singing along and wearing our shirts! It was awesome. Holland had some killer stage dives too! haha.

A Plea For Purging’s latest album “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” on Facedown Records available in stores and online July 6th, 2010. Singles “Eternal Female” and “Shiver” available now through the APFP Myspace and iTunes.

A Plea For Purging (Metal/Hardcore) from Nashville, Tennesse is: Andy Atkins – Vocals; Blake Martin – Guitar; Tyler Wilson – Guitar; John Wand – Bass; Aaron Eckermann – Drums.

For more information on local music, band interviews, concert updates and promotional content. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, acoustic, indie, organic, progressive, funk, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships to promote local arts, music and entertainment as well as advertising opportunities – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

Part of what we hope to accomplish at hurdcore.com is to inspire fans and bands to connect and participate rather than just observe the world around them. If you have a favorite band, now is your time to shine and get them a spot on the Vans Warped Tour by voting for them to play in the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands. You can vote as many times as you one but only once a day. Take a few seconds, gather your brosephs and lets get some local bands to the top of the heap!

The Top 100 vote getting bands for each venue will be eligible to win a slot to play live on the Vans Warped Tour. All 100 bands for each venue will be reviewed by a panel of industry professionals comprised of our partners, Vans Warped Tour Organizers, and Ernie Ball Inc. Four bands will be chosen to perform live on the Ernie Ball Stage for each date of the 2010 Vans Warped Tour.

Check out the hurdcore.com Battle of The Bands Page – HERE

VENUE: Battle of the Bands – St. Louis, Missouri
July 5, 2010 @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

When Bears Attack (Screamo – IL)

VENUE: Battle of the Bands – George, Washington
August 14, 2010 @ Gorge Ampitheater

We Move Mountains (Screamo – WA)

VENUE: Battle of the Bands – Hillsboro, Oregon
August 15, 2010 @ The Washington County Fairgrounds

Roseway (Hardcore – Portland)

Tallboy (Hardcore/Metal – Medford)

Elenora (Screamo – Roseburg)

Swinglow (Metal – WA)

Fallstar (Screamo – Portland)

Something About Airplanes (Pop – Portland)

Aleen (Rock – Portland)

allshewrote
(Screamo – Portland)

For more information on local music, band interviews, concert updates and promotional content. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, acoustic, indie, organic, progressive, funk, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships to promote local arts, music and entertainment as well as advertising opportunities – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

VEIL ARMS CLOTHING ANNOUNCE EMINENCE CONFERENCE TO TAKE PLACE AUGUST 10th and 11th IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

(Albuquerque, New Mexico. June 21st 2010) Popular New Mexico fashion line Veil Arms Clothing will be hosting The Eminence Conference on August 10th and 11th. The conference itself is designed for aspiring musicians, photographers, graphic designers, writers, actors and entrepreneurs to join with others to learn more about their chosen art and how they can become better educated for when they feel they are ready to move on to the next level, whatever that may be. This series of workshops will teach the average young artist attending what its like to be a professional.

Veil Arms Clothing exists to motivate and encourage their young surrounding art community in hopes of inspiring those with gifts to best develop and cultivate their given talents. The workshops themselves will be taught by the likes of Matt Greiner from heavyweight metal band August Burns Red, Micah Kinard from Oh Sleeper and so much more. Lunch will be provided each day as well as several guest speakers including Colby Engstrom and Jeral Dickinson. The nights will be capped off with performances by Seabird, B. Reith and more.

Registration is currently available for this event. If you choose to register before July 15th your admittance will be FREE!

This is a great opportunity for any aspiring artist out there, no matter what your avenue, to learn, to build community and to network with like minded individuals as well as professionals.

“These kids will get direct information and one on one workshops with these artists and people that they respect, hopefully equipping them with enough knowledge to pursue their career.” –Shawn Ulmer, Veil Arms Clothing

For more information on this event please visit www.veilarms.com

Eminence Conference from eric parnell on Vimeo.

To inquire about media exposure for this event or if you’d like to schedule an interview with the owners of Veil Arms Clothing please contact: Jameson Ketchum – KTCpublicity@gmail.com – Twitter: @ketch116

For more information on local music, band interviews, concert updates and promotional content. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, acoustic, indie, organic, progressive, funk, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships to promote local arts, music and entertainment as well as advertising opportunities – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

R.I.P. status showing up for your favorite band is never a welcome designation. As a fan you question whether this is your fault or what might have happened if they just would have called Dr. Phil, but nothing can turn back time to a place where you and your favorite band were blissfully in sync. Kyle Benecke took the helm for Sioux Falls, South Dakota based hardcore band Nodes of Ranvier in time to record and tour what would be their fourth and final album, “Defined By Struggle”. Nodes of Ranvier had long been a workhorse in the Facedown Records stable of up and coming hardcore bands, but 2006/2007 brought many new faces and a change of venue to Victory Records. Defined By Struggle showed great promise as the band seemed to continue their signature sound without any glitches while simultaneously returning to a renewed clarity in the spiritual content of their music. Much to the dismay of fans like myself, 2007 was to be marked as the end of an era for Nodes of Ranvier but we were glad to catch up with Kyle as he sheds some light on the breakup and encourages us with words of wisdom for today.

You are from Omaha, Nebraska and Nodes of Ranvier was based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, what was the timeline and process for you being introduced to the band and finding yourself taking the helm for vocal responsibilities?
Kyle Benecke I’ve known the Nodes guys forever and I was a big fan as well. They asked me to be in the band after Nick left and the rest is history. It all happened really fast.

I was stoked that the fourth album, Defined By Struggle returned to the clarity of spiritual content that was expressed in the freshmen release of Lost Senses, More Innocence. How was the final product of Defined By Struggle received by the band and the fans?
KB As a Christian, I just wrote what I’m passionate about. We had a good response to the music and lyrics. Some people liked the return to spiritual content and some didn’t, no big deal.

Nodes of Ranvier had their trademark riff fueled sound, how did you prepare your voice and how were you able to get into a flow that fit to carry through what the band had laid as a foundation while showcasing your unique vocal tone as well?
KB When I first heard the songs for that album, I was really excited to get vocals down. I felt that all the music they were writing fit my vocal style really well. Not much preparation, just got in the studio and laid down the tracks. We were all happy with the result I think.

When you joined Nodes of Ranvier there were some massive changes, vacancies at drums, bass and vocals as well as a label change from Facedown Records to Victory Records. Did you have any idea that Nodes was going to disband or did that come as a surprise to you?
KB Yeah, there were a lot of changes going on, but I just jumped at the opportunity to do a record with Nodes and Victory Records. I pretty much grew up on Victory bands (Strife, Earth Crisis, Snapcase, Buried Alive, All Out War etc…..) I didn’t know we were so close to disbanding when I joined, but I’m well aware of the fragile nature of hardcore/metal bands. It was still a great opportunity and I had a blast.

It seems a little odd that most of the members who left Nodes of Ranvier before Defined By Struggle and even those involved with the final recording went on to work in other projects (like they still wanted to do music, just not NOR), can you pinpoint what you think led to the decision to put Nodes of Ranvier on R.I.P. status?
KB I’m not positive what led to the demise of NOR, but I have some ideas. I think part of it was just internal problems and not wanting to tour. The tours that we did were pretty bad as far as turnouts go, but again, that’s the nature of this world. At one point you’re hot, and then you’re not. It can be really disappointing. But music is in our blood. We probably won’t ever stop making music or being involved with it in some shape or form.

What are you up to now and do you have any vocal prospects?
KB I’m married and have a full time job here in Omaha, NE. In my spare time I shoot (video) as many shows as I can. (Check out my youtube page if you’re interested: http://www.youtube.com/user/thebenecke) As far as musical projects go, nothing right now, but I’m hoping to get a hardcore project started one of these days. Hopefully soon.

You obviously brought a depth of spiritual content to the lyrical component of Defined By Struggle, what has been your experience with faith?
KB I was raised Lutheran, but I never really cared too much about God, church etc… I became a Christian when I was in high school. My friend shared the gospel with me and that was that. Years later, through another friend, I discovered reformed theology. My love and reverence for Christ grew enormously because of that. Learning/studying about God’s attributes was mind-blowing to me. His sovereignty, love, mercy, patience, wrath etc… Continuing to learn about all these qualities that God possesses increases my faith and causes me to love and serve Him.

The Kyle Benecke Library recommends some pretty heavy reformed tradition reading such as “The Attributes of God” by A.W. Pink as well as straight classics like “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis. Are there some key principles, thoughts or quotes that have helped shape your thinking towards life and faith?

KB Reading A.W. Pink destroyed me!!! His book, ‘The Attributes of God’, absolutely changed my perception of God in so many ways. Especially the chapter on ‘The Wrath of God’. So good! Other than that, I love most puritan stuff, Jonathan Edwards, John Owen etc….(Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is my favorite sermon of all time) Charles Spurgeon’s stuff kills me too. Basically, I like the old stuff. It’s hard to read some of it, but you get so much depth and understanding if you stick with it. Newer stuff: John Piper, John Macarthur, Tim Keller.

A great quote:

When I consider how the goodness of God is abused by the greatest part of mankind, I cannot but be of his mind that said, The greatest miracle in the world is God’s patience and bounty to an ungrateful world. If a prince hath an enemy got into one of his towns, he doth not send them in provision, but lays close siege to the place, and doth what he can to starve them. But the great God, that could wink all His enemies into destruction, bears with them, and is at daily cost to maintain them. Well may He command us to bless them that curse us, who Himself does good to the evil and unthankful. But think not, sinners, that you shall escape thus; God’s mill goes slow, but grinds small; the more admirable His patience and bounty now is, the more dreadful and unsupportable will that fury be which ariseth out of His abused goodness. Nothing smoother than the sea, yet when stirred into a tempest, nothing rageth more. Nothing so sweet as the patience and goodness of God, and nothing so terrible as His wrath when it takes fire. (Wm Gurnall, 1660).

Having been a fan of music and experienced life as a performer, how would you encourage those who want to make the most of their talents and use them to do more than just entertain?
KB I would tell them, don’t fall in love with yourself and respect others. For believers, guard your eyes, heart and mind. If you have the talent to play music, be careful and know what you’re getting into. Have fun, be honest, and don’t be afraid to say what you believe. A lot of people won’t like it and you’ll feel stupid sometimes, but that should build character over time.

Nodes of Ranvier – “Defined By Struggle” is still available from Victory Records. Be sure to check out Kyle’s Youtube page which features interviews and live recordings with bands like For Today, Impending Doom, Legend, The Ghost Inside and MORE.

For more information on local music, band interviews, concert updates and promotional content. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, acoustic, indie, organic, progressive, funk, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships to promote local arts, music and entertainment as well as advertising opportunities – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

Earlier in May hurdcore.com introduced readers to Portland, Oregon hardcore/screamo band …And The Sirens Sang (ATSS Interview), as they prepare for their West Coast Get Downz Tour to kick off June 19th in Camas, Washington we wanted to to reset your appetite for local rock.

Is there a song that gives you the most trouble live?
Will Breitner (Guitar/Vocals) Definitely “Life Through The Eyes Of A Drowning Man” because it is the most technical.
Will Terada (Guitar/Vocals) I’m gonna have to go with Will B on this one. “Life Through The Eyes Of A Drowning Man” is by far our most technical song, but it’s also one of the most fun to play, for me personally.
Patrick Shannon (Vocals) “Au revoir, My Love” for me because, it has a large variety of vocal ranges, and is a pretty decent length song.
Brady Johns (Keys) All of them because I still don’t know all of the songs, Its all improv for the most part for me. I know chunks of songs but not all of it.

If I had an extra $1000, the first piece of equipment that I would purchase for the band is…?
WB Recording of a new demo with Neil Engle (we’re doing this in September) and then either more merch or the big light boxes we’re gonna make for the stage!
WT Well if he’s got the merch, I’d say a new P.A. system of our own.
PS Being a vocalist, I would say get everyone Shure Beta 58′s and pay the audio technician at Hawthorne to work magic on them for better sound.

Trend that you have noticed that you will never join?
WB Crunk-core. Nuff said.
WT Anything that sounds like 3OH!3, or Kesha…
PS Well the Wills pretty much stole the words from my mouth
BJ Emocore.

Currently reading ____, listening to ____ and/or watching ____?
WB Reading – The Lost Symbol (Dan Brown), Listening to – Dimmu Borgir’s “The Sacreligious Scorn”, Watching – Eastbound And Down.
WT Reading – Harry Potter (all of them, over and over again.); Listening to – As I Lay Dying’s new cd “The Powerless Rise”; Watching – The Office: Season 5.
PS Reading – World of Warcraft: Rise of the Lich King, Listening to – City and Colour’s “Sometimes”, Watching – The Office (ALL SEASONS.)

Best book you’ve ever read, why?
WT In my opinion, the Harry Potter series. It has an amazing story line that was able to be built upon for 7 books, it has amazing character development where you can actually watch them mature as you read through the series in everything they do, it has action, drama, suspense, comedy, love stories, etc. I think it’s just a very well rounded series in all aspects. And it’s good for people of all ages.
WB I think Will T said it perfectly. I’m either gonna go with the Harry Potter series or the Angels & Demons, The DaVinci Code and The Lost Symbol series by Dan Brown which is simply phenomenal.
PS I’m not a big reader. Two books i have greatly enjoyed are, The Outsiders By SE Hinton, and Marilyn Mansons autobiography, “The Long Hard Road out of Hell”
BJ The Bible because it’s all real.

Any crazy pre-performance rituals?
WB Changing my clothes ten times hahaha
WT Smoke lots of cigarettes. For some reason, I always get compliments that my voice sounds great after a set when I smoke about 3 cigs right before we go on. haha I don’t quite get it.
PS I jump around, try and exercise to relieve stress.

When you are a diva/rockstar the three things that you will demand be in your dressing room are?
WB Jagermeister & Guiness, steak & baked potatoes for after the show and a lady hahaha
WT A 16 oz, medium-rare steak for after we play, 2 six packs of Dead Guy Ale, and an xbox 360 set up with Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
PS Vast amount of Laffy Taffy, Dead Guy Ale or Rockstar Energy Drink, and The Office on TV.
BJ A warm silk robe, dimmed lighting, and Usher blaring so loud that it vibrates the walls.

Band you have shared the stage with that blew you away?
WB For me I would have to say either Whitechapel, Through The Eyes Of The Dead or Rose Funeral.
WT I would have to say Abigail Williams. Being able to play with them was a huge honor as a fan, and it was awesome to play my set, and then get off stage and be blasted with such a sonic, American Black Metal assault as theirs. hah
PS So far, Keeping Secrets for sure. Love those guys!
BJ Jack Devore.

Top 5 songs in your personal ipod right now?
WB AFI- “Synesthesia”, The Black Dahlia Murder- “A Vulgar Picture”, Emarosa- “Head Or Tails, Real Or Not?”, Matt Kennon- “The Call” and Rose Funeral- “Left To Rot”.
WT The Black Dahlia Murder- “Climactic Degredation”, As I Lay Dying- “Parallels”, Travie McCoy- “Billionaire”, Veil Of Maya- “Unbreakable” and The Devil Wears Prada- “Louder Than Thunder”.
PS Our Last Night- “ELEPHANTS”, Alexisonfire- “To a Friend”, City and Colour- “Casey’s Song”, Dance Gavin Dance- “Open Your Eyes and Look North” and Whitechapel- “Possession”.
BJ Justin Bieber- “One Less Lonely Girl”, Usher- “Moving Mountains”, Matisyahu- “King Without a Crown”, A Tale Through Audio- “The Touch” and Job For A Cowboy- “Entombment of a Machine”.

Best and worst experience at a show?
WB My best experience was seeing AFI and being right in front of my idol, guitarist Jade Puget. It was the most amazing thing to see the band that made me want to play music live. I’m not really sure what my worst experience was at a show. Probably something to do with a dumb kid starting some bullshit over something dumb.
WT My best was defintitely being able to meet Trevor Strnad (vocalist) and Brian Eschbach (rhythm guitarist) of The Black Dahlia Murder before seeing them at the Hawthorne Theater, and then screaming every word along with Trevor, Brian, and Bart Williams (bassist). I was as giddy as a 12 year old girl when they told me after the show that they appreciated seeing me scream every word, and they loved hangin out with me after the show. As one of my absolute favorite bands, they’ve changed my life and my views on music. For the worst, I’d have to say it was in Redding, CA when I was on tour with my last band, Bedlam Massacre. It was the last show of tour with PDX Hardcore band “Proven,” and we just wanted to get home. The venue didn’t book a P.A. system and told us we had to get our own; the locals tried to make us, the touring bands, open the show; the locals decided to get a P.A. from their friends, who brought it an hour late (which turned into us being an hour late, somehow), and on top of all that, we’re all a bunch of very tired, worn out metalheads, who really didn’t want to deal with any more crap on the road aftet dealing with multiple breakdowns, and money issues. Long story short, what should’ve been a decent last show almost turned into a giant street fight. It was terrible.
PS Best for me was standing right in front of Dallas Green as he performed in Alexisonfire at the Roseland. He is one of my favorite musicians and a big insipiration, and seeing him live was very big for me. Worst expirience thus far is, playing a show at Pop Culture recently with a cold. My voice was pretty bad from the cold to start and the PA had so much running through i couldn’t be heard. I screamed my lungs out and messed up my throat for about three days.

Read the full Interview w/ …And The Sirens Sang from May 2010 HERE

…And The Sirens Sang > Hardcore/Screamo > Portland, Oregon > is Will Breitner (Guitar/Vocals); Will Terada (Guitar/Vocals); Patrick Shannon (Vocals); Brady Johns (Keyboards); Sam Okutsu (Bass) and Joey Luna (Drums). Keep an eye out for their Sirens EP and full length to be releasing SOON – catch them on the West Coast GET DOWNZ TOUR kicking off June 19, 2010 at The Revolution Room in Camas, Washington. Updates and info at ATSS Myspace.

For more information on local music, band interviews, concert updates and promotional content. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, acoustic, indie, organic, progressive, funk, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships to promote local arts, music and entertainment as well as advertising opportunities – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

I know I am out of tune with pop-culture as a whole, so my opinion likely will not register and certainly won’t be the downfall of Katy Perry’s career but her latest chart topper combines much of what tips the scale on my peeve meter in regards to trends in modern music. (Peeve is the correct spelling, not to be confused with peev which as an acronym stands for People Enraged by the Eating of Vegetables) If I were to describe “California Girls” in one word it would be forced. The lyrics, the delivery, the Snoop-Dog cash-it-in cameo, the overt sexuality and even the bee-bop chorus sounds like a dying animal crying out for a mercy shot – “Ooooh oh ooooh”.

Does anyone still wear daisy dukes? Even sweaty roofers got the memo by ‘92 and last I checked fellow pop diva Jessica Simpson is all but M.I.A. after her bout with the fashion item’s cinematic namesake. I enjoy fun and nonsensical tunes as much as anyone but my introduction to the “Girls” came as a musical tidal wave that spun me through the deep end of desolation with its obnoxious vanilla-pop.

In contrast I think there have been a handful of recent songs of note that have craftily combined entertainment with constructive elements in their content. B.O.B. even worked a cameo from the soon archived Nintendo 64, with their jam “Nothin On You” which extols, “Beautiful girls all over the world I could be chasing but my time would be wasted. They got nothin’ on you babe.” In a note of introspection one verse references having spent life chasing skirts, “This is how I lost more than I had ever won and honestly I ended up with none.” Without glossing over all its pimples and personally inserting a monogamous pretext, B.O.B. scratches at the contrast between the emptiness of living for your own pleasure and finding satisfaction in the depth of commitment.

Perhaps a flip side of the coin carries over in Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” which has enjoyed a resurgence in our house thanks in part to The Chipmunks Squeakquel. I enjoy hearing my daughters sing and dance to the simple lyric of, “If you liked it then you should have put a ring on it.” Not that Beyonce is a poster child for virtue or that I want my 7 and 1 year old daughter to run out and get married anytime soon, but I hope that they have the moral grounding to expect a certain ethic in their future relationships. I pray that I won’t have to explain to my daughters that if your boyfriend hasn’t proposed after two years or if you are in your third year of serial engagement, you may need to look elsewhere if you expect a sincere commitment. Not to harp on a Dr. Lauraism, but if you are in the position of giving it up for free sans-covenant, you will not find a dude who respects you until you respect yourself enough to demand better.

While Califonia girls may be unforgettable I believe the quality and potential impact from songs with a more positive embrace will long outlast the easily forgettable blah-blah-blah of the repetitive bareness which spring up like weeds upon the pop landscape. I don’t expect entertainers to articulate or fan a moral flame, but those instances in which they do are quite refreshing. Say what you will but I enjoy when music dares to explore its potential rather than cycling through rehashes of the same script.

For more information on local music, band interviews, concert updates and promotional content. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, acoustic, indie, organic, progressive, funk, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships to promote local arts, music and entertainment as well as advertising opportunities – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

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Interview w/ Ryan Clark of Demon Hunter > Seattle, WA based Metal/Hardcore band recently released “The World Is A Thorn” on Solidstate Records >> DH Interview

We Move Mountains posts new music video for Dan Nettekoven Snakes The Win check it at WMM Youtube

Interview w/ Josh Gilbert of As I Lay Dying
> San Diego, CA based Metal/Hardcore band recently released their full length album “The Powerless Rise” on Metalblade Records. >> AILD Interview

Interview w/ Duck of Becoming The Archetype
> Georgia based Metal band released their 3rd full length album “Dichotomy” on Solidstate Records. >> BTA Interview

HC Review of The Book of Eli (film) HC Review

Interview w/ …And The Sirens Sang > Portland, Oregon Hardcore/Screamo. >> ATSS Interview

For more information on local music, band interviews, concert updates and promotional content. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, acoustic, indie, organic, progressive, funk, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships to promote local arts, music and entertainment as well as advertising opportunities – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

Red and blue flashing lights often cause as stimulating an effect as the eardrum shattering screams that interrupt the regular murmur of everyday life. While the sensory alarm often drives us to quickly attempt to identify where the blitz is coming from as well as where it is going, the sight and sound of sirens clearly communicate that something is going on. Music can similarly serve as a beckoning to recognize and engage the opportunities within our lives. If we fail to participate music can become absorbed into the backdrop of life rather than ringing out as a soundtrack to accent our lives. Music is not life but it sure helps to make life more interesting and in special cases can even inspire. If you identify with pain and have a consuming drive for an expanding depth in sound then you may have no closer musical avatar than Portland, Oregon based melodic hardcore band …And The Sirens Sang. Combining screaming vocal harmonies, breakdowns from dueling guitars, layers of emotive keys and an ingenuity that filters through every aspect of their collective expression through music …And The Sirens Sang is hard at work in the studio and on a stage near you.

You mention in your bio, “We’ve gone through some member changes, genre changes, and we’ve gone through more hardships than any band should and more than most bands have.” Would you care to elaborate on what you’ve gone through as a band and where you are at now?
Will Breitner (Guitar/Vocals) Well, we’ve gone through a total of about 15 members to finally find the right lineup which we currently have. A lot of bands have the luxury of only having to change 1 or 2 members, but we have had two different full lineups so it is very difficult in that sense. Also, we went down to California to play a single show last December because we were told that a Record Label A&R was going to be there to check out our music and hopefully work with us. Unfortunately, this was a lie and he really just wanted to steal all of our equipment, clothes, laptops, etc. after our van exploded and left us stranded in Southern Oregon with no money or transportation. After that happened, we had to buy all new equipment, a new van, and a new trailer so that set us back incredibly far.

What is the significance behind the name …And The Sirens Sang?
WB I came up with the name to tie into the first full length album where a girl dies. The name refers to ambulance sirens on this first full length. Possibly after our second full length (which will be a continuation and conclusion of the concept on the first full length), we are thinking about having it refer to the ancient sirens that lure sailors with their beautiful voices and features. That way, our name will have more than just one meaning.

Is there something other than the common drive to create music that musically and lyrically wrestles beneath the surface of And The Sirens Sang?
WB Our music deals deeply with heartbreak, both lyrically and musically. Our music is very melodic and we have a lot of really big parts that are meant to be very heart-felt. We write about sorrow and the music is very emotionally driven.

We’ve seen, or more aptly, heard the use and misuse of keys within the hardcore genre where there are bands who accent their sound with synth, And The Sirens Sang has really brought out and made keys a consistent layer within your sound. Did you purposely set out to push the limits of key-core or how did your sound in that sense evolve?
WB Well when I started the project, I wanted to make it very big and dense sounding and I wanted it to be as melodic as homanly possible. I love it when bands have parts with strings and piano under the other parts in the song, those are always my favorite parts! That said, I wanted to be in a band that had that kind of sound the whole way through the album. Our keyboardist Brady is a phenominal pianist and has a great mind for writing keyboard parts into metal music, and because of that, we definitely do try to make the keys a main focus in the music.
Patrick Shannon (Vocals) I actually remember Will saying how he at one point wanted an orchestra in the band. Kind like an Apocalyptica sound.
Brady Johns (Keys) I would love to have at least a string quartet involved in our music along with my piano parts. It would be epic!

With as much work as you all do within And The Sirens Sang and your projects outside of the band (IE Siren Studios and King Arthur Booking), what seems to be the key to getting local fans engaged in the music?
WB Constant promotion and playing shows as much as humanly possible! We’re really working hard on building up a local fanbase, but honestly it’s difficult to get kids around here interested in anything that isn’t deathcore or hardcore. Kids around here just don’t show up and represent for melodic music with heart in it like they used to, so it’s really difficult right now.
Will Terada (Guitar/Vocals) Also, being in multiple bands/projects is a great way to get your other musical ventures heard. So if people go to the ATSS myspace, they will see our other projects on our top friends, and hopefully want to check those out as well.

Do you ever take it personally when a crowd is slow to interact?
WB Not at all. Like I said above, I don’t see a huge appreciation anymore around here for melodic music so when kids aren’t throwing down to us I’m not really worried about it. We just try to mix it up and throw breakdowns and two steps in here and there to get the kids pumped up.
WT I sometimes get a little bummed, but I realize that not everyone is going to like our music. We have a lot of pretty parts in our music, and not all the people in the crowd are going to want to hear it. However, I think we do have a well rounded set since we do have the pretty, melodic parts but we also incorporate breakdowns, some metalcore riffage, and even a few slight elements of thrash.
PS Not at all. As the vocalist, I try and be as active as possible to bring energy to the crowd, as does the rest of the band. I’ll tell people to move around and actually have some fun! When we do have kids moving it definitely gets us all pumped!
BJ I could really care less how the crowd reacts. I personally prefer it more if the audiance just watches, but if they throw down thats cool too.

In assessing the scene, do you think that hardcore has become too cool for its own good?
WT Yes and no. Because on one hand it is music. And while I believe that all music should be respected whether I personally like it or not, it can get overplayed to the point of it losing it’s flavor. I am a fan of the hardcore scene. I wouldn’t consider myself to be one of the “Hardcore Kids,” but I do like the music. I just think that it’s at the point where it’s cool to be in a hardcore band, and most just do the same thing over and over again.
PS Yes I believe so. The only thing that grinds my gears about this, is at Will T said, ‘It’s at the point where it’s cool to be in a hardcore band…’ therefore there are too many bands out there with the same sound! No originality or talent.

As fans of music, as people and performers, how do you combat the pressure to be a certain something for the purpose of attaining success as opposed to doing what comes naturally or creating what you truly want to express?
WT Well as fans of music, we listen to what has already been done to attain success and feed off of it, instead of just copying every other band out there. For example, some of our main influences are As I lay Dying (AILD HC:Interview), The Devil Wears Prada, and Emarosa. We try to take influence from all those bands and throw it in a blender to create our own style and sound. That way it truly does come out as how we want to express it lyrically and instrumentally.

You’ve recorded an EP and are currently working on a full length album. How soon do you expect to have this work released upon the nation?
WB Well we are working as hard as possible to get it released extremely soon! It all boils down to money really. We’re poor and we’re doing our best to get our EP printed, but I don’t think it’s going to happen until July or so. As for the full length, as soon as we get the EP in print we will be saving up to record our full length at Interlace Audio (Emarosa, Dance Gavin Dance) in Portland, OR with engineer Neil Engle. It is going to cost us over $4,000 to record the album, so realistically we are aiming to do it around February of 2011. We will be setting up benefit shows after we get home from our summer tours to save up for the recording of the album and we would really appreciate it if everyone would come out and show us some support so we can get this thing out as soon as possible! We also have shirts and demos in stock at all times, so PLEASE pick one up so we can order our EPs, new merch and begin saving!

You’ve mentioned that this album is almost a split of reworking several previous songs as well as adding new ones, what are the sound dynamics and lyrical themes of this album?
WB Well it is basically the first EP and 6 new songs. We are re-working all of the songs on the EP to make them more mature sounding and the full band will be working on re-writing bass and piano parts as well as some of the lead guitar parts and vocals so it will be much more full sounding. There will also be a TON of vocal harmonies on it, which I am very excited about. As far as the new stuff goes, it is faster, more technical and the breakdowns are a lot heavier. Lyrically, it is a continuation of the “Sirens” EP and it completes the first half of the concept that we have written out. I don’t want to give away the concept, but we will be posting a full story that spans this part of the concept when the album is released!

With so many members and musical influences, what does the typical writing process for And The Sirens Sang look like?
WB Well for the whole first EP, I wrote and recorded everything (minus screams) so it was just me sitting down and writing music. It has since changed since it has turned from a solo project to a full band. Now, I will sit down and write basically a skeleton for a song and then our other guitarist Will Terada will come in and change guitar parts here and there where he has a better idea. After the guitar parts are re-worked and we are both satisfied enough to show the songs to the band, we will sit down and learn the songs with our bassist Sam Okutsu so we can all start jamming it out at practice and our drummer Joey Luna can get a feel for it. Then, me and our keyboardist Brady Johns will sit down and jam on the stuff just the two of us so he can write out keyboard parts to the songs and not have a million things going on while he’s trying different parts. That’s basically how our music is written now.
WT And while all of that is going on, our vocalist Patrick Shannon listens and gets ideas down for all of his vocal patterns and lyrics.
PS Haha yeah, I pretty much just spit out nonsense in different vocal patterns until I build a good sounding structure.

How do you work the play between the guitars and divide the vocal responsibilities?
WB Well me and Will T switch off on the leads in certain parts so that there is a pretty equal balance. I play a little bit more of the lead parts, but we like it to be balanced so at live shows it’s not just one dude in the spotlight. As far as vocals go, I do the lead singing for the most part but Will T and Sam sing backup harmonies and in certain spots the leads also.
WT It’s really easy for Will B and myself to switch off on leads and rhythms because there are parts where I want to play the leads and parts where I want to play the rhythms and it’s the same for Will B. I can remember numerous times where we’ve fought over who gets to play the rhythm parts instead of the leads. haha

You are preparing to do some touring this summer, is this your first tour of this magnitude?
WB Yeah, and we couldn’t be more excited! Well.. Unless it was longer :] haha
WT Not for me. I toured once before this last summer with my old death/thrash/black metal band Bedlam Massacre. We went out for the same period of time, and the route this time is gonna be exactly the same actually, except in reverse order.

How did you get hooked up with the bands on this tour?
WB We are really good friends with Upon Departure (UD HC:Interview) and we all love the dudes in that band so it was an obvious choice to take them out with us. Brady knew We Move Mountains (WMM HC:Interview) and we all listened to them and really dug their music so we decided to ask them to tag along too! They are both really professional bands and just fun dudes to
hang out with and we wanted to get the best lineup possible but also have a ton of fun on the road so it worked out perfectly!

Who else are you looking forward to playing with in 2010?
WB Well we just played a show with We Came As Romans, From First To Last and Asking Alexandria and I think I speak for everyone in saying that these are bands that we look up to and in the case of FFTL, have grown up with musically. It’s a great honor personally to have shared the stage with FFTL, because I remember being 16 and seeing them live and dreaming about playing on the same stage as them so I’m incredibly stoked that I was actually able to do that! I also love playing with the dudes in Upon Departure, Aleen, We Move Mountains, Mourning For Memories and other great bands from around here.

Who have been some of the biggest assistants to your development as musicians and as a band?
WB Definitely my mom. Me and Will T live with her full time and then the rest of the band ends up staying over and practicing around 5 nights per week. She lets us practice whenever we want to and she also lets me run a studio out of her house so that we can make some money to help fund the band. We definitely wouldn’t be a band without her :] Other than that, Dylan Ireland who runs our lights & merch, Greg Northcutt who comes to a bunch of shows and helps with merch and tech work, and Brittini Christian who helps with merch are all HUGE parts of the band. Kendall Johns has helped us on numerous occasions with lights and getting us on sweet shows. The guys at The Standing Ovation in Longview are AMAZING- without them we definitely wouldn’t be where we are at because they are such awesome people to work with and the Standing Ovation shows are the best!!! And just anyone who listens to our music. We love the people who come out to our shows seriously more than anything and we don’t have a huge fanbase or anything, but we are more appreciative than we can ever begin to tell you for the people who listen to our music and come to our shows.
WT Yeah, definitely Mama Breitner for constantly putting up with at least 7 guys in her house at all times, my girlfriend Brittini Christian for always being willing to take pictures, sell merch, and promote us at her school, Dylan Ireland for being a great friend and lights/merch guy, and Greg Northcutt who always is out in the crowd getting them stoked on us. And everyone at The Standing Ovation for putting us on great shows and just being great people for the scene in general.
PS: Will’s mom is one of the greatest supporters I have ever seen. She acts like a mom to everyone in the band and trys to help us as much as possible seeing that this is our job, and passion and we all really appreciate that.

…And The Sirens Sang > Hardcore/Screamo > Portland, Oregon > is Will Breitner (Guitar/Vocals); Will Terada (Guitar/Vocals); Patrick Shannon (Vocals); Brady Johns (Keyboards); Sam Okutsu (Bass) and Joey Luna (Drums). Keep an eye out for their Sirens EP and full length to be releasing SOON – catch them on the West Coast GET DOWNZ TOUR summer 2010. Updates and info at ATSS Myspace.

For more information on local music, band interviews, concert updates and promotional content. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, acoustic, indie, organic, progressive, funk, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships to promote local arts, music and entertainment as well as advertising opportunities – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.