This Email interview was supposed to be an in person one at Bane's Anniversary show, but I didn't get the Email until I returned home from the show. A lot of the questions are a reaction to a conversation I had about punk rock and hardcore with a friend of mine the night before. Vocalist Ryan was kind enough to answer these, becoming the first posted interview of 2007 in the process.

1. State something interesting about yourself.
I ran into a herd of cows the other day in my car. They were trying to cross the road. It was foggy and those fuckers came out of nowhere. That's an interesting story, but not really something interesting about myself. I'm pretty boring.

2. Whats the difference between hardcore and punk rock?
That's a tough question to answer because I always have a hard time seeing the difference between the two. I always hear people from back in the day saying that hardcore started as a backlash to punk, but I wasn't around back then, so I don't know. I know that today the scenes tend to separate themselves with "hardcore shows" and "punk shows", but that's always seemed weird to me. Like I don't know which genre Black Flag or the Bad Brains are...some people call it hardcore, some people call it punk. In the end, it really doesn't make a difference what type of label you put on it. And I guess when you really think about it, the two terms are so overused now, that "hardcore" and "punk rock" are both being played on the radio and can be seen on MTV, so maybe none of it matters.

3. Which band was more important in your opinion: Black Flag or Bad Brains?
Haha, I swear I didn't see this question before I used these two bands in the above example. That is weird. I can't tell you which band was more important, because I wasn't even walking on this planet when both of those bands were in their heyday. But I can tell you that they are both very influential bands who paved the way for countless other bands after them, but that's a given.

4. Are hardcore ethics different now than they were five years ago?
I'm not sure.

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages (if any) to starting Outbreak at such a young age?
It was an advantage because at the time we didn't have any serious commitments at home to keep us away from the road. Most of us lived with our parents still, so we had no bills, no serious jobs, and really nothing to hold us back. That is a big advantage, because it's hard to juggle being in an active band and having a life at home as well. The only disadvantage I can think of is not being taken seriously...sometimes people will see a bunch of 17 year old kids and not give the band a chance. A lot of labels will write you off, but that's when you just need to get on the road, and prove yourself.

6. What type of lifestyle do you think you'd be leading if you hadn't discovered punk/hardcore?
If I was like 90% of the kids I went to High School with, I would be snorting pills and getting as drunk as possible tonight. I hate to think it would come to that, but that is the direction so many kids from around here take.

7. Is it frustrating having to find new members?
Most of the time, yes. There are the occasional cases where you have a close friend that you're psyched to have enter the band, and when those times aren't happening, it's usually a bitch to find someone who fits the mold. Unfortunately there is a lot more than just being able to play the parts.

8. Whats one movie everyone should see?
"Office Space."

9. Whats a little known fact about Maine?
There are so many dumb things to name. Earmuffs were invented in Maine...the dude who invented them use to live a couple towns over from me, which is the only reason I know that. That should tell you something about how boring this state is haha. Maine has more coastline than California and more moose-per square mile than any other state...they are our state animal. One time Chuck, Nate and I smashed into a moose and it almost killed us. This interview isn't even over and I've already given you two graphic tales about running into animals with vehicles...they were both accidental and very scary moments, so hopefully the animal rights activists won't be knocking down my door.

10. Name one album, besides your own, that you think all kids should have in their collection.
Haha, BESIDES Outbreak?! Fuck, I don't know if there are any others. I guess If I HAD to choose some others they would be Cro-Mags "Age of Quarrel", Descendents "Milo Goes to College", Guns N Roses "Appetite for Destruction", Turning Point "It's Always Darkest...", Bad Brains "s/t", and the Minor Threat discography.

11. Anything else you want to say?
Thanks to everyone/anyone who has cared about our band. We've seen a lot of trends in hardcore/punk in the five years that we've been playing shows. Sometimes we're not the cool band to like anymore, and sometimes we are "hyped". Sometimes getting scene credit is based on the number of stupid fucking Nike Dunks you own, or which dude can fit into the tightest pair of girls jeans. Who knows what the next "cool thing" will be, but I can promise you that my band will have nothing to do with it. Thank you to everyone who can form an opinion without the direction of the people surrounding them.

 

Interview by: RF

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