Hey dude, how’s it going?
I'm good man, real good.
So I saw you just got back from doing a Euro tour with your band Downpresser, how did that go?
It was incredible. Above and beyond what we could have expected. The dudes from Cornered are awesome and it was a pleasure playing with them every night. Almost every night kids were pitting and singing along. It was an amazing experience.
What was your favorite gig of the tour?
Vienna, probably. Leeds was awesome too. Some of the Germany shows were wild too.
Since Downpresser is now doing more shows is that a sign that new material is in the works?
Haha, well that's a complicated question. We've been working on new material for a while, but it's difficult as most of us are up in Santa Barbara/Ventura counties, and our drummer is down in Orange County. Practicing is complicated. But we are aiming to record our LP by April at the latest.
If so, is there any idea on what label will be releasing it or is that still completely up in the air?
We'll have to wait and see.
You also play bass for the band Minus, can you tell us a little about that project?
Minus started as an idea between a few of our friends to have just a straight up hardcore band. Violation was winding down, so Derek (drums) had a lot of creative energy that needed to be channeled into something. He wrote the entire demo, and we recorded it and went from there. The newer stuff is a combination of our guitar player Austin and Derek writing.
What does the term “Hard Feelings” mean to you?
It could go a few different ways. I came up with the idea and kind of wanted to use it for Downpresser, but it fit the vibe of Minus way more. Travis wrote the lyrics to the title track, which pretty much defines what the term means for me. You'll have to listen to the record and let me know what you think.
Any touring plans in the works for Minus?
Plenty. Watch out.
As many know, Violation is from the same area as you guys. From your knowledge, will we ever see them play another gig?
I sincerely doubt it. It's funny, I get asked this question pretty regularly and I never really know what to say. They never did a last show or announced to anybody that they were breaking up, but that's essentially what they did. Many members don't stay in touch anymore, and as far as I'm concerned, they're completely defunct. I'm pretty sure any member of the band would tell you the same thing.
Aside from Violation, do you feel there are any other bands that should reunite and reignite the flame they once had?
Reunions are tricky. It kind of depends on the band and where they're at individually and as a group. To answer your question, yeah, there are plenty of bands I'd like to see play again. But that doesn't mean it's always a good idea.
What are some 2011 releases you’re looking forward to?
I'm still catching up on 2010! Such a huge year for hardcore. Hopefully 2011 will be even better.
Any other comments or shout outs?
Thanks for reading.
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