I’m frustrated by my own lack of updates. Here’s what happened:
Burning Fight
The show was unspeakably good. One of the most powerful events of my life. If that’s cheeseball or not, I don’t care.
I had intentions of doing some sort of review of the event. My realization that words will do it no justice kept me from even attempting. Kind of a lame reason, but I just don’t want to sell it so short. I haven’t done any other updates because I wanted to force myself to do the BF review.
I’d still like to say SOMETHING about it, just not sure what. I’m still reliving the fest, and trying to digest how / why it’s had such an impact, and what I want to do with that focus and emotion.
Here’s the interview I set up with Mother of Mercy / Let Down frontman Bob Wilson. This was my first interview for the site, and hopefully the first of many. I admit, some of the questions are self-serving, but I hope the questions were different than the usual interview type. Bob’s replies are much like his lyrics; straight forward and to the point. Dude pulls no punches.
MOM has a record available for pre-order titled “III.” It’ll be available shortly, and is being put out by Six Feet Under Records.
Lastly, I’d like to thank Bob for doing the interview. I’m sure interviews can be a total drag, so I appreciate his interest.
The artwork for the upcoming LP is pretty sick. How did you get set up with E of Watain?
I guess Sausage knew how to get ahold of him through some mutual friends or something? I honestly have no idea but I think the artwork is sweet and came out awesome.
Is there anything different on this record that people might not expect to hear? Any covers, guest vocals, etc?
We were supposed to put a version of the song “nineveh” by Only Living Witness on it but it didn’t work out. I also had a part in the song “slip” on the record where it would be clean vocals, and I could hear it in my head but it didn’t come out no matter which one of us tried. If Hoodrack could have made it in maybe things would have been different, oh well. The last song on the record is way different from anything we’ve done I think but it’s cool. I guess when people hear the whole thing there will be parts they didn’t expect.
Are there any future tours being planned for Mother of Mercy? Supporting acts? What cities are you most looking forward to playing?
We’re going to Canada for 9 days in June I think with some bands on Victory Records, and then we’re doing a full US tour with Foundation, which should be awesome. I’m siked to play Cleveland, Cali, and maybe some places Let Down hasn’t played before. Apparently Johnson City, TN is awesome, I wanna check out that and see what’s up with it.
What was the reason for start MoM, and not changing the sound of Let Down? What are the future plans for Let Down?
Kyle and I started MOM because we had downtime between things Let Down was doing and there was no real heavys bands in the area. It wa never supposed to be a band that left Doylestown. Let Down isn’t a band that could do something like Blacklisted and change our style completely and still be awesome. It’s pretty straight-forward and that’s how i wanted it to be.
Mother of Mercy’s lyrics have been much more dark, and personal, whereas much of Let Down’s lyrics were centered around other’s downfalls . Do you feel like writing such personal experiences become therapeutic? What’s the personal benefit of being so open?
Mother Of Mercy definitely allows me to talk about some shit that wouldn’t have fit in Let Down songs. There is a good amount of LD songs about being depressed or whatever but I tried to get away from that on the LP and just make it as straight edge as possible. I guess MOM lyrics reflect where I am in life right now, I feel separated from most of the people I see on a regular basis. A lot of the time I feel helpless and like I can’t control anything that’s happening in my life. Let Down is basically just “here’s who I hate (since most songs are about specific people) and this is why I hate them”.
The personal benefit of being so open with MOM songs is that it allows me to work through shit that would otherwise be fucking with my mind every night when I’m trying to go to sleep . The flip side of that though is having to actually sing the lyrics and look back on them and hear them in my head, because it kind of drives the point home that I am alone and I can’t solve any of the problems in my life.
——- Personal ——
I feel like fans of hardcore routinely romanticize and appreciate music of a few years past. Hindsight is always 20/20. If you could choose any era of hardcore to have your “coming-of-age,” what era would it be?
It doesn’t really sound so strange now since it’s been almost ten years, but the early 2000’s were my favorite. I really wish i was either a little bit older or was more aware of bands I liked so I could see them more than I got to. Striking Distance, Count Me Out, No Justice, RIght Brigade, Stop And Think, all of those types of bands from that era can’t be topped for me. I’m hoping kids get their shit together and start bringing that style back, it’s been too long. Hardcore definitely goes in cycles, so hopefully youth crew stops and that style starts.
Having a job can make being in a touring band a hassle. Chicago’s hometown heroes Convicted semi-recently completed a tour without the singer because he couldn’t get his work to allow the time off. The joys of adulthood…Do you work? School?
Convicted toured without Charlie?? What the fuck.. that’s weird, I can’t imagine that, honestly. But yeah I don’t know man. I don’t work, I worked like 2 weeks all of last year. I dropped out of high school and got my GED and have never thought about going back since. I’m not against working, I just can never seem to keep a job or care enough about one to make it last. I guess it’s good like that so when it comes time to tour when all the other guys are out of school, I’m all ready to go and don’t have to worry about some shit holding me back.
You’ve recently returned from playing United Blood. What are some of your highlights?
- CroMags playing Crush the Demoniac
- Convicted’s set
- Strength for a Reason. PA-only mosh it seemed like
- Bad Seed and Title Fight getting crazy reactions
- Blacklisted coming off their hiatus or whatever and being amazing
- I was sleeping in the van during the pipe burst so that was good
- Naysayer was great
I feel like i’m forgetting some things but those stuck out in my mind right away, UB is always a good time
What are some of your favorite non-core bands? How did you get into hardcore?
i got into hardcore through this kid Kyle Miller in 8th grade, he showed me Snapcase, AFI, Victory Records bands at that time, whatever else was cool in 1998 or 99, or whenever that was. Non ‘core bands I like are Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Joy Division, Iceburn, Brand New, The Killers, Mazzy Star, Denali… I have horrible taste in shitty music.
All the internet drama surrounding you knocking beers out of peoples hands. Anything you want to say to the people causing the drama?
It was a god damn beer. Grow a pair. Stop talking about it. Everytime it gets brought up it’s gonna be the same arguments on both sides. It wasn’t like it was the only time i’ve ever done that and you never heard anyone else complain about it. Watch the video of us playing some empty place in Italy, I do the same thing. I’m never going to say sorry or that I was wrong.
(Editors note: I linked all the albums to the iTunes music store, not as a plug for iTunes, but so you can preview the albums if you weren’t already familiar with them)
Possibly the hardest question of the interview. What are 3 of your all-time favorite records?
Honestly I forget most of what came out last year, besides these 3
What attracts you to do a band in the first place? Is it more of a general outlet for aggression, the message in your lyrics, the realization of seeing your words on paper, etc?
Getting to say what I want, and not having to worry about what people think. With Let Down, I want to be the band that people think of when they think of straight edge bands. I wanna be the Floorpunch or the Judge of the 00’s.
What made you decide to live the straight edge lifestyle?
Seeing friends my own age get into coke and pills and shit when I was in middle school, combined with having a general disgust for people who ruin their lives with drugs and alcohol. The affects of my parent’s abuse definitely shaped me into the person I am today. I guess it’s one of those things where you try and learn from other’s mistakes. By keeping myself as far removed from that shit as possible, I take away the possibility of becoming like every other person in my family. As much as shit sucks in my life, none of that stuff would make anything any better, it’d just create more problems. That’s something I don’t want to have to deal with.
I’ve been straight edge for a long time, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say it has its challenges. What’s the hardest part, in your opinion, about being straight edge?
The hardest part of being edge is having to deal with the token person at every party or whatever, that feels the need to tell you why they don’t think it’s a necessary thing to “label yourself.” It’s not hard exactly, just more of an annoyance since every idiot says the same dumb shit to me everytime. Trying to justify to themself that they’re doing something really awesome by being a drunk loser. It’s not hard to keep away, and there’s no tempation for me to ever try any of that shit. I’ve never touched a thing and I’m 23, there’s no reason to start now.
What are you most afraid of in life?
Becoming one of the homeless dudes in the park one day. Not a very far off possibility the way I’m headed and it scares the shit out of me.
Chicago’s The Killer have released 1 new track on their myspace page from their upcoming album “Not All Who Are Lost.” Jesus Christ. The drums sound like an old machine gun. So punishing. Sounds like the band is further developing their sound from the more traditional hardcore, to the faster, more chaotic sound we started hearing on their last album “Better Judged By 12 Than Carried By 6.” These guys can do no wrong.
The new record comes out June 23rd on Organized Crime Records, and you out-of-towners will get another chance to see them at Burning Fight. Get siked.
