Yup.

Uh huh.

Plans

Expect a new issue of my zine here in the next few months. If you want to contribute just let me know and I will think of something cool.

Orlando show tomorrow n-n-n-night

First day of the Offsides FL tour. Come out and hang

Conforming

I have finally been sucked in by the strong social networking force they called Facebook. It was inevitable, and I figured I would just get it over with and stop being a stubborn, fussy, teenager. I began a new messenger bag today to hold my touring essentials like cliff bars, and baby wipes. Poop.

Countdown

5 days left of irregular life, then it's time to get my tour on! I am making a new messenger bag for tour. I got some cordura fabric from seattlefabrics.com and it is super strong and feels nice against my backside. I should be able to put it together with little trouble in 5 days. Cross your butt holes everyone! The new blacklisted record is coming out this month supposedly, and I couldn't be more stoked. I know most everyone that I know hate blacklisted but they are one of my favorite bands and it's going to be sick. I've been downloading a bunch of new jazz records and some select few hip-hop classics. The review writing job has been a total success and I should be getting another paycheck soon. See you on the road chumps!

-Thomas

Stealing Spoons. Nonsense.

Cape Fear is a scary movie. Clint Eastwood is a bad ass. "Normal" people are annoying. Sports piss me off. Except hockey. Hockey is cool. There are more shitty bands than good bands. There are also more good bands than people know. If you don't think for yourself, someone else will do it for you. Believe in no god. Believe in no law. Anarchy would be nice, but it's doubtful it will ever happen. The government. Ceremony is sick. I like stating the obvious. Yup.

Chutes Too Narrow

So, I've been searching for a job the past few months without any success whatsoever. And through a random craigslist posting I just landed a "job" writing reviews for different nutritional products like protein powders and pasta sauce. It's really weird but it's super easy and I get paid $150 per 50 articles. At first I thought it was a scam but they are legit and I didn't give them my SSN or anything so even if they are con artists they don't have anything on me except my email and some shitty essays.

In other news, I got a huge movie score at goodwill the other day with a bunch of weird sci-fi tv episodes and an old Alec Baldwin movie where he kills people and impersonates a cop. Tour is soon and I couldn't be more ready to leave. Shins anyone?

Tour Sickness

Lately, I have been feeling very depressed. Not in a way like, a girlfriend (or boyfriend depending on whatever you happen to be into) dumped me, or a family member died. More in a way like home sickness. Except it's the opposite. I want to be on tour. Tour for the rest of my life. Live out of a 15 passenger van everyday, all day. Sleep under stars in camp grounds in the middle of the California mountains. Sit in a van for 12 hours at a time with nothing to do but sing along to my favorite records and read Bukowski until my eyes bleed. Play a show in front of 10 people who I've never met before, and not stop until everyone in the room is drenched in sweat. Have absolutely no money, and have to steal food to eat. Wake up in the middle of the night on a long drive and not know where the fuck I am. Hang out with the same 6 people everyday until I know every little minute thing about them. Break down in the desert and climb a mountain. I want to live.

Contest much?

I don't know what that means, but yes!

If you go to interpunk.com you can enter to win a bunch of records and cassettes and cd's and pretty much our whole discography for free! Offsides and No Harm Done! If I were you I wouldn't pass this up.

Hardcore, Fist Fights, and Meatballs

Weekends are always just another day for me since I usually just sit around and watch movies all day or go on a long bike ride. And since I don't go to school, it's not like saturday and sunday are relieving when they come around at the end of the week. But this weekend was a pretty solid one. I haven't been to a show since we got back from tour, and I decided that Backtrack was a good way to get back in the groove. I had never listened to them before but I saw the flyer which described them as NYHC so I had to check them out. Plus Learn Nothing was playing and they are awesome. It also gave me a reason to hang out with Charles who I haven't seen since tour. The show had a pretty good turn out and all the bands were tight, but there were a few kids moshing too hard which really bugs me. It's a 30 capacity shit hunk bar and your flailing your limbs like Jackie Chan in Rush Hour. When you hit someone in the face every time you throw back your fist, it's time to lighten up. Anyway, some kid hit someone too hard and they got in a little hissy fit with each other and ended up making a 30 minute deal out of it behind Uncle Lou's eventually breaking out in a back alley brawl. The perpetrators were beaten and everyone went on their way. I finished off the night falling asleep to Matthew Mcconaughey in Unsloved Mysteries. Woke up around 11 and headed to Veg Fest after some lolly gagging and gallivanting with Pick and Nick V. It was my first time attending Veg Fest and I was determined to pack an artery full of vegan foodstuff. Disappointingly, I only managed to eat half of a "meatball" sub and some brownies from Food Not Bombs. They were delicious but I came in there wanting to be oozing vegan icing from every orifice. Sad, yet satisfied, I made my way back to the car and took my time driving home to the sweet sweet sounds of Jane Doe.

This concludes another jolly tale of the daily life of Tommy Bahama.
Tune in next week for "Still No Job, but Plenty of Chafing."

Show tonight in Orlando

Where's my fucking cupcake?

New Pelican record is streaming on their myspace page. In the words of Jesus, "This band can do no wrong." Jesus didn't really say that. It's actually just my opinion. Well not really an opinion, it's more of a fact.

Why can't everybody in the world be vegan so I can have pancakes at Denny's like a normal, overweight, southern human being.

I tried to watch West Side Story today and I made it through 24 minutes before I had to gag the semen out of my mouth from all the homo erotic jargin. Don't get me wrong, I love homosexual's just not the one's who act like straight people acting homosexual.

In other words I hate musicals. Except Cannibal: The Musical. Now that is a fucking movie.

"Stop looking at me swan!"

Excercise, Movie Binges, and Unemployment

If you know me, you know I like to watch movies. Constantly. For the past few weeks I have been going on ritualistic bike rides to Goodwill and always coming back pack fulls of vhs tapes (i.e. Rocky, Star Trek, and various Sci-Fi and Action movies). In addition to this incessant film viewing I have been keeping up with my reading with A People History of The United States by Howard Zinn, which I have just finished a few hours earlier, and am now on my journey through the pages of The Short Stories of Earnest Hemingway. The sad thing is that with all of my movie and book reading in combination with my music obsession, it makes it very hard to have a job. Although, I have been relentlessly searing for opening positions at local fast food "restaurants" and supermarkets, with no avail. I still can't bring myself to apply at Long John Silvers for a second time even though it would be nice to have a steady income other than find change on the sidewalk.

In other news there are a few things planned and still up in the air for touring in the near future. One of which being a exclusive to Florida tour Thanksgiving week, the other is classified at this moment due to still pending conversations with superiors.

Other than entertainment and band happenings, I am starting my first semester at Daytona State College in January towards my associates degree in something related to writing or art or whatever. It doesn't really matter anyways, it all just adds up to tiny hopes and dreams that will amount to nothing worthwhile. I will still be a poor lazy bum, just a poor lazy bum that knows how to put words and ink into sensible configurations.

So, as I wrap up another pointless blog entry that maybe two people will read (if I'm lucky) I leave you with this quote from former lieutenant colonel Robert Bowman:

"We are not hated because we practice democracy, value freedom, or uphold human rights. We are hated because our government denies these things to people in Third World countries whose resources are coveted by our multinational corporations. That hatred we have sown has come back to haunt us in the form of terrorism...Instead of sending our sons and daughters around the world to kill Arabs so we can have to oil under their sand, we should send them to rebuild their infrastructure, supply clean water, and feed starving children...
In short, we should do good instead of evil. Who would try to stop us? Who would hate us? Who would want to bomb us? That is the truth the American people need to hear."

Completion!

I finally finished my messenger bag yesterday after a long period of sewing hibernation. It looks great and is even comfier than my last bag made out of snake skin and twigs. I would post pictures but I don't have a camera. I do have a camcorder though, which I am going to be making short videos with soon. And of course they will be posted here. If you have any suggestions for video theme's just yell them at me through the plastic cup/cotton string to your left.

In other news, I have completed watching "The Wrath of Khan" this morning, and I have to say that it is amazing that I haven't watched this before. It has the best aspects of Sci-Fi that I love, but there is also this sense of greatness that seems to glow at me through William Shatner's retinas. I am sad that Spock had to perish, but maybe in the next movie they will be able to resurrect him like Jesus if the bible was true.

Favorite song at the moment: Converge - Color Me Blood Red

As Captain Kirk says, "KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!"

Some serious sewing, almost too serious

I had so much success at sewing up my messenger bag today, that I passed out due to extreme bliss. It might have also had something to do with me headbanging to Quicksand until I slammed my face onto the sewing machine. But when I awoke, I found the needle bent, bruised, and crying in a fetal position in the corner of the room. Before the poor needle committed suicide I had managed to sew on all the nick-naks, and paddy whacks that hold the bag together, one hole side of the bag, and one little part of the other side. It looks pretty sick so far. I'm hoping I can finish it tomorrow because I really need to go to the post office and my regular back packs abuse me even when I take them on short bike rides. Demolition Man is a great movie. I suggest you watch it asap.

Lack of posting

I know no one reads this but I feel that I have seriously been lacking on my posting frequency. I promise to bust out some serious words here in the next few days. In the meantime you should check out this interview of Danielle from our band Offsides:

http://unabletoconvey.wordpress.com/2009/09/27/offsides-part1/

myspace.com/offsidesct

Bad News for Minors

I will not be gracing you with my presence at this years The Fest in Gainesville, FL. They have recently posted the schedule for the three-day weekend getaway, in which all of the venues except the 1982 bar are 18+ or 21+. With all due respect to the people in charge of The Fest 8: Fuck you and your rules. At least I have Torche to look forward to in November. Wait...what? The Torche show is 18+ also!? Why couldn't I have popped out a year early? I do plan on going to see Pelican in December in Atlanta if anyone else in interested, unless they make that 18+, too. Let's hope not.

Failure. Well, kind of.

I managed to only get a solitary zipper hand sewn onto designated pocket material today. And in even more of a surprise, it took me nearly 90 minutes to do so. I doubt it had anything to do with my crafting abilities. My reasoning is that I was blaring Trash Talk's discography through a massive system composed of all the guitar and bass cabinets in the house, which in turn led to my eventual moshing, and the distraction of my tasks at hand. Maybe tomorrow I will teach myself how to set up and use a sewing machine. I feel this would give me a significant edge on time.

In other news, Offsides will be embarking on a Florida tour Thanksgiving week complete with awesome music, sweaty guys, sweaty gals, delicious vegan treats, and even more delicious memories. A rough schedule can be seen here: http://weareoffsides.blogspot.com/2009/10/update.html

After I failed at one of the most easiest tasks known to man, my brother, who wishes to remain nameless, locked his keys in the van today while socializing at Dunkin Donuts and sneaking in a few non-vegan pastries. He gave me a ring, and begged me to come to his rescue with a set of van keys and perspiration from the bike journey there. What did I get in return you ask? A hug, and a kiss from my closest friend and pal, and $10 added to my monthly $50 reimbursement from certain classified, band related, business transactions.

In conclusion, if you were able to make it through the excruciating minutia of my description of today's events, I award you with this video.

Progress...FINALLY

I went to the junkyard today and got some seat belts for my next messenger bag project. Sewing starts tomorrow. I will post pics when it's finished.

I have also become a regular on reasonstohateyourlife.blogspot.com

Check it out if you like to read crappy stories and poetry.

Bliss In Concrete: Part II

Harold was sitting on Kagney's leather couch with a glass of liquor in one hand and her breast in the other. Kagney slipped off her's and Harold's clothes and threw them onto the floor. Harold put down his drink on the coffee table without a coaster. What happened next would haunt Harold for years to come. If only he had denied Kagney's proposal. Then he would have never gone to her apartment. He would have never committed adultery. He would have never betrayed his wife, or his future children. He would still have a home, and a life worth living.

Harold now spends his days perched at the end of an off-ramp of a small highway in a small city. Occasionally a kind soul will hand him a few dollars or change. Whatever they can spare is good enough for Harold. He doesn't use the money anyways. The reason he stands on that slab of concrete all day is to observe people. Their reactions are, for the most part, scornful glances, or total dismission. There are also times where he is attacked by people throwing change, either to be funny, or to make Harold feel worthless. Every night after his daily encounters with the humans, Harold goes back to his cozy room in the top corner of the overpass and writes about what he experienced that day. Harold has notebook upon notebook of each daily happening for the past 35 years. His dream is to one day collect all of his writings and present them to a prestigious publishing company. They will offer him a book deal, and he will be able to support himself again, and be worthy enough of facing his children. This day will never come. 2 years later Harold was walking down Main St. late at night after a good day of observing. Harold started to have a heart attack, and he fell into oncoming traffic. His notebooks were found by a group of bikers waiting out a storm under Harold's overpass. They took the notebooks and threw them into a lake near the bridge. Harold was forgotten by that city. His ex-wife. Kagney. His children. Even the driver of the vehicle that he was crushed by. Forgotten.

Bliss In Concrete: Part I

Harold is 53 years old. He is homeless. Most nights when Harold sleeps under the bridge up in the concrete nearest to the road above, he dreams of when he was able to hold his children in his arms. It seems like just yesterday Harold was driving his kids to the park to throw a football back and forth. Simple events like this Harold used to take for granted, but now he misses them so much he would give anything to be able to relive those memories. Trouble is, he has nothing to give. Other times he dreams of his ex-wife, Jeena, and how after a year of marriage he despised her, and would do anything in his power to avoid the woman.

The ex-couple met in High School. They were sweethearts throughout Junior and Senior year, both being in the same grade, and of the same age. They were married and moved in with each other the day after graduation. In a small apartment just outside of downtown. Harold worked at a local restaurant as a dishwasher and Jeena, a receptionist for a telemarketing company. The first few months of their marriage was great. Laughing and joking every minute they were together, and even though they barely made rent each month, they were truly happy together.

One night after closing at the restaurant, Harold went to a bar to get a buzz going before he got home to Jeena. Harold has been having stress problems lately due to his job, where he works 12 hours days, everyday, to keep up with rent. He has been occupying a stool at the bar everynight after work, for the last 13 days, and doesn't seem to be letting up.

While sulking over his underpaying job, Harold looks to his left and meets eyes with a tall blonde woman. She has big, powerful brown eyes, and a leopard print mini skirt, hiked up just enough. The woman starts smiling. Harold nods, and smiles back. "Hello, I'm Kagney." "Hi Kagney, I'm Harold." "Hi Harold." A few minutes pass by with the two of them in silence. Then Kagney breaks the silence. "Now, what is a good looking man like you doing in a run down bar like this one?" "Well, Kagney, I could have asked you the same thing." "I guess you're right." Harold is now on the verge of falling over. Way passed his goal of a slight buzz for the trek home. "Are you a married man, Harold?" There are several ways to answer this question. Due to Harold's present state, he doesn't have the best mind to decipher which answer would yield the best result. So he blurts out, "Nope." "That is certainly not a bad thing. Especially tonight. How about we head back to my place and have some more drinks?" It has been several days since Harold has been intimate with Jeena. She was informed a few months back, that she is pregnant with twins, and is either planning on how to baby proof the house, or figuring out a budget to allow for extra money to be spent on baby essentials. (e.g. diapers, baby wipes...etc.). Harold needs to let out the stress that has been piling up at work and at home, and what better way to do so, than fucking a stranger. No strings attached. Harold agrees to accompany Kagney to her apartment, under the circumstances that he stays no later than midnight. It was 10pm.

Sitting on a bench at the end of the world

There we were. Sitting on a bench at the end of the world.
Nothing could stop us. We were immortal.
So many stars in the sky above us.
We sat there for hours through the night.
On the bench at the end of the world.
The next day I called to see how you were.
You didn't answer.
I went to your house to see if you were OK.
But your weren't alone.
Another boy was holding you close.
Like we were last night under the stars and the endless black.
Looks like I'll be sitting here alone tonight.

Higher Laws

"Is it not a reproach that man is a carnivorous animal? True, he can and does live, in a great measure, by preying on other animals; but this is a miserable way-as any one who will go to snaring rabbits, or slaughtering lambs, may learn-and he will be regarded as a benefactor of his race who shall teach man to confine himself to a more innocent and wholesome diet. Whatever my own practice may be, I have no doubt that it is part of the destiny of the human race, in its gradual improvement, to leave off eating animals, as surely as the savage tribes have left off eating each other when they came in contact with the more civilized."

Henry David Thoreau
Walden

My usual friday night

Sitting in my room listening to music. Surfing the net. Reading books. I don't hang out with anybody really. Here's some words to fit the mood:

Sometimes I wish I could just go away
Leave all these petty belongings
No more small talk
No more drivel
I want to live in the woods
Away from everything meaningless
And close to everything meaningful
This constant competition to get through life
It's not for me
Don't bother me with your money
Your "news"
Your lies
Your politics
Your celebrities
I want complete isolation from your life
An open sky full of stars
and birds
and everything but you

Ur Moshin

"They're not my first choice, but if it comes on I'm moshin'."

M.C. Cantwell

(referring to Ramallah and nu-No Warning)

The new

Russian Circles is almost as good as the new Maximum Penalty...almost.

Bullied

When I was a kid, I never stood up for myself. There were many instances where I would be teased, or threatened and I would do absolutely nothing to prevent it. I don't know what was going through my mind, but I have never been in a fight, and never once did I yell back at someone or beat up someone in self defense.

I remember one morning in 6th grade I got on the bus at my bus stop to find all the seats taken. There were literally three kids in every seat except for the occasional overweight child who could only fit with one other kid. And if they were real big, they could only fit themselves. What I would have given to have been one of those real fat ones.

Now, back in middle school, I was around 5 feet tall, and husky. I call it husky because those were the style of pants that I wore. That one morning I was feeling perfectly fine. Not happy, not sad, just fine. As I walked down the long isle looking desperately for a seat before the bus started to move sending me to the floor. I spotted a bench with two fairly skinny black kids in them. Their bench had the most amount of extra room on it, and I figured I would be able to squeeze in without much trouble. I was wrong. "Can I sit here?" "Fuck no." "Come on. There aren't any seats left." "Go find another seat bitch." I gave the sea of pre-teens another scanning. Nothing. The only place where I would have any space to sit was right there with the two skinny kids. So, I sat down.

"Get the fuck up whitey!" "No. There isn't anywhere else to sit." A few seconds pass, and I figure that they accept the fact that I have nowhere else to go. Right when I think I'm home free, I feel four hands on my side and face. They shove me out of the seat and I hit the floor. Someone yells from the back. "Hey, leave that kid alone. He didn't do nothin'!" "Fuck you!" "No, fuck you!!" I sat on the floor with tears in my eyes until the bus arrived at school.

Justice

Just the other night, I awakened from my deep slumber to the sound of a cat scratching at the base of my bed post. I threw back the sheets and hopped out of bed. But to my amazement, a cat I did not see. A blue figure, disproportionate in shape, with arms three times as long as it's legs, and with a head the size of a unripened cantelope, black eyes and what seemed like scars covering it's whole body. As I crept closer, inch by inch, it's eyes turned to meet mine. After peering at me for what seemed like an eternity, it let out a shriek, like nails across a chalkboard, or rusty brakes on an old station wagon. I drew back behind the door, with only my silhouette showing. And as the figure continued to scream, I began to decipher it's howl. "TUI Til I Die!!!!!"

New Maximum Penalty

is ridiculous...

Past few weeks

Since I have been back from tour, I have done next to nothing. I have been looking for a job ever since and have had no luck. There were a few places that have said they need help, but I must not live up to their standards since they haven't called back. Next semester you'll be seeing me back at DSC for college. I don't know what for yet, but it doesn't really matter. I'm only in one band as of right now, well, one legitimate band, which is weird since I'm used to being in two and playing shows all the time. There will probably be some new projects starting up soon despite my return to school. I will also be attending the fest this coming October with some friends, and that should be a good time. First time seeing 7 Seconds, Samiam, Snuff, and Polar Bear Club. If you don't know me too well, you should know that Raised Fist is my favorite band, and they are coming to the U.S. soon so I will be obsessing over that whenever you see me. I started running regularly last Sunday and am working up a siqq tan for the fest. You should be seeing a lot more posting on this blog since I won't be doing a zine for a while, due to my being unemployed. Short stories, long stories, thoughts, and experiences of my life, and made up lives. Bye for now. There Will Be Blood is on.

-T.B./Total Recall

In case you haven't heard...

Patrick Swayze was a good man. Some of you might know him as Dalton, a no-bullshit, tough son of a bitch bouncer from the good old south. I knew him as a friend, and fellow badass. We would often stay up late together watching re-runs of I Love Lucy and MASH while eating un-popped popcorn and drinking whiskey like no tomorrow. But sadly, those times are over. After I found out about his untimely death I decided to pop in Road House for old times sake. What a fucking great movie that is. Mr. Swayze had a good run. He will be missed.

Miss you buddy,
"Pain don't hurt."
-P.S.

COOL.

All the music on my ipod is gone. Looks like I will be listening exclusively to Punch and Weekend Nachos. Oh, and no zine for a while. I don't have a job anymore. If you want to give me money or a job, I wouldn't be opposed.

Back from tour/Zine plans

After 3 months of touring with No Harm Done and Offsides, and I finally home. I can't say that it was all fun and games, because a lot of bad things happened, but for the most part it was a good experience and I wouldn't trade it for a jeek job, or an amy's pizza. Maybe a snapcase reunion. ANYWAYS. Since I won't be touring until November (probably) I am going to start putting together Issue #3 of my zine. I am changing the name from "Demo Tapes & Edge Breaks" to "Reactor" and it will be much bigger and most likely a full page print like a magazine but a lot shittier.

These next few months will be chalk full of biking, working, drumming, hanging out with tyler, and being lazy about writing and interview bands/people.

more updates soon

-Thomas

Demo Tapes & Edge Breaks Issue #2

Orders are now up for Issue #2 of Demo Tapes & Edge Breaks

Includes interviews by: Die Young TX, Like Wolves, Seasick, Milo Aukerman, and Mike Assatly. Vegan recipes, an article on veganism, a stage diving etiquette, and a butt load of reviews.

(order here) https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5356558

$3 for U.S. orders (add $2 for shipping outside of U.S.)

I leave for recording on thursday so order now so I can ship it now!!

myspace.com/demotapesedgebreaks
vivada_vis92@Yahoo.com

Issue #2 in progress...

The past few weeks I have been putting the finishing touches to Issue #2 of Demo Tapes & Edge Breaks. It has interviews with: Die Young, Seasick, Like Wolves, and Milo Aukerman (Descendents). Also included are two awesomely delicious vegan recipies courtest of Danielle Allen of Offsides, and many reviews of upcoming releases from small bands, to huge bands. I will also be doodling on every extra blank space with each zine having it's own uniqe doodle. speaking of doodle, the artwork (which is pretty much the only good part of my zine) was done by none other than Perry Shall. check his other artwork out here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crucialheadache

So, Issue #2 of DT&EB will definitely be out by the end of next week. I will be setting up a paypal account for the people not in biking distance, and I will also be bring copies on the next summer tour of No Harm Done. Get stoked!

here's some pictures of me printing everything out and my dog...







-Tommy Bahama

Soul Control

*So, Soul Control just got signed to Bridge 9 records, so this interview is a little outdated for my zine. I decided to give you a free bee. Demo Tapes & Edge Breaks Issue # 2 comes out in a few more weeks. Get Stoked!

Jim (Soul Control) Interview

Me: So, you guys just recently got a new singer. What exactly happened with that?

Jim: We got back from Europe, and our old singer Matt let us know that he had a lot of stuff going on and he wouldn’t be able to tour that much. So, we said ok, and we based our summer tours around what was going to be his schedule, but then, along with getting a promotion he wanted at work, he also got excepted into a masters program at school. So, he was going to be working 40 hours a week, and taking masters classes at night, and he just couldn’t do it. And getting his masters, and getting that promotion all kind of went together into getting this one job he really wanted, so that’s just something he had to do, so he needed to leave. And that was really about it. It was no bad blood or anything like that. We were bummed when he left, but we understood why he had to.

Me: Talk about the new seven inches.

Jim: It’s four one song seven inches. It was just a weird idea I had. When Rory joined the band, I had already been thinking about doing it, and I ran it by him. He said he was into it, and the rest of the band was into it, and then it was actually Josh from a band called Lie and Wait, from Texas, it was his idea to make all the covers form one picture. So, that’s his fault for being so artsy fartsy. We just hadn’t put anything out in a while, and we could’ve done one seven inch, but we kind of wanted to do something a little different and cool, or that was cool to us. We didn’t know if anyone else would like it. So, we did it and it’s been working. Two of them have already sold out, and the other two are almost gone. So, it went over better than we thought it would.

Me: I heard that Poison The Well already copied the idea.

Jim: I don’t know if they knew they copied it, but they definitely are doing the same exact thing. It was probably about a month after we announced ours, and there was an announcement that they we’re doing three seven inches with interlocking covers that form a secret image, and, I don’t know, that was kind of weird. But, my old band toured with them, so I kind of know two of those dudes. I don’t know if they know we did it, but we’re both currently doing the same thing.

Me: How are kids reacting to the new songs?

Jim: Really…really…they like them (laughs). It’s going over really well surprisingly. You know, the demo, everyone said we sounded like burn, then the next thing everyone said we sound like Quicksand, and this stuff doesn’t sound like either, so we didn’t know what people we’re going to think, but it’s going over really well. We played in Central America, and kids knew those songs better than the old stuff, and it was weird having them, in between songs, yell new songs, like “oh play this one,” so that was cool, and we’ve played four shows so far on this tour and the new songs are actually getting the better reactions than the new songs. That feels good, because that’s what we want. Obviously we want people to be into the newer stuff. We’ll never stop playing old stuff though.

Me: How was Central America?

Jim: It was the best shows I’ve ever played, in any band I’ve ever been in. Costa Rica was cool. They don’t get many bands there, and it was a weird vibe, and a big stage, and smoke machines and stuff (laughs), but kids we’re really cool, and we got to play with Bane at that show. And then we took a twenty one hour bus straight to El Salvador and once we got there we played El Salvador twice and Guatemala twice, and those four shows were completely, just nuts. I think we were like the fourth or fifth hardcore band that had been to that part, and they just appreciate you coming. Like, the minute they hear your coming, they learn every word to every song. They knew every word, even to the new four songs, that weren’t even…they didn’t even have them on vinyl yet. They knew all the words, they went crazy, they hang out all the time, they take to explore, and they all put you up at their houses and their whole family cooks for you, and it was just an amazing part of the world, and the shows were amazing, too.

Me: Are there any plans for a full-length?

Jim: The thing with us and a full-length is, we keep promising one, and we just end up not wanting to do it. We’re writing songs now. We we’re thinking of doing another seven inch, just because we prefer EPs. We don’t have a label right now, so, if we ended up signing with someone that would really want a full-length, and that was really going to push a full-length, then we’d probably sit down and write one, but we’re kind of having fun just rolling along, just doing our own thing. We’re not looking to do anything specific. We write three songs and we can go record with Jay up in Boston…record three songs and put them out, that’s kind of how we’re rolling right now, but if we sign with someone, we’ll probably do a full-length.

Me: So you’re not signed with the labels that put out the seven inches? It was just like a one time thing?

Jim: Yea, yea. Rivalry…that’s done, and the four labels that did the seven inches were all just people we knew that had smaller labels that were doing cool stuff, and we figured, let’s just do something with them. It’s good for their label, and it’s cool for us.

Me: So, you guys are out for seven weeks?

Jim: Yea

Me: How’s the tour going so far?

Jim: The shows have been good. It’s the fifth day. On the third day, our radiator blew up, so we missed the Richmond show. Cost us $600, but we got through it and we only had to miss one show, which was cool. But, like I said it’s day five our of fifty so (laughs), you’ll have to ask me again, maybe in a few weeks and I’ll have more of an update. But, there are a lot of shows coming.

Me: Where exactly are you going? Just all over?

Jim: We’re doing a weird…it’s like a smile pattern, to try and avoid as much snow as possible, because, it’s hard to tour in the winter, but we didn’t want to not tour. So, we’re going down the east coast through Texas, Arizona, up California into the Northwest, and then, back down the same way but playing different places. The only place we’re playing twice is Portland, because that’s the only place in Oregon to play, but every show is in a different and I think it will work out. It should be alright.

Me: If you could tour with any band, past, or present: who would it be?

Jim: Oh…huh. I’m going to do the cheese ball answer and say I Rise and Like Wolves. And Lie and Wait. Those three bands, because touring with big bands is cool. It’s awesome to play to a lot of people, but touring with your friends is a whole different experience, and it’s really fun, and especially something like a seven week tour, like if you’re with a bunch of people that your friends with, you’re going to stay sane, and that’s way more important than playing to a ton of people. So, we’d rather tour with our friends like those three bands, and some bands from back home. But yea, tour with friends. That’s who I pick.

Me: If you could change anything about the current hardcore scene what would it be?

Jim: I’d like more shows kind of like this. Where it can be a bunch of different styles and everyone gets along. It’s kind of what we do in Providence. Between Sean from Verse, and our singer Rory, and the guys from Drop Dead who does the Armageddon Record shop, we all do shows there really mixed, and it goes over really well, and then we all go and tour, and it’s not the same everywhere else, and we wish it could be. Back home we could play the same show as Ramming Speed, and Lemuria, but that’s because it’s a fest here. At home, we’ll just do a basement show with bands like that. I like playing with different kinds of bands because we’re not a typical hardcore band, but we like playing to punk kids. I would just like to see more of that, like mixed genres on bills.

Me: Shout outs?

Jim: Uh…let’s see. Everyone should listen to Like Wolves.

Me: You’re touring with them right?

Jim: Yea, we split up in a couple of days, but they’re awesome. They’re young dudes, and they rule, and you should listen to them. Yea, that’s about it. Listen to Like Wolves (laughs).