Interview with vocalist Sam and Bassist Nic
In a short period of time your band has definitely been
making a statement on the Houston
scene. Of course you had to start somewhere. So can you give the readers some
insight of how the band was formed?
Sam: My brother Zach and I have always wanted to get a
hardcore band together. We’ve gone through numerous members, names, and sounds
to get to where we are today with Mind Kill. When our original bassist left the
band, the obvious choice was Nic because we had been jamming with him for
years. He’s a quick learner and also one of our best friends. He had played
guitar in previous bands with us, but he decided to pick up the bass to help us
out and has since really come into his own. We knew Matt through friends of
Nic’s and when I told him we were trying to put a hardcore band together, he
was very interested having just left Moral Distrust, so we set up some jam
sessions and everything just fell into place.
Your debut release, the Society Skam demo, is an extremely
powerful output. I’ve listened to it many times. It has a heavy modern
production sound but still pays homage to the old. I see it was recorded at
Origin Sound. How was the recording process? Also, as a band, what are your
final thoughts about the demo?
Nic: I think the recording process at Origin Sound was
the most satisfying experience we have had as a band. Ten hours for six songs
mixed and mastered. Craig knew exactly what he was doing. The demo is great in
my opinion. For our first release this demo killed it, and Mike Schoolcraft
really nailed the cover art.
Your songs feature some really memorable, face smashing
riffs. What is the Mindkill writing process?
Sam: Each member contributes to the writing process in
their own way, but Zach and I, being brothers and living together, write most
of the riffs and lyrics. However, like I said, each member contributes and
plays a vital role in the writing process. It’s good to have a band where each
member is able to write songs. It really helps us out creatively.
Initially, what got you into underground music?
We all got into underground music at different stages of
our lives. We all like different types of music, whether it is metal, punk,
hip-hop, or hardcore, but at the end of the day hardcore is our one true love.
Mindkill has been on a relentless show schedule. I was
definitely impressed the first time seeing you live. How has the overall
reception been?
Sam: The overall reception has been great. It’s really
cool that other bands that have been around longer than us genuinely like what
we’re putting out and we’re grateful for that. We’ve been given some cool
opportunities to be on compilations, festivals, and even a radio station and we
owe it all to the hardcore scene and the people in it.
It seems that your timing of coming into your own as a band
is perfect. In Houston ,
the hardcore music scene is definitely the move. Right now Mindkill has the
perfect sound to ignite some energy. Your thoughts?
Nic: First off, I want to say thanks to all who have came
out to support us, picked up our CD, and downloaded our demo. All I know is
that this is just the start for Mind Kill. We are not leaving the scene anytime
soon, so get ready for more Houston !
We just have to keep up all the hard work and time we put in Society Scam, keep
playing shows and keep fueling the Houston
hardcore scene.
What are your long term goals? Do you have any touring plans?
Sam: One of our main long-term goals is to tour all over
the world and do our part to spread hardcore across the map. We love this music
and want to give back by building the scene in any way we can. As for touring,
we plan to hit the road by the end of the year.
Are there any plans for a new recording?
Sam: We are currently writing some new material and have
plans for a sophomore release before the end of the year. We might do a solo
release, or we might do a split with a fellow Houston band. Either way, our next release
will destroy Society Scam.
Ok we are at the end. Please give any final thoughts.
First of all, thanks for giving us the opportunity to do
this interview, we appreciate it. Shout out to our friends, our families,
everyone in the TXHC scene, Khobretti, Blunt, Sketch//Driven, Supremacy, Daniel
from Die Young, Will To Live, Failed Project, Gunpoint, Craig from Origin
Sound, Mike Schoolcraft for the artwork, all Houston Hardcore bands, and
everyone who supports Mind Kill and the Houston hardcore scene in any way. Keep
the faith!https://www.facebook.com/mindkillhtx
https://mindkilltx.bandcamp.com/
Great interview!
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