BARRIERS - Melodic Hardcore Beyond Just Beatdown... (England - HardCore - Interview with Andy & Gregg).

Hello ! Can you introduce yourself and tell us how it all began for you - your encounter with this musical universe, what appealed to you, what fascinated you and what made you want to get into music? 
Andy: Hey, I'm Andy, vocalist for Barriers. I grew up in the 90s and all the kids in my school listened to terrible music, like the worst examples of 90s pop. The song that changed the game for me was "Pretty Fly For a White Guy" by the Offspring. To me at the time, it just had so much attitude and swagger to it and was the polar opposite of everything I hated. I then heard another Offspring song "All I Want" on the arcade game, Crazy Taxi and it was even better; it was fast! So I knew then that, as basic and mainstream as the Offspring was, punk rock was for me. 
Gregg: Hey, I’m Gregg, I play bass. My first introduction to punk was also Americana! My brother’s friend gave him a bootleg copy of it, and I played that cd to death! I can’t really put my finger exactly on what it was that appealed to me, maybe the speed or the catchy songs - either way, I was hooked! 

What if I told you that you have to leave for a desert island in 5 minutes—you have no choice… except to take three albums with you… which ones, and why?
Andy:
Comeback Kid - Wake the Dead :
Our biggest inspiration as punk dudes playing hardcore. You can hear that speed and gallop that calls to mind skate punk, but there are some hard hitting pit parts and those absolutely huge sing along anthems. 

This is Hell - Sundowning :
Kind of in the same bracket as Comeback Kid, but a darker sound and vibe. I was listening to this a lot when I wrote "Time Crisis" and "Adversity", the way it switches between speed and groove and the dissonant note choices were a huge inspiration. Also a band that should be talked about more as one of the best hardcore bands from that era.

NOFX - Ribbed :
A huge influence on the Barriers sound from the drum style to the basslines and guitar attack. They also write some very esoteric lyrics on songs like "Food Sex and Ewe", which references Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, counterbalanced with an austere song about the death of a fan, "The Malachi Crunch".

Tell me about the band... How you met - the current line-up - past experiences - and above all - WHY the need to form THIS band?
Gregg: I’ve known Tom (guitar) since we were kids. We met Chris (drums) in high school and we all got into punk around the same time. Chris wanted to learn drums, Tom wanted to learn guitar, so I got a bass to join in the fun! To start with none of us knew what we were doing musically, the only aims were to play punk music and have a good time doing it. Our first band lasted about 10 years and ended when our singer decided to pack it in. Me, Tom, and Chris were by no means done being in a band though. We wanted to our sound to be heavier, and more influenced by bands like Comeback Kid so we tuned down to D standard and got to work looking for a new singer. Over the next few years we went by different names and a few singers came and went - Tom even gave it a go for a while! We weren’t really moving forwards as a band until we found Andy and everything just clicked into place. We’ve been going from strength to strength ever since.
Andy: Chris, Gregg and Tom grew up together and have played in bands for decades. When I heard what they were doing, it felt like something I wasn't hearing in other local bands; fast hardcore. So I offered to get involved and we've been working towards this new release, Time Crisis, since then.

Describe your sound and explain why I should listen to YOUR band at all cost ?
Andy: We are here to remind you that Hardcore is not just beatdown. It can be much more. It can be fast, it can have melody, it can be sung along to, it can be a full dance floor. If those are things that you want to see in Hardcore, we are a band that you need to check out.

Lyrical and musical inspirations/influences ? How important are the lyrics for you ? Are there any specific messages or thoughts you try to develop and share through your lyrics ? 
Andy: As Barriers has a strong skate punk influence, I like to throw in some esoteric themes the way NOFX or Descendents do. For example, Khao San Road on the new record, which is inspired by my personal experiences backpacking in South East Asia. I also like to reference a piece of recognisable media as a jumping off point. Time Crisis is obviously a classic 90s arcade game, but I used that as a metaphor for getting older and still wanting to get this music out while we can around work and family commitments

About your latest release ? 
Andy: We recorded our EP Time Crisis, which is about to drop on all streaming platforms (21/08), at Unit 58 in North London with Steffan Duarte at the helm. It's a surprisingly dark record; There's a sense of fighting desperation and frustration, feeling at odds with society's cliques and against the grain. Artwork by the absolute legend George Yarnton.
 
Future plans ?
Andy: Time Crisis is about to come out. We have a few shows booked to support it and we're looking to expand to some other places we haven't played before.

Your most insane dream with the band would be ?
Andy: The most insane thing that could happen would be if we were invited to play Japan or South America. Promoters, hit us up!

Your BEST & WORST concert - as a band - and why ?
Andy: The best gig was at SCALA in London for Facedown because the crowd absolutely went off. It was also the worst gig because it was a club night so we had to play way past our bed times! We also had to load out the full backline down a long and narrow staircase which is never ideal! 

Next live-appearance(s) ?
Andy: Cowley Club in Brighton 11th September and Big Red in London 28th September. 

Some words on your local scene - bands you're friends with and you'd like to name ?
Andy: Brighton is a lively scene, there are loads of bands playing which invites healthy competition. We'll shout out Raptures and Le Rox from the south east, Grail Guard from the Midlands and Shreds from up north. All fantastic bands.

What’s the question you’ve always dreamed of answering but have never been asked? Just a heads-up: I’m also waiting for the answer that goes with it...
Andy : Is there anyone you'd like to shout out, and the answer is our spouses and kids ! 

Last words is yours :
Andy: Thank you for being cool with us pursuing this idiotic hobby and for always standing by us, we love ya!