OR DOES IT EXPLODE - Pushing Post-Hardcore Genre Boundaries... (USA - Emo/Post-HardCore/Post-Rock - Interview with Shaun).

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? 
I’ve been into music for as long as I can remember. Before I was in school, I listened to bands. Mostly what was popular or what was around me. Adults around me were into country, and at five I already recognized that stuff wasn’t for me. I liked the rock! The heavy stuff with screaming. My step-dad was a musician, so there were always musicians and instruments around. I didn’t want to play guitar because he did, but I ultimately ended up playing because we were poor and that was the instrument available for free in the house for me. No drums to be found. I just found that music was where the emotion was.

Tell me about the band... How you met - the current line-up - past experiences - and above all - WHY the need to form THIS band?
The band started a bit after my previous band ended, almost ten years ago. I was looking for some fresh musicians to play with. Erik Rasmuson—our drummer—was a friend of my wife’s, so I asked him. We started the band with an otherwise different lineup. Brandon Boggess—other guitarist—joined us from a Craigslist post in Dec 2019 just 3-4 months before the pandemic hit. So, for his first year in the band we couldn’t play out. Our bassist, J Granberg, joined about a year after that when our bassist at that time got fed up with not being able to play out. J and I have known each other for many years but never played in a band together. Our bands used to play together. This band needed to happen to get me back into music after a couple of years not being in one. I missed it too much! My previous band was a pretty angular post-hardcore band, so I wanted to give this one a little more heart and melody while still keeping the edge. 

Describe your sound and explain why I should listen to YOUR band at all cost ?
I would say we are a mix of Post-Hardcore and elements of Midwest Emo with our own flair. We definitely try and push the boundaries of genres. I joke that I don’t have the ability to write the same song multiple times over like some bands. Some bands do that amazingly well! But I can’t. We throw in some Post-Rock and alternative/indie elements as well.

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? 
Post-Hardcore bands like La Dispute, Touche Amore, Fugazi, Drive Like Jehu, and Thursday were really important to me. Late 90s Midwest Emo like Mineral, Jazz June, or Sunny Day Real Estate. Math Rock like early Maps and Atlases or This Town Needs Guns. Screamo/Skramz bands—especially now. Frail Body, Snag, Coma Regalia, Respire. Lyrics are incredibly important. We try and explore the human experience. From the social to the political. From systems to the personal. We’ve written a lot about privilege and hegemony. But we’ve also reflected on our personal experiences, sometimes our personal traumas in more cryptic ways. It’s so important for the listener to feel like what we’re doing is REAL and honest, personal, and emotional.

Imagine someone who doesn't know your band at all and wants to get interested in.. Which release would you recommend to start with, and why? 
Assuming this comes out right around the time of our release (on June 18th, 2026), I would start with the newest record. It’s the best we’ve put it. There are some really powerful songs on there, reflecting on the times we’re living in. It also displays the array of sounds we explore. Swan also does a really good job of showing off our various sounds, so that’s a good spot as well.

About your latest release? 
Our album, Realities Disguised as Symbols, is coming out on June 18th. It’ll be available on Vinyl, CD, and digitally on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms. We recorded it in February of this year at Electrical Audio in Chicago; Steve Albini’s studio (RIP). It was a really magical experience. Jon San Paolo did an amazing job tracking and mixing, and it sounds killer. There are 13 songs, coming in just under an hour. The artwork was crafted by us. I edited a photo our previous singer, Katya Pierce, took. It has a really dark, moody, and absurd feeling.

Future plans? 
We’re embarking on a short mini-tour June 18th-21st to Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, and Chicago to release the album. We have a number of other shows booked throughout the summer. We’re starting to write our next album. With Katya leaving shortly after recording this album, we’re also practicing with a new singer. So, hopefully she will join us in the near future!

Your most insane dream with the band would be?
We had the privilege of opening for Pile last year, so that was pretty far up there. We were trying really hard to open for La Dispute when they came to town. That would have been a dream. Maybe next time! If we’re talking dream, how about opening for Fugazi if they ever regrouped?! (Hmmm.. Don't forget to warn me, I don't want to miss that ! Ed.)

Your BEST & WORST concert - as a band - and why ? 
Our last album was release show was definitely our best. It was packed with a loving audience. We were on our game, and we got to have all the guest musicians who appeared on that album join us—Cello, Violin, Flute, and Trumpet. That was a magical experience. Worst concert? Probably the show in a small coffee shop where we had a fill-in drummer performing with us. We got there, and the venue had sold off their PA. So, the local band had to go get what they could from their practice space. Then, the input jack on my amp broke right before we started, so I had to use someone else’s amp and distortion pedals. Everything that could have been off, was. The other band and crowd were awesome though, so it wasn’t a total loss.

Next live-appearance(s)?
June 18th at the Cactus Club in Milwaukee, WI! Album release, baby!

Some words on your local scene - bands you're friends with and you'd like to name? 
Madison, WI has an amazing scene right now! Breaking into the regional/national market are Tiny Voices and Excuse Me Who Are You. Sex, Fear, Dad Bods, and The Present Age are some of our local favorites.  We Should Have Been DJs and Hottt Probs are playing our album release show in Madison. Dear Mr Watterson and Friendly Spectres are also faves.

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...
Well, does it explode? (just kidding we get asked that all the time). Yes, it does explode. (Haha, well-done ! Ed.)