We’ve Got A File On You options interviews through which artists share the tales behind the extracurricular actions that dot their careers: appearing gigs, visitor appearances, random web ephemera, and so on.
Few New York hardcore luminaries have had a profession as diversified as Walter Schreifels. While he can declare to be a member of a few of the scene’s most influential bands, such Gorilla Biscuits, Youth Of Today, Project X, and, albeit briefly, Warzone, he was by no means content material to observe any sonic orthodoxy. With Gorilla Biscuits’ debut album Start Today, Schreifels created the template for melodic hardcore; the report would go on to turn out to be Revelation Records’ best-selling album. After serving to outline the sound of youth crew, he fashioned Quicksand, one of many bands that codified the sound of muscular, considerate post-hardcore within the ‘90s, earlier than pushing that sound even additional with Rival Schools within the 2000s.
Schreifels’ discography has turn out to be a testomony to a musician, producer, and label proprietor who at all times discovered himself fascinated by what’s subsequent whereas remaining reverent of his previous. While working Some Records, he stored his finger on the heart beat of latest sounds and fortunately took up the position of producer for Hot Water Music’s landmark album No Division. His impression on the world of hardcore and its assorted sub-genres stays noticeable, because the now-legendary Title Fight tapped him to provide their first album, and the reunion reveals his bands play proceed to really feel like important contributions to the scene versus pure victory laps.
That custom of getting his music and perspective handed on to new generations of hardcore youngsters will proceed when, on Oct. 28, Run For Cover will give Rival Schools’ 2001 album United By Fate the deluxe reissue therapy, with a bonus disc of rarities and a 64-page booklet chronicling that period of the band. It’s the form of package deal that’s meant for albums of distinct significance, and Schreifels has, conservatively, made 5 of these with 5 completely different bands.
With United By Fate’s re-release coming this week and Rival Schools reveals deliberate for 2023, Quicksand having simply wrapped up a tour in help of their latest album Distant Populations, Youth Of Today reveals on the horizon, and the potential for a Gorilla Biscuits present at all times looming, that is maybe the primary second in time the place Schreifels’ tasks have practically all coexisted. With all that occuring, there was no higher time to debate his diversified, vibrant profession.
Rival Schools’ United By Fate (2001)
Over the years, this report has achieved cult traditional standing. What introduced concerning the reissue?
WALTER SCHREIFELS: Run For Cover was taken with rereleasing it and doing it proper. The guys at Run For Cover are very tuned into Rival Schools and have been tremendous supportive of a number of the stuff I’ve performed, so I believe it’s an ideal match. I believe there’s those that realize it [United By Fate] and there’s those that have perhaps heard of it, after which there’s those that perhaps haven’t heard of all of it, so I believe Run For Cover noticed the potential of doing one thing actually particular with it.
How hands-on had been you in placing collectively the bonus materials and archival components for this? What was that course of like for you?
SCHREIFELS: I used to be concerned for certain, and our drummer Sam [Siegler] is an archivist and saved a number of stuff and took a number of nice photographs, and there have been a number of songs that I’d simply forgotten about. They had been perhaps demos or B-sides and issues like that that I hadn’t actually listened to, and it was cool to take one other look right now and relive a lot of nice stuff. It was enjoyable for me.
How does it really feel to be stepping again into the band once more? Does it really feel like a extra retrospective, celebratory factor simply tied to the report or does it nonetheless really feel like a undertaking you’re nonetheless impressed by?
SCHREIFELS: I’d say the latter. The feeling that this report we made has a high quality that retains resonating with folks and that it sounds good to individuals who have by no means heard it, it’s actually cool. That’s how it’s for me too. There are the associations you may have with it of what was occurring in that point in my life, or collectively as a gaggle, and there’s all that stuff you may hear within the music, but in addition having the gap to hearken to it a little bit extra objectively and be like, “Alright, what would I think about this if I didn’t know anything about it? What is this about?”
What are a few of the belongings you heard within the report taking that step again?
SCHREIFELS: I believe I actually like how numerous it’s. There are sure songs you may group collectively, and there’s an aesthetic, however there’s this sort of garage-rock form of look with “My Echo” or one thing a little bit bit extra, I assume you’ll name it electro at the moment, like “Holding Sand,” then ranging all the way in which to what I think about the primary quote unquote ballad that I ever wrote, which was “Undercovers On.” There are moments of reaching for issues, or making an attempt to interpret and regurgitate a lot of types and genres, whereas making all of them our personal, and I believe efficiently. Those moments had been, for me, what I wished to do, what I wanted to, and have knowledgeable my songwriting shifting ahead. I began out writing quite simple hardcore songs and didn’t actually anticipate to nonetheless be doing this at my age and have this actually lengthy profession, however it took moments of exploration like that to maintain it attention-grabbing. I believe Rival Schools was a pivotal time in that regard.
This is a reasonably beginner degree query, however since Rival Schools: United By Fate was the title of an arcade recreation that turned a Playstation recreation in 1998, what about that recreation felt like a becoming title on your new undertaking? Are you a giant gamer?
SCHREIFELS: I’d been picked up as a solo artist and I used to be a bit uncomfortable going underneath my very own title, so I used to be simply searching for a band title and making an attempt to determine that out. I couldn’t actually consider something cool, or something that I used to be pleased with precisely, and we had been simply at some extent the place perhaps the report firm was like, “What the hell are you gonna call this thing?” I used to be on Avenue A and seventh Street close to the nook of Tompkins Square Park, and there was once this little pizza place, and they’d have a couple of video video games in there. I walked in for a slice and the online game was known as Rival Schools: United By Fate. I simply thought, at that time, they’re actually having to stretch for names. It was once like Space Invaders or Defender — these are all boomer video video games —however at that time I believed that title was simply absurd and loopy but in addition enjoyable. So I initially mentioned let’s simply title ourselves after this online game, not that I even performed the online game. Ultimately, it was rather a lot for folks to say, so we simply went with Rival Schools and named the album United By Fate.
Quicksand’s Distant Populations (2021)
One factor that’s at all times struck me about your work is the way you’re at all times discovering methods to replace your sound whereas honoring what the band was initially. When you step again right into a band, does that free you as much as not really feel beholden to make a sure factor in case you had been to report new music?
SCHREIFELS: At this stage within the recreation, that’s simply form of on-brand for me. That’s why I’m extra hungry than ever to succeed in out additional and draw one thing out of me, my pals, my bandmates that folks haven’t heard earlier than or that we haven’t performed earlier than. I need to exit as far on a limb as we are able to as a result of that’s often when one thing actually cool occurs. There have been occasions the place folks have perhaps preferred one thing I’m doing after which I kind of react to that and do one thing completely different. That’s not at all times the perfect concept career-wise, however, when it comes to sustaining me for all these years, that’s simply been key to it. Now greater than ever, I need to push these boundaries and discover these issues so far as I can. Because it has turn out to be — basically, it’s my life. It’s not just a few enjoyable factor I used to be doing in highschool. I’m to see the place I can go and, as a collective, with the bands I do, see how we are able to turn out to be our final factor and push to do one thing sudden that might shock us however nonetheless make sense with who we’re. When you discover that stability, you may really feel it. And I’m not above doing the identical factor twice if it strikes me, however more often than not I simply need to attempt one thing completely different and I believe that’s served me properly.
I discover it a really attention-grabbing problem as a result of the playing cards are undoubtedly stacked in opposition to you. People already love the factor you’re kind of messing with, so their expectations are distorted by that. Coming again to that, so far as Quicksand is worried, after such an extended time frame I couldn’t actually authentically rip my work from the ‘90s. I just didn’t really feel like I might do this. I wasn’t in the identical place. So a lot has occurred in all of our lives and, whereas we’re all developed folks from that point of our preliminary factor, we’re nonetheless these folks. That’s nonetheless, in essence, who we’re. It’s attention-grabbing to me how we’ve retained that power and hearth for taking part in however are actually ready to increase on that in a approach that feels pure and good. It’s taken us some time to get to this place, however it’s thrilling on a artistic degree.
I do know there have been lineup adjustments too. You had been taking part in reveals as a trio for some time, and just lately you’ve had Steven Brodsky touring with the band. Has that helped you determine simply how a lot room there’s for Quicksand to take a distinct kind?
SCHREIFELS: Absolutely. It wasn’t by design that we went to 1 guitar. We had this kind of episode or no matter the place that turned the need. Being thrown out into that, it completely drew the perfect out of me as a result of I didn’t need it to be crappy. I’m probably not a lead guitar participant, however I completely perceive lead and might play a little bit little bit of lead, however it’s much less approach oriented and extra concerning the sonic panorama facet of it. I needed to bounce up and create my model of that, which was tremendous difficult as a participant and as a performer to maintain all these balls within the air, however it made us rather a lot stronger as a result of we realized we are able to simply do that and nothing can cease us in that regard. We can do it expansively or take it to its minimal components and it’s nonetheless good. It’s about reliability, understanding that everybody’s current, and that made us stronger as a band. As a guitar participant, in recording, it gave me a number of freedom as a result of I didn’t want to think about what one other guitar participant was doing, I might simply do it and get higher at that. I believe if you’re the only real guitar participant, that creates infinite prospects that could be bother to recreate reside, so I attempted to do rather a lot with as little as attainable. I bought to do a Premier Guitar interview, as a result of I by no means really feel like I’ve been often called a guitar participant, however I really feel like I’ve gotten fairly good now. But the circumstances form of drew that out.
By breaking it all the way down to these fundamental components, it allowed us to see the potential of it in several methods. So once we carry Steve in to play guitar with us we’re actually in a position to recreate the information very precisely however the songs nonetheless exist whether or not or not all of the little components are hit or not. We simply actually love Steve’s power and we’ve got a good time taking part in collectively reside, so it’s labored out tremendous properly.
Forming Quicksand (1990)
Making all these shifts and making an attempt out new issues — did it really feel spiritually releasing in the way in which that beginning Quicksand did? Where you took a bunch of hardcore guys and mentioned, “Let’s start a band, but not a hardcore band”?
SCHREIFELS: That’s an attention-grabbing query. When we began the band I believe it was to throw off all the gorgeous constraints of hardcore. We felt the scene that we had come up in, like all scenes, wanted to show over and collapse on itself and let one thing else seem the place it as soon as stood. In that spirit, we had been simply letting go of these formulaic issues, or the expectations, of that music on ourselves as gamers. When confronted with going by way of all the difficulty of getting an album collectively and going out on tour, however as a result of we hit some kind of adversity, any kind of second like that’s potential to see what you’re product of and be taught from that and increase on that.
Much extra so than Quicksand mach one, we’re approach higher at that. We’re approach higher communicators, our priorities are completely different and extra targeted on the entire of what we’re doing musically, and we put our hang-ups on the shelf and people issues simply don’t intrude as a lot as they could have earlier than. That is a brand new factor about us that I actually admire that permits us to really feel extra assured in what instructions we are able to go and what surprises we are able to spring.
When you had been on the Axe To Grind podcast, I bear in mind you saying you thought of beginning a ska band. Is there a world the place as a substitute of Slip you set out a ska report?
SCHREIFELS: Oh yeah. When I used to be in highschool the competing scenes had been the hardcore scene and the ska scene, and the ska scene in New York was actually huge. By “really big” it was most likely a couple of hundred folks. I like two-tone ska, I like Jamaican ska, and I used to be an enormous fan of the Jam, who introduced that form of stylistic facet to it, this mod aesthetic. I simply preferred that form of stuff, and, to be sincere, the ska scene wasn’t violent, and it was much more enjoyable. I believe I might have made a ska band, and I believe it will have been a great ska band. I believe it most likely would have been based mostly extra on the mod form of factor, that most likely would have been my method, however I like the facet of ska that’s simply get together music. I believe there’s a few of that in hardcore and I believe that Gorilla Biscuits, if something, brings that sense of enjoyable to the sport that perhaps would have been in a ska band had it not manifested itself in a straight edge hardcore band.
There’s sure sorts of music that I’m making an attempt to get extra educated about, or simply increase and devour, however I do have a large curiosity in music. While I got here out of this punk, hardcore world, and that’s what I used to be taken with at a sure time in my teenage years, it’s not like I used to be ever that character. The music had a number of integrity and honesty to it, and it had no discernible approach to it, in order that felt very accessible. People at all times say, “Oh, punk rock is only three chords that people can’t play,” and in case you hearken to the Sex Pistols, these motherfuckers play nice. You hearken to the Damned, these dudes play fucking nice. You might argue that U2 don’t play nearly as good as them, what I imply? So hardcore was legit like, these motherfuckers can barely play, they usually’re making music. I can do this. I liked the sort-of shitty sound of it and that, beneath that shitty sound, was all this gold. There had been these actually uncooked, emotional emotions, and subject material that, if you’re in that point of going into maturity, these wounds out of your youth are nonetheless actually recent, and I believe that fuels a number of that music. But, on the similar time, ska was simply enjoyable and pleased and I loved that as properly. But alas, hardcore took over.
While hardcore just isn’t about expertise, it’s at all times attention-grabbing to be taught what songwriters in different genres have a background in it. The music is so speedy, I do assume you may be taught one thing essential about valuing sincere, direct expression over virtuosity.
SCHREIFELS: I believe probably the most thrilling factor about studying by way of that faculty was the immediacy of it hand in hand with the potential for it. You don’t have any band and then you definately go to rehearsal for 2 or three hours and write an entire EP. Then you might report it in a studio in at some point, and also you’d be listening to itm and it simply jumped from an thrilling degree to feeling like magic. I bear in mind the primary time listening to my guitar doubled and simply being like, oh my god, that is the perfect factor, this sounds so good. I bear in mind simply being taken on a visit with that, and it was all taking place so rapidly. It wasn’t belabored. And I’ve belabored issues over time as a result of I simply need to, in a approach, get it proper. I did be taught to labor over issues, typically for the nice, and typically into the bottom, the place the factor doesn’t exist anymore. But it was an effective way to be taught.
I additionally had a extremely good peer group as a result of at the moment in New York there have been all these bands that had been actually numerous from all around the metropolis. It was youngsters such as you however they didn’t go to your college as a result of they lived in a distinct a part of the town, and also you’d all meet on this one place. You’d go to the matinee one weekend and perhaps a band that you just had seen a month earlier than and had been form of alright, they’d have a brand new music, and that new music could be actually, actually good. You’d simply hear it and I’d need to be like, I need to do what they’re doing however higher — or in my very own approach. You’re creating this sort of wholesome aggressive group the place you may have all these folks doing actually cool shit and making an attempt to high one another. That’s how I noticed it.
Remixing The Killers’ “Somebody Told Me” (2004)
SCHREIFELS: Rival Schools was on Island Records, and I had nice relationships with everyone at Island, and I’d be on the places of work and stuff, and the Killers had been this cool new band arising. My A&R man signed them, and so he simply mentioned, “Would you want to remix one of their songs?” and I went with it. I couldn’t engineer, so that they introduced in a terrific engineer Jonathan Benedict, and that was it.
I assume I wasn’t considering of it on this large approach as a result of it was a brand new band, what I imply? I wasn’t notably nervous or something, and I felt snug in that environment, and it’s simply an attention-grabbing second of time.
I’m certain it was wild to observe that music and that band turn out to be what they had been after that.
SCHREIFELS: I believe the fantastic thing about it was that my impression of the Killers on the time was that these guys had been kind of actually a great model of what’s taking place proper now and but they’d much more to them, which is why I believe they nonetheless matter.
Running The Record Label Some Records
SCHREIFELS: It was my good friend and bandmate Sam, who performs in Rival Schools, and our good friend Matt Pinkus, who had performed in Judge. And we simply, at that time, thought we must always do a report label based mostly on the ethos of Some Records, which was a really teeny report retailer that bought hardcore information on the Lower East Side. We requested the previous proprietor if we might use the title and he mentioned, “Cool. Go.” So we began signing bands. There had been a number of actually cool bands arising, like this kind of screamo motion, however we had been extra taken with actual musical form of stuff, like Six Going On Seven, who I believed had been tremendous attention-grabbing. Errortype: 11 had been actually wonderful. I believe these information are unimaginable and they need to have been a much bigger band. Doing a report label isn’t a lark. You must have a number of issues come into place, and the bands on the label being nice is only one aspect of it.
We put out so many good information with nice artists. We simply had a extremely cool power. It was a terrific good friend group with artistic folks. Some of the larger moments had been once we bought Hot Water Music’s No Division report, which I additionally produced, which was actually a terrific second of every little thing coming collectively. I actually liked working with Eric Mingus. J-Majesty, who I believed had been such an incredible band and had been criminally ignored. We did a number of nice work with a number of nice folks. As a musician, it was good to sit down again a little bit bit and work on different folks’s stuff.
Whenever I’m working with different bands as a producer, however even in that report label position, I find yourself studying from the folks as a lot as I share my experiences with them. The indisputable fact that this band is functioning to a degree of creating a report and being on that monitor, there’s one thing about it that’s working, and it’s at all times good to be close to that and achieve some perception from it.
Producing Hot Water Music’s No Division (1999)
You produced the album but in addition sang on “Free Radio Gainesville.” What made you need to work with Hot Water Music at the moment?
SCHREIFELS: I had seen them play they usually had been actually wonderful, and everybody across the workplace was actually loving them. We had been making an attempt to do their subsequent report, they usually, within the negotiations to try this, mentioned they wished me to provide it, which was wonderful. So that was probably not a tough factor, as a result of they had been a band the place I noticed that their subsequent report was going to be nice, and I simply wished to be part of it and to assist them catch it.
It was a extremely enjoyable expertise. I used to be in Gainesville for per week or so, then I used to be in Richmond for a few weeks, so I actually form of bought into their world. They had been so tight with the Richmond scene, and I met so many cool folks there, and in Gainesville as properly, they usually simply had a extremely nice power. They’d write the music after which simply form of throw these lyrics on high of it, and these lyrics had been these actually anthemic lyrics that folks actually sing their hearts out to, and that was simply taking place as we had been going. I believe I performed a useful position in all of that in mentioning that we might do one thing wonderful right here, or we might flip this half, simply ensuring that the power was good. They had been nice folks and a terrific band, and I simply wished to carry that as excessive because it might go. They had been firing on all cylinders at the moment and I used to be simply very lucky to be there with them.
Producing Title Fight’s Shed (2011)
SCHREIFELS: Ned [Russin] reached out to me on MySpace, to present you some context for what was taking place on the time. I used to be residing in Berlin, and I used to be simply amazed that these younger guys had been so educated about hardcore and had been so impressed by it. Their music, to me, wasn’t a lot replicating that in its model as a lot because it was within the power of it. They had been simply clearly good. It’s at all times a really thrilling factor when somebody says they need you to be within the studio with them, as a result of making information is a lot about style. You have your group of individuals and you’ve got your aesthetic after which typically, for no matter cause, you may have your fork within the street. It’s simply good to have somebody the place you belief their style and kind of dial a good friend. I believe I performed that position, as a result of that’s what I search for in a producer as properly. I need to do my factor, and I’ve an concept of what I’m making an attempt to realize, however typically I’m a little bit bit unsure about whether or not I ought to zig or zag. Sometimes having an individual whose style you respect current within the room, it could get you previous these blocks, particularly if they’re encouraging you to maneuver ahead.
Working with younger guys is thrilling, and it’s flattering for certain, however to work with them, to return to one thing I mentioned earlier than, it was: Why does this band work? And for them, it was their power, their chemistry, their story. It was soaking that up and understanding that, and it was attention-grabbing as a musician, too. That’s a number of the payoff for me. They had been all simply such candy, cool guys, and we’re nonetheless good pals to this present day. Building these relationships and having these moments collectively, it’s simply magic. It’s what life’s all about.
Producing Gogol Bordello’s Solidaritine (2022)
Did engaged on a report for a band that has so many devices and layers really feel like a problem in any respect?
SCHREIFELS: I’ve identified Eugene [Hütz] for some time, and he was into hardcore very deep. Even although he does this music that’s very related to this European people custom, and is kind of world music in some methods, he pulled that every one into this sort of punk context, and I believe he wished to go deeper into that together with his love for hardcore. But he’s an ecclectic music listener, similar to me, so we’ve got this love of hardcore’s simplicity and power, nonetheless you need to describe it, however we’re additionally doing music that has a broader imaginative and prescient. It was a terrific match and a terrific dangle, and the fantastic thing about it’s that Eugene is so proficient, and Gogol has a lot to it, so that you’re by no means at a loss for one thing cool taking place. There can typically simply be no wind in a report at some factors and you’ll battle to know what to do, in case you ought to write a bridge, change an element, put some secondary voice over it, however it was uncommon that we hit these moments. It was extra about taking away and attending to the core of what’s essential in it, as a result of there are such a lot of components and everybody’s so proficient. But it felt very unfastened and reside.
When it got here to the extra hardcore ideas of the hat — getting H.R. [of Bad Brains] concerned, doing a Fugazi cowl — Eugene knew that I understood that world and that’s why I believe he requested me to be on board, to guarantee that it was being dealt with correctly. Eugene is aware of what he was doing, however it was simply very nice to work collectively.
Speaking of the H.R. contribution, what was he wish to work with? Was he within the studio with you?
SCHREIFELS: We didn’t work with him instantly. He was in DC, he went to the studio, and we’d given him some tough concepts of what we’d like to listen to. It’s kind of tough, as H.R. is a extremely established and essential artist, so we simply gave him some concepts of what we thought could be cool, however we inspired him to advert lib. He simply despatched us again an entire bunch of gold and we simply went to the components we thought had been finest executed and served the music the perfect. But we undoubtedly all took a deep breath as a result of we weren’t there to work with him or coach him in any kind of approach, so he might have despatched again an entire bunch of stuff that we perhaps couldn’t use, however he actually got here by way of just like the star that he’s.
He’s undoubtedly somebody that you just’re each in awe of and a little bit nervous to see what’s he’s going to do.
SCHREIFELS: Yeah, he’s enigmatic. He’s going to return how he desires to return. And we didn’t anticipate him to be giving us backflip, 1981 performances. But I believe he gave such a stupendous efficiency; it gave me chills. You hear his complete story. I don’t need to over-dramatize it, however that is simply how I felt. I can hear his complete story in simply these few strains. And he simply simply made attention-grabbing selections. He’s simply nonetheless bought it someway, which is wonderful. The weight of it, and the fantastic thing about it, was not misplaced on me. We had been simply buggin’. We had been listening again on the audio system and simply so excited to string that needle with him.
Producing And Secretly Writing CIV’s Set Your Goals (1995)
You had been listed as co-producer on this report, however it got here out later you actually wrote it. I assume contractual obligations stored that from being extra public information on the time?
SCHREIFELS: Yeah, I used to be on Island Records on the time, so I used to be making an attempt to form of get round that. Because if I used to be writing for CIV, it will have restricted the band in some methods, and I additionally assume the angle of it will have been restricted in some methods. So it wasn’t a giant deal for me to not be credited in that approach. But yeah, I wrote all of the phrases and all of the music, and there have been riffs the opposite guys within the band wrote, and I couldn’t have performed it with out that group, as a result of we had been all simply so down and having a lot enjoyable. I believe that’s why the report’s nice, it’s that spirit of enjoyable, and we felt free to do that extra poppy materials alongside of actually, actually good hardcore materials that might have been a follow-up to a Gorilla Biscuits report.
In the context of what was occurring within the ‘90s with all this sort of punk rock breaking, I thought it was really cool to put hardcore into that mix in a major label way, to have hardcore on MTV. We had so much fun, and they went on to do the second record, Thirteen Day Getaway, which I was not very involved in — I wrote the music to one song — and I think it’s additionally a extremely nice report.
Playing The First Warped Tour (1995)
SCHREIFELS: It was wonderful. We had been headlining it, so it was form of an honor in a approach. At the time, the one tour that was doing that was Lollapalooza, and whereas, after all we might have taken the Lollapalooza gig, there have been solely eight spots on Lollapalooza for 1,500 bands popping out that yr. While we had been holding our breath to get that decision, it was nice that this Warped Tour factor got here alongside. The yr we performed, there have been so many good bands on it. The first yr, Deftones performed it, Sublime, No Doubt, apart from bands like Sick Of It All and Orange 9MM and CIV. It was a really attention-grabbing lineup and a extremely cool expertise
How did it really feel to exit on this huge tour and the invoice had a bunch of bands and folks you got here up with within the New York scene taking part in it?
SCHREIFELS: I appreciated it, however I believe I’d at all times need it to progress. The indisputable fact that we had been doing that was an indication of that, however it didn’t really feel like “now I made it” by any stretch. The bands I discussed that had been on the tour, they had been all doing nice stuff, however, to me, I’m considering we’ve gotta up our recreation for the following time round. There are a number of cool bands and a number of cool issues taking place, so how can we stay in that dialog and proceed to innovate with what’s occurring?
I do assume there was a little bit of a crossroads, as a result of pop-punk was so widespread at the moment and we simply weren’t that form of band in any respect. We had been extra within the line with…we weren’t competing with Green Day, let’s put it that approach. We didn’t have these pop hooks and choruses like that. It wasn’t concerning the melody. There was a sure aggression, or a sure catharsis, that was there. It was attention-grabbing to be blended with all of that stuff. Even a band that was form of doing purely hardcore — although I believe Sick Of It All had been actually progressing at the moment as properly, they had been taking their method and doing one thing attention-grabbing with it — it was only a very artistic time for everybody. I bear in mind it as a extremely cool expertise.
Moondog
This is one in all your “lost” tasks, the place solely bootlegs of the music have been launched. What had been you going for with Moondog, and what made it such a short-lived factor?
Walter: Initially, I had performed the Gorilla Biscuits album Start Today, and since I used to be writing the lyrics, I’d write a vocal information to get a fundamental factor so Civ [Anthony Civarelli] might get what I used to be intending it to sound like, then we might work collectively to get it the place it’s his. That recording bought out and folks had been like, “Oh shit, I really love the way he sang.” So that gave me the concept that perhaps I ought to be singing in a band too.
Luke [Abbey], the drummer of Gorilla Biscuits, and I bought collectively, and it’s form of like I used to be saying earlier than, we had a rehearsal or two and we wrote an EP. We went down and recorded the EP, we did one present at CB’s [CBGB], then we had been invited to be on a comp. I completed the lyrics for a music, perhaps two, and there are three or 4 which have lyrics to them however they weren’t even to my concept of completion. They had been nonetheless a piece in progress, after which that tape bought out.
Moondog solely performed two, perhaps three reveals, one at CB’s with Armand from Sick Of It All taking part in drums, which was actually cool, after which one at ABC No Rio with Sam Siegler taking part in drums and Sergio Vega taking part in bass and Tom Capone taking part in guitar. So it wasn’t with Luke anymore, and I used to be utilizing perhaps a pair songs from the factor that Luke and I had performed, after which Alan joined the band, so it simply felt like a distinct band. I don’t assume they had been too eager on taking part in my songs from Moondog, they wished to do one thing else. We form of dumped these songs, I don’t assume any of these songs actually ended up as Quicksand songs. One of them ended up as a CIV music; “Blessed” is on the top of that report.
It was the very first thing I did as a singer, and I believe it’s actually cool, I simply want I had accomplished it and adopted by way of on it. But it was only a time the place issues had been taking place rapidly and I wasn’t considering of it in any kind of profession approach. It was only a artistic factor I did sooner or later in time, so I didn’t actually consider increasing on it. Once I had Quicksand going, I believed, shit, we’re good. So we made our EP and I believe our EP was very realized.
You had been only a hardcore child from New York City doing a brand new band. You didn’t assume in 30 years somebody could be asking you about Moondog.
SCHREIFELS: Oh no, under no circumstances. That’s to not say I wasn’t caring about it, I certainly was, however it was additionally like working in a well being meals retailer or going to varsity or having a girlfriend. It was only a factor that was taking place. There wasn’t a profession plot. Once Quicksand manifested itself, that concept simply didn’t appear to make sense. I’m pleased with its place as one thing for the folks that basically need to dig, that there’s one thing there to get into.
World’s Fastest Car (1996)
Similarly, there’s World’s Fastest Car, which is one other band that had an unreleased EP. That got here simply earlier than Rival Schools, so how did that assist arrange what you probably did on United By Fate?
SCHREIFELS: That was extra instantly post-Quicksand. As I mentioned, the report label had picked up my possibility as a solo artist, so now I used to be a solo artist, and I didn’t really feel assured about calling it my title. I wasn’t a singer-songwriter or something in that sense. I put a band collectively. Artie Shepherd, who was in Errortype: 11, which was a band on Some Records, was on bass, and I had another revolving members. And we recorded some demos for World’s Fastest Car, they usually had been actually good, truly. I truly assume World’s Fastest Car would have been a factor, however the report label at the moment had simply been purchased out by this different conglomerate, so an entire shitload of individuals bought fired, all these bands bought dropped, however I used to be nonetheless there. I didn’t get dropped, however they weren’t able to put out a report. I form of bought put on this demo holding sample that served to burn everyone out and burn me out fully. I used to be making these, what I believed, had been actually nice songs, after which the label would simply say, “Okay. Make another demo.” I wasn’t taking part in reside anymore, so I wasn’t connecting to my viewers in any kind of approach. Once that communication breaks down, it’s not good on your creativity.
World’s Fastest Car went to Japan and performed a couple of reveals in Japan. We had been purported to play in New York, and we had a present in Philly booked the evening earlier than, and the present in Philly was so horrible. We had this drummer, and he was an incredible drummer, however he was in 5 completely different bands and I most likely labored him too laborious in a way, making an attempt to cram every little thing into this set to make it actually nice, and he simply had a mind fart. He didn’t even know what music he was taking part in. It was only a nightmare. We had been purported to play CB’s the following evening, and the present was so unhealthy, and my supervisor was there, my A&R man was there, they usually had been like, “You should cancel the show tomorrow. You’re not ready to play.” I don’t blame anyone, however I believe that was a giant mistake, actually. If we had performed, I believe we might have been higher. And even when we sucked, it will have at the least been us doing it. Because I do know individuals who went to that present in Philadelphia and nobody actually says it sucked, however it certain felt that approach.
After that, it simply didn’t really feel prefer it was a factor. The report label wasn’t going to place out our report but, so we had been simply caught. It would have been for me to say, “I want out of the deal.” That would have been my solely answer. I simply carried on with it, as a result of they had been paying my hire and giving me alternatives to report, so I simply held onto that. That finally led to Rival Schools as a result of, at the moment, CIV fizzled out, so Sam was obtainable. So I began taking part in with Sam and that turned Rival Schools. I took the perfect songs, or those that I felt snug making use of to the brand new factor, which had been “Used For Glue,” “Everything Has Its Point,” “So Down On,” which had been songs I perhaps performed for Quicksand too however perhaps didn’t fairly match. So World’s Fastest Car is the Moondog of Rival Schools in a approach.
You’re most likely one of many few folks whose band toured in Japan however didn’t play their hometown. That’s an attention-grabbing factor to get to say.
SCHREIFELS: The approach that occurred was, I knew promoters in Japan and simply that it was me doing it, that was sufficient to recover from there and get to do it. That was a cool flex, I assume. I bought to have a extremely enjoyable expertise, as a result of taking part in in Japan is wonderful, and I believed we might develop the band in Japan then come again to New York and be actually tight. The downside was, we didn’t have our present in New York once we got here again from Japan. That would have been sensible.
I’m not bitter about that in any respect, however that’s simply the way in which issues occurred. I do notice, looking back, in case you don’t produce stuff, even when it’s not your finest work, you’re not in a dialog with anyone, so you may’t enhance. You’re not placing your self on the market to probably fail. When you fail, and it doesn’t appear that approach on the time, however your failures are additionally essential. Where you go from there’s actually essential. And at the least by failing you’ve lowered the expectation of what the following factor is. [Laughs] Then you may shock folks with one thing higher. In retrospect, I’d haven’t been so valuable about that band and perhaps that might have been the band and never Rival Schools. But finally, all of it comes collectively when it comes collectively.
Hosting Vans’ New Direction Livestream Series (2021)
During the pandemic you probably did the New Direction present that was livestreamed by Vans. How did that come collectively, and what made you need dig into hardcore, each outdated and new, throughout that point?
SCHREIFELS: That was rather a lot of enjoyable. Vans wished to place collectively one thing to advertise music through the pandemic. Since they couldn’t do reside occasions, they thought they’d livestream on this channel. I don’t assume I actually understood the temporary, so I simply took it to imply it was going to be some form of discuss present kind of factor. I took on the thought of it being some kind of Eric Andre mutated discuss present about hardcore.
They wished it to be about punk and hardocre, which was probably not — though I’m identified in that realm, on the time, I used to be not updated on what was occurring. I mentioned certain, however I knew I didn’t need it to be about all of the bands that everybody is aware of already. I wished to search out the perfect younger bands that had been arising and attempt to introduce them to folks. I simply did analysis, I talked to folks like Sam [Yarmuth] at Triple B who was actually useful, I known as up Ned from Title Fight to get who he thinks is nice, to have him inform me who I ought to be testing. That’s how I put the plan collectively, and I’d combine it up with stuff that I preferred and issues I used to be discovering. I had reside bands play, they usually all bought paid after they performed, which was actually cool. I met all these actually superior folks and now have all these pals who’re doing cool hardcore. I additionally bought to see how hardcore remained the identical however how, in some ways, it’s in tune with how folks really feel now. I like to see how ladies are so concerned, and I like to see how open it’s when it comes to social consciousness. I believe that was at all times there, however I believe it’s on one other degree. I like to see the way it speaks to youngsters in the identical approach it spoke to me.
Being a bunch, that was enjoyable but in addition tremendous awkward and cringey at occasions, however it was additionally actually good. There had been a number of reveals the place I want they’d put it on Youtube as a result of I believe it was actually good. There had been some nice performances, and we had nice bands on. Those bands are available to play on the studio, you’re hanging out with them, I used to be doing all of the logistics of reserving them, I used to be very hands-on. It was actually good for my pandemic life. That was a very nice a part of it.
Watching Hardcore Merch Become Expensive Vintage Clothing
Going again to Ned from Title Fight, in 2015 he was interviewed about his favourite outdated hardcore shirts and there have been Youth Of Today and Gorilla Biscuits ones in there. How has it been watching the shirts your bands bought on merch tables for $5 turn out to be these $500 classic items?
SCHREIFELS: The cash a part of it I don’t notably get off on as a result of I’m not promoting any of my stuff, and I believe it irks folks in a approach, however I assume they’re these kind of artifacts. But the factor behind it that’s actually, actually cool to me, and I’m considering of seeing Minor Threat, the X’s on Ian’s palms, and he’s carrying Dickies and Vans and a T-shirt, and it’s this sort-of skater aesthetic that leads on to Youth Of Today and Revelation Records and it sharpens its focus. With Youth Of Today and Gorilla Biscuits — I’m crediting a number of Revelation and Wishingwell stuff — however there are additionally these graffiti components that come into it. It’s principally the entire constructing blocks to what we name streetwear right now, and it’s most likely a number of the identical folks doing it.
Wishingwell, for instance, put prints on the sleeve and had all these completely different features to a Uniform Choice T-shirt. It simply mentioned a lot and but was indecipherable to normies. That aesthetic is the factor now, and it ought to be. I at all times thought hardcore and all that form of stuff, althought there have been different actually cool issues occurring, that was all legit cool. Kids had been designing these shirts and printing these shirts after which promoting them. It was all run independently of those companies that had been making an attempt to inform you what was cool. We didn’t want them; we didn’t even care. We weren’t competing with them, we simply didn’t give a shit, it was only for our personal folks. I believe there’s a premium on that proper now. I believe it was all very prescient, not that it was making an attempt to be, it was simply making an attempt to be cool and be aesthetically on-point. It’s very nice that it’s performed out that approach. The truth that folks can promote a Gorilla Biscuits shirt for $400, that’s not what we had been occupied with in any respect, however we undoubtedly wished folks to purchase them and look cool in them. The truth it’s turn out to be this aesthetic is superior. It makes me really feel like me and my pals had been onto one thing.
Riz Ahmed Wearing A Youth Of Today Hoodie In Sound Of Metal (2019)
In the film Sound Of Metal, Riz Ahmed’s character is seen carrying a YOT hoodie in it, and that film went on to win an Oscar. How bizarre is it being kind-of, sort-of in an Oscar-winning movie?
SCHREIFELS: I believe it’s cool for certain. It’s 100% nice. You take a look at Youth Of Today, even then, the primary time I noticed the Youth Of Today fist and the way in which it was drawn, I used to be similar to, “That looks cool as fuck.” It’s simply tremendous stark and is like, “Why the X on the hand? What does that mean: Youth Of Today.” Those three phrases simply sound tremendous highly effective. The print is tremendous robust and iconic. I’m not simply making an attempt to hype us up, however take into consideration what number of billions and billions of bands there have been. Then take that and ask what number of of them have gotten folks to alter their way of life to be vegetarian, well being aware, straight edge — bands which have this kind of ideology connected to them. I consider Crass. Not even Minor Threat was that approach, it was very unfastened. Youth Of Today may be very, very particular in that approach, and controversial for a similar causes.
For it to be introduced into a movie that handled habit in a number of methods, Youth Of Today is a power for good in that world. People who’re youngsters, folks looking for their identities, particularly once I was a child, the id that the tradition was feeding you was: Go to a celebration, get drunk, lose your virginity. That’s what you’re purported to do, and it’ll be actually humorous and loopy. It’s an actual dumbed-down concept of who you ought to be. Even punk films like Suburbia, it’s like, okay, be a punk, spit on folks, take medicine, be a menace. That was additionally a loopy false message. You’re being bought some dramatic concept of one thing, whereas Youth Of Today was very stark and to the purpose and naked bones, however it additionally had nice mosh components.
Well nobody can deny that.
Walter: It wouldn’t work with out the mosh components. It checks all of the packing containers.
Youth Of Today’s “Break Down The Walls” In The Girl Next Door (2004)
SCHREIFELS: I don’t understand how that occurred. I’m guessing the individuals who get in control of this stuff had been into hardcore. When I consider nice songs which might be anti-racist, pro-human songs, “Break Down The Walls” by Youth Of Today is without doubt one of the finest ones ever. It’s robust and to the purpose and wonderful, however barely anybody is aware of it. To put it in a film — and I didn’t see this film that you just’re speaking about, so I don’t know what the supposed impact of it was purported to be — however the music guidelines it doesn’t matter what.
To me, “Break Down The Walls” is what the world wants greater than something, to acknowledge one another’s humanity and to respect one another and have a good time these variations. To look past the way in which you’re being grouped and be tricked into having one thing in opposition to anyone that you just most likely have extra in widespread with than you actually know. That’s nonetheless taking place, and the music is simply as related because it was then. It got here out proper because the Berlin Wall fell, inside a pair years of that, and that was the sort-of greater, arching different that was being created so that you can be afraid of and hateful towards. Right now, within the United States, everybody is meant to hate their neighbor and that’s what must be damaged down. I like that music, and if it’s in a teenage rom-com, right-of-passage, lose-your-virginity films, I didn’t approve that one. [Laughs] I hope they used it tastefully.
Fall Out Boy Covering “Start Today” For Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland Video Game Soundtrack (2005)
SCHREIFELS: Anything like that, it’s simply good. Whether it’s Fall Out Boy or some band you’ve by no means heard of. I simply noticed some hardcore band doing a canopy of “Big Mouth” by Gorilla Biscuits and I believed it was an superior model. And not the entire variations are superior. Sometimes they play them incorrect and it’s irritating. [Laughs] But the truth that a band like Fall Out Boy, who’re so enormous within the tradition, is influenced by one thing I used to be part of, it’s not like I’m lording it over anyone, however it’s a pleasant feeling. It’s flattering that one thing I’ve been part of might resonate on that degree. When these issues come, I at all times admire it, particularly from a extremely profitable band like Fall Out Boy. That’s simply good.
We talked concerning the Killers, and I bear in mind speaking to them, they usually had been all Gorilla Biscuits followers, and one of many guys used to cowl “Unfulfilled” by Quicksand in one in all their former bands. You discover these connections to completely different folks, and it’s simply attention-grabbing how a number of us are intersecting on these various things. If you’re coming from that period of music, hardcore offers a world the place you may get that direct feeling. You won’t be meant to be in a band just like the Killers, as a result of the Killers contact on so many various issues that make sense to the bigger tradition, however that doesn’t imply they’re the perfect band, they’re simply talking to that. In hardcore, you might be the perfect band simply by talking to the 200 folks in your city that might presumably care about it, and also you’ve fully succeeded and also you don’t must show something. That’s a reasonably good world to take part in, to have all the nice of being a musician and being a member of a group.
I don’t need to stand for hardcore so intensely, however I believe that musicians need to find out about it on their approach up. When one thing like that occurs, and it’s occurred with Rival Schools, the place that report was with folks the identical month they had been getting Jimmy Eat World or Fall Out Boy information, they usually picked up Rival Schools on a lark and it took them on another journey that they wouldn’t have skilled. There are bands like that for me. There’s this band the Three O’Clock. They by no means bought huge, however I mined them for songs, they usually actually meant rather a lot to me. If I ever meet anyone who’s into the Three O’Clock, we are able to have a cool dialog about it. There are simply information and bands that play that position, and when it will get giant like that, it’s simply so cool.