Amid The Old Wounds

Photo Cred 📷 : @francis_bebo

Today at Not Just A Phase we’re doing a spotlight review on a very special artist. Daniel Becker is a man who has worn many musical hats in his career, from his previous projects “Wishes On A Plane” in 2002-2009 to “Duct Hearts” in ‘09 - 2018, Daniel is now currently doing a singer / songwriter solo project in “Amid The Old Wounds.” The most glaring influences to his writing for this project are Dashboard Confessional & William Fitzsimmons. Yes, we are going on an emotional journey with this body of work today, so prepare to be shown, hear, and feel a lot more than you may have expected to.

Side effects of listening to Daniel Becker’s work may include: thoughts of sorrow, yearning for the past and versions of your former self, general confusion regarding your purpose in life, feelings of heartbreak and dread, general anxieties as well as overwhelming feelings of love and loss, defeat, triumph & strong urges to emotionally look inward, and overall self reflection. Side effects may also include but aren’t limited to: strong urges to call your ex or therapist and potentially even dust off your old acoustic guitar. Daniel Becker, “Amid The Old Wounds,” and all of his musical endeavors are not liable for any choices you may make while experiencing any of these potential side affects.

After signing a few waivers we were allowed to ask Daniel some questions about his latest release which is a collective of singles, older songs and b-sides called Almost Lost. We discuss his inspirations amongst other things while including the writing and recording process and the beauty within the imperfections.

WHAT WENT INTO THE WRITING PROCESS FOR ALMOST LOST?

“Well It varies a lot from song to song, especially since Almost Lost is a record that compiles a bunch of singles, with older songs that were ‘leftovers’ from bands over the years, some were among the first songs I wrote. Anyway, usually I write down whatever lyrics come my way, what's on my mind, what keeps me awake at night... Sometimes it's just a sentence, sometimes it's an entire page. In parallel, I play chords on my guitar and try to come up with things that go beyond standard chords.

Sometimes these two writing processes just magically latch onto each other and a song forms pretty quickly and I only have to explicitly work on the last sentences, and sometimes a guitar part or some lyrics lie around for ages because I don't know what to do with them. Other than that there is no set process, I usually like to give creativity enough room to unfold but not force it, except for the final sentence or something that can be a bit of more effort to get right.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC ROUTINE OR STANDARDS IN REGARDS TO YOUR RECORDING PROCESS?

“I usually demo songs on my phone, but for some I don't. Most of the time I have a certain record I want to record for then pick the songs and practice them until I am confident with my playing. I mostly play the guitar to write and record, so I need to practice more than you'd think. I record at home but it takes a bit to setup and get into recording mode so like others, who take leave from work and book studio time, I record over a few consecutive days and take those days off, or record whenever there's not much work to do anyway.

During the practicing process I decide on a certain speed, or if the song can't be done in a single BPM I program that, and partly practice to metronome. I have recorded songs live without click, but only if that's the only option. You might think recording a guy playing his acoustic guitar and singing is a quick record, but I record with very natural room sounds and ambience mics, so every small noise will be very audible in the mix, compared to for example when recording just with a guitar pickup. So it takes a lot longer than one might think.

I've been diagnosed with house dust allergies which has been affecting my quality and stamina at singing, so I mostly record when my voice is in good shape, which has become increasingly rarer within the last years, but I am treating the allergies and am also consulting a speech therapist at the moment so I hope in the future recording vocals may become easier.”

HOW WAS ALMOST LOST MIXED AND MASTERED?

“I have been working with a friend of mine named Franz who is running a small studio called Koenichsound. He has mixed and mastered all songs from Almost Lost as well as the recent split with Mt. Oriander. However we have recently started a collaborative project called 'their something borrowed, glory' he is busy with adding his bells and whistles to my basic tracks, and life in general, so I have been working with Role at Die Tonmeisterei on some other single tracks and the future will be a mix of the two I guess. Both have different approaches to mixing and I learn different things about my recording process from working with both people.”

“I THINK MOST OF MY SONGS ARE MOTIVATED BY THE MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL STAGE I AM IN AT THE TIME AND IN A WAY THEY SERVE AS THERAPHY. THEY DEAL WITH BREAKUPS AND GENERAL HEARTBREAK OR LONLINESS, BUT ALSO WITH A REVELATION OR MAKING PEACE WITH A PAST LET-DOWN OR TRAUMA. I THINK AS ANY PYSCHOLOGICAL THERAPY THEY SERVE AS A MEANS TO UNDERSTAND MYSELF BETTER EVERY DAY.”

DANIEL BECKER - @AMIDTHEOLDWOUNDS

SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AND YOUR MUSIC IN 2025?

“Well, I have a couple of songs I am recording for an EP and a bunch of smaller releases here and there. The biggest milestone would be a more consistent and reliable voice to be able to sing and record at a faster pace and better quality. I embrace imperfection as mentioned, but also have a certain ambition towards the quality of my performance and recording. That's probably nothing you can count but is really important to me.

Other than that this project is really a means and document of growth as a person, and a musician and singer, so my journey here really is the goal. I would like to see more people listen to my music, and maybe my music might help them through difficult times like other people's music has done for me. It's not like I wouldn't enjoy if this turned out making a part time income so I'd have more time to make music, but the motivation really is to follow my inspiration and be creative.”

ANY FINAL THOUGHTS TO LEAVE WITH THE READERS?

“I'm not sure if this has come to everyone's attention but I wanted to emphasize what Spotify's changes in demonetization means to small artists, and subculture in general. Basically in addition to the weakest payout per stream compared to any other streaming service, Spotify has now stopped paying out for songs that perform less than 1000 streams per month. Their reasoning sounds sensible, saying that small payouts don't reach the artist anyway due to high minimum payouts from the distributor, so a lot of those micro-payouts just stay with the distributor and never get paid out eventually. This might be true for an artist with only a few songs, but let's take a small DIY label or artist with maybe 5 albums, 10 songs each that plays 500 streams per song each month.

That's a significant amount of 2500 plays per month, 30,000 plays per year, equals $70-100 that DON'T GET PAID out to the artist that earns and needs it and that goes to the Drakes and Taylor Swifts (I love TS, by the way,, just saying, she makes enough already). So where does this lead? Even more payouts to the big artists, even less support for small and developing artists. The initial idea of streaming was more democracy, less gatekeeping by labels, radio stations and distributors. So I can only encourage artists and listeners to find better ways to fund subculture and artists directly, over big corporations.”

In far less politically correct words I too would like to say that Spotify is a fuckin cancer to the DIY scene and they literally do not pay their creators for their content either. So let’s say you have a pretty successful podcast you’ve run for four years on their platform and let’s say you were even in their top ten percent most listened to podcasts in 2022 (facts), it don’t mean a damn thing to them, you don’t get a dime. We all need to support each other with whatever funds we have to keep art and artists alive, and with that being said…

Attached to this article below is a beautiful song chosen by Daniel off of the Almost Lost collection. I strongly encourage you to listen to it and if the song doesn’t move you then you might be a robot. All of his previous bands and previous releases contain pieces and memories of Daniel’s life journey that are deeply personal and also universally relatable at the same time, that’s something truly powerful and hard to convey with music.

The Almost Lost CD & cassettes are being released on Daniels own label Time As A Color, as well as Slow Down Records in Norway and Rufen Publishings in Japan. The split with Mt. Oriander has the same labels mentioned above releasing the split and is also being released by Sonic Rendezvous in the UK, Shove Records in Italy, Civic Duty in Australia, and in the states we have Friendly Otter, New Knee Records and Count Your Lucky Stars with copies so grab one while ya still can!

Follow Daniel on Instagram : Amid The Old Wounds

Writer : @just_reidz

Editor : @garevthistle

01/14/25

athousandangelsandseven

Photo Credit 📷 : @lucidnature

Take a deep breath. Now, if you’re ready to do a little sonic exploration today, then prepare yourself for a new single called Clipped Wings from Denver’s athousandangelsandseven forthcoming self-titled EP. The name may look familiar to those of you with a pulse for the screamo scene as the band debuted a track on Zegema Beach Zampler #24.

Clipped Wings picks up where the band left off — frenetic energy fraught with dissonance. The Denver quintet opens the track with homage to chainsaw riffs and d-beat drums, reminiscent the_network or Trap Them. The floor tom thunders as instrumentation syncs before it all falls to shit with a tasty slice of cacophony. Elle’s vocals teeter from snotty and sassy punk-esque vocals all the way to ear piercing screams that’ll call to mind Sawtooth Grin.

I make these comparisons not because the band apes these styles, but rather because the range and depth of the band members span nearly ten active projects and over ten dormant endeavors. For the self-titled EP, Mat (guitar) started building the framework for the tracks, building the songs in a digital audio workstation and presenting these ideas to the band, who were then tasked with composing their parts. With vocalist Elle noting that the writing progress for this project was different than past projects, that there was emphasis on impacting the sound of the song through “new and interesting rhythmic elements."

“LYRICALLY AND VOCALLY, THIS PROJECT’S A LOT DIFFERENT TO ANYTHING ELSE I’VE WORKED ON DUE TO HOW CONSISTENTLY CHAOTIC AND MATHY IT IS. THE PHRASING HAS TO BE MUCH MORE INTENTIONAL, SO I SPENT A LOT LONGER THAN USUAL HONING THE LYRICS FOR THIS EP.”

- ELLE @ATHOUSANDANGELSANDSEVEN

The tracks were workshopped over an extended period before live takes, real amps and drums gave way to the track you’re hearing today. Mat and Ryan (drums) were at the helm for recording the debut, recording and mixing at 140Audio. Elle (vocals), Alex (bass) and Kendrick (guitar) supplied ample riffing to cover the sonic spectrum that give the songs such energy. Mat and Ryan did an incredible job capturing a myriad of tones and dynamics in this 2-minute track. I’m blown away at the bass passage around a minute in that makes Alex’s sort of noise rock bass riff fit in so well. The tone on it is stellar.

Clipped Wings is a tour de force with regards to suffering. Lyrically we have a narrator against themselves, battling that which makes them “function” while still feeling impotent. The very thing that takes the edge off of the sharpest parts is holding us back, wings clipped just enough not to escape. The album will set its sights on our “culture of greed, violence, and fear, perpetuated by the [United States] and [Elle’s] feelings of anger, guilt, and trauma as a marginalized person existing within this country.”

The self-titled EP will be released on 01/27/27 by Zegema Beach Records, with an album release planned for the 28th, at Squirm Gallery in Denver. Personally, I can’t wait to get my hands on this record, it scratches the itch in a good way — a chaotic blend of bands like Cult Leader and Jerome’s Dream and a touch of Usurp Synapse.

Checkout their Bandcamp here : athousandangelsandseven

Writer : @garevthistle

Editor : @just_reidz

01/13/25

NAUFRAAGE

Photo Credit 📷 : @veuvescarron

Bathing in the noises of decay and washes of ambient pads I feel anxiety for my anxiety. I can anticipate the path I must travel, I can envision the dangerous byways between Scylla and Charybdis as my boat seeks refuge from the tumultuous waters. I am greeted by the putrid froth, a sound that is called forth from the belly of Chraybdis, whose whirlpools rage as the saltwater rushes from its mouth, enveloping me…

This is the sound of “Le festin de décadents,” from the blackened screamo meets post-metal outfit NAUFFRAGE. We’re beyond excited to collaborate on this single release from the French duo. Matt and Seb are longtime collaborators. Veterans of the French screamo scene may recall their past projects Madame de Montespan (2007-2010) and Cathedraal (2012, 2022). The group is supported by producer / collaborator Ténèbre on this release, who helps to hone the vision that has been crafted and refined over nearly 20 years.

Digging deeper into the writing process of the band, songwriting starts with Seb at home in Angers, drafting sketches of new songs then shipping it to Matt in Paris where the work on vocal patterns, lyrics, harmonies, and ambience is crafted. Finally, Ténèbre “dissects the track and orders [the band] to make a few hundred changes,” the band writes, “we re-record everything, he asks for fifty more changes, and a month later, we have a song!” A demanding process, but clearly the destination has made the journey fulfilling.

Ténèbre’s production is distinct and builds upon the foundation that Seb and Matt created in their earliest efforts. The screamo scene of the early and mid-aughts is still reflected in Matt’s vocal patterns and stylings, where I’m reminded much of bands like Birds in Row. Yet there is a maturation to the sound as Matt leans into the progressive metal and post-metal, demonstrating his range as he moves effortlessly from French brethren Celeste to European post-metal heavyweights the Ocean.

Sonically, Seb’s guitar work runs the gamut of influences. The 7-string guitars favored by the latest and greatest of djent guitarists aren’t the darlings of the screamo scene, but Seb uses the extended range of the instrument to paint with a palette that reminds you of Gojira or Tesseract, doing black metal while leaning into a post-metal influence before the song puts you in mind of a Chelsea Wolfe and Converge collaboration (get about 2-minutes into the track, you’ll know). While the drum break into the just barely distorted high note at the 3-minute mark reminds you what this duo cut their teeth on and how they’ve refined their sound over the years.

“THE IDEA IS TO LISTEN TO THE RECORD IN ONE SITTING, LIKE WATCHING A MOVIE. IT’LL BE VARIED ENOUGH TO KEEP THINGS INTERESTING, AND WE HOPE THAT LISTENERS WILL TAKE OFF THEIR HEADPHONES AT THE END WITH THE SAME FEELING THEY GET AFTER A GOOD FILM - LIKE THEY’VE JUST EXPERIENCED SOMETHING.”

- SEB @NAUFRAAGE

Lyrically, if my earlier metaphors left no hints, I am brought to torrents of the sea and the sirens’ call. With the lyrics translated into English, Matt sings, Deprived of bearings / drifting in your wake / They lure you with their charms / Drawing you away from the shores, into vile crashing waves, and I cannot stop thinking about the parallel between feeling lost and scared and trying to grab hold to something, anything, that lets you feel like you’re above water and the dangers of upswell of far right authoritarianism throughout the globe, a sentiment the band shares.

You get the first listen of “Le festin de décadents” at Not Just a Phase and I hope you’re as fucking amped about this track as I am. You can find Naufraage on Bandcamp (linked below) and other streaming platforms. Both this single and the track from fall of 2024 reflect the tremendous effort the duo has put into their craft and I urge you not to sleep on this.

You can follow them on bandcamp here: NAUFRAAGE

Writer: @garevthistle

Editor: @just_reidz

01/09/25

Nine Necks

Photo Credit 📷 : @woefoto

Your favorite Chicago band from Los Angeles has returned after nearly five years with a re branding of sorts. Nine Necks are back and setting out for a wild 2025. Currently taking influence from veteran acts like Jeromes Dream, Botch, Converge and Every Time I Die while not sounding like a copy of any of them. Their eclectic new blend of melodies and hefty rhythms accompany the absolute vocal assault and battery they deliver and it reaches every corner. Far beyond a handful of influences and a few band name drops, their style allows their sound to fit flawlessly across many genre fanbases. From post hardcore to screamo and metalcore lovers, Nine Necks have a neck for anyone who likes heavy music.

Emerging with their new vocalist Dan Rees to debut a new song “No Heart” coming off of their upcoming EP Ritual & Demise which is due to be released this spring under the bands label imprint “Be Human”. Nine Necks are also currently looking for other labels to partner up with for a wider physical release. We had a chat with their "drummer / band secretary” Patrick about their line up change, writing and recording process, the new single, their upcoming EP and the plans and goals they’ve set to take on in this new year.

WITH A RECENT LINE UP CHANGE I’M CURIOUS HOW THE WRITING PROCESS FOR THIS EP WENT?

“The writing process for this EP was a long one. We started writing these songs during the lockdown after we decided to move forward as a three piece following the departure of founding member and vocalist Joel.  The search for a new vocalist was taking longer than we wanted so we decided to take up the vocal duties amongst ourselves.  That’s when Joe, our guitarist, discovered that he could sing a little, then Dan eventually came knocking on our door. 

Dan brought in a crazy deathcore pedigree with him so we decided to eschew our melodic hardcore past in favor of something heavier and more pummeling.  After Dan came into the fold we re-tuned the songs that we had written and began writing new songs along with Dan.  The songs on the EP reflect that growth as a band.”

HOW WAS THE RECORDING PROCESS FOR THE NEW MATERIAL?

“The recording process for this EP was also a long process.  We demoed these songs twice before finally laying down tracks with Alex Estrada at The Pale Moon Ranch.  The time at the ranch was a great time.  It’s in a pretty remote spot in Juniper Hills, CA. It felt a lot like going to band camp except you get a record at the end.”

WHERE WAS RITUAL AND DEMISE MIXED / MASTERED?

“We decided to keep the mix in house with Alex Estrada at The Pale Moon Ranch.  Alex is multi-talented and mixing is just another of his super powers.  It was great to mix there as we were all able to get our ears in the same room for the final mixes.  We had a few options for mastering but Alex suggested that we should go with Chris Common from These Arms Are Snakes. 

He thought Chris would be a great fit for what we do and he was right.  He did an amazing job shaping the overall tone.”

“THESE SINGLES AND THE EP AS A WHOLE ARE A BIT OF A RELAUNCH FOR THIS BAND. IT’S OUR FIRST RELEASE OF ANY NEW MATERIAL IN NEARLY FIVE YEARS AND IT’S THE FIRST WITH OUR NEW SINGER DAN AS WELL SO IT DOCUMENTS THIS TRANSITORY PERIOD IN THE BAND.“

- PATRICK @NINENECKS

SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR NINE NECKS NOW?

“The goal is to start building around this. We’re planning to play more shows in support of the releases but we’ve also been writing so we’re going to be back in the studio again this year. We’re currently planning to ramp up shows in support of the upcoming releases.  We’re playing next week (1/18/25 @The Redwoods in DTLA w/Some Gifts). We’re also  planning for more local touring around LA with possible midwest dates as well as that is where we are all originally from.”

ANY CLOSING WORDS?

“We just want to give a shoutout to all of our friends and family both in Los Angeles and Chicago (fun fact, all of our members are originally from Chicago).  Another shoutout and some love to all of the bands we’ve played with and the venues who have hosted us (You know who you are.  I’m not gonna list because someone always feels slighted). 

One specific shout out though to our ridiculously talented friend Brian Skipworth who painstakingly engineered and mixed the original demos for the EP in the crucible like summer heat of our practice spot, he is the unsung hero for us in all of this.”

Posted below we’re hyped to debuting their new single “No Heart” which will be available on all streaming platforms this week on January 10th. Check it out below, follow them on their bandcamp link listed there as well and hit ‘em up if you’re a a label that may be interested in partnering up to help release Ritual and Demise. If this is any indication of what our new year will entail for Nine Necks upcoming releases and for the heavy music scene in general then we’re all in for an absolutely magical 2025!

Do not quote me on 2025 being “magical” for anything except new music releases.

Follow them on Bandcamp here : Nine Necks

Writer : @just_reidz

Editor : @garevthistle

01/06/25

Self Neglect

Photo Cred 📷 : @demonicaarts666

Today we’re presenting “Gently,” the two minutes and seventeen second track that distills “the power, horror, compulsion, and inevitability of love.” This banger comes to Not Just a Phase courtesy of the Albuquerque quartet, Self Neglect.

The opening floor-tom roll into drum fill kicks things off in a way that feels anthemic. When the guitar tracks come in you can nearly feel the next chord in progression before it hits and drags you along. The vocals hit, with hints of bleakness. They raw screaming evokes the ilk of blackened screamo artists like, Portrayal of Guilt or Infant Island. That hint of reverb that smears the pained and panic wailing of vocalist Alex gracefully blurs the abrasion into the croon of Cody Votolato (Blood Brothers).

The back and forth, dueling vocals of Alex and Cody ties together the three distinct phrases of the first minute of the song before we descend into the briefest display of madness. The drums go fast, the riffs go fast, and it all goes hard. This is a six second snapshot before you get brief hints of some white belt breakdown. Spinning out of this in a whirlwind we get fantastic guitar leads, courtesy of Cody Votolato.

“WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE OUR LIVE SHOWS A PLACE WHERE LOSERS, FREAKS, WEIRDOS AND OUTCASTS CAN COME TOGETHER, HAVE FUN, AND EXPLORE. WE DON’T JUST WANT PEOPLE WHO FEEL LIKE THEY DON’T BELONG IN SOCIETY AR LARGE, BUT ALOS PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLE TO FIND BELONING IN HARDCORE AS WELL.”

- @SELFNEGLECTBAND

The quick, dynamic chan1ges, the pain, the panic, the emotion crammed into this track has me absolutely pumped for this release. This is a testament to the efforts that Leon, Matt, Derrick, and Alex have put into their craft. Before you dive in, here's what Self Neglect had to say about this track: "Gently is about the tension between our desire to love and be loved and the primal fear we have around surrendering to that experience."

So enjoy "Gently" and wait with me so that I am not alone in craving the rest of the tracks Self Neglect will release on February 2nd, 2025.

Follow them on bandcamp : Self Neglect

Writer : @garevthistle

Editor : @just_reidz

11/11/24

Nick Cage “Intruder” Music Video Premiere

Alright, so this music video / band is one of the coolest things to ever show up in the NJAP inbox. This band, Nick Cage, (yes, named after the actor) hail from Queens, New York and consists of members from the previous bands: Mems Ouster Nash, Off White, and Super FM. They’re ripping up a classic meat and potatoes hardcore punk style that’s heavily influenced by veteran acts such as Discharge, Negative Approach, Youth of Today, and really any Youth Crew or 80’s NYHC acts. I’m absolutely hyped to spread their message today as it’s one that strikes close to home for me.

As someone who’s trying to grow this “brand” and expand the blogspot and podcast I have this constant mental anguish from the never ending convo in my head that goes something like this: “Reels man, all those influencer clowns are doing those reels with the cheesy captions and that shit spreads like cancer online, it works. Ya gotta do it eventually, c’mon, it’ll grow the audience and that’ll help the bands you promote and work with get more attention.. You fuckin cheeseball, do that corny shit; it’s not selling out, right? You’re already on TikTok so stop fronting.” So ya gotta understand that when I watched this music video I grinned ear-to-fucking-ear maniacally, like the Grinch. I even let out a goofy cackle like an evil villain and shouted “YESS! YESSS! FUCKIN’ GET EM!”.

I know my reluctance to follow the influencer trends will likely hinder the progress of this brand in the long run, and it’s really tough for bands to find promotion for a good price, it’s even harder to find a way to get some coverage without selling your soul to trendy influencer bullshit just to appease the algorithm gods. I could write a Bible long rant about this shit, but much like this song and video does, I’m just gonna get to the point: Nick Cage have a stupid ass band name that made me laugh, this video gave me a hearty chuckle and this song goes dummy. I asked their voclaist Nolan a few questions and said I’d happily premiere the music video, so here it is..

YOU KNOW I GOTTA ASK, FIRST OFF, WHAT’S WITH THE NAME?

“We're named after the actor.  We liked that it felt low effort to just be the dude's name.  After the fact, I woulda named the band Renée Zellweger or something because every single person is like ‘haha what's your favorite movie?’ ....Of which the answer is Bad Lieutenant Port of Call New Orleans by Werner Herzog.”

WHAT’S YOUR WRITING PROCESS USUALLY CONSIST OF?

“We come up with a lot organically during practice. Most times when one of us comes in with a riff, we play with it, discard most of it, and come back with some sort of mutant version of the original idea. That's a lot of what came up with Intruder.”

“I THINK THAT COMPARED TO OUR LAST LP LOST CAUSE, WE’VE TIGHTENED UP OUR SOUND. WHEN WE FIRST RELEASED THAT (AND I’M STILL PROUD OF IT) I WAS PERSONALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW I WANTED TO SOUND AND PRESENT MYSELF AS A VOCALIST AND WE WERE TRYING TO LOCK INTO A SOUND. I STILL THINK THAT WE’RE EVOLVING, BUT I FEEL NOW THAT WE’RE CLOSER TO WHAT WE WANT TO SOUND LIKE.”

- NOLAN @NICKCAGERAW

HOW DO YOU RECORD?

“Our recording engineer, Adam Amran, is a frequent performer / client of Jones Bar in Ridgewood Queens, of which our lead guitarist, Sean, is the proprietor. He offered to record us in his apartment, a big lofty space right next to the train. The drums were kinda in an awkward spot so we had to position a mirror so that we could see Louis playing and keep in time! We blasted the 6 song EP out in about four hours.”

WHAT’S THE MIXING AND MASTERING PROCESS?

“Mixed in Brooklyn, at Adam's loft, and Mastered by our bassist Zack at (redacted), a fancy post sound facility in Manhattan that we kinda snuck in to do it.”

ANY LABELS INVOLVED IN THIS UPCOMING RELEASE?

“No labels yet, we just wanted to pump out a 7" by ourselves. Release date: TBD, but currently aiming for December, 2024.”

ANYTHING YOU WANNA SAY ABOUT THIS WORK OF ART?

“I suppose I just want to talk more about the music video. I really hate all these influencer fucking people and how much it just creeps into your social media timelines no matter what you do. The algorithm just puts these morons in front of you and most of it is just thinly disguised advertising. I had this idea kicking around about someone trying to make another one of these things and just something terrible happens to them.”

(fuckin’ brilliant by the way)

“Originally the idea was a lot more, uh, gory but then we thought that might be too over the top. We shot it in an afternoon and then I edited it in CapCut a day later. I wanted to do as much as I could to make it seem diagetic, so we shot it 9x16 on an iPhone and then edited it using the software that all the influencers use, including the AI speech to text translator. I think that way it makes the whole thing feel all the more weird and dangerous feeling. We're pretty stoked on it.”

SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR NICK CAGE?

“For 2025, we're really interested in opening up and touring more into the tristate. We've played quite a lot in the city but I feel like now we're in a place to open ourselves to the world. Plus we have cars now!”

This video instantly captured my attention (pun intended) and I’ll be a fan for life now. Fuck goofy influencer trends, fuck the internet personalities who sell lies to the people, and a big shoutout to the ads I keep seeing that tell musicians they can grow their audience by paying for plays on streaming apps, promote your music however you want to but shilling out cash to get fake plays gotta be the lamest shit ever.

Long live Nick Cage.

Follow them on Bandcamp : Nick Cage

Writer : @just_reidz

Editor : @garevthistle

11/07/24

Graypath

Photo Cred 📷 : @seventhsideprod

Hailing from the foothills of North Jersey, Gray Path have officially released their debut Ep. “Abysm EP” which explores an emotional metamorphosis of losing oneself only to be reborn, with all of the lyrical content written by guitarist and co-founder of the band, Mikey Burgos. Pair this with some of the punchiest, dynamic and acrobatic metalcore of the year, you got yourself a tightly packed EP that thrives off of getting straight to the point without any filler whatsoever. Gray Path have already been on a semi-extensive tour, even getting recognition from YouTuber, Ohrion Reacts.

During this past week, I managed to reach out to Graypath, where we discussed their new EP as well as origins and future aspirations.

HOW DID YOU GUYS INITIALLY MEET AND WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO START THIS BAND?

“Mikey and Danny went to high school together. They formed this project by themselves pre pandemic around 2019. The project officially found their members in 2023.”

WHERE DID THE NAME COME FROM?

“Our vocalist Bryan came up with the name. The name has no particular meaning, it’s vague and leaves it up for anyone to interpret it however they want.”

OUTSIDE OF YOUR DRUMMER DANIEL, WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY IN THE BAND, FROM THE DEPTHS, WHAT IS EVERYONE’S MUSIC BACKGROUND?

“Everyone else is a self taught musician, Mikey has always been an insanely skilled at home bedroom guitarist. Bryan and Pedro recently picked up their instrument, it seems they’re all naturals.”

WHAT WAS THE WRITING AND RECORDING PROCESS BEHIND THIS EP?

“Our guitarist Mikey writes all of our songs, records it onto pro tools, and then sends it to the rest of us. We then provide feedback and ultimately come to a final version which we’re all happy with! This release will be our first ever, we've put in many hours of work fine-tuning and countless days rehearsing to create the heavy-hitting EP that is Abysm. It takes inspiration from many different avenues of different bands and personal struggles, we're absolutely stoked to release it to the public and see what people have to say about it.”

“THIS RELEASE IS SPECIAL TO ME BECAUSE IT’S ALL RAW EMOTION, IT WAS WRITTEN IN A WAY THAT IS RELATABLE IN CERTAIN ASPECTS IN TERMS OF LOSING ONESELF AND PUSHING THROUGH THE ACHE TO ULTIMATELY BECOME A BETTER VERSION OF OURSELVES.”

- MIKEY @GRAYPATHBAND

WHY DID YOU GO WITH TIMBER STUDIOS AND IRON AUDIO? WAS IT THROUGH A CONNECTION?

“Our drummer Danny has been working with Timber Studios for a few years now through Adam (their owner). Though we tried to hire Adam for our debut single, he wasn’t available and had his other engineer Chris Dombrowski work with us which completely worked out considering we were huge fans of his band ‘Sentinels’.

Iron Audio has been a producer that Mikey and Danny have been eyeing since the early days, turns out he’s friends with Chris from Sentinels and it all kinda came full circle. Iron Audio produces some of our favorite bands and it’s also a huge coincidence that he’s from Jersey.”

HOW DID THE COLLABORATION WITH CRYSTAL PATH ON THE TRACK “FRACTURE” COME ABOUT?

“Crystal Plains is Danny’s first band, although he is no longer apart of it, they’re all still really close. The frontman of Crystal Plains, David, is Bryan’s older brother. The collab kind of happened naturally, we were super on board with the material David provided and we showed zero hesitation in letting him hop on the record.”

I’VE HEARD YOU GUYS ARE CURRENTLY UNSIGNED. ARE YOU PLANNING ON STAYING INDEPENDENT? IF NOT, WHO WOULD YOU CONSIDER SIGNING WITH?

“Although were unsigned we’d definitely love to be a part of a label one day. Label’s including Sharptone Records, Fearless Records, UNFD, or Epitaph Records.”

I SEE THAT YOU’VE BEEN SUPER ACTIVE THIS PAST WEEK OR SO ON A SMALL TOUR IN THE NEW JERSEY / NEW ENGLAND AREA. HOW HAS THAT BEEN? ANY HIGHLIGHTS YOU COULD SHARE? ANY FUTURE SHOWS COMING UP?

“We just went out on our first weekender recently and also played our EP release show in Newark, NJ which was extremely successful. Upcoming shows are 11/01 in Teaneck, NJ w/ May They Rest 11/16 in NYC w/ Advents.”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR GRAYPATH? ANY FUTURE GOALS OR MILESTONES?

“At this very moment we're going to continue moving forward, playing shows in the tri-state area and writing music together. We're more than excited to be able to finally release this EP to everyone and be able to showcase ourselves more. If it catapults us into something bigger then that's a plus too.”

ANY CLOSING WORDS?

“Big thanks to our local fans, the producers who helped along the way and the family and friends that made this dream possible. This EP would be nothing without the audience that's been there to back it since day one.”

Find all their links on their linktree : Graypath

Writer : @nicks_creative_outlet

Editor : @just_reidz

10/29/24

Live Longer Burn Everything Music Video Premiere

Its been a rough year. We're living through the death throes of the corned beast that is the imperial capitalistic empire, and its horrors that are imparted to the world seem to be ramping up every day. As a scene but more so as a community, we have to ask ourselves what world can we envision once the cinders smolder and the nightmare finally ends? Music is often a salve for our woes and a provision of a better future for us to imagine. Love Longer Burn Everything have always embodied this sentiment, from the moment of their inception to now, and "I Lost My HeavyHeavyLowLow Pin At a Hong Kong Fuck You Show at The Whyld Ass Cafe”” is another entry in the bands catalogue of sonic desires for a better life.

With their typical finesse, the track kicks in with insane aplomb. Massive guitars sweep and grind and shred while vocals caterwaul and sprint from clean to screamed to wailed. The accompanying video (lovingly captured and crafted by the legend himself, Isaac Geesling, stitches together footage taken from their last year of tours and gigs, featuring dogpiles, stage dives and few moments of antics in the legendary Che Cafe’s rafters, giving the viewer a little taste of what you can expect from an LLBE live show. The most striking thing about the bands desire for a visual component is what it offers as an answer to the songs lyrics. A track racked with exasperation and pain, it speaks to the crushing state of the world as we’re all having it pressed upon us, while supplying actual visual proof of what we can be when we come together. 

Live Longer Burn everything have been on a tear since they played their first set and show no signs of stopping whatsoever. In a world that feels more and more unkind and unforgiving every day, the relentless nature of the bands ethos and passion serve as a small but mighty anathema to all the ills of the world. Come to a show, make a friend and find your place in the community. This is the language of our scene and that his the idea behind this sound.

We’re more than honored to have been and continue getting to be a part of LLBE’s story, make sure to watch the video, stream the song and get yourself to a gig. 

Live Longer and Burn Fucking Everything.

Follow them on Bandcamp : Live Longer Burn Everything

Writer : @letsgetpivotal

Editor : @just_reidz

10/28/24

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT MUSIC PRESS: 57 PAGES YOU SHOULD FOLLOW

Photo Credit 📷 : @fabmoreiraphoto

A while ago I made a post saying to support independent music press before it all dies off. Selfishly I made that post to remind people that we’re here and that there is a fight behind the scenes to keep giving your time and heart into running any DIY music press. Whether it be a blog, podcast or any DIY music documenter, often the only thing that keeps us going is a fan saying “hey that article / podcast or live footage was great thanks for doing that” ‘cause we are certainly not in this game for the money (no one’s making any but hit us up at patreon.com/notjustaphaseworldwide if you wanna support this page and the staff).

I talked the talk and now I’d like to walk the walk and show support for our brothers and sisters in arms who are fighting the good fight. This is music journalism written by music fans just documenting their scene and their music for the love of the game. Today we here at Not Just A Phase would like to salute all of you in the trenches with us and I hope our readers find some new pages to follow for the music they love. These pages are written in no particular order and have no favoritism, I started this article with the intent to do a top 10 and it got very out of control and now we’re here somehow with 57 or 58 pages you should follow.

TOC SIN MAG: @tocsinmag

Zine based in Portland and Pomona, covering screamo from all over the globe with straight to the point Q&A interviews with band ending with thee single greatest question ever asked by an interviewer “What song would you want to die to?”. I thought about this for so damn long before I came to my final answer. Garth Brooks - The Dance, yes I’m fuckin serious. I was raised on Garth and whenever my untimely death comes this ballad is gonna be the dramatic outro and I’ll be glad to see all my friends again if there’s anything after this world.

REALOEMO: @realoemo

Covering everything emo from song of the day features to amazing articles to quality memes and shitposts. They cover everything from the well known to the very obscure in real emo and are succeeding with their mission to #keepemoinhardcore 

Borderlinefuckup: @borderlinefu

Music blog from Austria that covers everything from hardcore, punk, emo and screamo to indie and hip hop. Beautiful blogspot and IG layout aesthetic full of interviews and great articles. They even do a “bloggerly love” segment to shoutout others they admire to spread awareness of other independent music press 10/10 journalism you need to be following. Has written articles for NJAP before as well.

Stop Calling Them Screamo: @stopcallingthemscreamo

A hilarious play on words from the See You Space Cowboy song “Stop Calling Us Screamo”. A UK based journalist with an IG page that covers everything Screamo, from photographing shows they attend to album reviews and more, they got screamo on lock. Has written articles for NJAP as well.

Scoped Exposure: @scopedexposure 

Western Canada based documenter Spencer Pries has been documenting DIY through filmed live sets since 2017 and began interviewing bands for his podcast Scoped Exposure in 2019 as well as being a major hand in throwing the annual Hold Your Ground Fest and being in a few bands. Spencer wears many hats while interviewing and documenting the smallest and biggest, oldest and newest names in Hardcore and more.

Open Mind Saturated Brain: openmindsaturatedbrain.blogspot.com

Canadian screamo veteran David Norman from @zegema_beach records runs this blogspot which showcases his album reviews for all bands screamo and screamo adjacent as well as his podcast of the same name all available on the blogspot we linked above. 

Bandecdotes: @bandecdotes

Started by a friend of mine Phil Paxton after being interviewed on Not Just A Phase he created his own podcast to cover the local scene of our Canadian province, Ontario. Many years later it’s now expanded to a two man team that mostly does international album reviews and reaction videos for YouTube and less interviewing yet probably more entertaining content now than ever. 

Sadder Star: @sadderstar.fm

Chelsea is a Portland based music enthusiast with a weekly emo show on @xrayfm and archived episodes available on their YouTube channel. Chelsea’s show features emo songs ranging from inactive 90s rarities to modern day day emo and screamo bands and everything in between. Started in late November of 2022, I hope this show blasts the sad jams until the end of time. 

Sad Jams: @sad_jams

A page dedicated to sad jams and ran by a record label called We’re Trying Records (@weretryingrec). Playlists, interviews, audio, radio, oh and they also make jam! I think.. 

Deckonstrukcija Yugoviolence: @xdekonxyugo_violencex

Started in February of 2024 as a blog dedicated to covering Emo and Screamo in the Ex-Yugoslavian region (Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Montenegro). Boasting a massive emo and screamo playlist on Rate Your Music and doing a stellar job of documenting and archiving those specific scenes. 10/10 for emo and screamo dorks who love finding the new and very rare bands this is where to go!

Aphhaus Records: @aphhausrecords

A @semicollectiverecords subsidiary ran by @eitherlight promoting releases and conducting interviews.

Z Tapes: @starttrack_com

Ran by @filip_zemcik (ex owner of the now defunct @ztapes) this music blog / label & YouTube channel does a ton of coverage on the underground scene from compilations to articles covering a lot of indie and folk / mellow jams to emo and everything inbetween and beyond.

Temporary Tats Zine: @temptatszine

(Ripped from their IG bio) a magazine documenting DIY music and culture in Houston, Texas. Fuck corporate press. Couldn’t have said it better myself on that last sentiment. This zine also does online interviews and covers all genres. God bless em. 

Bearded Gentlemen Music: @beardedgmusic

Ska, punk and other junk. Rants, reviews and interviews / podcasts and more at beardedgentlemenmusic.com 

Get Alternative: @getalternative

Self proclaimed best independent music site out there (I’d say second place but clearly we’re both very cocky and biased) with that being said I respect their gusto. It’s a real music blog run by real music lovers (again big fan of that mission statement) they’re on every platform doing everything. Stay independent my friends.

The Hideout: @xhideoutx

Okay I’ll admit they don’t exactly do music press, they’re a DIY venue, ran by people who love their scene and keep the community alive and thriving with these shows so they deserve your love and support. 

Versed Magazine: @versedmagazine

LA based media production & artist publication. Live interviews for their online zine (versedmagazine.us). Looks like they cover a lot of screamo. Excited to see where they take this platform.

Cross My Heart With A Gun: @xcross_my_heart_with_a_gunx 

https://xemosmakeriotx.livejournal.com

A blogspot doing reviews for emo, screamo, sasscore and metalcore. The music reviews are usually about a a paragraph or a little more just straight to the point and an out of 5 bullets rating system. The interviews have unique questions I found quite interesting and I immediately became a big fan of their format. I give it 5/5 bullets but if we are playing Russian roulette I’d say 6/6 just to make it count. 

H813video: @h813video

Archiving Tampa hardcore bands and touring bands that play in Tampa. He shoots anywhere though apparently. Discovered this page after he shot a Novely set at a skatepark in Tampa. March 20th 2024 marks his one year anniversary of the first post to go up online so congrats!

Rambler Magazine: @ramblermagazine

“A reason to put ur phone down” which is funny considering I discovered their page on the Instagram app while scrolling on my phone. They do events in NYC, London, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Berkeley, also run interviews and plenty of creative outlets. Very cool page to check out.

Everything Is Noise: @everything.is.noise

Premieres, reviews, interviews for all types of music for all types of music lovers. 

In Detentions Magazine: @indentionsmagazine

Small local arts and pop culture magazine based out of Denton, Texas.

Noven: @novenmag

Skramz mag with CDs, posters and love coming soon (or maybe already here by the time this article drops?)

Screamo Everyday: @screamoeveryday

Literally a new screamo band being reviewed daily it’s crazy.

Be About It: @beaboutitzine

Montreal based zine, does show flyers, booking, design, compilations, covers the MTLHC scene as well as the Ontario HC Scene. Lots of love for this group and all they do. 

Hal Capone: @hal_capone1

Recorded live footage of screamo and underground bands dating back to the late 80s. Host of “Chopping it up Harcore with Hal Capone” and lots of love for screamo from all over the world. 

Quahog Emo Adjacent: @quahog_emo_adjacent

Memes for Emo and screamo bands, books screamo shows in his area and recently collaborated with me to produce a Midwest emo playlist on Spotify called “Noodle Mode Engaged”. This is the page that made the family guy skate video with the VS Self track that has 300,000 or more likes somehow. Still mind boggling.

Beans and Breakdowns Podcast: @beansandbreakdowns

“A podcast dedicated to bridging the gap between specialty coffee and heavy music”. Covers HC and HC adjacent bands in the DIT culture on the podcast and provides album reviews on the Instagram page. Good music, good coffee what else could ya want?

Loose Tooth Zine: @loosetoothzine

“Hardcore Punk promoter and sometimes a zine from Ontario, Canada” - taken from their IG bio 

Ontario Metal: @ontariometal

Posts show flyers to their IG page for metal shows all around the province of Ontario, Canada (not affiliated with our umbrella brand @ontarioxhardcore).

The Hardchives: @thehardchives

Dedicated to covering local and touring bands that come through Toronto and Ontario, profiles, reviews, concert photography and physical zines available.

Sophie’s Floorboard: Sophiesfloorboard.blogspot.com

If you don’t know this blogspot you must be new here (and that’s fine) and if you do fondly remember this blogspot you’re likely well over 30 and starting to feel old (and that’s okay too). Post #1200 in their 12th year of covering underground bands with short reviews and downloadable links to the bands music. This page was a staple of my youth and a major influence on what I’d listen to. If it was Sophie approved I’d check it out. A major inspiration behind how I want NJAP to become someday. Sophie is the queen of the underground sound in terms of blogs and I dare anyone to defy that truth.

Scena Muta: @scenamuta_

Our Italian representative and cohost for Not Just A Phase (Vicky) does so much for music it’s mind boggling. Writing for numerous music magazines, she’s the meme queen over at @screamo_affirmations and vocalist for @rescuecathc, she’s also booking shows in Italy under @rmskramz and now doing this page Scena Muta where she’s doing live interviews of fans and bands at shows and I have zero idea what she’s talking about cause I can’t speak any Italian at all but I know she’s asking great questions so check out all her work.

This Noise Is Ours: @thisnoiseisours / thisnoiseisours.com

A blog covering everything from metal to hc, punk, screamo etc, compilations, reviews and doing it all since 2010.

A Fan’s POV: @afanspov

A fans POV of underground music. Short clips of the bands often playing live with quotes from the band members speaking about their work. Covering everything from folk punk to emo and screamo. Very cool stuff, they should be way more popular. 

Hotstuff Productions: @hotstuff_production

Based in LA and filming sets for SO MANY amazing screamo bands. From new jacks like onewaymirror to pioneers like Jerome’s Dream, this camera is filming so many sets. They are all over YouTube and have a premium for only $1.99 monthly so please support this page and defend it at all costs.

Apathy and Exhaustion: @apathy_and_exhaustion_blog

UK based blog covering Punk, Hardcore, and Emo from all over the world. Vinyl reviews only currently, but tons of great reviews on this page so go give it a follow and send your record over for a review!

Treble Music: @treblezine

News, reviews, features and more. For music lovers of all kinds. 

Montana Media: @_montanamedia_

Live music documentation based out of New England. Est 2018. Quality page that’s put me onto some excellent bands.

Bucky Fanzine: @buckyfanzine

A zine / promoter booking shows out in Cali, written and run by @bimbotoolshed, one of the founding members of California Kicks Fest. Need I say more?

Miss The Stars: @missthestar.shows

Miss the stars is a music blog / zine / label / festival for screamo, emoviolence and all relatives. They also do samplers and compilations and honestly idk what they don’t do but missthestars.com has been around a long time (2009) so way before NJAP was talking about any screamo. I figure everyone in the emo / screamo scene knows this page already but if not it’s never too late to get involved with this great brand.

screamomiscellany: @screamomiscellany

“A page dedicated to screamo/ emoviolence / post hardcore / emotive hardcore” - bio stolen from their IG page. This page is non stop posting tons of live footage of bands and they even made a shirt last year which is crazy 10/10 the best page that has never returned my DMs!

Small Albums: @smallalbums

smallalbums.com is a music blog that shares all the new cool music they find as well as a couple memes, tiny playlists, reviews and more. They may be small but they are mighty and they deserve your attention so give them a follow and show some love.

Swim Into The Sound: @swimintosound

“Words on music and life. Ad-free, independent and from the heart. Forever.” (Stolen directly from their IG bio). THIS is the shit I’m talking about. DIY music press based out of North Carolina covering emo, screamo, hardcore and a ton of other genres. They hooked me in by bringing on special guest writers (an idea I directly stole from them after Elias wrote an article for them I decided NJAP was also gonna get some special guest writers when possible). 

They really hooked me with the haters delight section. If you’ve been following the podcast you know I love to hate on bad music (and good music and tons of shit really) so this was something I hold near and dear to my heart. This page is doing the lords work! Can I get an amen? Amen.

Chainzmag: @chainzmag

Chainzmag is mainly focused on covering local skate crews and their local music scene to help them both reach new audiences. They’re Ontario based and book hardcore shows around the province as well. Super cool group that just started up. Raised some funds for a skatepark recently. Really grass roots DIY shit. Can’t wait to see them grow and what else they have in store for the future!

Dead Relatives: @deadrelativesmag

So Elias (@letsgetpivotal) put me onto this page cause I was at like 46 pages and really trying to hit 50 so I asked him to name a top 5 independents and he mentioned this very cool page. @deadrelativespress does affordable publishing & artist fundraising, booklets, magazines, comics, posters, stickers, art / photo prints (taken from their Instagram bio). deadrelativesmagazine.com has a bunch of interesting articles. Owned and operated as a non profit brand I respect the hell out of that and you should too so go give ‘em a follow and poke around their Instagram page and website.

Everything Remade: @everythingremade

Host Edie Quinn (owner of @middlemanrecords) chats about music with DIY emo & screamo guests. Art, life, music, stories that much dig further than skin deep. Great podcast, proudly independent and doing it for the love of the game.

Screamo Index: @screamoindex

On YouTube and Facebook, and always up to date on covering all things Screamo and Emo. They even have a bird on their logo so you know it’s real screamo. Not to mention their massive counterpart @mathcoreindex that has a podcast and does fests and tons of other shit. If you’re sleeping on these pages now is the time to check them out.

Punk Black | Alt POC Network: @punk.black

ATL based community network that features  P.O.C. In the rock, art, cosplay and nerdlore communities. They do articles, playlists, events, they’re also a record label . They’re doing everything and they’re on YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Twitter and online at punkblack.com 

What It Takes HC Blog: @what.it.takes.blog

Hardcore blog doing reviews and features that covers hardcore bands worldwide and keeps ya up to date on new releases, they book hardcore shows in Roanoke and they have a podcast with Scoped Exposure called “Listen Up!”.

Blackmarket Playlists: @blackmarketplaylist

Hand curated Spotify playlists. Support for emerging and or unsigned artists. Covers new punk, indie rock, shoegaze, heavy and fast music. Very cool page 10/10 you should be following it.

Evangezine: @evangezine

A zine based in Toronto, Ontario as well as San Francisco. In its very earliest stages of development. No zine out yet no articles nothing at the moment but lots to come very soon.

What Planet Is This? Magazine: @whatplanetisthismagazine

Southern Ontario based magazine focused on the local and underground music scene.

Where It Went: @whereitwentpodcast

(Taken from their IG bio) A podcast discussing the Revelation Records discography in chronological order. By the kids, for the kids. BY THE KIDS, FOR THE KIDS. That’s what I’m talking about, music lovers talking about music for the love of the game. We salute you.

Micro Spy: @microspymusic

“A podcast that takes a closer look at the lives and work of the musicians and creatives I admire + record label.” (stolen for their IG bio). A podcast and record label run by @erik_rate who is the drummer of Jeromes Dream. I’m not much of a podcast fan, despite being the founder of one, but Erik is very insightful and definitely has a “podcaster personality'“. Go check that out asap.

Preserving Hardcore: @preservinghardcore

Seems that their original youtube channel was deleted and they were at 3500 subscribes and 1.5 million views and uploaded over 1000 full live sets over the past decade. I was unaware of this page until very recently I came across them while doing some research for a podcast. Check their website at preservinghardcore.com and watch some core that’s old enough to be fossilized!

Doomed and Gloomed: @doomedgloomed

Part of the @heavyunderground_se network. Seems to have started in 2024 and covers underground music with monthly “round ups” stating which new albums to check out that month. I came across them because they covered some screamo.

hi8hound: @hi_8hound

Seems to be footage shot on a hand cam and looks like early 90s skate videos or (if you’re older than 30) it looks like the footage your family took of your birthdays when you were a kid. I’m not knocking the footage, I fuck with the retro look and this page covers everything from Spy to Sinema so check it out!

If you’ve made it this far down the list and actually read any or all of those I thank you. Instagram is awful to navigate so click that little bell in the top right hand corner of these pages and turn on notifications that way you can keep up to date with the pages you love and beat the menacing algorithms.

Writer : @just_reidz

Editor : @obijuan.cannoli

10/08/24

Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead

Photo Credit 📷 : @wmmd._

I know I’ve been saying it all year, but 2024 really has been quite the year for Screamo, the genre as a whole has never been more popular than it is today. With such a huge growth in the international community there are new bands popping up literally every day and I can no longer keep track of every new band and every new project so a few of them may end falling through the cracks unfortunately. One band that is too big to fall in any cracks and has been directly on our radar since day one is “Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead”. This year they’ve come back to the wheel to plow over everyone’s bones and ears with their signature style that makes the listener feel like they’re base jumping without a parachute.

Today we’re very excited to be debuting their brand new single “Spirit Incantation”. Citing influences like Joshua Fit For Battle, Ostraca, Lord Snow and Senza, the Vancouver based trio will be releasing their first full length album titled Tragedy As Catharsis on November 5th. The album was mixed and mastered by the legendary Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios and will be available for purchase on vinyl through No Funeral Records & Middle Man Records will have 50 cassettes as well.

I recently had a chance to conduct some interviews with the band over email to discuss this upcoming album and get their thoughts about and their future path and what the future has in store for the band.

WHAT WAS THE WRITING LIKE FOR TRAGEDY AS CATHARSIS?

Miffy (drums) : More often than not Jens (bass) and Kyle (guitar) bring riffs or completed songs and I write drum parts after the fact and do some arranging and editing. Thankfully none of us are precious about anything we write and a lot of stuff gets discarded. I really appreciate having band mates who are open to just throwing things out regardless of how much work we’ve done on them. When songs are only a minute long we have to be extremely editorial.

HOW WAS THE RECORDING PROCESS IN THE STUDIO?

Miffy : We play and record as live a set as possible, if anyone is unhappy with their parts we re-record a whole song to get a take we all like. We try not to do more than a couple of takes of anything  - to keep a fresh sound that doesn’t feel too polished. Heig - who does engineering for us - always has great advice and honest opinions about what needs to be redone. Once the music is done, Jens and Kyle will add vocals and guitar overdubs. I roll around the studio reading and playing video games at that point.

Jens (Bass / Vocals) : It’s just been such a relief to have the opportunity to make music as a release. Screaming and playing aggressive music has always been a way for me to process my feelings of regret, guilt, anger, frustration and sadness. This is my meaning of the album title.

Miffy : I’m so proud of the work we make and the sheer intensity of it. It’s a blast playing with Jen and Kyle and getting to just scream rage and sorrow into the world. I’m so glad people resonate with it and I’m especially honored to have such a queer and trans audience. I’ve been aching for people to hear this album after the demo got such a positive response and I really hope this feels like a step up musically.

“I THINK SO MANY OF US AROUND THE WORLD ARE SO INVESTED IN EXPRESSING THIS MESSAGE TO OTHERS: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN WHAT YOU FEEL. NOW MORE THAN EVER WE HAVE TO WORK TO STRENGTHEN SOLIDARITY AND (RE)CONNECTION IN THE FACE OF NEO-LIBERAL AND FACIST IDEOLOGIES THAT SEEK TO ISOLATE US FROM EACH OTHER. I HOPE THIS ALBUM REMINDS EVERYONE WHO HEARS IT THAT ANGER IS THE CORRECT RESPONSE TO INJUSTICE, AND WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO EACH OTHER TO FIGHT THAT INJUSTICE WHEREVER AND HOWEVER IT ARISES.”

- MIFFY @DRIVEYOURPLOW

ANY SHOWS OR TOURS PLANNED FOR THE ALBUM?

Kyle (Guitars / Vocals) : Right now we just have our album released booked for November (but not announced yet). We are hoping to play some festivals in 2025 though! Getting out of Vancouver would be great!

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE BAND AFTER THE RELEASE?

Kyle : The main focus after the album release is writing new material for splits with bands we love and look up to.

ANY CLOSING WORDS FOR US?

Miffy : Extend grace to your communities. Don’t act like cops to each other or yourself. Choose to do good everyday. Don’t give in to despair. Build a better world because it brings you joy. Death to all empires and tyrants. Long live The Communist International.

Kyle : Start a band, play some shows, and be nice to everyone you meet. you never know where you'll end up and we are all in this together.

We eagerly await the sonic assault of their debut album Tragedy As Catharsis to be released on November 5th. In the meantime checkout the new single premiere for “Spirit Incantation” below and follow the band on bandcamp and all their socials to show some love and support.

Follow them on Bandcamp : Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead

Writer : @just_reidz

Editor : @obijuan.cannoli

09/30/24

Career Day

Photo Credit 📷 :  @askaboutmyfilms

It's becoming harder and harder to keep it in. This growling, angry, sad and despondent thing that is occupying me. The state of the world is sick and we all know, yet a rent payment only knows indifference, a job can only yawn in our face and the grocery register stares blankly while the total bill keeps climbing and climbing. This is a lonely feeling, even while I know so many of my peers, neighbors and friends are feeling the same way. Many of these woes and pains find themselves named and cursed on Career Day’s latest EP I’ll Always Be This, and with an even stronger grasp on melody and lyricism that the band has clearly honed since 2022’s Where We’ve Always Been, they plumb the depths of these dark modern times we find ourselves in.

Sickened by this weekly dance / To keep a roof over my head / Just to tell a therapist/ About the place that’s paying for it. Fuck me man. These lines have been rattling in my head since I first heard them. And where is the lie? Even being flanked by sick rhythms, tasty riffs and infectious drumming can’t pull away the gnawing reality of it, which is where “Team Player” and largely by extension Career Day pull off their deftest tricks on the EP. Pogo-able moments with lyricism that elicits a powerful understanding.

The EP single, “Rumors of My Wellness” immediately gets the heels rocking and the body swaying. A despondency that greets you with a sobering reality is certainly a difficulty that anyone who’s tried to layoff of a familiar vice can identify with. Here it feels huge, anthemic even to make amends with who you are, as you are finding the rope to pull yourself forward. Heady fretwork and colossal drumming bind “Last Thread” tightly, an undisputed toe tapper, couches pinpricks of hope in the familiar darkness found on the project. The closing track “One Bad Day” hits all too close to home while maintaining its presence as an absolutely massive track. Eager moments of finger pointing and dogpiles are inevitable, as the track careens and crashes with its sickeningly saccharine hooks and irresistible chorus of One bad day is all it takes.

Career Day carry all the hallmarks of a pop punk band. But they’re a pop punk band in the way that bands like Comadre were a punk band, or that Dawn Ray’d were a metal band. The simplicity of a moniker, an ascription of a sound that is both complex and nuanced and richly patchworked with so much history and influence that it can almost be a sort of inside joke to call them such. The band self-describes as emo punk, and as clearly shown throughout “I’ll Always Be This”, the emo aspects are there and the punk energy too.

What sets Career Day truly apart is how they take a sound that is as infectious as it is fun and make it real. “I’ll Always Be This” depressed me upon my first listen. It isn’t chock full of lighthearted and aimless lyricism that could be found in other poppier works within the genre. However, as I looped the EP again, washing dishes, driving my car to and from work and even while fulfilling my monotonous tasks that ensure a paycheck so that I can survive and provide, a truth became more and more clear. Yes, we live in a pretty rough moment in history and yes another few dollars are definitely more than deserved by me and so many others, but no matter what I’m doing or how I’m doing it I can only be who I am as I do it and ultimately, that’s a beautiful thing. I’ll Always Be This is now streaming everywhere. 

Follow them on Bandcamp : Career Day

Writer : @letsgetpivotal

Editor : @just_reidz

09/27/24

Earth & Elsewhere

Photo Credit 📷 : @westphotoandvideo

Earth & Elsewhere have concocted a solid 20 something minutes of pure melodic riffs & bombastic drumming, soaring vocals and visceral growls.

The band hails from Ohio, a state that many have long associated as being for lovers and perhaps the melodramatic 2000 MTV screamo-alt-rock-emo etcetera, etcetera, however "In Life We Vanish" showcases a band that have decided to carve their own name into the Buckeye States hardcore landscape.

Opening track "Forever Mine" wastes little time getting to the very heart of what makes the band such a moving, yet tight unit with scaling riffs, throaty screams and growls all punctured, wind and dance through a sort of sonic fabric tied together with soaring clean vocals. Tracks "Clarity" and "Suffer Through" further extend the statement of a harsh yet nurturing form of aching heartache, with lyrical content that ranges from empty abandoned moments of stark remembrance all the way to cold, long gusting nights with nothing but you, your memories, and a unsympathetic night sky.

A personal favorite cut on the album "Volume In The Void" has all of what I really, really want (with all due respect to the band) which is massive chugs and absolutely galactic scale heavy drumming. All the same the band delivers even further by creating a dissonant sort of sound wave that permeates through the last minute of the track as the ground and screamed vocals meet and form a harmonious lattice work starts closing out into further dissonance.

Hallmarks of a band who has decided that heavy music can be soft while also making soft music heavy, Earth & Elsewhere have found their signature sound nestled within this album, Earth & Elsewhere's "In Life We Vanish" will keep you coming back to its emblematic yet refreshing take on the genre. “In Life We Vanish” can be found on all streaming platforms, with a music video for the album single “Clarity”.

Grab your own physical copy of “In Life We Vanish” in cassette or vinyl format on their bancamp linked below.

Follow them on Bandcamp : Earth & Elsewhere

Writer : @letsgetpivotal

Editor : @just_reidz

09/16/24

Split Silk

Photo Credit 📷 : @emmettcant

Atlanta, Georgia based trio Split Silk are back with their well crafted sad girl post-hardcore and we’re honored to be debuting their new single “Glimmer”.

Previously known for their work in the Athens-based sassy mathcore band Clavus, the drummer and bassist (Will and Lucia) of Split Silk. This interview with Split Silk members Lucca and Will cas conducted with us via email regarding their upcoming release Bitter which has physcials coming out on September 10th via Tomb Tree Tapes.

WHAT BANDS INFLUENCED THE SOUND ON THIS NEW RELEASE?

Lucca: Unwound definitely feels like the elephant in the room, but I'm also really inspired by Shotmaker, Rodan, Ethel Meserve, Hoover, Coma Regalia, Lync, Ache Hour Credo, Rainer Maria, Indian Summer, Moss Icon, Super Unison, Lord Snow, and The Breeders. Trying to call back to that 90s energy of when post-hardcore, emo, screamo, slowcore and indie were all a singular blend of sounds instead of distinct genres with no wiggle room.

Will: Lucca first showed me the verse guitar riffs in one of our old Athens practice spaces and the first thing I was reminded of are the slowcore-leaning parts of Repetition and Leaves Turn. The drums on Bitter are based off Lucca’s programmed demo but definitely filtered through my love for Erik Anderson’s playing in Lord Snow and Stormlight. 

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WRITING PROCESS?

Will: For Bitter, Lucca brought a pretty complete rough instrumental demo with programmed drums, so I was kind of learning and rewriting the part at the same time to settle on what you hear in the final version. “Glimmer” was much more worked out with the three of us live in a room together trying different things until we settled on parts we were happiest with.

WHAT WAS YOUR RECORDING PROCESS?

Lucca: We recorded with our friend Al Daglis, who we've known for a long time in Athens. Al is great to work with and let us kinda do whatever, so we got to play around with some different micing techniques. We just tracked it all together in a room to embrace that live feel since these are the first songs we've recorded as a full band. I ended up just recording vocals at home while mixing. The live tracks we recorded at the UGA radio station WUOG 90.5 FM where both Will and I DJed as students. The two live tracks are ones I recorded by myself and released on an earlier EP, but we've been playing them for so long that we wanted to document how they sound with us playing in the room together.

I mixed Bitter by myself in my spare bedroom, then we handed it off to Joel Hatsat. Joel mastered the Clavus records and also some other local favorites of ours like the Juna record, On Courage.

“THIS IS THE FIRST RELEASE BY SPLIT SILK WHERE IT WAS TRACKED AS A BAND RATHER THAN JUST A SOLO PROJECT. THIS IS HOW I ALWAYS WANTED THE BAND TO SOUND AND I’M SO EXCITED TO SEE THIS LITTLE PROJECT EVOLVE INTO A BAND WITH TWO OF MY LOVELIEST FRIENDS!'“

We're super stoked to work with Tomb Tree Tapes, as I've known Dave Norman for a decade at this point. I first knew of him through the blog and then got to see Zegema, Tomb Tree and Softseed grow to where they are today. I always have wanted to put something with him because he really supports the bands he puts out which I appreciate immensely. It drops on 9/10 on the Tomb Tree Bandcamp and I believe tapes will be available then too. Streaming soon to follow!

ANY SHOWS OR TOURS COMING UP?

Will: We’re currently booking a tour up the east coast and through the midwest for this fall, ending at Jabroni Fest in ATL. We will also be playing the second annual Three Days Till Xmas fest, also in ATL this December. We plan to tour this fall and hopefully in early 2025, as well as finishing up work on our debut album which will hopefully also be out in 2025. November 2024 marks one year with the full Split Silk lineup!

ANY CLOSING THOUGHTS?

This feels like a good place to express our solidarity with Gaza and urge anyone who reads this to donate to the various GoFundMe campaigns floating around Instagram to provide financial support to families trying to flee the ongoing genocide. We also encourage anyone who reads this to look up and support the BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) movement targeting businesses with financial ties to Israel and the IDF. Finally, we suggest anyone reading this look for opportunities to participate in and organize protest efforts in their area - economic and sociopolitical disruption are among the most effective tools at our disposal as citizens of the country funding a vast part of what’s happening in occupied Palestine. 

Follow them on Bandcamp : Split Silk

Writer : @just_reidz

Editor : @letsgetpivotal

09/09/24

Rosemary Nods Upon The Grave

Photo Credit 📷 : @elizabethsechochamber

Savannah, Georgia is one of the most haunted places in America. It’s a city with a potent history, often filled with dark and horrific moments that earmark many ancient cities on this countries stolen land. It’s only fitting that a band like Rosemary Nods Upon The Grave would hail from the same place. This weeks New Music Monday sees the world premiere of the bands first ever recorded song, “I Remember Halloween”.

Opening with chords pulled from a mid-aughts GarageBand crafted screamo demo , rosemary kicks off straight into a winding riff and throaty shouted screams, it kicks forward like an extinction burst through paired shouts, syncopated drumming and windy, chuggy riffs. There’s a specter of hope that seems to be the through line here, yet it feels hopelessly bound to a house of despondency, of a painful lived experienced that still elicits a wince when remembered. Then suddenly the middle bridge caves into a colossal choral symphony of screams, shouts, riffs and bass, a begging of aural banishment, some desire to move on perhaps finally coming to fruition before al closing out to quiet.

The visceral nature of the bands sound can’t help but make me excited for what the band may have in store for us. But even more so, the narrative that seems to be slowly wheeled out, could lead us to a newer wave of bands reinvigorating this particular type of screamo. And well, that’d be just alright by me. We look forward to what the band will release next.

Follow them on Bandcamp : rosemary nods upon the grave

Writer : @letsgetpivotal

Editor : @just_reidz

09/02/24

Shortstop

Photo Credit 📷 : @portraitofsound

Sacramento’s band turned one man act turned band again Shortstop are releasing their first full length and we here at Not Just a Phase are more than excited to bring you the world premiere of their first single to be released off it.

There’s a harkening back to a time that feels distant, but really isn’t, and a scene that feels far away, but maybe wasn’t, that seems to be the winds by which “i think you should leave” has cast its sails upon. Feeling all at once influenced by the 2010s screamo scene, I hear the traces of droning emo-yell screamo, and the grimaced specter of midwest plucks and thrums. Lyrically it pulls from those dark places you’d read about on a Loma Prieta insert or while skimming through Guidelines lyrics that someone claims to have deciphered. Yet still, the track tears free from its roots to walk in its own sun and propagate its own orchard.

Other notable new cuts like “john wilkes kissing booth” and “but the heart has it’s own memory and I have not forgotten” can’t help but get me excited for the trajectory of the bands growth and evolution. It won’t be too much longer as the anticipated release date is currently set for September 6th, with physicals to be announced. We can’t wait to get our grubby hands on some hard copies of these bad boys and as always we look forward to what the band has in store for us next.

Listen to them on Bandcamp : Shortstop

Writer : @letsgetpivotal

Editor : @just_reidz

08/19/24

40ft to go

Photo Credit 📷 : @grima_boppin

Ah shit, it’s Monday again. We’re trying to brighten up the beginning of your brand new week with some beautiful new music as often as we can and today is no exception.

We’re amped to be debuting the latest single “Co-Op” from the Detroit based screamo band 40ft to go. 2023 saw this band emerge with some great singles, an impressive EP, and (my personal favorite) an amazing split with mis sueños son de tu adiós called “Place Twigs on the Dead”. 

With hauntingly beautiful vocals complimented by scratchy screams and video game-esque keyboard leads paired with fuzzy distorted guitars, 40ft to go's high-quality-lo-fi recordings has left a mark on me as one of the most promising new acts in the game. Influenced by the likes of Suis La Lune, Brave Little Abacus, and Newfound Interest in Connecticut, 40ft to go's musical body of work has gotten better with every new track. We were happy to interview them to discuss their new music and what the recording process was like, as well as their writing style, and what's to come in the future.

WHAT WAS YOUR WRITING PROCESS LIKE FOR THIS UPCOMING RELEASE?

“Each of us wrote lyrics and led the writing process for at least a couple songs on the album. The way we do it varies depending on who is leading it and with what. For Co-Op, Dylan wrote the lyrics and outlined each section of the song on guitar in no particular order, and we worked together from there to figure out how to merge these sections together into a story.

When I (Dylan) first started writing this song, I wanted it to come from a happier place than I’m used to. I had a lot on my plate at the time and needed my mind to be on something else. The one person I can always count on to make me smile is Emil. For you it may not be your sibling, but your parents or a friend, or your cat or your partner. Whatever the case, this song is about having someone to count on.”

HOW WAS YOUR RECORDING PROCESS THIS TIME AROUND?

“While writing a song together, if we feel like we’re at a point where we have a cohesive structure for a song, we record a demo for it with our phones and then listen and sit on it for a while. Then we come back more confident and comfortable with the song with new ideas and eventually start by recording drums on an electric kit. We use our laptops as amps to monitor ourselves and record guitar and bass track outlines along with Nadia’s separate drum recording in her dining room. The guitars are later re-recorded and we mostly record the screaming in our cars. Benji recorded her vocals in our room facing a closet with an SM-57.”

“WE ALL JUST ENJOY WRITING MUSIC TOGETHER, AND GETTING TO BE A PART OF THE SCREAMO COMUNITY IS FUFFILLING IN ITSELF. IT’S A REALLY COOL AND SATISFYING THING TO MAKE MUSIC WITH FRIENDS, BECAUSE THE THINGS WE CREAT BECOME TANGIBLE, AUDIBLE EVIDENCE OF OUR FRIENDSHIP.”

- EMS @XX.DEADEMS.XX

“We’ve been spending a lot of time together writing these songs and really just hanging out. The album combines the current state of our minds and beliefs into one project. Thank you all for listening and I hope we can inspire anyone who wants to start making music, thank you Not Just A Phase for being super chill with this review.”

Their new single “Co-Op” was both mixed and mastered by the band themselves in a true DIY fashion. Physicals will be coming out early fall from BSDJ, Honeysuckle, See You Next Summer, and Daydream Records. A bunch of shows are planned after the release as well as a new split in the near future. 

Checkout their bandcamp here: 40ft to go

Writer : @just_reidz

Editor : @ohmucollective

08/05/24

Indisposed

Photo Credit 📷 : @dennisperalta

Chicago is home to an ever expanding vast DIY music scene bursting with punk music of every subgenre and style you can think of, and since 2017 Chicago has also been home to a great band, that once started as a bedroom project, called Indisposed. This bedroom project gradually formed into a fulltime band and after a handful of great releases and after a seven year run we’ve been asked to help break the news that Indisposed will be playing their final shows and disbanding. There’s no easy way to say that and it’s coming at an odd time considering they’re fresh off of the release of their brand new album Steafast. The album showcases a 21 minute run time of very creative chaos and we are grateful to give their vocalist Nina an opportunity to voice their thoughts and feelings regarding the bands legacy, their message, their last shows, and their final album.

WHAT BANDS INFLUENCED THE SOUND AND WRITING PROCESS ON STEADFAST?

“We normally don’t go into writing with other bands in mind. Some older bands that resonate with us unanimously are Daitro, Raein, Native, Droughts, Sed Non Satiata, and Suis La Lune. We love older screamo that stands out from a respective period, like the French band Anomie or Le Pre Ou Je Suis Mort. George and I are big fans of 90s slowcore and post-hardcore (Unwound, Slint, Frodus, Dianogah, etc). We all love mathy bands like Pretend so our influences are all over the board. Modern bands like This Will Destroy You, Stormlight, Massa Nera, Sonagi, and Burial Etiquette also influenced us quite a bit. 

Our writing process has been either Goose or myself bringing in a skeleton of a song and building upon it or just writing in the moment at the space. We’re big fans of rhythms first, scribbled out on a giant 18x24 pad of newsprint. Goose and I lead a lot on the writing and believe writing is best in the moment. ‘DARVO Dance’ was originally just drumming by Goose. ‘I’m Prepared To Lose Everything’ I wrote the guitar parts for and we went from there.  ‘Staring Knives’ was a song that just happened at the end of ‘Stomaching Time’ because we magically synced on all our beats and chords.

I’m a huge believer in organic blank-slate practice space jams. I fast from music when writing and enjoy using my intuition to tune into someone else’s headspace. We’ve had jams where we show up to practice in the worst moods and come out grinning / proud of what we made. We all have a mutual love and respect for each other and have even played each other’s instruments before to write. We’re also very lucky to have that kind of musical chemistry.

‘Antiquate the Argument’ was made years ago with Goose after a night-out show hopping. We wrote out the rhythms & tabs on some newsprint with Sharpie. Thankfully, we were able to translate it afterward, ha.”

Staying DIY and raw right until the very end I was surprised to hear about their recording process as this style has almost completely gone the way of the dinosaur, despite it still being the most authentic way to capture any punk music.

“We prefer to record live and have everything mic’ed up at once. It sounds better, feels better, and forces us to fine tune our playing as much as possible. We also change our tempo a lot in each song and don’t want to lose any of the dynamic elements by recording each individual track. Tracks 1-5 were recorded at Bricktop Recording by Pete Grossman. Track 6 was recorded at Studio 8500 by Maya Chun and all tracks were mixed & mastered at Bricktop Recording by Pete Grossman

We hope people hear this album and are more inclined to honor the values demonstrated in these songs. We are about to indefinitely not be a band anymore after the fall of this year. We’ve done this for a long time. Who knows what the future holds, but for now, we are going to disband after the end of this year.”

WHAT IS THE OVERALL MESSAGE OF STEADFAST?

“Indisposed has historically been about the fallout of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. This album however is tackling that subject matter a little more head-on; It’s a cultural analysis of how the community handle callouts and our feelings towards some aspects of the music scene. We believe it the community has regressed in keeping people safe. I have had my life and friends lives entire life trajectories changed by predators that have been in the scene for 10+ years… and predators keep coming back. Having friends tell us their experiences at every level of the music industry, things get really ugly.”

“MOST PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THAT BIGGER LABELS & PR PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN DAMN LAWYERS IN PLACE TO SILENCE OR INTIMIDATE SURVIVORS INTO SILENCE. THERE IS A WHOLE INSTITUTIONALIZED NETWORK OF ENABLERS WHO VIRTUE SIGNAL PUBLICLY BUT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS HAVE THE FISCAL ABILITY & BUDGET TO SILENCE SURVIVORS AND BLACKLIST THEM. STEADFAST IS A BIG ‘FUCK YOU’ TO THAT.”

- @INDISPOSED.CHI

‘I’m Prepared To Lose Everything’ is a love song to the DIY community and meant to empower people who don’t feel safe coming forward.  It’s about making the move to speak out for the sake of a collective group of people. DARVO dance is meant to spread awareness of “DARVO”,  an acronym for a predatory tactic. It stands for “Deny, Attack, Reverse, Victim & Offender”. It’s dark, but the lyrics are meant to poke fun at abusers and predator's reverse smear campaigns.

‘Stomaching Time’ is about how your life freezes after abuse and how trauma can affect your sense of time. How one can turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms like alchohol or addiction. I hope when people hear “Take Your Shot Now”, they resonate with the positive meaning of the double entendre, that they feel triumphant, and don’t let their trauma stop them from living life or pursuing justice. It’s meant to say “You’re here, what are you waiting for?”.

Indisposed are playing a few shows with Radura leading up to New Friends Fest this weekend!  July 31st to August 4th. Pittsburgh, Akron, then off to Canada. They have a few distros in Europe, Canada, and the states that will be carrying the record, (Zilp Zalp Rercords is one) but they are mostly putting out the album by themselves.

ANY CLOSING WORDS?

“Thank you to all our fans and friends who have toured or supported us over the years. A big thank you to Jackson of Excrucis for wanting to fill-in and play with us on this run. Shout out to Radura and big shout out to the owners of Middle-Man Records and ZilpZalp DIY for being the best humans. We are also pumped as all hell to meet & see everyone at New Friends Fest 2024!”

Checkout their linktree here: Indisposed

Writer : @just_reidz

Editor : @letsgetpivotal

07/30/24

Treehouse Of Horror

Photo Credit 📷 : @fabmoreiraphoto

The global screamo scene has been growing lately, but Toronto itself is home to one of the largest and most prolific annual screamo festivals known as New Friends Fest. With the rise of screamo and the popularity it’s gained worldwide, it’s always exciting for me to cover screamo bands that are local to my province of Ontario. 

Three piece act Treehouse of Horror are a Toronto based screamo band that have been turning heads since 2022 and today we have the privilege chatting about their new EP “Our Days Are Numbered…” which is out today and released by their friend Kai from boxcutter, under their label, Maraming Records.

We sat down with their lead vocalist and guitarist Ryan to discuss this new EP and what we can expect from them in the near future.

SO HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO RELEASE WITH MARAMING RECORDS?

“We basically do everything together so it felt like a perfect opportunity to collaborate on a project again. Kai also repressed our demo EP as well as the split we put out with boxcutter and Please Don't Crash. The more labels there are putting out this kind of music, the better!”

WHO DO YOU ALL CONSIDER TO BE MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS FOR THIS RELEASE?

“It goes without saying that we are continuously influenced by our fellow cohorts in the local scene; boxcutter, Basque, Terry Green, Burial Etiquette, Respire and Please Don't Crash (RIP) to name a few. It’s easy to make good music when you’re surrounded by so much of it right in your home town.”

WHAT WAS THE WRITING PROCESS LIKE FOR THIS EP?

“We had to work pretty quick to get everything out by June, since recording had to be done by late April, and since we wanted to press to a 7” each side had to be under 7 minutes. This put us in a unique bind, but I really enjoyed working under these constraints. It forced us to really trim the fat off these songs and keep things straight and to the point. 

I think we've really shed a lot of the mathy emo thrills we had on the last few songs we’ve written, but i'm not mad about it, they’ve come out sounding a lot more catchy and poppy this way.”

“THIS IS DEFINITELY THE MOST CONFIDENT WE’VE EVER FELT ABOUT OUR MATERIAL AND IT REALLY FEELS LIKE WE’RE COMING INTO OUR OWN WITH THESE SONGS.”

- RYAN @MILKANDCOINS

HOW WAS THE EP MIXED AND MASTERED?

“Mixing was done in the same space it was recorded, my basement (Lucky Duck Studios). It took me a good couple weeks to get everything sounding basically how I want it. My goal with these tracks was to get them sounding like a polished blend between more modern stuff like Dreamwell, Massa Nera, or Jeromes Dream (new), with a healthy dose of crap-fi skramz like Cowboys Became Folk Heroes, Merchant Ships, or Jeromes Dream (old). Aki McCullough from Nu House Studios (and Dreamwell) mastered the EP for us and we couldn’t be happier. 

Getting some of that real analogue gear on the tracks really beefed up the tracks and made all the heavy parts come across way better. I wish I could take a peek into the future a month from now and see what everyone thinks about this record, because getting to write and perform these new songs has been so much fun.”

WHAT MAKES THIS RELEASE SO SPECIAL FOR YOU?

“We are so lucky to exist at the same time and in the same place as each other, and these songs reflect that once in a lifetime opportunity. I really hope anyone going into this record recognizes the unique bonds we share between each other when it comes to our writing styles, but also the emotion we’re putting out through these tracks. To briefly summarize ‘let’s pretend’ in specific; the song is about feeling isolated for so long as a kid going into adulthood, and then finding a community in the scene. It probably goes without saying that we were all picked on growing up, so when we started writing music together and meeting all these incredible people, it felt like a light switch went off inside us. 

All three of us are also gender-non-conforming, so when we came into such a large group of like minded folks, it felt like finding a second family. This subculture means everything to us and we wanted to write a song to all our friends to reflect this bond that we share, like a love letter to the scene.

Two of the songs, ‘Heads or Tails’ and ‘Loaded Gun’, are about our struggles with gender dysphoria and identity. This isn’t the first time we’ve written a song about gender expression, ‘Jeff the Killer’ being the other, but these felt more personal to us. ‘Jeff the Killer’ was more about the anti-trans laws targeting our friends across the map, whereas these new ones follow our own internal struggles. Feeling like there’s two ends of a gender spectrum pulling me from either side, where one yearns to be seen and the other longing to feel comfortable and understood. This is who we are, and we want to be transparent with these emotions to hopefully allow others to confide in these songs.

‘Day Terrors’ is our self deprecation anthem. I wrote the lyrics for that one while at work and on the subway, when I’m in my absolute most apathetic state. In that one I’m mostly talking about my depersonalization and social detachment. Riding the TTC will do that to a mf, so I captured it in a song. Toronto, I love you but you gotta stop doing track work when I got places to be.'“

ANY SHOWS OR TOURS COMING UP?

'“By some stroke of luck, Radura, one of the coolest bands out of Italy, asked if we wanted to run a small circuit around the eastern USA with them. This will be the first time we’ve ever played the states, and getting visas was a massive pain in the ass. If you are a Canadian band trying to play shows in the USA without getting banned for 10 years, you’d have more fun beating your head into a wall. We’re playing July 27-Aug 1st through Providence, RI, Brooklyn, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Baltimore, MD, Pittsburgh, PA, Akron, OH, and then New Friends Fest in Toronto on August 4th. 

Not to geek out but it’s probably one of the coolest things we’ve been offered in our time of being a band, especially since touring the states is a bucket list item for all 3 of us. We’re looking forward to meeting everyone on the road and making some fun new memories!”

There will be 100 tapes and 100 vinyl copies of “Our Days Are Numbered…” on July 19th through Maraming Records, so go cop one quick before they’re gone. Check out this track below, and the full release is now streaming everywhere.

Checkout their bandcamp here: Treehouse Of Horror

Writer : @just_reidz

Editor : @ohmucollective

07/15/24

Primal Step

Photo Credit 📷 : @trumpetsmash

It’s New Music Monday here again at Not Just A Phase and we’re hyped to be debuting a single from the brand new Ontario Hardcore band Primal Step. Primal Step may be a new band on the scene but oldheads will recognize most of their members from previous projects. Their metallic hardcore sound brings out memories that echo of early 2000s bands in the genre like Buried Alive, Shattered Realm and Hatebreed in their Rise Of Brutality Era.  I sat down with my old friend (and vocalist of Primal Step) Jay Scarlino to discuss his past projects and how this new one came together.

“Primal Step is a pretty cool mix of OG’s and new blood.  Chris has been around the block and back in the local Toronto hardcore scene. Him and Conor were doing some projects together out Toronto way, and Conor is in Die Alone as well, Chris fills in there too.  Lewis was in Battlecat and I was in Lions, early 2000s Hamilton hardcore.  Our drummer Brad is completely new to hardcore and it’s been a lot of fun exposing him to what this shit is about. We work together at the steel mills, and on lunch break he was showing me a band he’s in and I showed him some of my shit, he said he’d love to be in a heavier project so I told him I can think of a couple guys that have been wanting to jam. That’s basically how Primal Step was born.”

Another notorious name in our provincial scene is Davis Maxwell who has recorded and mixed numerous bands of all genres and to no surprise was the brain behind the recording and mastering for this demo as well.

“Recording was a good time, we went with Davis at Schoolhouse in Hamilton. I met him awhile back through a mutual friend in the Niagara scene.  I used him for Living Nightmare and I loved what he did with Reality Denied’s ‘Comes With A Price’ and so it was a no brainer for us. This demo feels like it was a long time coming for us. Pent up shit since the pandemic and years and years of hardcore influence dating back from the 90s.”

“THE RESURGENCE IN HARDCORE SINCE THE PANDEMIC IS UNBELIEVABLE. ONTARIO HARDCORE IS ON FIRE AND IT’S REALLY EXCITING TO BE A PART OF IT EVEN STILL AFTER 25 YEARS FOR MYSELF IT’S MORE EXCITING THAN IT’S EVER BEEN”

- JAY @NE.DESIT.VIRTUS

Tapes are being released by Jays fantasy label “Be On The Lookout” aka “Bolorecs”, tapes will be available at their first show coming up on September 1st in Toronto with Hoods and Sworn Enemy. Primal Step is open to discussions with any labels that may be interested in them.

“We’ve just been focused on putting this demo out we haven’t booked anything else.  If y’all wanna book us or throw us on a set before September just holler at us on insta and I’ll get back to you. We just wanna play bomb ass shows with our friends. Whenever. Wherever.”

“This demo, for me personally, is a piece cut out from right inside me. It’s a demonstration and a protest.  It’s my heart. It’s my pain and internal struggle with myself and the world in front of me.  It’s all the love I have and the appreciation I have for my friends my family and this scene.  As I said earlier this band was a long time coming.  Past projects since Lions have mostly been for hobby but this project has meant so much more.  This is me giving back to something that gave me so much. This is for hardcore. This is for you.”

Check out their first single “Cried All My Tearz” linked below and visit their bandcamp page. The full demo “Hardcore Spiritual Healing” is now on all streaming platforms and will be available on hand with them live on September 1st for their first show in Toronto with Hoods and Sworn Enemy.

Checkout their bandcamp here: Primal Step

Writer : @just_reidz

Editor : @just_reid

07/01/24

Constrain

Photo Credit 📷 : @eddysage48

Constrain is our favourite K Pop band from Ontario, Canada (but not really). Constrain writes a style of post hardcore that is nostalgic and reminiscent of the 2000s MySpace era. Forging elements of metalcore, sass, math and even a touch of some of the poppier sounds of mall emo (such as Underoath, The Used and Silverstein). It’s a first rate classic sound that I personally yearn for, even though my girl jeans wont fit anymore and I’m not putting my lip ring or spacers back in. 

Constrain takes inspiration from older local legends of the Ontario scene like The Gorgeous and The Holly Springs Disaster, which you can most notably hear seeping through the sonic walls of my favourite tracks “I Found a Razor Blade In My Spaghetti Once” and “Omori”.

Their vocalist Brendan Sinco sees their writing and recording process of this album to be just as therapeutic as it was memorable. “I’m very happy with the record, hearing it back it reminds me of music I would search out when I was 15 or 16 while giving it a more modern feel and to be able to personally and collectively achieve that is pretty special. The previous year has been negative in ways we couldn’t control and just had to accept. This album is us venting about the emotions we felt as well as the emotions of those who are close to us”.

“WHAT’S SPECIAL ABOUT THIS RELEASE TO ME IS JUST THAT I GOT TO MAKE MUSIC AND MORE IMPORTANLY, MAKE SOME MEMORIES WITH MY FRIENDS, I’M BEYOND PROUD OF ALL OF US AND PROUD OF THIS RECORD”.

- JESSE @jesse_soul

Their EP “Welcome to Club Vampire” was recorded at Hive Studios, a great studio in Hamilton that’s been around even before I was a teenager playing in bands (shoutout to Nick). “Nick Ginn is amazing. He can pick up on a vibe in an instant and he knows what we are going for. He provides a comfortable environment but will give real feedback so we have the best product possible in the end”.

So what does the future have in store for our favourite K Pop band?

“We’re planning a split with some of our friends as well as a new record! Shout out to: in her head, tennis academy and to be continued. We’re also setting up a fest that will be happening in October and we are planning on being in America with a new full length by the fall next year!”

“Welcome To Club Vampire” was released May 21st on CD via Wormwood Records and cassettes are available from Tomb Tree. There’s still a few copies available so cop one and watch the music video of their single “The Dairy Crimes I’ve Committed Against My Stomach” below then catch them live on July 12th in Hamilton at Koi and July 20th in Toronto at Dock Ellis.

Checkout their bandcamp here: Constrain

Writer : @just_reidz

Editor : @just_reidz

06/24/24