Here is new interview with Jay Pepito, Frontman for Philadelphia's REIGN SUPREME.
REIGN SUPREME have come on the music scene with an attack and hunger to make shit happen. Gaining much praise for their debut EP "AMERICAN VIOLENCE" on MALFUNCTION RECORDS they came out the gates swinging. Now after months of touring they have an LP waiting to drop as well as a tour in the States and Europe.
Not only a hard working band but they have the sound and a crushing live show to back it all up.
When they swing through your town def check them out.
Peace.
You guys haven't been around that long but it seems you have gotten a lot of work done in such a short period of time. I would have to say your work ethic is pretty fucking inspiring.
That being said how was it on the road for you guys. With the economy the way it is, gas prices...it's extra hard for hardcore bands these days. How was the experience?
The last us tour we did was trying at times, but overall, really rewarding. It was a 2 month full US tour, with stops at the SOUND AND FURY and THIS IS HARDCORE festivals. Appearances on both coasts, and dates in Canada and Mexico. I can't complain at all, I heard a lot of bands had a ton of financial trouble and other mishaps this summer, and we actually managed to come out pretty unscathed from the tour. So although the gas prices and competing with other touring packages definitely hurt us, they didn't kill us. It was an unbelievably fun experience, and I honestly wish every tour could be as full of fun and ridiculous memories as that one was.
The American Violence EP was very well received universally through out the hardcore scene. It def was a very powerful debut. When we spoke in New Jersey you told me the LP was going to be on another level. Very heavy and brutal, it made pretty amped to hear the finished creation.
Tell me a bit about the writing and recording process on that??? What was inspiring you???
Thanks for the kind words! I think AMERICAN VIOLENCE did well, but it was only an EP, so it could only carry us so far i guess. The writing process for the LP has been an arduous and intellectually punishing pursuit, but i guess i can at least be happy that it's done. I'm really proud of it too. As far as the writing went, some of these songs have been around for a while, some were written the night before we started tracking. basically, we just tried to write the heaviest record that we could, while incorporating some elements that were original and unique to our band, and still not stray too far from the basic formula for hardcore. It's unusual as a hardcore record in a lot of ways, and I think that has to do with some of the really subtle influences on my playing as of late. This record, like AMERICAN VIOLENCE is heavily influenced by the basic stuff that we emulated when we started. Pantera, Machinehead, Sepultura, Madball, Entombed, Hatebreed, Figure Four, etc. But I think as we grow as a band, I'm able to kind of wear my influences on my sleeve, so a good amount of the music I listen to outside of hardcore is prominent as well. Stuff like The Deftones, The Breeders, Nirvana, Explosions in the Sky, Hum, Unsane, New Order, etc. and as far as the recording process goes, just go to Myspace, and type in 'Reign Supreme studio update' and check out the videos we are releasing to promote the new record. Some extra insight into the recording process.
Where did you guys record the LP?
At the machine shop in new jersey, with our producer Will Putney, who also recorded 'American Violence'. The drums were tracked at another place, but I can't remember the name of it. The dude Tom who owns it is the editor of Revolver, he had so much cool stuff in his place. After I left, I really decided I'm going to purchase a guitar with a tremelo haha. I met Sal Villanueva in the hall, while walking to the bathroom, so that was pretty cool. haha.
When is the record gonna officially drop?
Yikes, I don't know. I guess March or April? Depends on when mixing and mastering and artwork are all done, and Deathwish is ready to put it out. Spring, I'd say. But you can probably hear teasers in advance at: www.myspace.com/reignsupremehardcore
or
www.deathwishinc.com.
What are your plans when the LP comes out. I know you are planning a tour to Europe in April. Anything else in the works. It seems more and more foreign countries are supporting hardcore on a level that doesn't even happen in the U.S. South America is huge now. Japan. Australia. Where are you going to take this music???
I'm pretty sure before we throw in the towel on this band, we're going to have played everywhere that could possibly want to hear us. We started this band to tour, and as long as it's something that we can do, we will do it. I am not positive yet, but I'm pretty sure 2009 will have 2 Euro tours, and we'll probably hit up South America as well. Maybe in 2010 we'll do the Pacific Rim. I've been dying to tour over there, so we definitely will, as soon as it's something that seems to make sense for us at the time.
When you played NJ I noticed you called out the New Jersey message board crowd. It's funny, I have had my own personal experience with that and they are a strange bunch to say the least. Although I feel like I could imagine, What fueled that???
Serioulsy it used to be my favorite hardcore scene, now it's full of pretentious nerds, who fucking turncoat within seconds of reading whatever everyone else thinks on those stupid fucking messageboards. So lame! I guess I'm bitter, because my band will never get as much love at home as we do from Bumblefuck, South Dakota. But the fact is, New Jersey and the surrounding East Coast scenes, are so full of spoiled, shitty brats, who infiltrate hardcore, and turn on it within just a few short years. They get so much great Hardcore and are surrounded by so much history, that obviously, it gets taken for granted and never truly appreciated. I'm sick of it. and I'm sick of my band being the target of attacks by nerds who've NEVER BEEN IN A BAND, or who've never been on tour, or who've never done a zine, or who've never done fucking shit for hardcore, other than occasionally pay the cover to go see a show, so they can get seen, and go home and post about how gay and bad it was, and how every band except for the ones that it's "ok" to like are so blah, and how much better things were when Striking Distance and Knives Out were playing shows. Get the fuck over yourselves! Hardcore will live on without you, Hardcore will survive you! I KNOW WE RIP OFF HATEBREED AND THAT ONE SONG SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE 'HOLD IT DOWN', WHOA CONGRATULATIONS, I DIDN'T KNOW FREECAKE WAS GIVING OUT FUCKING BFA'S FOR MUSIC THEORY. IT WAS A FUCKING ACCIDENT, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DEVOTE YOURSELF TO HARDCORE AND LOVE IT, SOMETIMES YOU UNCONSCIOUSLY CREATE SOMETHING THAT ISN'T SO FAR OFF FROM THE ORIGINAL. WHATEVER. FREDDY MADBALL LIKES MY BAND, SO TEABAG ME, NEW JERSEY.
Last time I interviewed you we spoke a bit about the political situation at hand. Now we have a new president elect. Barak Obama. Personally I never put my faith in politicians but I did feel on a racial/social level somehow this was a step in the right direction for our Country. How are you feeling now that it seems we may have some wind of change blowing through our political system no matter how small it may be?
Caps lock off. I think it's great, honestly, I'm surprised. But I think it's cool, he's got a lot of charisma, and it seems like the air is ripe with this rhetoric of change and progress with socially relevant implications. I'm secretly hoping he decides to subsidize touring musicians, and provide healthcare for starving artists. like me. i guess we'll have to see how much change actually occurs though. I'm skeptical one president can fix years of misconduct and short-term thinking.
How do you feel about the current state of hardcore in the U.S. I know where you come from you have a very solid scene. Joe Hardcore runs very professionally booked and promoted shows and the shows I have seen at The Church are always insane. But being on the road how do other places compare to your home town?
Also how do you feel the overall consciousness of the people involved is? Sometimes it seems people are more coming out to be entertained and consume merch. That is well and good but hardcore is about the message. Do you think people are taking away something that is inspiring them to strive for a better life of their own choosing?
I've lived in Philadelphia for like 7 years now? It's great. The Cro-Mags show after Christmas was one of my favorite shows I've been to in years. SEEKERS OF THE TRUTH OMG!!! But Philadelphia is great, a ton of friends, and a lot of younger kids always coming out and getting siked on shows, and by younger, I guess I mean kids that I've seen around a lot, over the past few years. Not over the core in two years. As far as the consciousness of the people involved, I don't really care either way. Hardcore is not about the message. Some bands are. Murphy's Law definitely wasn't. Negative Approach and Black Flag definitely didn't have a definable message, other than 'fuck everyone who isn't us'. I'd like to think that there are some bands out there that stand for something more than a slogan on a shirt, or a political ideal that has no real substance in the material world. But Reign Supreme is not one of those, we are pretty much a self-interested tool of expression, emotional and musical. I don't write about external things that I feel some calling to try to fix or preserve. I write about internal struggles I deal with, and the influences of the outside world on me. I just write about whatever i feel in my heart, and though sometimes that has a spiritual tinge on it, it's definitely not me trying to get more people to pick up the Dhammapada. It's more about me exorcising demons and trying to live my life as strongly and fully as i can.
Jay...That's all I got for you this time around. I thank you for your time and I wish you the best with this new record and new year. Any last words or shouts???
Nah...not really. Thanks again man, and I hope you and everyone reading this gets a chance to check out our new record, and maybe even come see us live and bang your head.
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