About a year ago my friend Eric got wind that I wanted to do a book about the early days of NYHC. He told me he knew Biv and Andy from Supertouch and that they were in a new band that I should definitely check out. When he booked them for a show with McRad I made good on my promise and came to see for myself. I really liked what I heard. Later that night I mentioned to their singer Brian that I would like to interview them for the site sometime in the near future. The winter months dragged on and for one reason or another I could never make it to our attempted meetings to do said interview. One rainy night I made good on my promise and made my way to one of their shows. For whatever reason I am glad that we waited. They played another great show and I got to talk to them in what felt like a very laid back and relaxed atmosphere. I learned a lot about the band and Brian in particular. Their all really good guys playing the music they love from the heart. To me that’s what Hardcore was always about. JD

Brian: Me, Mikey and Biv played in a band called World Indifference. That band eventually split. Mikey, who I had known forever was playing in a band called Everyday Ruined. That band ended which freed Mikey up. From there were just came together.

James: How did losing your sight effect your ability to be in the band?

Andy: It’s hard to write a song when you can’t see the page.

Brian: I had already known the rhythmic pattern of the songs but it was a lot harder and took longer to write the songs. How can you write lyrics when you can’t see the page? Biv and I worked together on the concept and format of the songs.

Andy: The most incredible thing about being in a band with a guy who can’t see is the fact that he has never fallen off the stage. That in itself is amazing.

James: The first time I saw you I had no idea you had this problem. One of the things that really impressed me was that you had this presence and swagger on stage. There was this “I run shit” persona. Most people suffer from a loss of confidence when something like that happens.

Brian: I sing in a band. I’ve sang in bands before. You can also factor in that I can’t even see the crowd. I’ve say a lot of shit but I’m just doing my thing. I’m a big guy and I work in construction.

James: You’ve been together for a couple of years now. Have you seen a progression in your music and song writing since you started out.

Brian: it's definitely gotten better. You’ve got both of our demos and you can probably see it. We’ve gotten a lot tighter and Andy really knows what he’s doing. He knows how to record. He really knows how to run a session.

James: So is Andy a taskmaster in the studio?

Andy: (Jokingly) I am a total taskmaster in the studio. I even tell Brian what to sing.

Brian: He really knows what he’s doing.

James: How did you get into producing?

Andy: I got into producing in the late 90’s. I had a studio for about seven years.

James: Do you think your experience in producing has a positive effect on the music and the direction it’s going in?

Andy: I don’t try to produce our band in the sense that I’m changing the songs. I might make suggestions here and there like “Hey Biv, let’s try this guitar or that guitar for this rhythm track.”

Brian: Here’s my thought. I respect their input because those guys (Andy and John) have been playing for a long time. They’ve been playing since their days in Supertouch. They’ve been doing it long enough to know what they’re doing. John won’t bitch at Andy. Andy will know when he fucks something up. We all fuck up at times but we’re not going to get on each other’s backs for it.

James: Being adults and dealing with the responsibilities of jobs and family do you find it harder to make the band work?

Andy: It’s so much harder to have a band. Coming home from work and then going out to do a show. Half the time nobody shows up. Sometimes you wonder why you’re doing it.

It’s a lot harder.

James: Well, it’s pretty evident you’re not doing it for the money.

Andy:(Laughs) Yes we are. It just hasn’t come yet.

Brian: We do it because it’s fun.

Andy: If it weren’t fun I wouldn’t be doing it. That’s definitely the bottom line.

That and the need to create.

James: Judging from your song “Not my President” it’s pretty obvious that you are not supporters of the Bush administration. I was wondering what your thoughts were on what kind of imprint Bush and his administration has left on this country and how the rest of the world sees us?

Andy: There has definitely been a lot less good will towards the United States because of him

I think he should be tried and hung for treason. I think Bush and his administration are criminals. The worldview of America is so much worse due to the Bush administration.

Brian: That’s what the song “Not my President” is all about. He’s destroying this country for his own wealth and greed.

Andy: The fact of the matter is that both the Democrats and Republicans are so similar. I have some hopes that Obama will be different but we’ll see.  He recently had some people resign from his campaign who had questionable connections.

James: Do you think that with the choices we’ve been offered there is a chance things can be turned around?

Andy:I have the feeling that a candidate with no experience (laughs) might have the best chance to do so. He might be able to shake the tree. He can’t be worse than what we have now. I’m not saying that he is any better but it’s basically our only hope.

Brian: I don’t know if you heard it tonight but we have a new song called “Election Day Sham”. The song is about how both times Bush got into office it was a sham. “Election Day Sham” points out the fact that votes don’t mean a damn thing. It’s the money and the lobbyist that run this country.

(At this time Mike steps in)

Mike: “Not my President” was my favorite song up until “Cross my Heart.”

“Not my President” proves that you can’t fool Brian. (Laughs) The way things are set up might seem like a joke but you have to get out and vote. It’s our only fucking hope.

James: What else influences what you write?

Andy: Some of the fucked up shit in life.

Mike: Drinking.

Andy: Mikes Girlfriend.

James: What bands have really influenced and stood the test of time for you?

Brian/Andy: Bad Brains

James: Isn’t it true that music begins and ends with the Bad Brains?

Brian: In my opinion, it does.

Mike: Yes, it does.

James: You played the legendary Pat Duncan show the other night. Any thoughts?

Brian: Pat is really cool.

Andy: Pat’s a super guy and really cool but we were not very good.

Mike:  I was two years old when he started doing that radio show. That is fucking amazing. What an incredibly nice guy. He came from

Shea Stadium where he works. Where he worked that same day. He came to the station and put us on like nothing happened. Totally professional and you just can’t say enough about the guy. He lives in Western New Jersey and he goes all the way to Queens to work. Ushers a game at Shea Stadium that day. Then from work he goes to the studio.

Andy: You just can’t say enough about the guy.

Mike: I’ll say this. They (WFMU) play some weird shit but they love and know  music.

James: Have you been to their record fare?

Mike: I’ve been to a couple. I’ve missed the last couple. But I plan on attending this year.

James: A lot of the smaller and even medium sized venues in the area have closed. Most of the bigger bands are playing festivals. Where does Voice or no Voice fit in?

Mike: We don’t!!!

Andy: We play local bars around the tri-state area where ten people show up and we still go back.

Brian: We don’t get paid. We lose money. And we still go back to the next one. We pay for our own recording and we don’t get paid, And we still go back to the next one.

Mike:You come to a point when you play because you love it. We do it because we love music. Not surprisingly there are a lot of people who do that.

Brian: You do it because you love it. I’d be depressed if I wasn’t in the band.

James: have the people you’ve met and the connections you’ve made being in bands like Supertouch helped you at all in moving forward.

Andy:No, No, No and No.(laughs sarcastically) Being in Supertouch has not helped us at all. No-one has given us anything because we were in Supertouch.

James: Does that mean you’re still “Searching for the Light”?

(for those of you who do not know that was both a Supertouch and an electrician joke. Get with the program kids.)

Andy: I am the light.

James: You obviously put a lot of work into writing music, booking shows and playing. Is it disappointing when either no one shows up or the crowd is standing twenty feet away and not interacting?

Andy: It’s disappointing but for me if two people show up and their both going off then it’s not as bad. As opposed to a whole bunch of people just standing in the back.

Mike: I can understand being older. You just want to chill and hang in the back.

James: What’s next?

Mike: Go on vacation. Come back and go into the studio. We’ve got a lot of new songs we’re working on. “Cross My Heart” is going to be the feel good song of the summer. We’re gonna release a new demo.

(Interview and live images James Damion. Group picture courtesy of Brian Appio.