March 20, 2024 • 68 mins
In this highly engaging chat, we bring in Maha Shami from No Man who is the lead vocalist from the band. They are on the verge of releasing their new LP on Iodine Recordings called "Glitter and Spit" which is a barn burner. We discuss with Maha her upbringing in Texas, the unconventional ways her family supported the DC scene and her opposition to the occupation of Palestine (which is an important subject not only now, but always). Dig in and enjoy!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
If you're listening to one hundred words or less with
Ray Harkins What the Hell is Happening? Podcast? Humans who
are just passionate about punk, hardcore, indie rock, emo, whatever
it is you want to call it, as long as
it's in small, sweaty rooms, that is of the DIY variety.
You know, that is what this show covers. If it's
(00:40):
your first time here, welcome, grab a seat in the back.
You'll be able to listen to I don't know, like
five hundred some odd hours of conversations. Or alternatively, you
can just listen to this episode and then start to
follow along on this awesome musical interview journey that we
are participating in. Here my guest this week. I am
(01:00):
thrilled to have her. I know, every single one of
these intros, I'm like, I'm thrilled. I'm excited. I mean,
you run out of words and adjectives to be able
to describe the excitement level. But like, honestly, I don't
need to do this show. I don't need to do
this show at all from a you know, workload, life,
work balance, all that sort of stuff. But I feel
(01:21):
so passionate about all of this that we participate in.
That's why I am excited to bring these people on
to have these discussions. And the person I'm excited to
bring on is mehe Shami. She is the vocalist from
No Man from Richmond, Virginia who is putting out a
record on Iodine Recordings. Just a big warm embrace for
(01:45):
the family that is the Iodine Records family. I just yeah,
I just love all the people that work over there
so anyways, love to support them, love what No Man
is doing. We get to dig deep into her own
connective tissue with punk and hardcore and existing alongside of
Majority Rule and page ninety nine, that whole scene. She
(02:05):
is a significant other with a member of Majority Rule,
and she's also a Palestinian and has been very outspoken
about the conflict over there, And it was very interesting
and exciting to have that conversation with her because I mean,
as much as I kind of don't really lean into
(02:25):
politics per se, Like the show isn't political in nature,
but the you know, the political bearings that have to
happen when you're talking about war and the atrocities that
are being leveled against people in general, Like that's just
that's not even a political issue that's just a straight
up human rights thing. So anyways, we get into it
(02:47):
with her and it was a great conversation. And plus,
like I said, No Man is releasing a new record
in you know, the upcoming weeks. You can pre order
it at Adine Recordings dot com. And yeah, just love
what they do, love what the band is all about.
Let's talk about ways that you can support the show.
You can email the show one hundred words podcast at
(03:08):
gmail dot com. I read all those emails that come in.
Love to hear recommendations and just other guest ideas whatever
it is. Love to see that. And on top of that,
if you want to leave a rating and review, it
takes you I was gonna say thirty seconds, but that's
as a round number. It takes you probably nineteen seconds
of your time to be able to go onto the
(03:28):
Apple podcast page leave a rating and review. I love
to see that. Same thing can be said about the
Spotify page. You can just leave a star rating on there.
Helps out tremendously. All the algorithms love when you pump
data in there, so you know, just help it along
because ultimately that is the way that this show gets
seen and recommended. To other people you know that stuff. Anyways,
(03:50):
let's talk about the weekly recommendation. If you are looking
for a playlist of just like new music and everything
that we have going on as far as this show
is concerned, and the stuff that I trip across that
I'm like, dude, more people need to hear about this.
More people need to be talking about this because you know,
one of the most popular episodes that I do on
(04:13):
a yearly basis is the top ten of whatever respective
year it is, and I don't want to just limit
that to the once a year episode. I want this
to be a weekly rolling recommendation, so you'll be able
to find in the show notes of this particular episode
a link to a playlist that has all of these
recommendations that I throw on week after a week, and
(04:36):
this week is actually a user submitted so this is
a person who emailed the show being like, yo, check
out my band, like I like it. And to be clear,
I'm not encouraging everybody, because I do get a lot
of emails in regards to people being like, hey, check
out my band, check my band, and I appreciate the
hustle totally did that. You know, once upon a time
(04:57):
myself and frankly still do that for this podcast. I'm
doing it with you right now. But anyways, the band
is called Corrective Measures. There it's an EP called Not
for You, Not for Anyone. It is main hardcore, but
it has a lot of influences with you know, Boston
meets New York City and this thing is awesome. If
(05:19):
you like just really traditional hardcore with like I said,
those you know Boston slash New York City elements, you
will absolutely love this. So again, the band is called
Corrective Measures. Not for You, Not for Anyone is the
name of the release. And now I'm paying attention. I'll
just be following along with their musical journey and appreciate
(05:40):
you sending that through. I'm not gonna throw the name
of the listener out there because you know, just anonymity.
You know, you don't want to point fingers in people's
directions that you know they didn't ask for that, but
I can shout out the band. So anyways, let's dive
into the conversation with mehe from no Man right.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Now down there.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
You're unique for a multitude of reasons, but one being
a factor where it's like I remember the you know,
the majority rule of page onety nine split, which I
know is yeah. So it's like I remember, like especially
too because the both of those bands, and this kind
of dovetails into the question where it's like the so yes,
you're saying vocals on the majority rule side of things,
(06:38):
and I was like, oh, that's interesting, like that's you know,
a different vocal than what I am used to. And
but both of those bands and honestly that you know,
for I'll use air quotes like the scream o community
of the you know, early aughts, as it were like
bands were friends and obviously bands were incredibly supportive, but
like there was that element of you know, it was
(07:00):
like a closed scene and not like gatekeeping in a
bad way, but just like you know you you're like,
oh wow, like someone else is contributing to this band.
And so I mean, I obviously, I know you have
a long history with the you know, the members of
the band. Yes, exactly, So was it was it one
of those things like you know when you did that,
(07:22):
and obviously as you were becoming a part of that
uh you know scene more broadly speaking, you know, did
you feel that that sense of I guess community and
tightness as it were.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Oh my god, totally. It's interesting because so like if
you started as if the starting point is the Page
and nine Majority Rule split, which I had a little
cameo on like dating before that. So you know, the
members of the Majority Role who were my current bandmates
and no, man, we're always like my friends and super inclusive,
(07:55):
and Matt Michael is my partner, my roommate, the father
of my child. But also like Pageanty nine, I know
from before them, so like I've grown up with with
all of those people, and so you know, was a
(08:17):
pleasure to be part of it. But yeah, they've I've
been friends with folks probably you know, from like you know,
fourteen fifteen years old and you know, going going to
going to shows and meeting these folks. So yeah, the
like I know that Taylor brothers, Mike and Chris Taylor
before I met Matt, and and obviously like Kevin and
(08:37):
Potter who were members of Majority Role also close to me.
But a lot of it just had to do with
like being part of that punk community here in northern Virginia.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think it was that time was
also interesting because I remember I'm from southern California, and
got to see Majority Rule a few times. Actually, I
got to see them. The first time was that I
want to say, Hellfest and like two thousand amazing, you know,
not an environment you actually want to see a Majority
(09:08):
Rule in. But I was excited about the last Yeah,
And so I could tell it was that juncture where
those bands were obviously getting attention outside of the you know,
the the basement scene as it were, and we're able
to play shows outside the context for that. And obviously
since you've known not only both those bands, but that
(09:28):
entire scene, Like, was it interesting for you to kind
of watch them dabble around in these things that were
like this is a little bit left of center, but
I guess we'll do it.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yeah. You mean, like in terms of like the nature
of those scenes in hell Fest.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Yeah, exactly. Just yeah, yeah, just like in playing with
bands that are obviously like heavy but obviously not like
you know, they're like quote unquote little core instead of
you know what.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
It's so funny because we talk a lot about I mean,
even in present day, when we show up and were
like the odd man or woman out at a show,
and how we kind of we a little bit thrive
off of it and Majority Rule for sure. We again,
I've been friends with them for forever and then you know,
(10:12):
Men and I've been together since nineteen ninety nine, I guess.
And some of those tours I went on, I was
not at the at the infamous health As show. I
think there are stories from it, but like it wasn't
lost on them, you know. They there's like a heavy band,
and sometimes there's like a disconnect between the sound and
then the the values or the culture of the scene,
you know, And I think that's okay, but for sure,
(10:38):
there can sometimes be like a distinction between the nature
of the shows that they're that they're playing. And I
witnessed some of them, like I remember Majority Rule. I
don't know what year this was, it was very early on.
I used to jump on their tours, but like only
in the cool places, and so they played Chain Reaction.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
I was literally I was literally going to mention that
because I saw them, was that with misery signals? I
want to say, the slaves, you know what, I pressed
your memory more than by But it was like one
of those shows where I don't know, like they killed it.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
They were amazing. They're such a good band. So one
of my favorite bands, but like, you know, it was
like an out of place moment, Like I remember being
this is like intense, but like I remember being around
the other bands and hearing them talk about like women
in a certain way that I was like, oh, crap,
we're not We're not around uh the type of yeah
(11:33):
nicely someone was talking like there was a I don't
want to repeat it, there was an awful term that
I was that I was around at that show. But
like the distinction between you know what drew us to
this community, this counter culture movement, and some of the
shows that they were on, But that show I remember
being like shook again like a majority rule I thought
(11:54):
like killed it, but was definitely like around something broader
that I didn't totally agree with the.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Focal point on you know you and obviously the music
in art you creat and everything like that, and just
you know, kind of hitting some sort of biographical stuff
out of the way. I know you were born and
raised in Houston, Texas, and you your parents were refugees
from Palestine, right, Like why why Texas?
Speaker 3 (12:19):
Yeah, well I think my you know, we were in Texas.
I was born in Texas and there I'm sure for
my dad's job and then moved to Northern Virginia at
age seven. And but yeah, was in Texas there for
my dad's job. Uh, and it was I always mentioned, well,
(12:39):
my sister is back in Houston now, which is so funny.
But I always think about Houston, Texas and the impact
as it relates to music being significant because of my
entry point into music being metal. There's no way that
you could have been in Houston, Texas in the nineteen
eighties and not been exposed to metal. So like my ear,
(13:02):
my intro to all of this, I feel like it's
very much due to my siblings and getting me into music,
but also the nineteen eighties in Houston, Texas, and I'm
talking like not cool metal stuff to start, Like it
got cool, but to start it was a lot of
different like hair metal. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Well, and plus a person of a certain age, like
you were not able if you were raised, you know
in the late eighties or early nineties, like you had
no choice but to either contribute to you know, trying
to find stuff other than what was being played on
the radio, or just like you see a music video
and you're like dude, fire schools hell, Like I had
(13:41):
to see this what's happened then.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Totally, and like music was very big for my family,
you know, whether it was you know, I go through
my dad's record collection still when there's like Johnny Cash
and there's like a whole bunch of different art from
the Arab world. But like I remember being in Houston
and my dad driving all of us all I'm the
(14:06):
ends of four to go meet Dawkin at an in
store appearance. So like imagine like my parents refugees, you know,
immigrants in this country. And then you know, for kids
in Houston, Texas going to meet Dawcin, Don Dowcin and
the rest of the crew in Houston, Texas in the eighties.
But like so it was just always a thing.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
For us that I mean, that story in and of
itself should just be like immortalized because and also like
especially in regards to immigrant families, like there's and I
know I'm stereotyping, but it's like there's two paths you
go down. One you basically are taking your culture and
you are just you know, transplanting it here to America
(14:47):
and you're like I don't care about any of them.
Or it's like the and obviously there's gradiations here, but
like there's there's the opposite reaction where it's like no,
I'm gonna eat apple pie hot dogs and getting hair
and metal and like whatever, and so you're like, yeah,
doc and sick, I'm gonna take my kids to beat them.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Well totally, And I think like maybe part of being
from Palestine is you don't one you're from a place
that's not on a map visiting there, which I did,
you know, when I went to school there a little
bit as a kid and spent summers there and very
much still connected, but like you don't totally fit in there,
and you don't totally fit in here, and so you
(15:29):
kind of, you know, make it up as you go, right,
which I would say, like the Shammi family, there's like
probably some indie film that these be made about my
family that that is that experience.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Right right, it's and especially to your point, like the
you know, if you don't feel like any places home,
you're able to pick You're able to pick up all
of this stuff and assemble your own home, whatever that.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
May be, totally like you make it, you make it
your own. I mean in a way, it's like, of
course there's there's sadness as refugees and you know, being
expelled from your country, but being able to imagine the
world you want and who you are definitely has like
(16:12):
some endless possibility.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Absolutely, And so I presumed, like moving from Texas to Virginia,
like I mean, relatively young, so like you were establishing
whatever your identity have looked like more as far as
you know, junior high and high school and stuff like
that in northern Virginia, Right.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Yeah, yeah, I think that's right, you know, in in
terms of music, like I mentioned, you know, I definitely
have some older siblings that I was fortunate enough to
drag me to shows. I was going to thrash shows
in elementary school, like very young, and death metal shows.
(16:52):
Like I said, we graduated from maybe some of the
change your metal bands, but I remember, you know, going
to see Nay Palm, Death Sepultera, Sick of It All,
Fear Factory in elementary school. I have sweat shorts like
from that show. I remember going to like see a
number of these bands, and I really liked like you know,
heavy music, and then being in the DC area being
(17:16):
close to things like Discord obviously and you know punk
that had more of a community social consciousness to it
was something that shaped me. But again it was like, oh,
this is how we are within the home, like as
a Palestinian born into protest, honestly, born with this cause,
(17:38):
and then being able to see some of that within
some of the punk scenes, not all of it, you know,
people that actually cared about that counterculture aspect.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Yeah, absolutely, like you recognized that, especially to like what
you're talking about. I mean, most people's entry point to
independent music usually does come through you know, metal, maybe
grunge than obviously good on the rabbit hole, but you realize,
you realize pretty quickly when you're exposed to you know,
(18:07):
punk and hardcore broadly speaking, like how vapid a lot
of metal is, like I mean not you know, a
band like Napalm Death, but like I'm just like, wait,
there's some stuff that is like not even remotely important
at all.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Oh, no, it was funny. I was listening, Well, there's
also weird overlap. I was listening to your podcast. There's
a number of people who are dear to me who
you've chatted with, ranging from like Brian McTurnan, Jason Masola,
and then those are all like people who are super
Jason Mazzola is like, you know, he's a brother to me.
We're super close. And then listening to Jeff Howe Pass
(18:45):
was one of your more recent I feel like I'm
I'm following him on these podcasts and it's really funny. Also,
like so lucky to be playing with horse Whip these days.
We have some upcoming shows together too. But the role
of like DC Punk was for sure a thing. But
then also the role of reversal Man on Majority Rule
(19:05):
is significant. So like we live in d C, which
is like home of Discord and di Y, but also
had people like Jeff and Dan Raddy that helped model it,
model it from Florida. And maybe you know this already,
I'm not sure, but like Majority of Rule as a
four piece, so this is they had an iteration before
(19:26):
they were a three piece with our friend Andy singing
for the band did a tour with a band called
The Exploder that had Eric Kane Erkane play's Drugs Break
Anywhere Yeah on drums, and they had played some shows
and they went south to Florida and a bunch of
shows fell through, which is like classic, right, But Reversal
(19:48):
Man ended up putting them up there, they stayed with
them and for I think a little bit of time
and they you know, put on a show for them,
so they were able to play together. But a lot
of what shaped this band probably results from you know,
who we are and the area we live in. And
(20:09):
but also it's interesting to connect it to some folks
like Jeff who you know, really modeled it.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
For Yeah, and it's I love that story because it
does highlight the fact that when you have those happenstance
moments of you know, bands randomly playing together in some
off the beaten pathplace or you know, like you said,
break down shows fall through, and then you and then
you end up doing this thing with these people that
(20:39):
you might not have had an extended period of time
with and then be like, oh, so this is the
thing you built down here. I mean, obviously it sounds
like we're one hundred and seventy five years old pre internet,
which we are, but like you didn't have anything to
learn from, and then you experience something and then you
take some version of it back with you and you're like, hey, guys,
they did this down here like this, how about we
do this?
Speaker 3 (21:02):
And like for them to have done that, I don't
know what more than twenty years ago, and to still
be connected with these folks and a certain ethos is
you know, pretty fascinating to be tied to those experiences
and those travels and those connections with something that like
that that bonds us. I think that the connection to
(21:23):
folks was Hammicker from this area. Yeah, so he's like
he's an old friend of ours too, you know, who
played in Protus and several other bands played in Combat
would have veteran for a second, I think. But I
think that's the connection between Northern Virginia and DC and that.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
And it is where it is funny too, where you
developed these cities, like you know, these sister cities where
it's like, oh, yes, we know are representative and they've
built they've built the bridge, and then now we're just
playing shows together and this is who we are. I guess.
I know.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
It's amazing. And again, like I said, to be doing this,
for that to have existed so long ago and then
to be you know whatever, probably in our forties I'm
gonna generalize for everyone, and still doing it in some capacity,
though you know, it becomes increasingly difficult, Like speaks to
the connection and the bomb the bombs that looks.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Like every cliched hardcore lyric you can insert your like
it's kind of on the friendship we will make the
difference or something Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Totally yeah yeah, And and like I have to say,
it's so like, I think my experience in this is
probably a little bit of an anomaly. I think, like
whether I'm listening through the podcasts or just chatting with
other people, and you know, built my bandmates into this space.
(22:57):
And some of the folks that I've already mentioned that
they carve doubt early on. Granted, like representation could still
have been hardcore today, I don't know as many women
that felt their place in it. Like I'm saying this
because I'm thankful.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
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thank you. I mean coming from southern California, and it
(24:44):
was there were certain pockets where in which it made sense,
like and honestly, and I'm sure it was very emblematic
of your experience as well, where it's like certain venues
just had where it was like oh, yeah, like there's
more you know, there are more females here, or there's
more you know. I mean, we weren't using these terms
of the time where it's like, you know, oh people
(25:05):
of color like but it was like, oh, this looks
more like what you would see out in the world
broadly speaking. But then yeah, but to your point, yes,
there were other ones where it was like, oh, like
it is obviously just a sausage fest with a bunch
of white dudes, like that's all right.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
I mean, which is a lot pretty similar to today.
But like again there's it's also there's intention behind it.
I mean, you know, you look back at majority rule
and whether it's their inclusion of uh making it a
more level playing field. They're you know, their first record,
the cover of it is a picture of the Intifad
(25:44):
at the Palestine and uprising, So do you know what
I mean, Whether whether there were bands that it was
part of their their values, it was in their music,
and it was very intentional. So I don't think it's
like by accident, But every time I chat with people,
I realize and then I talked to folks afterwards, and again,
especially like women that don't see themselves in my story,
(26:08):
I'm like, oh, it was very much an anomaly.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Yeah right, And you're like, I'm glad that I was
lucky enough to not experience with the weirdness and being like, oh,
I guess I'm showing up here just to stand at
the back and you know, be a code hanger or
whatever people said about women in the nineties. But yeah,
it's it's cool that you had that experience, and yeah,
what kind of kid did you find yourself being as
(26:30):
you were going to you know, high school and kind
of I mean, obviously music was played a big part
of it, but you know, were you I'm going to
play a little armtre a psychologists like you were clearly,
you know, an outspoken individual. You don't shy away from
sharing your opinions for obvious reasons. Sure was that hard
boiled in you? Were you that person in high school
as well?
Speaker 3 (26:53):
I think I was that person in high school, But
I don't know that I know other I mean, first
of all, if you've met my if you ever met
my to that my mom, you'll know it's just like
ingrained in me. To be that person. But yeah, I
mean I also don't contribute to areas or to I
don't give energy where I don't seek fit. So I've
(27:16):
always been like outspoken and happy to uh you know,
speak up for myself. Definitely happy to speak up for
other people. But I you know, you know where to
give oxygen and not and where to waste and where
to like create the world you want, and like here
(27:36):
we are talking about a bunch of different like hardcore,
which I definitely listened to a lot of metal which
I listened to, but I would say, like my inspiration
and what I was listening to and what give me
comfort in my bedroom was you know, it goes back
to bands like Bikini Kill, Babes and Toiland. I listened
to a lot of whole For sure Lydia Lunch was
(27:58):
someone that was big for me. But I you know,
I think that that yeah, I always, I've always My
mother always says, like, know who you are, and that
is something that I have, you know, felt the privilege
of having a strong identity. And I would say that's
that might be true a lot of people from Palestine, honestly,
we have strong identities and maybe other people that feel
(28:22):
marginalized in their lives.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Yeah, that's true, and especially too where it's like when
you not only find your voice from your cultural identity,
but then you're able to back that into a community
that is supportive, like the punk and hardcore community broadly
speaking of being like oh yes, like we're obviously here
(28:43):
to support you know, the downtrod and the disenfranchised, like
whatever label you want to put on it, and you're like, oh,
so these are my people on top of my people,
I get it.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Yeah, well, and like I think, you know, again, you
have your community that's within your community, and then you
find this like subculture around punk and you're like even
more thrilled and if you're into the music, even better,
but also some of it feels like lip service like
then in today. Still, you know, it's been an interesting ride,
(29:17):
especially recently doing this music at a different Yeah, at
a different level, I'd say, you know, we've sort of
always emphatically been DIY. We still are, but as we've
you know, decided to work with someone and put out
our music, someone that we care and trust deeply. You know,
some of those safe spaces don't exist, or like I've
(29:38):
been part of some conversations that have not been dear
to my heart in terms of the treatment, and I
think that it's important to try and continue pushing on that.
Within our safe communities, we have these spaces where we
can always push things to be more progressive. And that
it's been interesting that, you know, as we are starting
to work with other people, that we have had people
(30:00):
that didn't want to work with us when they found
out I was Palestinian and in factive asked us to
rewrite our bio, which the kicker is that the bio
mentions that you know, our record is about my land experiences,
or that we don't want to be silenced, you know.
So it gives me gratitude for uh, for the punk
(30:25):
DIY community, But I think there's definitely a line between
you know, punk is something progressive versus punk which is
progressive except for Palestine, which is something that I've been
experiencing recently.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Sure I get that. Yeah, So, you know, as you
started to obviously become more immersed and entwined within you know,
the punk and hardcore community, obviously it sounds like your
parents were generally supportive, I mean, obviously allowing you to
go to shows and stuff, like that. How were how
(30:58):
were they interacting with the fact that you were bringing
home music that you know, I mean, yes, obviously being
already to dock and like they understand heavy music. But
were they, I guess concerned about like what the hell
is this you're bringing home? This is bizarre.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
No.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
I think we had one rule and that was like
no boys, and like all the kids rolled deep together,
like I said, went to like shows at a very
young age. I actually have you know, music wise, they
never filtered it. We listened to everything. I do remember
my dad picking up my s O D. S D
(31:35):
had a tape called Speaking and I remember being super nervous.
Do you remember. Also, I think they had bucked the
Middle East on it, which isn't very cool. But I
loved SOD for better or for worse. But yeah, my
parents never really regulated. They were just happy that we were,
you know, creative and listening to music, and really taught
us to be like critical thinkers. They didn't like gate,
(31:58):
you know, keeper try to censor things for us. One
memory I have is Mike and Chris Taylor, who are
in that van page ninety nine, and my friend Tony
Lead who honestly, like I met him at a very
young age. He's famously known in Richmond as Tony Bitch
for those who do know him. But I remember them
(32:18):
coming over in high school and my parents were having
a dinner party and they had completely like charged mohawks,
and you know, we're just like whatever in their heyday,
and my parents were like, come on in, like they
treated everyone the same, and we're just excited that we
(32:39):
were around people, you know, with the right sort of
like values and ethics were and we're finding our place
in our community. So it's kind of fascinating to think
about punk friends coming over to this palaestade in Muslim
house and again like fast forwarding those same punks showing
up at my dad's funeral service at a mosque in
twenty seventeen. So like really lifelong friends. But my parents were,
(33:05):
to answer your original question, super open and inclusive to
all sorts of people and music and community.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
That's amazing, especially when you do have this juxtaposition of
aesthetically like oh my gosh, we shouldn't trust this, but
like they're really nice and yeah, they seem cool, so yeah,
and our daughter she's happy, so I think we're good.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
Yeah, No, completely like they're very supportive and most like,
you know, I think partially also like my parents wanted
everyone to sort of grow up in our house so
they could keep eyes on us. So our house was
like always open to everyone. Absolutely after a majority rule
broke up, there was a moment where some of them
(33:52):
were definitely sleeping in my family's basement. I'd like to
try to get up to go to work, and I
was like, oh, my mom was making breakfast for everyone.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Right, Oh, it looks like looks like they're on tour,
but obviously not on tour.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
To totally right, right, So like very much a lot
of that you know, you know, Sterling Fairfax, Northern Virginia
scene grew up in my family's house.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Evilgreed dot net You need to point your web browser
Toworts because they are an incredible company that does web
stores for bands and record labels, but all with a
very specific point of view. And when I say specific
point of view, this is my own labeling. But basically
it's like they haven't opened their doors wide for a
bunch of bands and a bunch of record labels just
(34:38):
to be kind of like, you know, a blanketed service.
They act like a record label where they have a
very curated approach. It's like things that are heavy artistic
stuff that kind of thematically fits together. Like let me
just list some of the record labels they work with,
from Flat Spot in Hits Records, Shout Out to End
Hits they work with, Metal Blade they work with, Sergeant House,
(35:01):
Triple B, Relapse, Run for Cover, and some of the
bands that they work with, I mean everybody from Botch
to Blood Incantation to two hundred Stab Wounds. Like it's
just a wide variety, but again all with this specific
point of view. They ship from Berlin, Germany, but fret not,
us in America have a very advantageous shipping rate scenario
(35:23):
that's happening right now. We win basically where we can
order from them and it will ship worldwide, no problem.
Where you're at, they will, they'll get it to you.
And I've ordered from them before it's taken about eight
or nine days from shipping to Berlin, from Berlin, Germany
to here in southern California. I'm not going to guarantee
that because you know mail like that's that's the logistics
(35:46):
so confusing, But they make it simple for you as
the consumer where you can order all this stuff from
one convenient place, it ships out to you. And trust
me in saying you will be able to find some
things for you. Maybe so friends, maybe you start a band.
You're like, you know what, let's let's all pitch in
on an order together. I know I did that when
I was ordering from the Victory magazine back in the day.
(36:09):
But anyways, you don't need to do that. You just
need to go to Evilgreed dot net and peruse to
your heart's content. I love Evil Greed and support the
supportive Thank you. And what was the uh I guess
proverbial life path that you were you know, supposed to
head on as far as your you know, your studies,
like what you were kind to do when you grew
up in your college career and whatever aspirations that people
(36:33):
had for you, what was the desire of.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Oh god, I still I don't know still that answer
to that. I mean, that's good, I don't. I mean
I believe in like being stimulated. And my so well,
it's an interesting question because well, my father, my families,
they're all academic. It's not like a unique story to
(36:55):
meet immigrant families who are all in on education. My
dad was the quacker, went to a quicker school with
Romola puse Side. He was dean of students at a
Baptist school in Mount All of North Carolina. And you know,
my mother was a teacher. She displaced young, was trained
(37:17):
by a schools to become a teacher and left home
to teach very early. But this education has been critical
throughout our lives, uplifting them and their families, being able
to support their families. But also just like in America,
as a way, you know, to keep learning to think critically,
and I think just you know, for social mobility. But
(37:40):
but never was it that I needed to do something specific.
It was more just like to make sure I'm happy
and fulfilled, and that critical thinking was something that was
instilled in me. Having said that, my dad had eight
masters of doctor and a post doctorate, this is the
man who used to sleep in his car like because
he had homeland. And and my background is in sociology
(38:05):
in terms of like my uh, I have a master's
in sociology my academic training, I guess sure. And but
there was no like painted uh path. They care about
who we are as full humans and being good people.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
Right like the things are actually important as opposed to
you need to be a lawyer or else.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
You're Yeah, I mean there is like a joke with
with air families of like are you going to be
an engineer or like are you going to be like
there are there this this does come up, but but no,
I was really lucky to have parents that let us
that you know, instilled the values and the path for us,
but let us sort of you know, find our way.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
Yeah. Absolutely, And how was your I guess your your
siblings reacting to this stuff that because I'm guessing none
of them kind of went down the path of getting
into you know, weird smelly, sweaty words that you were
you were going into or maybe they were, who knows.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
Well, it's interesting. I mean I wouldn't say the metal
rooms weren't weren't unsmelly, but.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
It's true, that's true.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
Honestly, they we've all were pretty collective as a family,
and for sure, like we might have our own nuanced preferences,
but you know, my sisters have gone on tour and
majority rule they were part of it, and uh, you
know definitely like the same music that we so I
think it was you know, sort of an evolution that
(39:37):
that we've all you know, supported and in one another
and in the message you know within it as well.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
Yeah that's amazing. So yeah, everybody was rolling along all together.
Speaker 3 (39:48):
Yeah, I mean to a fault maybe, Like we always laugh,
I laugh about like our the village that we come
from and the life that we have today. I think
we're still maintaining it. And I've spoken about this before,
like when Majority roll On pagienty nine did their reunion shows,
we did it on my daughter's spring break. It wasn't
just my daughter's spring break. My sister's brought my start
(40:09):
her two sons, so like we really still roll deep.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
It's amazing. Yeah, it was like, hey, where can we
book the shows that like it's kind of convenient for
the holiday breaks, like you know, we got to bring
everybody everybody in right right? Yeah, well it and it
I mean that I like that because there is that
you know, interesting sort of like Grateful Dead Nature that
(40:35):
gets pitched on you know, page ninety nine and many
bands of that ill where it's like oh yeah, when
they're rolling like they're rolling deep, like they're bringing twelve
plus people on the touring crew.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
Oh I mean, well, page nine nine alone is going
to be that many people. But yeah, for sure it's
and it was interesting when you're trying to figure out
a place to stay and you're traveling with that bunch.
But you know, it is like it's the definition a
family at its core. And like I say that in travels,
I also say it in those like before and after
(41:06):
moments in our life. Like I mentioned lost my father,
the same people from you know, twenty plus years ago
showed up you know, for me, and then the tailors
you know, lost their father actually pretty soon after I
lost mine, And so like, I'm so grateful to have
these people in my life today and to continue to
(41:27):
to play together and to still be part of it
and create music and tour together, but to also show
up in those like real life moments. You know. No,
it's just it's it meets the world to me.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
Yeah, absolutely, And as much as you would like to
think that other communities have elements of that, it is
still really unique to have these twenty plus year relationships,
like you said that not only show up because you
met them in some random town, in some random place
or whatever, and then you don't see him for you know,
you maybe you don't see him for ten years and
(41:58):
then you can hop right into who they are. But
they're showing up for you, not only when you play
a local show, but then you know when something bad
happens that inevitably happens in all of our lives.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
And like, I think it was, you know, well, first
of all, the fact that majority of Rule and Patient
and I got back together to do those shows, for
those shows for charity was like had all the right
reasons for it. It happened to also be the same
year that I lost my father, and so realizing on
those like I needed it. I always think, you know,
it's good to be around your people, but also realizing
(42:31):
that just chronologically I wasn't unique and that other people
were going through something similar, and some of it was
people we haven't seen in years, and some of it
were people that were new during those travels. I think
it speaks to, you know, the increasing appreciation I have
for community and would all call punk you know, for
myself and in the subculture that we've all grown up in.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
Mm hmm. Absolutely. And did you you know, as you
started to be active in the community and go to
shows and everything like that, did you have a desire
to you know, play in a band, because I mean
this kind of spoils a question I was gonna ask
Layer or it's like, you know, the idea of being
in a hardcore band as a grown adult, Like there's
you know, there's elements of that where it's like, oh, yes,
(43:16):
like I am going to be starting this when I'm
you know, thirty eight years old. It is different than
when you're you know, twenty one or what have you.
So anyways, I'll back it up by saying, like, did
you have a desire to play in a band like
you know, in your in your younger years as it were,
it was.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
A really graceful way for that question my pleasure. No,
it was. It was well done. It was it was
super it was super slick, right. I mean, first of all,
Valentine's Day and we're spending it together. I was going
to it is it is talent. I'm waiting for my
chocolates and roses from you.
Speaker 4 (43:52):
I I didn't have an explicit need for any It
goes back to like I always felt like I was
part of something, and you know, that's the beauty of
being part of DIY punk, right, whether I was like
going to shows or on tour with bands or these
were my friends that were playing.
Speaker 3 (44:10):
The like shift to No Man becoming a band in
what twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen wasn't something that was like
explicit or like a burning desire. I've always I've always
been a writer. It's something I get from my mother.
And in the past Matt has, you know, used some
of my lyrics for some of the bands he's been in.
(44:33):
But I will say being around Pat and Kevin during
those reunion shows and coming back and wanting to like
do more music. But something I appreciate about Matt, Pat
and Kevin is they definitely have an appreciation for their past.
They don't. And I'm saying this in a way that
(44:53):
I hope, with all due respect to everyone else that's
out there that's so creating, you should do whatever makes
you happy. They don't live in this style death. So
like this thing that we decided to do, I think
it was like a way to continue making music together
and so No Man was like a little bit of
an evolution of that. But doesn't it doesn't feel different
in terms of the dynamic as we're all like friends
(45:14):
for so long, But it's, uh, you know, it has
a newness to it, obviously with me as an addition.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
Yeah, well, it's it's funny that you articulated that way
because that is just from an outside observer. That's literally
what it is to me, where I was like, yeah,
it doesn't seem I mean, it seems obvious to anybody
that like puts in a monocum of research for this,
but it just seems like oh yeah, like rather than
(45:45):
being like, oh, yes, of course we're going to continue
a majority role and what have you, it's just like,
oh no, like here's this new wrinkle that we can
put into it, obviously adding you a trusted collaborator slash
partner into this, and it's like, well, yeah, now we
can just obviously be different. Bandon's great.
Speaker 3 (46:02):
Yeah, no for sure. And like I said, you know
so so appreciative of like where we've all come from,
but wanted to do something different and they, I mean
it helps. So Matt uh Has is a recording engineer
and Viva Studio it's his his studio and it's half
of our house. So like being able to have that
(46:23):
at our disposal, and we all live in different places,
Kevin's and New York pats In California, and so when
we get together, we get together and we have family
dinners together, we celebrate my daughter's birthday together. But we
also you know, write music and figure out shows and
travels together, and a lot of it's an outlet, you know,
(46:43):
because we want to be together, but also for like
what's happening in the world, sadly, a lot of what's
happening in the world and what we're writing about.
Speaker 1 (46:51):
Absolutely, and you know, as you were starting to you
know figure out just like yes, like I'm inspired by,
you know, watching all of my friends you know, create
art at advanced age. I use that jokingly, but just like, okay,
like it's cool and so like that fire obviously you know,
(47:11):
burned in your belly and everybody else's and the I
mean again, like just knowing you from the outside looking in,
like it seems like the idea of what you're singing
about and how no man presents itself, like there was
no other way like about it, Like and I know
it sounds stupid to say that, but it was just
(47:32):
like it seemed like a lot of it just poured
out of you sort of instinctually, not only musically, but lyrically,
as well, is that kind of correct about what I
am perceiving from the outside.
Speaker 3 (47:43):
Yeah, I think that's totally fair. I mean I also
say that there's I grew like one thing. Maybe this
is just my own perspective. One thing. I love the
home I grew up in. The culture I grew up
on is very intergenerational, and I be punk that way too,
like very much. I mean, for sure, you know, seeing
(48:06):
youth get involved in punk and thinking through social movements
makes my heart skip a beat. It makes me so happy.
But I also like, really love intergenerational like ageless communities,
and I think of punk in that way too, So
it's it's not something that like for better or for worse.
I don't think about age as much as like being
(48:29):
driven to do it. And I guess that goes back
to like what you're asking me, and having something to
say and having something to write about. And there's plenty
that's there, and I think there's plenty for all of
us as we get older and life gets harder, like
you need your people and having a place for expression
through art and music, and you know, if travels and
community and connection to people as part of it even
(48:51):
better mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (48:52):
Absolutely when you first started to tour and go out
on the road with you know, your friend's band and
stuff like that. Was it as you anticipated or was
it something and did you like it or did you
like elements of it but then other elements of it
kind of sucked for no Man? Yeah, or just like
(49:13):
when you started to tour, you know with your friends
bands and I knew you joked around where you just
kind of dove in on the weekends or what have
you done? You know touring? Like do you like it? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (49:25):
No, I do, And like I used to, I mean
I used to jump on majority of world tours, probably
for a couple of weeks. It's usually on the West Coast.
And Matt was in a band called Her Mom. I
definitely went with them on Europe to Europe, and Cloak
Dagger is another band who's played in that I've toured
with and I've always enjoyed it, I mean in it
applies to no Man as well. You know, being able
(49:46):
to travel with friends, put yourself in unique situations and
you know, see the world, meet other people and you know,
be part of of their scene or their world is
such a treat, you know, I think it's so interesting
because like doing things DIY is a lot of work.
(50:11):
A lot of friends of ours, you know, work with
booking agents, and we've been pretty emphatic about doing this
on our own, and you know, it's hard, especially as
you get older and you have other responsibilities. But I
think it's how you retain that communal aspect of it
rather than being a visitor through scenes, and it's you know,
going to shows, meeting people, watching their bands play, seeing
(50:34):
old friends and you know, making new friends. But it's
like a privilege to be brought into someone ELS's world
and part of their scene. If that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (50:44):
Oh yeah, absolutely, and especially too where you can be
you know, there there is that youthful ignorance that is
obviously great when everybody is creating art when they're you know,
they have very limited experience, but they got a whole
lot of piss and vinegar. But there there is something
interesting about being able to levy your broader breath of
(51:08):
experience as you were older and frankly be more deliberate
about either your plans or to your point, your intentionality
of like, yes, we want to keep this as close
to the vest as possible, whereas like, yeah, maybe you
could somewhat articulate that when you're younger, but like you know,
you could be blown by the wind in another direction
very quickly, so it's like you're more rooted in your elements.
Speaker 3 (51:32):
One hundred percent. I just being on the front end
of it helps you understand what you're getting into. I did.
We're playing some shows for our record release at the
end of Merch and I definitely sent Jeff how a
note cussing about like how hard it is to book
these shows and not having the time for it. Recently,
I think we get to play with FORR Swhipch. I'm
(51:52):
very excited about. But it it matters, Like again, it
keeps you connected, so you're not for the you're you're
part of it and you understand like what you're getting into.
Speaker 1 (52:04):
Yeah. Absolutely, And when you you know, kind of stepped
into the the vocal duties as it were there, I mean,
I know, like you obviously have experience with that, but
just the idea of you know, being a front person
and people paying attention to you know, you more than
they do, because I mean, let's be honest, the basis
is no one pays attention to them, you know.
Speaker 3 (52:26):
Sorry, sorry Kevin, I don't.
Speaker 1 (52:28):
I know, you're you are obviously the shining star. But
jokes aside where it's like that, you know, that attention
sometimes like you know, yes, you're expecting a little bit
of that, but you know, sometimes the attention is like okay,
like I can't you know, I literally just played a
show five minutes ago. I kind of take a moment
to breathe and that sort of stuff. How are you,
(52:49):
you know, kind of balancing those two things.
Speaker 3 (52:53):
I think I'm okay. I mean, uh, I think I'm
okay with it good generally speaking, I I do need
time to recharge. I am feeling a responsibility as to
use my platform, like especially now with what's happening in Palestine,
(53:15):
so like whether it's using the band or you know,
speaking as a front person, and so that that to
me is like the piece that may feel like draining
is because it's it's hurtful. It's really rough to be.
You know. We got into this because we you know,
are we're I think of our music as protests and
(53:39):
to speak up for what's happening in the world. But
I'm constantly thinking about how to use like my voice,
my fingers, and my toes to speak up about what
this country is doing, and so that part of it
is like draining and keeps me on my toes. I
you know, have said, I don't want to play shows
right now unless they are sending a message or they
(54:00):
are supporting Palestine with some sort of charity. So that
piece of it in this moment in time is a lot,
but I'm grateful for it, and I feel like there
are other people within our community that are you know,
following suit, and that makes me have a little bit
(54:21):
more reassurance in humanity.
Speaker 1 (54:24):
Sure, absolutely, any what I find cool and interesting as well,
where it's like the the context in which bands that
are again broadly you know, labeled as like punk or
hardcore or whatever. It's like the amount of just the
simple observation of just like looking on social media and
certain bands that it's like, you know, they play traditional
(54:47):
hardcore or metalcore or whatever, but are staunchly you know,
against what is happening in Palestine in the war, and
it's like, yeah, it's very cool to see that. Whereas
like they're i mean, especially in the nineties, like there
was such a clear dividing line of like, okay, here's
your political bands and then here's your non political bands,
(55:08):
and now those lines like I don't know if you've
noticed that where it's like there's the lines can be
blurred a little bit more, especially from you know, being
placing traditional labels on certain genres.
Speaker 3 (55:22):
No, I think for sure that's the thing. I Actually
I was with a couple of other Palestinian punks which
probably like thus, I was with them the other day
and it was like it was great to have connection.
I will say that many of them are feeling very
(55:47):
abandoned right now. You know, some of them who I
spent time with or from like also an earlier generation
here where they're like silence can be deafening. But at
the same time, I've worked with some of our friends.
We have something called Healsine Punks for Palestine that is
a it's a run we do as a walk run.
(56:09):
It's for a Gaza five k for UNA to benefit
Unrah and it supports kids in Gaza with mental health services.
And so the next run is on March second. And
so when you look at there's like we're at a
point where I don't know everyone that's involved in it,
and it's people that are punks that are running it,
(56:32):
walking it raising funds across many countries and we're at
thirteen thousand dollars so far. So like, I'm trying to
shift my focus and my energy to where I can
make a difference and feeling like re energized about what
we can do within this scene. But like I said,
(56:53):
there's plenty of people that are not speaking up, and
I just you know, it's sad because when I spend
time with other friends, other punks that are part of
this scene, it definitely feels like a conditional kind of love.
It's like punks are progressive until it gets to Palestine,
and I think people are afraid to speak up. I
(57:16):
also think that that's changing a little bit, but I
do what I can to just try to direct the
energy to something that's more productive.
Speaker 1 (57:26):
Sure, sure, and stuff that frankly you have more control
over as well.
Speaker 3 (57:30):
Exactly, Like you know, there you surround yourself with the
people that want to speak up with you and where
you have control, and it's like what matters most today
is finding a way to help those that that that
don't have that voice, right And so I don't know,
it's it. I'm energized by the work that we do
(57:53):
and the people that I that we know. But it's
it's definitely there's work. There's work to be done there.
Speaker 1 (58:02):
Yeah, absolutely right, it's not a uh yeah as in everything,
what is it? The you know, long arc of judge
or the arc of justice is long, and you know
whatever you're saying is it's like that there's there's never
an end date to unfortunately, you know, human suffering, and
you know, we can only control what we can and
like you said, you're just applying it to the places
(58:25):
that you know that you can be the most helpful.
Speaker 3 (58:28):
And like again, you know, we just have We've grown
up in a part of punk that is fighting, being
passive or you know, unimaginative and this like sort of
culture of consumption and feel like we're doing our part there.
But yeah, well there's work to be done.
Speaker 1 (58:49):
Yeah. Absolutely. The last thing I want to know was
the fact that you know, I think most people obviously
consume their perceptions of whatever owner of the world when
they have not visited, they have never experienced it. It's
obviously just through mass media, social media, whatever the case
may be. I mean, obviously, as a person that's spent
(59:09):
time in Palestine, the you know, like just in very
simplest of terms, like you know, to describe it to me,
like what is your you know, your comparison like with
a person. And I know that may be you know,
a real trite way of me trying to set it up,
but just like you know, humanizing the experience of like.
Speaker 3 (59:30):
What is it like? For sure? Well let me talk
about it in two ways. So first of all, today
in Palestine and Gaza, we're dealing with over twenty eight
thousand people murdered in the last four months. We're dealing
with hundreds of thousands who have fled to rough orphan children.
One point five million Palestinians are cramped and makeshift, tense, starving, freezing,
(59:54):
no medicine, no water, no electricity. It is literally the
most densely populated area on Earth and they have no
where to go. So that is like critical to call out.
In addition to the fact that the US is the
Senate passed fourteen billion dollars in weapons for Israel's war
(01:00:14):
in Gaza. The same bill bans US funding for UNRA,
which is again like how the Kalasini refugees are getting
care right now during this crisis. So I think it's
important to call that out as well as you know,
there's I don't know how close you are to some
(01:00:36):
of the news that's happening there. But last week there
was a six year old girl named hind who called
for help. She said, well, you come and take me.
I'm scared. I am trapped in a car. And she
was with her dead relatives and an ambulance went to
save her and they were all murdered. So like that
is like Gaza and Palestine today. If the question is
(01:00:57):
what's it like for you Meha to go there and
to visit and overall experience as an American who is
also a Palestinian, It's a visit that involves strip searching.
It involves me not being allowed to go on roads
because Palestines aren't allowed on specific roads, and it's pretty humiliating.
(01:01:21):
So you know, once you go through checkpoint and you're
with your family. My family today primarily is in the
West Bank, and while what's happening today is devastating in Gaza,
the West Bank is not immune from it. When you
are with your family, it is lovely to be on
the land that you've had, you know, for generations, that
(01:01:43):
your father, that your grandfather and grandparents have grown up
for several generations. But getting there is like is is
pretty humiliating and and stressful. So it's something that you know,
I've gone through since I was a child, you know,
(01:02:03):
traveling with my parents, and have also gone without my parents.
Matt went with me last time, and we had a
really interesting run in because we arrived to TELEVI the
airport and Matt as like a white man, was waved through.
He didn't leave me, but they told him to leave
me whereas I was you know, asked to go into
another room for deep interrogations. So you know, the traveling
(01:02:30):
there is very different as a Palestinian versus anyone else.
But yeah, I think it's I always try to like
represent what it's like to be there as a Palestinian
living there today versus like my travels from here.
Speaker 1 (01:02:45):
Yeah, America totally. And I appreciate that articulation because yeah,
there's just like when you know, other people attempt to
experience cultures as a tourist versus where it's like, yeah,
it is vastly different experiences, you know, at different times
and then different situations, and yeah, what you explain makes
(01:03:05):
a whole lot of sense.
Speaker 3 (01:03:07):
Yeah, and it's sadly it's like not you know, I
mentioned what's happening in Gaza right now, it's they've hit
the gas. But it's also something that started before October seventh.
You know, this is like a seventy plus seventy five
year plus, you know, ethnic cleansing for the Palestinian people,
(01:03:27):
whether it is you know, women having children, are still births,
dying at checkpoints, you know, people being starved out, children
being in jails. It's what's happening right now is super extreme,
with a number that have been killed. But like I said,
I think it's also important to call out that this
(01:03:47):
isn't new. What's also important is to mention the US
is like, this isn't possible without us, which is why
I think every Palestinian I know, I don't think it
takes being Palestinian, but but why every Palestinian I know
so unhinged right now. It's like we're living and passing
is living in America? That is, we're living here, uh,
and our tax dollars are funding this, so it is
(01:04:10):
it's it's a moment. I do think that public opinion
is shifting, and hopefully that will result in something long term.
But also, you know, I think as public opinion is shifting,
journalists are being viewed as a threat and they're being
targeted with a goal of elimination. So it's it's it's
(01:04:31):
a difficult time for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:04:35):
The last thing I want to hit on was the
idea of like, similar to what you're talking about, of
the you know, as simple as it sounds, like finding
time where it's like, you know, clearly, your parents like
they're you know, work, like all of these things balancing
one another. And the fact that you want to be
expressive towards a band like when you literally don't need
(01:04:57):
to Like there's you know, you've you've contributed plenty within
the context of you know, punk and hardcore what have you.
But you know, is it as simple as like the
you know, creation of your art and the friendships that
obviously keeps you attached to this or is there you know,
ye other motives that obviously you know inspire you to
still keep yelling into a microphone and recording these songs
(01:05:21):
and stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:05:21):
Sure, I mean, I think doing this and being part
of this community allows me to be like to put
one foot in front of the other. Like I said,
life is hard whether it's happening right what's happening right
now in Palasi, know, whether it's losing my father or
having friends go through something similar. So that's so like, no,
I don't have any kind of but like why do
(01:05:42):
you like carve out the time and use your you know,
use your brakes to do that? Is because of that
love for the community. Also, you know, Matthew and I
are pretty fortunate, like I said, he records bands for
a living, so like the nature of uh, the scene
and the creation and new bands is always in my house.
(01:06:04):
So you know, again it's you know, probably by design,
but have been lucky to be around like that kind
of creativity and and new music and meeting new people
because of the nature of the work that he does
and the friends that were around. But you know, it's
(01:06:24):
also it is very intentional and it takes effort to
maintain and thrive those relationships in that part of the community.
And to me, that's like it's more important than anything.
Speaker 1 (01:06:41):
That was that everybody, you need to go listen to
all of Noman stuff because they're a great band and
love what they do. It just reminds me of the
early aughts as it were in regards to you know,
scream o punk all that stuff. Its just yeah, it's
really really good. Anyways, big shout out to the Idend
(01:07:02):
Records family, and big shout out to mehe for coming
on the show and was like genuinely excited to do it.
I could tell. And I love that excitement because I'm
excited as well. And my dog is apparently wanting to
bark on this outro. So I'm not re recording this.
We got this. Okay, We're gonna be talking about the
guest next week and the guest next week. I am thrilled.
(01:07:26):
I have Aaron Bruno and you were like, Okay, I
don't really necessarily know that name. He's in a tiny
little band called a Wall Nation, which anybody who's listened
to the radio the past like fifteen years of their
lives has absolutely heard an A Wall Nation song. And
he also has a long history within the context of
punk and hardcore. Played in an amazing band that put
(01:07:49):
out a record on New Age Records called Insurgents, and
he's also been friends with you know, basically all of
the Los Angeles hardcore people for quite some time. And
he's a hardcore kid. It's the snapcase guys a bunch
of stuff. But I was very excited because he has
a new project from a band of his called The
Barbarians of California. It's a new hardcore band done with
(01:08:12):
his friend Eric Stenman. So anyways, more about that next week.
But Aaron Bruno from Awole Nation Insurgents The Barbarians of California.
That's stopping next week. Until then, please be safe everybody,
If you're listening to one hundred words or less with
Ray Harkins What the Hell is Happening? Podcast? Humans who
are just passionate about punk, hardcore, indie rock, emo, whatever
it is you want to call it, as long as
it's in small, sweaty rooms, that is of the DIY variety.
You know, that is what this show covers. If it's
(00:40):
your first time here, welcome, grab a seat in the back.
You'll be able to listen to I don't know, like
five hundred some odd hours of conversations. Or alternatively, you
can just listen to this episode and then start to
follow along on this awesome musical interview journey that we
are participating in. Here my guest this week. I am
(01:00):
thrilled to have her. I know, every single one of
these intros, I'm like, I'm thrilled. I'm excited. I mean,
you run out of words and adjectives to be able
to describe the excitement level. But like, honestly, I don't
need to do this show. I don't need to do
this show at all from a you know, workload, life,
work balance, all that sort of stuff. But I feel
(01:21):
so passionate about all of this that we participate in.
That's why I am excited to bring these people on
to have these discussions. And the person I'm excited to
bring on is mehe Shami. She is the vocalist from
No Man from Richmond, Virginia who is putting out a
record on Iodine Recordings. Just a big warm embrace for
(01:45):
the family that is the Iodine Records family. I just yeah,
I just love all the people that work over there
so anyways, love to support them, love what No Man
is doing. We get to dig deep into her own
connective tissue with punk and hardcore and existing alongside of
Majority Rule and page ninety nine, that whole scene. She
(02:05):
is a significant other with a member of Majority Rule,
and she's also a Palestinian and has been very outspoken
about the conflict over there, And it was very interesting
and exciting to have that conversation with her because I mean,
as much as I kind of don't really lean into
(02:25):
politics per se, Like the show isn't political in nature,
but the you know, the political bearings that have to
happen when you're talking about war and the atrocities that
are being leveled against people in general, Like that's just
that's not even a political issue that's just a straight
up human rights thing. So anyways, we get into it
(02:47):
with her and it was a great conversation. And plus,
like I said, No Man is releasing a new record
in you know, the upcoming weeks. You can pre order
it at Adine Recordings dot com. And yeah, just love
what they do, love what the band is all about.
Let's talk about ways that you can support the show.
You can email the show one hundred words podcast at
(03:08):
gmail dot com. I read all those emails that come in.
Love to hear recommendations and just other guest ideas whatever
it is. Love to see that. And on top of that,
if you want to leave a rating and review, it
takes you I was gonna say thirty seconds, but that's
as a round number. It takes you probably nineteen seconds
of your time to be able to go onto the
(03:28):
Apple podcast page leave a rating and review. I love
to see that. Same thing can be said about the
Spotify page. You can just leave a star rating on there.
Helps out tremendously. All the algorithms love when you pump
data in there, so you know, just help it along
because ultimately that is the way that this show gets
seen and recommended. To other people you know that stuff. Anyways,
(03:50):
let's talk about the weekly recommendation. If you are looking
for a playlist of just like new music and everything
that we have going on as far as this show
is concerned, and the stuff that I trip across that
I'm like, dude, more people need to hear about this.
More people need to be talking about this because you know,
one of the most popular episodes that I do on
(04:13):
a yearly basis is the top ten of whatever respective
year it is, and I don't want to just limit
that to the once a year episode. I want this
to be a weekly rolling recommendation, so you'll be able
to find in the show notes of this particular episode
a link to a playlist that has all of these
recommendations that I throw on week after a week, and
(04:36):
this week is actually a user submitted so this is
a person who emailed the show being like, yo, check
out my band, like I like it. And to be clear,
I'm not encouraging everybody, because I do get a lot
of emails in regards to people being like, hey, check
out my band, check my band, and I appreciate the
hustle totally did that. You know, once upon a time
(04:57):
myself and frankly still do that for this podcast. I'm
doing it with you right now. But anyways, the band
is called Corrective Measures. There it's an EP called Not
for You, Not for Anyone. It is main hardcore, but
it has a lot of influences with you know, Boston
meets New York City and this thing is awesome. If
(05:19):
you like just really traditional hardcore with like I said,
those you know Boston slash New York City elements, you
will absolutely love this. So again, the band is called
Corrective Measures. Not for You, Not for Anyone is the
name of the release. And now I'm paying attention. I'll
just be following along with their musical journey and appreciate
(05:40):
you sending that through. I'm not gonna throw the name
of the listener out there because you know, just anonymity.
You know, you don't want to point fingers in people's
directions that you know they didn't ask for that, but
I can shout out the band. So anyways, let's dive
into the conversation with mehe from no Man right.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Now down there.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
You're unique for a multitude of reasons, but one being
a factor where it's like I remember the you know,
the majority rule of page onety nine split, which I
know is yeah. So it's like I remember, like especially
too because the both of those bands, and this kind
of dovetails into the question where it's like the so yes,
you're saying vocals on the majority rule side of things,
(06:38):
and I was like, oh, that's interesting, like that's you know,
a different vocal than what I am used to. And
but both of those bands and honestly that you know,
for I'll use air quotes like the scream o community
of the you know, early aughts, as it were like
bands were friends and obviously bands were incredibly supportive, but
like there was that element of you know, it was
(07:00):
like a closed scene and not like gatekeeping in a
bad way, but just like you know you you're like,
oh wow, like someone else is contributing to this band.
And so I mean, I obviously, I know you have
a long history with the you know, the members of
the band. Yes, exactly, So was it was it one
of those things like you know when you did that,
(07:22):
and obviously as you were becoming a part of that
uh you know scene more broadly speaking, you know, did
you feel that that sense of I guess community and
tightness as it were.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Oh my god, totally. It's interesting because so like if
you started as if the starting point is the Page
and nine Majority Rule split, which I had a little
cameo on like dating before that. So you know, the
members of the Majority Role who were my current bandmates
and no, man, we're always like my friends and super inclusive,
(07:55):
and Matt Michael is my partner, my roommate, the father
of my child. But also like Pageanty nine, I know
from before them, so like I've grown up with with
all of those people, and so you know, was a
(08:17):
pleasure to be part of it. But yeah, they've I've
been friends with folks probably you know, from like you know,
fourteen fifteen years old and you know, going going to
going to shows and meeting these folks. So yeah, the
like I know that Taylor brothers, Mike and Chris Taylor
before I met Matt, and and obviously like Kevin and
(08:37):
Potter who were members of Majority Role also close to me.
But a lot of it just had to do with
like being part of that punk community here in northern Virginia.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Yeah, absolutely, and I think it was that time was
also interesting because I remember I'm from southern California, and
got to see Majority Rule a few times. Actually, I
got to see them. The first time was that I
want to say, Hellfest and like two thousand amazing, you know,
not an environment you actually want to see a Majority
(09:08):
Rule in. But I was excited about the last Yeah,
And so I could tell it was that juncture where
those bands were obviously getting attention outside of the you know,
the the basement scene as it were, and we're able
to play shows outside the context for that. And obviously
since you've known not only both those bands, but that
(09:28):
entire scene, Like, was it interesting for you to kind
of watch them dabble around in these things that were
like this is a little bit left of center, but
I guess we'll do it.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Yeah. You mean, like in terms of like the nature
of those scenes in hell Fest.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Yeah, exactly. Just yeah, yeah, just like in playing with
bands that are obviously like heavy but obviously not like
you know, they're like quote unquote little core instead of
you know what.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
It's so funny because we talk a lot about I mean,
even in present day, when we show up and were
like the odd man or woman out at a show,
and how we kind of we a little bit thrive
off of it and Majority Rule for sure. We again,
I've been friends with them for forever and then you know,
(10:12):
Men and I've been together since nineteen ninety nine, I guess.
And some of those tours I went on, I was
not at the at the infamous health As show. I
think there are stories from it, but like it wasn't
lost on them, you know. They there's like a heavy band,
and sometimes there's like a disconnect between the sound and
then the the values or the culture of the scene,
you know, And I think that's okay, but for sure,
(10:38):
there can sometimes be like a distinction between the nature
of the shows that they're that they're playing. And I
witnessed some of them, like I remember Majority Rule. I
don't know what year this was, it was very early on.
I used to jump on their tours, but like only
in the cool places, and so they played Chain Reaction.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
I was literally I was literally going to mention that
because I saw them, was that with misery signals? I
want to say, the slaves, you know what, I pressed
your memory more than by But it was like one
of those shows where I don't know, like they killed it.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
They were amazing. They're such a good band. So one
of my favorite bands, but like, you know, it was
like an out of place moment, Like I remember being
this is like intense, but like I remember being around
the other bands and hearing them talk about like women
in a certain way that I was like, oh, crap,
we're not We're not around uh the type of yeah
(11:33):
nicely someone was talking like there was a I don't
want to repeat it, there was an awful term that
I was that I was around at that show. But
like the distinction between you know what drew us to
this community, this counter culture movement, and some of the
shows that they were on, But that show I remember
being like shook again like a majority rule I thought
(11:54):
like killed it, but was definitely like around something broader
that I didn't totally agree with the.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Focal point on you know you and obviously the music
in art you creat and everything like that, and just
you know, kind of hitting some sort of biographical stuff
out of the way. I know you were born and
raised in Houston, Texas, and you your parents were refugees
from Palestine, right, Like why why Texas?
Speaker 3 (12:19):
Yeah, well I think my you know, we were in Texas.
I was born in Texas and there I'm sure for
my dad's job and then moved to Northern Virginia at
age seven. And but yeah, was in Texas there for
my dad's job. Uh, and it was I always mentioned, well,
(12:39):
my sister is back in Houston now, which is so funny.
But I always think about Houston, Texas and the impact
as it relates to music being significant because of my
entry point into music being metal. There's no way that
you could have been in Houston, Texas in the nineteen
eighties and not been exposed to metal. So like my ear,
(13:02):
my intro to all of this, I feel like it's
very much due to my siblings and getting me into music,
but also the nineteen eighties in Houston, Texas, and I'm
talking like not cool metal stuff to start, Like it
got cool, but to start it was a lot of
different like hair metal. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Well, and plus a person of a certain age, like
you were not able if you were raised, you know
in the late eighties or early nineties, like you had
no choice but to either contribute to you know, trying
to find stuff other than what was being played on
the radio, or just like you see a music video
and you're like dude, fire schools hell, Like I had
(13:41):
to see this what's happened then.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
Totally, and like music was very big for my family,
you know, whether it was you know, I go through
my dad's record collection still when there's like Johnny Cash
and there's like a whole bunch of different art from
the Arab world. But like I remember being in Houston
and my dad driving all of us all I'm the
(14:06):
ends of four to go meet Dawkin at an in
store appearance. So like imagine like my parents refugees, you know,
immigrants in this country. And then you know, for kids
in Houston, Texas going to meet Dawcin, Don Dowcin and
the rest of the crew in Houston, Texas in the eighties.
But like so it was just always a thing.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
For us that I mean, that story in and of
itself should just be like immortalized because and also like
especially in regards to immigrant families, like there's and I
know I'm stereotyping, but it's like there's two paths you
go down. One you basically are taking your culture and
you are just you know, transplanting it here to America
(14:47):
and you're like I don't care about any of them.
Or it's like the and obviously there's gradiations here, but
like there's there's the opposite reaction where it's like no,
I'm gonna eat apple pie hot dogs and getting hair
and metal and like whatever, and so you're like, yeah,
doc and sick, I'm gonna take my kids to beat them.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Well totally, And I think like maybe part of being
from Palestine is you don't one you're from a place
that's not on a map visiting there, which I did,
you know, when I went to school there a little
bit as a kid and spent summers there and very
much still connected, but like you don't totally fit in there,
and you don't totally fit in here, and so you
(15:29):
kind of, you know, make it up as you go, right,
which I would say, like the Shammi family, there's like
probably some indie film that these be made about my
family that that is that experience.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Right right, it's and especially to your point, like the
you know, if you don't feel like any places home,
you're able to pick You're able to pick up all
of this stuff and assemble your own home, whatever that.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
May be, totally like you make it, you make it
your own. I mean in a way, it's like, of
course there's there's sadness as refugees and you know, being
expelled from your country, but being able to imagine the
world you want and who you are definitely has like
(16:12):
some endless possibility.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Absolutely, And so I presumed, like moving from Texas to Virginia,
like I mean, relatively young, so like you were establishing
whatever your identity have looked like more as far as
you know, junior high and high school and stuff like
that in northern Virginia, Right.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
Yeah, yeah, I think that's right, you know, in in
terms of music, like I mentioned, you know, I definitely
have some older siblings that I was fortunate enough to
drag me to shows. I was going to thrash shows
in elementary school, like very young, and death metal shows.
(16:52):
Like I said, we graduated from maybe some of the
change your metal bands, but I remember, you know, going
to see Nay Palm, Death Sepultera, Sick of It All,
Fear Factory in elementary school. I have sweat shorts like
from that show. I remember going to like see a
number of these bands, and I really liked like you know,
heavy music, and then being in the DC area being
(17:16):
close to things like Discord obviously and you know punk
that had more of a community social consciousness to it
was something that shaped me. But again it was like, oh,
this is how we are within the home, like as
a Palestinian born into protest, honestly, born with this cause,
(17:38):
and then being able to see some of that within
some of the punk scenes, not all of it, you know,
people that actually cared about that counterculture aspect.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
Yeah, absolutely, like you recognized that, especially to like what
you're talking about. I mean, most people's entry point to
independent music usually does come through you know, metal, maybe
grunge than obviously good on the rabbit hole, but you realize,
you realize pretty quickly when you're exposed to you know,
(18:07):
punk and hardcore broadly speaking, like how vapid a lot
of metal is, like I mean not you know, a
band like Napalm Death, but like I'm just like, wait,
there's some stuff that is like not even remotely important
at all.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Oh, no, it was funny. I was listening, Well, there's
also weird overlap. I was listening to your podcast. There's
a number of people who are dear to me who
you've chatted with, ranging from like Brian McTurnan, Jason Masola,
and then those are all like people who are super
Jason Mazzola is like, you know, he's a brother to me.
We're super close. And then listening to Jeff Howe Pass
(18:45):
was one of your more recent I feel like I'm
I'm following him on these podcasts and it's really funny. Also,
like so lucky to be playing with horse Whip these days.
We have some upcoming shows together too. But the role
of like DC Punk was for sure a thing. But
then also the role of reversal Man on Majority Rule
(19:05):
is significant. So like we live in d C, which
is like home of Discord and di Y, but also
had people like Jeff and Dan Raddy that helped model it,
model it from Florida. And maybe you know this already,
I'm not sure, but like Majority of Rule as a
four piece, so this is they had an iteration before
(19:26):
they were a three piece with our friend Andy singing
for the band did a tour with a band called
The Exploder that had Eric Kane Erkane play's Drugs Break
Anywhere Yeah on drums, and they had played some shows
and they went south to Florida and a bunch of
shows fell through, which is like classic, right, But Reversal
(19:48):
Man ended up putting them up there, they stayed with
them and for I think a little bit of time
and they you know, put on a show for them,
so they were able to play together. But a lot
of what shaped this band probably results from you know,
who we are and the area we live in. And
(20:09):
but also it's interesting to connect it to some folks
like Jeff who you know, really modeled it.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
For Yeah, and it's I love that story because it
does highlight the fact that when you have those happenstance
moments of you know, bands randomly playing together in some
off the beaten pathplace or you know, like you said,
break down shows fall through, and then you and then
you end up doing this thing with these people that
(20:39):
you might not have had an extended period of time
with and then be like, oh, so this is the
thing you built down here. I mean, obviously it sounds
like we're one hundred and seventy five years old pre internet,
which we are, but like you didn't have anything to
learn from, and then you experience something and then you
take some version of it back with you and you're like, hey, guys,
they did this down here like this, how about we
do this?
Speaker 3 (21:02):
And like for them to have done that, I don't
know what more than twenty years ago, and to still
be connected with these folks and a certain ethos is
you know, pretty fascinating to be tied to those experiences
and those travels and those connections with something that like
that that bonds us. I think that the connection to
(21:23):
folks was Hammicker from this area. Yeah, so he's like
he's an old friend of ours too, you know, who
played in Protus and several other bands played in Combat
would have veteran for a second, I think. But I
think that's the connection between Northern Virginia and DC and that.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
And it is where it is funny too, where you
developed these cities, like you know, these sister cities where
it's like, oh, yes, we know are representative and they've
built they've built the bridge, and then now we're just
playing shows together and this is who we are. I guess.
I know.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
It's amazing. And again, like I said, to be doing this,
for that to have existed so long ago and then
to be you know whatever, probably in our forties I'm
gonna generalize for everyone, and still doing it in some capacity,
though you know, it becomes increasingly difficult, Like speaks to
the connection and the bomb the bombs that looks.
Speaker 1 (22:19):
Like every cliched hardcore lyric you can insert your like
it's kind of on the friendship we will make the
difference or something Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Totally yeah yeah, And and like I have to say,
it's so like, I think my experience in this is
probably a little bit of an anomaly. I think, like
whether I'm listening through the podcasts or just chatting with
other people, and you know, built my bandmates into this space.
(22:57):
And some of the folks that I've already mentioned that
they carve doubt early on. Granted, like representation could still
have been hardcore today, I don't know as many women
that felt their place in it. Like I'm saying this
because I'm thankful.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
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thank you. I mean coming from southern California, and it
(24:44):
was there were certain pockets where in which it made sense,
like and honestly, and I'm sure it was very emblematic
of your experience as well, where it's like certain venues
just had where it was like oh, yeah, like there's
more you know, there are more females here, or there's
more you know. I mean, we weren't using these terms
of the time where it's like, you know, oh people
(25:05):
of color like but it was like, oh, this looks
more like what you would see out in the world
broadly speaking. But then yeah, but to your point, yes,
there were other ones where it was like, oh, like
it is obviously just a sausage fest with a bunch
of white dudes, like that's all right.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
I mean, which is a lot pretty similar to today.
But like again there's it's also there's intention behind it.
I mean, you know, you look back at majority rule
and whether it's their inclusion of uh making it a
more level playing field. They're you know, their first record,
the cover of it is a picture of the Intifad
(25:44):
at the Palestine and uprising, So do you know what
I mean, Whether whether there were bands that it was
part of their their values, it was in their music,
and it was very intentional. So I don't think it's
like by accident, But every time I chat with people,
I realize and then I talked to folks afterwards, and again,
especially like women that don't see themselves in my story,
(26:08):
I'm like, oh, it was very much an anomaly.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Yeah right, And you're like, I'm glad that I was
lucky enough to not experience with the weirdness and being like, oh,
I guess I'm showing up here just to stand at
the back and you know, be a code hanger or
whatever people said about women in the nineties. But yeah,
it's it's cool that you had that experience, and yeah,
what kind of kid did you find yourself being as
(26:30):
you were going to you know, high school and kind
of I mean, obviously music was played a big part
of it, but you know, were you I'm going to
play a little armtre a psychologists like you were clearly,
you know, an outspoken individual. You don't shy away from
sharing your opinions for obvious reasons. Sure was that hard
boiled in you? Were you that person in high school
as well?
Speaker 3 (26:53):
I think I was that person in high school, But
I don't know that I know other I mean, first
of all, if you've met my if you ever met
my to that my mom, you'll know it's just like
ingrained in me. To be that person. But yeah, I
mean I also don't contribute to areas or to I
don't give energy where I don't seek fit. So I've
(27:16):
always been like outspoken and happy to uh you know,
speak up for myself. Definitely happy to speak up for
other people. But I you know, you know where to
give oxygen and not and where to waste and where
to like create the world you want, and like here
(27:36):
we are talking about a bunch of different like hardcore,
which I definitely listened to a lot of metal which
I listened to, but I would say, like my inspiration
and what I was listening to and what give me
comfort in my bedroom was you know, it goes back
to bands like Bikini Kill, Babes and Toiland. I listened
to a lot of whole For sure Lydia Lunch was
(27:58):
someone that was big for me. But I you know,
I think that that yeah, I always, I've always My
mother always says, like, know who you are, and that
is something that I have, you know, felt the privilege
of having a strong identity. And I would say that's
that might be true a lot of people from Palestine, honestly,
we have strong identities and maybe other people that feel
(28:22):
marginalized in their lives.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Yeah, that's true, and especially too where it's like when
you not only find your voice from your cultural identity,
but then you're able to back that into a community
that is supportive, like the punk and hardcore community broadly
speaking of being like oh yes, like we're obviously here
(28:43):
to support you know, the downtrod and the disenfranchised, like
whatever label you want to put on it, and you're like, oh,
so these are my people on top of my people,
I get it.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Yeah, well, and like I think, you know, again, you
have your community that's within your community, and then you
find this like subculture around punk and you're like even
more thrilled and if you're into the music, even better,
but also some of it feels like lip service like
then in today. Still, you know, it's been an interesting ride,
(29:17):
especially recently doing this music at a different Yeah, at
a different level, I'd say, you know, we've sort of
always emphatically been DIY. We still are, but as we've
you know, decided to work with someone and put out
our music, someone that we care and trust deeply. You know,
some of those safe spaces don't exist, or like I've
(29:38):
been part of some conversations that have not been dear
to my heart in terms of the treatment, and I
think that it's important to try and continue pushing on that.
Within our safe communities, we have these spaces where we
can always push things to be more progressive. And that
it's been interesting that, you know, as we are starting
to work with other people, that we have had people
(30:00):
that didn't want to work with us when they found
out I was Palestinian and in factive asked us to
rewrite our bio, which the kicker is that the bio
mentions that you know, our record is about my land experiences,
or that we don't want to be silenced, you know.
So it gives me gratitude for uh, for the punk
(30:25):
DIY community, But I think there's definitely a line between
you know, punk is something progressive versus punk which is
progressive except for Palestine, which is something that I've been
experiencing recently.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
Sure I get that. Yeah, So, you know, as you
started to obviously become more immersed and entwined within you know,
the punk and hardcore community, obviously it sounds like your
parents were generally supportive, I mean, obviously allowing you to
go to shows and stuff, like that. How were how
(30:58):
were they interacting with the fact that you were bringing
home music that you know, I mean, yes, obviously being
already to dock and like they understand heavy music. But
were they, I guess concerned about like what the hell
is this you're bringing home? This is bizarre.
Speaker 4 (31:12):
No.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
I think we had one rule and that was like
no boys, and like all the kids rolled deep together,
like I said, went to like shows at a very
young age. I actually have you know, music wise, they
never filtered it. We listened to everything. I do remember
my dad picking up my s O D. S D
(31:35):
had a tape called Speaking and I remember being super nervous.
Do you remember. Also, I think they had bucked the
Middle East on it, which isn't very cool. But I
loved SOD for better or for worse. But yeah, my
parents never really regulated. They were just happy that we were,
you know, creative and listening to music, and really taught
us to be like critical thinkers. They didn't like gate,
(31:58):
you know, keeper try to censor things for us. One
memory I have is Mike and Chris Taylor, who are
in that van page ninety nine, and my friend Tony
Lead who honestly, like I met him at a very
young age. He's famously known in Richmond as Tony Bitch
for those who do know him. But I remember them
(32:18):
coming over in high school and my parents were having
a dinner party and they had completely like charged mohawks,
and you know, we're just like whatever in their heyday,
and my parents were like, come on in, like they
treated everyone the same, and we're just excited that we
(32:39):
were around people, you know, with the right sort of
like values and ethics were and we're finding our place
in our community. So it's kind of fascinating to think
about punk friends coming over to this palaestade in Muslim
house and again like fast forwarding those same punks showing
up at my dad's funeral service at a mosque in
twenty seventeen. So like really lifelong friends. But my parents were,
(33:05):
to answer your original question, super open and inclusive to
all sorts of people and music and community.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
That's amazing, especially when you do have this juxtaposition of
aesthetically like oh my gosh, we shouldn't trust this, but
like they're really nice and yeah, they seem cool, so yeah,
and our daughter she's happy, so I think we're good.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
Yeah, No, completely like they're very supportive and most like,
you know, I think partially also like my parents wanted
everyone to sort of grow up in our house so
they could keep eyes on us. So our house was
like always open to everyone. Absolutely after a majority rule
broke up, there was a moment where some of them
(33:52):
were definitely sleeping in my family's basement. I'd like to
try to get up to go to work, and I
was like, oh, my mom was making breakfast for everyone.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Right, Oh, it looks like looks like they're on tour,
but obviously not on tour.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
To totally right, right, So like very much a lot
of that you know, you know, Sterling Fairfax, Northern Virginia
scene grew up in my family's house.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
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They act like a record label where they have a
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(36:09):
But anyways, you don't need to do that. You just
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supportive Thank you. And what was the uh I guess
proverbial life path that you were you know, supposed to
head on as far as your you know, your studies,
like what you were kind to do when you grew
up in your college career and whatever aspirations that people
(36:33):
had for you, what was the desire of.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Oh god, I still I don't know still that answer
to that. I mean, that's good, I don't. I mean
I believe in like being stimulated. And my so well,
it's an interesting question because well, my father, my families,
they're all academic. It's not like a unique story to
(36:55):
meet immigrant families who are all in on education. My
dad was the quacker, went to a quicker school with
Romola puse Side. He was dean of students at a
Baptist school in Mount All of North Carolina. And you know,
my mother was a teacher. She displaced young, was trained
(37:17):
by a schools to become a teacher and left home
to teach very early. But this education has been critical
throughout our lives, uplifting them and their families, being able
to support their families. But also just like in America,
as a way, you know, to keep learning to think critically,
and I think just you know, for social mobility. But
(37:40):
but never was it that I needed to do something specific.
It was more just like to make sure I'm happy
and fulfilled, and that critical thinking was something that was
instilled in me. Having said that, my dad had eight
masters of doctor and a post doctorate, this is the
man who used to sleep in his car like because
he had homeland. And and my background is in sociology
(38:05):
in terms of like my uh, I have a master's
in sociology my academic training, I guess sure. And but
there was no like painted uh path. They care about
who we are as full humans and being good people.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
Right like the things are actually important as opposed to
you need to be a lawyer or else.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
You're Yeah, I mean there is like a joke with
with air families of like are you going to be
an engineer or like are you going to be like
there are there this this does come up, but but no,
I was really lucky to have parents that let us
that you know, instilled the values and the path for us,
but let us sort of you know, find our way.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
Yeah. Absolutely, And how was your I guess your your
siblings reacting to this stuff that because I'm guessing none
of them kind of went down the path of getting
into you know, weird smelly, sweaty words that you were
you were going into or maybe they were, who knows.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
Well, it's interesting. I mean I wouldn't say the metal
rooms weren't weren't unsmelly, but.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
It's true, that's true.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
Honestly, they we've all were pretty collective as a family,
and for sure, like we might have our own nuanced preferences,
but you know, my sisters have gone on tour and
majority rule they were part of it, and uh, you
know definitely like the same music that we so I
think it was you know, sort of an evolution that
(39:37):
that we've all you know, supported and in one another
and in the message you know within it as well.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
Yeah that's amazing. So yeah, everybody was rolling along all together.
Speaker 3 (39:48):
Yeah, I mean to a fault maybe, Like we always laugh,
I laugh about like our the village that we come
from and the life that we have today. I think
we're still maintaining it. And I've spoken about this before,
like when Majority roll On pagienty nine did their reunion shows,
we did it on my daughter's spring break. It wasn't
just my daughter's spring break. My sister's brought my start
(40:09):
her two sons, so like we really still roll deep.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
It's amazing. Yeah, it was like, hey, where can we
book the shows that like it's kind of convenient for
the holiday breaks, like you know, we got to bring
everybody everybody in right right? Yeah, well it and it
I mean that I like that because there is that
you know, interesting sort of like Grateful Dead Nature that
(40:35):
gets pitched on you know, page ninety nine and many
bands of that ill where it's like oh yeah, when
they're rolling like they're rolling deep, like they're bringing twelve
plus people on the touring crew.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
Oh I mean, well, page nine nine alone is going
to be that many people. But yeah, for sure it's
and it was interesting when you're trying to figure out
a place to stay and you're traveling with that bunch.
But you know, it is like it's the definition a
family at its core. And like I say that in travels,
I also say it in those like before and after
(41:06):
moments in our life. Like I mentioned lost my father,
the same people from you know, twenty plus years ago
showed up you know, for me, and then the tailors
you know, lost their father actually pretty soon after I
lost mine, And so like, I'm so grateful to have
these people in my life today and to continue to
(41:27):
to play together and to still be part of it
and create music and tour together, but to also show
up in those like real life moments. You know. No,
it's just it's it meets the world to me.
Speaker 1 (41:37):
Yeah, absolutely, And as much as you would like to
think that other communities have elements of that, it is
still really unique to have these twenty plus year relationships,
like you said that not only show up because you
met them in some random town, in some random place
or whatever, and then you don't see him for you know,
you maybe you don't see him for ten years and
(41:58):
then you can hop right into who they are. But
they're showing up for you, not only when you play
a local show, but then you know when something bad
happens that inevitably happens in all of our lives.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
And like, I think it was, you know, well, first
of all, the fact that majority of Rule and Patient
and I got back together to do those shows, for
those shows for charity was like had all the right
reasons for it. It happened to also be the same
year that I lost my father, and so realizing on
those like I needed it. I always think, you know,
it's good to be around your people, but also realizing
(42:31):
that just chronologically I wasn't unique and that other people
were going through something similar, and some of it was
people we haven't seen in years, and some of it
were people that were new during those travels. I think
it speaks to, you know, the increasing appreciation I have
for community and would all call punk you know, for
myself and in the subculture that we've all grown up in.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
Mm hmm. Absolutely. And did you you know, as you
started to be active in the community and go to
shows and everything like that, did you have a desire
to you know, play in a band, because I mean
this kind of spoils a question I was gonna ask
Layer or it's like, you know, the idea of being
in a hardcore band as a grown adult, Like there's
you know, there's elements of that where it's like, oh, yes,
(43:16):
like I am going to be starting this when I'm
you know, thirty eight years old. It is different than
when you're you know, twenty one or what have you.
So anyways, I'll back it up by saying, like, did
you have a desire to play in a band like
you know, in your in your younger years as it were,
it was.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
A really graceful way for that question my pleasure. No,
it was. It was well done. It was it was
super it was super slick, right. I mean, first of all,
Valentine's Day and we're spending it together. I was going
to it is it is talent. I'm waiting for my
chocolates and roses from you.
Speaker 4 (43:52):
I I didn't have an explicit need for any It
goes back to like I always felt like I was
part of something, and you know, that's the beauty of
being part of DIY punk, right, whether I was like
going to shows or on tour with bands or these
were my friends that were playing.
Speaker 3 (44:10):
The like shift to No Man becoming a band in
what twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen wasn't something that was like
explicit or like a burning desire. I've always I've always
been a writer. It's something I get from my mother.
And in the past Matt has, you know, used some
of my lyrics for some of the bands he's been in.
(44:33):
But I will say being around Pat and Kevin during
those reunion shows and coming back and wanting to like
do more music. But something I appreciate about Matt, Pat
and Kevin is they definitely have an appreciation for their past.
They don't. And I'm saying this in a way that
(44:53):
I hope, with all due respect to everyone else that's
out there that's so creating, you should do whatever makes
you happy. They don't live in this style death. So
like this thing that we decided to do, I think
it was like a way to continue making music together
and so No Man was like a little bit of
an evolution of that. But doesn't it doesn't feel different
in terms of the dynamic as we're all like friends
(45:14):
for so long, But it's, uh, you know, it has
a newness to it, obviously with me as an addition.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
Yeah, well, it's it's funny that you articulated that way
because that is just from an outside observer. That's literally
what it is to me, where I was like, yeah,
it doesn't seem I mean, it seems obvious to anybody
that like puts in a monocum of research for this,
but it just seems like oh yeah, like rather than
(45:45):
being like, oh, yes, of course we're going to continue
a majority role and what have you, it's just like,
oh no, like here's this new wrinkle that we can
put into it, obviously adding you a trusted collaborator slash
partner into this, and it's like, well, yeah, now we
can just obviously be different. Bandon's great.
Speaker 3 (46:02):
Yeah, no for sure. And like I said, you know
so so appreciative of like where we've all come from,
but wanted to do something different and they, I mean
it helps. So Matt uh Has is a recording engineer
and Viva Studio it's his his studio and it's half
of our house. So like being able to have that
(46:23):
at our disposal, and we all live in different places,
Kevin's and New York pats In California, and so when
we get together, we get together and we have family
dinners together, we celebrate my daughter's birthday together. But we
also you know, write music and figure out shows and
travels together, and a lot of it's an outlet, you know,
(46:43):
because we want to be together, but also for like
what's happening in the world, sadly, a lot of what's
happening in the world and what we're writing about.
Speaker 1 (46:51):
Absolutely, and you know, as you were starting to you
know figure out just like yes, like I'm inspired by,
you know, watching all of my friends you know, create
art at advanced age. I use that jokingly, but just like, okay,
like it's cool and so like that fire obviously you know,
(47:11):
burned in your belly and everybody else's and the I
mean again, like just knowing you from the outside looking in,
like it seems like the idea of what you're singing
about and how no man presents itself, like there was
no other way like about it, Like and I know
it sounds stupid to say that, but it was just
(47:32):
like it seemed like a lot of it just poured
out of you sort of instinctually, not only musically, but lyrically,
as well, is that kind of correct about what I
am perceiving from the outside.
Speaker 3 (47:43):
Yeah, I think that's totally fair. I mean I also
say that there's I grew like one thing. Maybe this
is just my own perspective. One thing. I love the
home I grew up in. The culture I grew up
on is very intergenerational, and I be punk that way too,
like very much. I mean, for sure, you know, seeing
(48:06):
youth get involved in punk and thinking through social movements
makes my heart skip a beat. It makes me so happy.
But I also like, really love intergenerational like ageless communities,
and I think of punk in that way too, So
it's it's not something that like for better or for worse.
I don't think about age as much as like being
(48:29):
driven to do it. And I guess that goes back
to like what you're asking me, and having something to
say and having something to write about. And there's plenty
that's there, and I think there's plenty for all of
us as we get older and life gets harder, like
you need your people and having a place for expression
through art and music, and you know, if travels and
community and connection to people as part of it even
(48:51):
better mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (48:52):
Absolutely when you first started to tour and go out
on the road with you know, your friend's band and
stuff like that. Was it as you anticipated or was
it something and did you like it or did you
like elements of it but then other elements of it
kind of sucked for no Man? Yeah, or just like
(49:13):
when you started to tour, you know with your friends
bands and I knew you joked around where you just
kind of dove in on the weekends or what have
you done? You know touring? Like do you like it? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (49:25):
No, I do, And like I used to, I mean
I used to jump on majority of world tours, probably
for a couple of weeks. It's usually on the West Coast.
And Matt was in a band called Her Mom. I
definitely went with them on Europe to Europe, and Cloak
Dagger is another band who's played in that I've toured
with and I've always enjoyed it, I mean in it
applies to no Man as well. You know, being able
(49:46):
to travel with friends, put yourself in unique situations and
you know, see the world, meet other people and you know,
be part of of their scene or their world is
such a treat, you know, I think it's so interesting
because like doing things DIY is a lot of work.
(50:11):
A lot of friends of ours, you know, work with
booking agents, and we've been pretty emphatic about doing this
on our own, and you know, it's hard, especially as
you get older and you have other responsibilities. But I
think it's how you retain that communal aspect of it
rather than being a visitor through scenes, and it's you know,
going to shows, meeting people, watching their bands play, seeing
(50:34):
old friends and you know, making new friends. But it's
like a privilege to be brought into someone ELS's world
and part of their scene. If that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (50:44):
Oh yeah, absolutely, and especially too where you can be
you know, there there is that youthful ignorance that is
obviously great when everybody is creating art when they're you know,
they have very limited experience, but they got a whole
lot of piss and vinegar. But there there is something
interesting about being able to levy your broader breath of
(51:08):
experience as you were older and frankly be more deliberate
about either your plans or to your point, your intentionality
of like, yes, we want to keep this as close
to the vest as possible, whereas like, yeah, maybe you
could somewhat articulate that when you're younger, but like you know,
you could be blown by the wind in another direction
very quickly, so it's like you're more rooted in your elements.
Speaker 3 (51:32):
One hundred percent. I just being on the front end
of it helps you understand what you're getting into. I did.
We're playing some shows for our record release at the
end of Merch and I definitely sent Jeff how a
note cussing about like how hard it is to book
these shows and not having the time for it. Recently,
I think we get to play with FORR Swhipch. I'm
(51:52):
very excited about. But it it matters, Like again, it
keeps you connected, so you're not for the you're you're
part of it and you understand like what you're getting into.
Speaker 1 (52:04):
Yeah. Absolutely, And when you you know, kind of stepped
into the the vocal duties as it were there, I mean,
I know, like you obviously have experience with that, but
just the idea of you know, being a front person
and people paying attention to you know, you more than
they do, because I mean, let's be honest, the basis
is no one pays attention to them, you know.
Speaker 3 (52:26):
Sorry, sorry Kevin, I don't.
Speaker 1 (52:28):
I know, you're you are obviously the shining star. But
jokes aside where it's like that, you know, that attention
sometimes like you know, yes, you're expecting a little bit
of that, but you know, sometimes the attention is like okay,
like I can't you know, I literally just played a
show five minutes ago. I kind of take a moment
to breathe and that sort of stuff. How are you,
(52:49):
you know, kind of balancing those two things.
Speaker 3 (52:53):
I think I'm okay. I mean, uh, I think I'm
okay with it good generally speaking, I I do need
time to recharge. I am feeling a responsibility as to
use my platform, like especially now with what's happening in Palestine,
(53:15):
so like whether it's using the band or you know,
speaking as a front person, and so that that to
me is like the piece that may feel like draining
is because it's it's hurtful. It's really rough to be.
You know. We got into this because we you know,
are we're I think of our music as protests and
(53:39):
to speak up for what's happening in the world. But
I'm constantly thinking about how to use like my voice,
my fingers, and my toes to speak up about what
this country is doing, and so that part of it
is like draining and keeps me on my toes. I
you know, have said, I don't want to play shows
right now unless they are sending a message or they
(54:00):
are supporting Palestine with some sort of charity. So that
piece of it in this moment in time is a lot,
but I'm grateful for it, and I feel like there
are other people within our community that are you know,
following suit, and that makes me have a little bit
(54:21):
more reassurance in humanity.
Speaker 1 (54:24):
Sure, absolutely, any what I find cool and interesting as well,
where it's like the the context in which bands that
are again broadly you know, labeled as like punk or
hardcore or whatever. It's like the amount of just the
simple observation of just like looking on social media and
certain bands that it's like, you know, they play traditional
(54:47):
hardcore or metalcore or whatever, but are staunchly you know,
against what is happening in Palestine in the war, and
it's like, yeah, it's very cool to see that. Whereas
like they're i mean, especially in the nineties, like there
was such a clear dividing line of like, okay, here's
your political bands and then here's your non political bands,
(55:08):
and now those lines like I don't know if you've
noticed that where it's like there's the lines can be
blurred a little bit more, especially from you know, being
placing traditional labels on certain genres.
Speaker 3 (55:22):
No, I think for sure that's the thing. I Actually
I was with a couple of other Palestinian punks which
probably like thus, I was with them the other day
and it was like it was great to have connection.
I will say that many of them are feeling very
(55:47):
abandoned right now. You know, some of them who I
spent time with or from like also an earlier generation
here where they're like silence can be deafening. But at
the same time, I've worked with some of our friends.
We have something called Healsine Punks for Palestine that is
a it's a run we do as a walk run.
(56:09):
It's for a Gaza five k for UNA to benefit
Unrah and it supports kids in Gaza with mental health services.
And so the next run is on March second. And
so when you look at there's like we're at a
point where I don't know everyone that's involved in it,
and it's people that are punks that are running it,
(56:32):
walking it raising funds across many countries and we're at
thirteen thousand dollars so far. So like, I'm trying to
shift my focus and my energy to where I can
make a difference and feeling like re energized about what
we can do within this scene. But like I said,
(56:53):
there's plenty of people that are not speaking up, and
I just you know, it's sad because when I spend
time with other friends, other punks that are part of
this scene, it definitely feels like a conditional kind of love.
It's like punks are progressive until it gets to Palestine,
and I think people are afraid to speak up. I
(57:16):
also think that that's changing a little bit, but I
do what I can to just try to direct the
energy to something that's more productive.
Speaker 1 (57:26):
Sure, sure, and stuff that frankly you have more control
over as well.
Speaker 3 (57:30):
Exactly, Like you know, there you surround yourself with the
people that want to speak up with you and where
you have control, and it's like what matters most today
is finding a way to help those that that that
don't have that voice, right And so I don't know,
it's it. I'm energized by the work that we do
(57:53):
and the people that I that we know. But it's
it's definitely there's work. There's work to be done there.
Speaker 1 (58:02):
Yeah, absolutely right, it's not a uh yeah as in everything,
what is it? The you know, long arc of judge
or the arc of justice is long, and you know
whatever you're saying is it's like that there's there's never
an end date to unfortunately, you know, human suffering, and
you know, we can only control what we can and
like you said, you're just applying it to the places
(58:25):
that you know that you can be the most helpful.
Speaker 3 (58:28):
And like again, you know, we just have We've grown
up in a part of punk that is fighting, being
passive or you know, unimaginative and this like sort of
culture of consumption and feel like we're doing our part there.
But yeah, well there's work to be done.
Speaker 1 (58:49):
Yeah. Absolutely. The last thing I want to know was
the fact that you know, I think most people obviously
consume their perceptions of whatever owner of the world when
they have not visited, they have never experienced it. It's
obviously just through mass media, social media, whatever the case
may be. I mean, obviously, as a person that's spent
(59:09):
time in Palestine, the you know, like just in very
simplest of terms, like you know, to describe it to me,
like what is your you know, your comparison like with
a person. And I know that may be you know,
a real trite way of me trying to set it up,
but just like you know, humanizing the experience of like.
Speaker 3 (59:30):
What is it like? For sure? Well let me talk
about it in two ways. So first of all, today
in Palestine and Gaza, we're dealing with over twenty eight
thousand people murdered in the last four months. We're dealing
with hundreds of thousands who have fled to rough orphan children.
One point five million Palestinians are cramped and makeshift, tense, starving, freezing,
(59:54):
no medicine, no water, no electricity. It is literally the
most densely populated area on Earth and they have no
where to go. So that is like critical to call out.
In addition to the fact that the US is the
Senate passed fourteen billion dollars in weapons for Israel's war
(01:00:14):
in Gaza. The same bill bans US funding for UNRA,
which is again like how the Kalasini refugees are getting
care right now during this crisis. So I think it's
important to call that out as well as you know,
there's I don't know how close you are to some
(01:00:36):
of the news that's happening there. But last week there
was a six year old girl named hind who called
for help. She said, well, you come and take me.
I'm scared. I am trapped in a car. And she
was with her dead relatives and an ambulance went to
save her and they were all murdered. So like that
is like Gaza and Palestine today. If the question is
(01:00:57):
what's it like for you Meha to go there and
to visit and overall experience as an American who is
also a Palestinian, It's a visit that involves strip searching.
It involves me not being allowed to go on roads
because Palestines aren't allowed on specific roads, and it's pretty humiliating.
(01:01:21):
So you know, once you go through checkpoint and you're
with your family. My family today primarily is in the
West Bank, and while what's happening today is devastating in Gaza,
the West Bank is not immune from it. When you
are with your family, it is lovely to be on
the land that you've had, you know, for generations, that
(01:01:43):
your father, that your grandfather and grandparents have grown up
for several generations. But getting there is like is is
pretty humiliating and and stressful. So it's something that you know,
I've gone through since I was a child, you know,
(01:02:03):
traveling with my parents, and have also gone without my parents.
Matt went with me last time, and we had a
really interesting run in because we arrived to TELEVI the
airport and Matt as like a white man, was waved through.
He didn't leave me, but they told him to leave
me whereas I was you know, asked to go into
another room for deep interrogations. So you know, the traveling
(01:02:30):
there is very different as a Palestinian versus anyone else.
But yeah, I think it's I always try to like
represent what it's like to be there as a Palestinian
living there today versus like my travels from here.
Speaker 1 (01:02:45):
Yeah, America totally. And I appreciate that articulation because yeah,
there's just like when you know, other people attempt to
experience cultures as a tourist versus where it's like, yeah,
it is vastly different experiences, you know, at different times
and then different situations, and yeah, what you explain makes
(01:03:05):
a whole lot of sense.
Speaker 3 (01:03:07):
Yeah, and it's sadly it's like not you know, I
mentioned what's happening in Gaza right now, it's they've hit
the gas. But it's also something that started before October seventh.
You know, this is like a seventy plus seventy five
year plus, you know, ethnic cleansing for the Palestinian people,
(01:03:27):
whether it is you know, women having children, are still births,
dying at checkpoints, you know, people being starved out, children
being in jails. It's what's happening right now is super extreme,
with a number that have been killed. But like I said,
I think it's also important to call out that this
(01:03:47):
isn't new. What's also important is to mention the US
is like, this isn't possible without us, which is why
I think every Palestinian I know, I don't think it
takes being Palestinian, but but why every Palestinian I know
so unhinged right now. It's like we're living and passing
is living in America? That is, we're living here, uh,
and our tax dollars are funding this, so it is
(01:04:10):
it's it's a moment. I do think that public opinion
is shifting, and hopefully that will result in something long term.
But also, you know, I think as public opinion is shifting,
journalists are being viewed as a threat and they're being
targeted with a goal of elimination. So it's it's it's
(01:04:31):
a difficult time for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:04:35):
The last thing I want to hit on was the
idea of like, similar to what you're talking about, of
the you know, as simple as it sounds, like finding
time where it's like, you know, clearly, your parents like
they're you know, work, like all of these things balancing
one another. And the fact that you want to be
expressive towards a band like when you literally don't need
(01:04:57):
to Like there's you know, you've you've contributed plenty within
the context of you know, punk and hardcore what have you.
But you know, is it as simple as like the
you know, creation of your art and the friendships that
obviously keeps you attached to this or is there you know,
ye other motives that obviously you know inspire you to
still keep yelling into a microphone and recording these songs
(01:05:21):
and stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:05:21):
Sure, I mean, I think doing this and being part
of this community allows me to be like to put
one foot in front of the other. Like I said,
life is hard whether it's happening right what's happening right
now in Palasi, know, whether it's losing my father or
having friends go through something similar. So that's so like, no,
I don't have any kind of but like why do
(01:05:42):
you like carve out the time and use your you know,
use your brakes to do that? Is because of that
love for the community. Also, you know, Matthew and I
are pretty fortunate, like I said, he records bands for
a living, so like the nature of uh, the scene
and the creation and new bands is always in my house.
(01:06:04):
So you know, again it's you know, probably by design,
but have been lucky to be around like that kind
of creativity and and new music and meeting new people
because of the nature of the work that he does
and the friends that were around. But you know, it's
(01:06:24):
also it is very intentional and it takes effort to
maintain and thrive those relationships in that part of the community.
And to me, that's like it's more important than anything.
Speaker 1 (01:06:41):
That was that everybody, you need to go listen to
all of Noman stuff because they're a great band and
love what they do. It just reminds me of the
early aughts as it were in regards to you know,
scream o punk all that stuff. Its just yeah, it's
really really good. Anyways, big shout out to the Idend
(01:07:02):
Records family, and big shout out to mehe for coming
on the show and was like genuinely excited to do it.
I could tell. And I love that excitement because I'm
excited as well. And my dog is apparently wanting to
bark on this outro. So I'm not re recording this.
We got this. Okay, We're gonna be talking about the
guest next week and the guest next week. I am thrilled.
(01:07:26):
I have Aaron Bruno and you were like, Okay, I
don't really necessarily know that name. He's in a tiny
little band called a Wall Nation, which anybody who's listened
to the radio the past like fifteen years of their
lives has absolutely heard an A Wall Nation song. And
he also has a long history within the context of
punk and hardcore. Played in an amazing band that put
(01:07:49):
out a record on New Age Records called Insurgents, and
he's also been friends with you know, basically all of
the Los Angeles hardcore people for quite some time. And
he's a hardcore kid. It's the snapcase guys a bunch
of stuff. But I was very excited because he has
a new project from a band of his called The
Barbarians of California. It's a new hardcore band done with
(01:08:12):
his friend Eric Stenman. So anyways, more about that next week.
But Aaron Bruno from Awole Nation Insurgents The Barbarians of California.
That's stopping next week. Until then, please be safe everybody,
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