Features / One Question Interviews

Andrew Burgess (Skyway)

SPB: What is your favorite protest song?

Burgess: My favorite protest song? That's a tough one. I think it's impossible to talk about protest songs without mentioning the all-time greats that have held up over the years. I'm talking about songs like "We Shall Overcome," "We Will Not Be Moved," and "A Change is Gonna …

Rob (ButcherBird – guitar)

SPB: How do you draw the line between taking influence vs. mimicking?

Rob: When it comes to human creativity, almost nothing is truly and completely new. There’s a song by Iron Monkey called “House Anxiety” which has an absolutely crushing riff in it -- and it’s essentially the same riff as “Son and Daughter” …

Petey J. Cool (Perfect Buzz)

SPB: What is the best TV theme song?

Petey J. Cool: I’ve still never seen an episode of Hawaii Five-O, but when I was a kid I’d get to catch the opening sequence just before I was marched off to bed. I was fascinated because it was off-limits and clearly for adults. …

Shane Embury (Napalm Death, solo)

What is it like playing a solo set as an opener for "the Napalm Death" crowd (as compared to a solo set with an unfamiliar audience)? 

Playing the Dark Sky Burial set, I feel at times is a daunting task but the reception so far has been encouraging! It’s a chance to take …

Andrew (Dave Eats Mud - drums)

SPB: What’s your favorite ‘90s deep cut in the 3 formats: punk, pop, TV series?

Andrew: So many good ‘90s punk deep cuts to choose from, but I'll go with 88 Fingers Louie's "Something I Don't Know" off their album Behind Bars.

‘90s pop deep cut? Fucking easy - Aïcha by …

Bree (Allegedly Records)

SPB:Do you accept demos? What is the most surprising demo you’ve received?

Bree: We do accept demos! Since Amy is on the west coast and I'm on the east coast, this is a great way for us to listen to bands in other areas of the country that we normally wouldn't get to hear. Having …

Kalle (Jumalvauhti – bass)

SPB: Who is your favorite band/artist from the 2000-2010 era?

Kalle: It's hard to say, but Destiny's Child definitely can't go wrong. 

Black Bickel (Bronson Arm)

SPB: What is your favorite stretch of highway to drive in the US?

Bickel: My favorite stretch of highway is that bit between Milwaukee and Minneapolis, two cities that Bronson Arm always have a great time playing. So if we are leaving Milwaukee, we are usually riding on a high from a great experience …

Kevin Hurley (Unstable Shapes – bass)

SPB: What is your favorite Fugazi record?

Hurley: While we can debate the best Fugazi record, a personal favorite of mine is The Argument. It was my entry point for the band. I was admittedly way late to the party on them and as a result never got to catch them …

Paul Levesque (Let Me Downs - bass/vocals)

SPB: Has the band ever been in a car/van accident while touring?

Levesque: Fortunately, we haven’t! 

(Knock on wood) 

We have had our fair share of van issues. Blown tires, A/C going out in an hours-long traffic jam in the Arizona desert in the middle of summer, and most …

John Garwood (Coming Down – guitar)

SPB: What is your favorite record store – either locally or something you’ve discovered while traveling?

Garwood: Needle Drop Records in Rochester, NY. I’m a little biased considering the owner, Russ Torregiano, is a long-time friend and brother in rock. I’ve been loitering around the shop since it opened in 2011. Hardcore, …

Ray Harkins (Bloodguilt / Taken – vocals)

SPB: What are some of the coolest new developments or evolutions you see in the hardcore scene of 2025?

Harkins: The coolest developments in hardcore that I have witnessed in 2024 that I predict we will see coming into 2025 as well is the ways in which people are introduced to …

Trevor Bebee (Mercy Ties)

SPB: Any new thoughts, perspectives, or memories of this tour as you prep for a new round on the road?

Bebee: Yeah, from 2013 to 2024 my perspective on playing in a touring hardcore band has changed a lot. Since being inactive for so long, I really miss just hanging out with my friends, …

Tommy Colliton (Curse Words)

SPB: What is the most tiresome stereotype about punk rock?      

Colliton: I find one of the most tiresome stereotypes would be that punk has to be yelling angry, aggressive lyrics. While there’s plenty to be pissed off about and it’s rather cathartic yelling along in a sweaty pit full of friends, there’s other ways …

David Jarnstrom (Rad Owl)

SPB: What was the inspiration in starting this band?

Jarnstrom: A midlife crisis? 

In all seriousness, Rad Owl was a bit of a nostalgia trip at first. We were childhood friends who had grown up discovering metal and punk rock and hardcore together in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. We had learned …

Matthew Brammer (Six Below Zero)

SPB: Can you walk us through your studio or recording set-up to get a glimpse of how a one-man band works for Six Below Zero?

Brammer: Since I don't play live anymore, I'm pretty much 100% "in the box" these days. Especially since a lot of amp sims and digital tools have gotten …

Sarah (Queen Serene)

SPB: How did you connect with Craig Ross for the new record?

Sarah: Craig Ross (not to be confused with Lenny Kravitz’s guitarist, haha) is a regular at the coffee shop that I used to work at in Austin. He would come in every morning, sit at the bar, and we’d always end up talking …

Lane Oliver (Yatsu – guitar)

SPB: Which of your songs is hardest to play live?

Oliver: The hardest song to play live is typically “Influencers & Straw Men.” Everyone’s respective parts are incredibly frenetic and full of rapid tempo changes. For guitar, the intro and closing riffs fly up and down the neck and can be pretty tricky …

Aaron (The Snorts-guitar/vocals)

SPB: Other than the new live record, what is your favorite split record, ever?

Aaron: My favorite split of all time is: Spark Lights Friction / Ruined in a Day from 2000. That version of “Hearts and Canons” from Spark Lights just rips. 

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The Snorts has a new split 12" with 2AMature. …

Yanmark Berube (2AMature-drums)

SPB: Do you collect physical media?

Berube: Absolutely, we collect physical media. It’s the only REAL way to own it. When you buy media digitally, you’re usually just purchasing the rights to access it, which can be revoked at any time. With physical media, it’s yours forever. Plus, when the AI overlords eventually take over, …