Coma Regalia [Interview # 157]

1)      When I first got into hardcore (And for lack of a better word, we’ll just talk about the “hardcore” scene, but that will encompass all of its subgenres as well), Converge was still relatively unknown but it seemed to really be thriving.  Victory Records had actual hardcore bands, and so did Equal Vision.   Now it seems like hardcore is either coming back or never really left, but I feel like it had been on hiatus for a little while or something.   Did Hot Topic have something to do with that?  What are your thoughts on the last ten years of hardcore?

There were certainly still bands doing great hardcore. Lion of the North and In First Person are the first bands that come to mind. I think the thing might have been that there didn't seem to be that one band that came along that just unanimously blew everyone's minds. I was playing in a band called (Ache/Emelie) and we were playing with lots of great bands but not a lot of them left a very lasting impact on the scene I guess.

2)      You have a number of splits with other bands.  Are there any bands out there you’d still like to split with one day?

Well, some of my friends from high school are in some pretty awesome bands so I'll just say it then. Let's do a Junius/Circle Takes The Square/Coma Regalia split. It can be any format you all like. If Dana and Kathy are reading this, you know. Hit me up.

3)      You also run the record label, Middle Man Records.   With bands being able to post their music to Band Camp, Sound Cloud, etc. and social media, what type of role do you think record labels really play in the modern day music scene?

It has changed things for sure. A good label can promote a band a ton but I think most of the time bands are just looking for someone to pay for the vinyl. Too much of the time the material is already on one of these sites before the band even looks for someone to release the vinyl and that makes it hard. 

4)      Back in ’99, I remember Jay Reason coming up to me at a show and handing me a demo CD.   Now it seems like people would hand out flyers and what not with links to digital music.   Do you feel like that has somehow hindered the hardcore scene on a whole: the whole idea of not handing someone an actual CD or tape makes it seem less d.i.y. and personal somehow, no?

I think it definitely cuts some of the personality out of it. Some of my favorite things about DIY is the character a demo takes on and how it changes whether it's made of standard materials or something wacky. Sometimes you might not think of how the music is perceived based on the package it's presented in but it makes a big difference.

5)      I’ve found most people to say that they put out tapes because it’s not expensive, but I personally love cassettes.   What are your thoughts on tapes?  I know you’ve released both cassettes and records.

I love them too actually! Downstairs where I do all my screen printing I only listen to cassettes. It's a rule. I do think there are WAY too many poorly done cassette "releases" floating around right now though. There are too many labels doing really bad home dubbing and it's eventually going to hurt cassettes as a format. People are assuming too much that people don't actually listen to the cassette itself and just snag the download but they're wrong.

6)      I proposed the question to Kyle (of Gas Up Yr Hearse!!) and he said to ask you about there one day possibly being a Middle Man Records tour, you know, like Warped Tour or Plea for Peace only with better bands?

Haha. Ok, for Kyle I'll do it. I think we could actually have a really awesome show. Let's see... Capacities, Heart On My Sleeve, Cavalcades, Bonehouse, Gillian Carter, The Story Changes, La Luna, Foxmoulder, Gas Up Yr Hearse!, Caust, {This.Is.Not.For.You}, Book of Caverns, Greyscale, We Had A Deal, Crows-An-Wra, For Want Of... I think we could have a pretty good bill there.

7)      With music being released digitally more often than not, I feel like it really opened the doors for physical releases to be anything- records, tapes, CDs, even floppy disks.   Are there any mediums out there that you’ve considered releasing music on that no one else has yet?

I guess what I am usually thinking about is what I can put the record IN as opposed to what else I can put out. We have been asked to do a floppy disk though but the only way I would agree to that is if there was no download. You either get to it from the disk or not at all.  I think "dead" formats are cool but to most people they are usually little more than collector's items which are also cool but they can come in any form. 

8)      Final thoughts, plugs, shout outs to bands, etc…?? 

Thanks so much for taking the time to ask us some questions. This year has been great for us so far and before it's over it will be even better. Right now we're in the stages of booking a west coast tour for November so... hope to see you soon!