Foundation Interview

Yo, for those who don't know we also run a fanzine called 'It's still ok not to drink'. This is an interview we did with amazing Atlanta straight edge outfit Foundation for the first issue. If you enjoy it feel free to sus a copy from the bigcartel. http://waitingonrevolutiondistro.bigcartel.com/

First off, who are you, and what is your role in Foundation?

This is Andrew and I play guitar.

This is Tomas and I “sing”.

How would you describe Foundation to someone who hasn’t heard you before?

Andrew: We’re a group of hardcore kids, from Atlanta, playing hardcore music. I guess you could say our style is similar to a lot of the heavier hardcore bands from the mid to late ‘90s.

Are you named after the Trial release of the same name?

Nope.

How long have you been straight edge, and what made you want to walk this path?

Andrew: I’ve been straight edge for seven or eight years now. I used to smoke weed for a while back in high school and eventually grew out of it when I started going to hardcore shows. At the time when I started coming around, Atlanta was a predominantly straight edge scene and I was pretty quick to find out what straight edge was all about. It definitely wasn’t something I just jumped into. It’s something that began to feel right for me at that point in my life. Still makes complete sense to me now and I wouldn’t want to be any other way.

Why was it important to you to make Foundation a straight edge band?

Tomas: Personally, ever since I got into punk and hardcore I wanted to be in a straight edge band, all my favorite bands were straight edge, a lot of the kids I grew up around were straight edge, and I really felt that straight edge was such a great message that it should spread to others, and I find that to be much easier when every member of the band is on the same page about it.

Are there any current straight edge bands that you believe people should check out?

Harm’s Way, The Mongoloids, Down To Nothing, Mindset from Baltimore

You guys are from Atlanta. I know basically nothing about your city, so what’s good?

Andrew: Best city in the Southeastern United States. Home of Coca-Cola and Chick-Fil-A, the world’s greatest fast food restaurant. People here are pretty laid back for the most part, but still have a very realistic attitude about things. We’ve got the best looking females too. Also, Atlanta is only about an hour drive from a bunch of sweet lakes/mountains if that’s your thing.

Tomas: He forgot to mention the Atlanta Braves: the longest running continuously operating franchise in baseball history, not to mention one of the best teams for the last 2 decades. Atlanta is also great in the sense of its community, unlike bigger cities where I think you can just fall into something or a lifestyle, here you really have to want it and earn it.

How’s the hardcore scene there?

Tomas: When its good, its really good. We’re real close here, that has to go back to the community comment I just made, even if its 300 people at a show, chances are you know 3 quarters of the people in the room. Honestly, Foundation would be absolutely nothing without the hardcore scene here.

Does the fact that Atlanta is the home of Coca-Cola have anything to do with the amount of straight edge people there?

Tomas: Yes, absolutely. Haha.

You were recently lucky enough to play the final Have Heart show. How was that?

Tomas: Fun, yet one of the most stressful shows I think we’ve ever played. Because of the curfew at the venue, every band had to play like a 12 minute set, and take down and set up in like 3 minutes, if you don’t play music that may not mean a lot to you, but it was a lot of hard work, but I am very happy we got to play it, and send Have Heart off at the top, I think they were a very important band for hardcore, and to a lot of people around the world, so I’m honored we got to be there for that moment.

Heartless is an amazing song. Could you describe its lyrics and meaning for those who haven’t heard it before?

Tomas: I’m going to be blunt about this, Heartless is about having sex. Now before this gets taken out of context, I want to say right now that I have nothing against consenting adults fucking each others’ brains out, this is strictly a personal song about how sometimes these urges can just consume me, and I understand that EVERYONE feels this way at some point but I just hate that feeling, after it has passed, it’s just so empty. This song was also written from a personal experience with a previous relationship that I had, and my lack of commitment to it.

Has the recent Global Financial Crisis affected you as a touring band? And if so, how?

Andrew: Not so much. It put a hurting on us two summers ago when we were on tour with Forfeit. Gas prices went through the roof and we eventually ran out of money. The day we were in Colorado, I went walking for a while and came back with a hose for us to siphon someone’s gas. We eventually ended up just working things out. Never got to use the hose. Haha.

You did an amazing split with a band called Meantime, who have recently broke up. Any thoughts?

Andrew: Meantime was the band carrying the torch for Florida hardcore. We were honored to play their last show. It’s real unfortunate that they broke up, not only for them being a great band from one state down from us, but for them also not being afraid to stand for something. You just don’t see that in a lot of bands any more.

Apart from Foundation what do you do in the ‘real’ world?

Andrew: I don’t currently have a job. I just finished college and plan on doing this band for the time being.

Tomas: I work at a dog daycare, I love my job, it’s a great place to work when we’re not on tour.

Your top three LPs of the 90s?

Andrew:

Buried Alive – The Death of Your Perfect World

Snapcase – Progression Through Unlearning

Most Precious Blood – Nothing In Vain

Tomas:

Unbroken - Life. Love. Regret.

Indecision - Unorthodox

Chokehold - Content With Dying.

Favorite Earth Crisis song?

Andrew: The Discipline…so hard.

Tomas: Situation Degenerates, or wrath of sanity.

What’s next for Foundation? Any upcoming releases in the near future?

Andrew: We’re currently writing for our first LP to be released on Bridge Nine Records. We’re just over halfway finished with the writing and we should be hitting the studio in July/August.

Any plans to tour Australia?

We’d love to come to Australia! Hopefully we will make it there once this LP comes out.

Thanks so much for doing this interview it means the world to two kids on the other side of the world

Thank you for supporting a band from the other side of the world!