This will be the last taster interview we post from our upcoming split with Torched, this time featuring a band that put out one of the best releases of last year Run With The Hunted. We got in touch with Vocalist Drew through email. Their new self titled record is up to listen to in full on their bandcamp http://runwiththehunted.bandcamp.com/ and is available through Panic Records at Panic Records or through us at www.waitingonrevolutiondistro.bigcartel.com .Enjoy.
Yo, How are you? Could you introduce yourself and what you do in the band? And a brief history of the band.
Hey, my name is Drew and I am the vocalist for Run with the Hunted. We played our first show in June of 2007 in our hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. A few months later we released our first EP “Find Your Way Out” on local label Rebuild Records. We did a few west coast tours and then released our second EP “Destroy All Calendars” on Glory Kid Records in March of 2009. We toured the rest of the country and then released our debut LP on Panic Records this past November. Then we toured some more.
You recently put out a new Self Titled release on Panic Records, can you tell us about how you got hooked up with them?
Timm, who runs Panic, found us shortly after our first EP came out. We talked about eventually working together and a friendship formed. The timing wasn’t right for either of us when we put out “Destroy All Calendars” so we agreed to have Panic release our first full length. A year and a half later, it was written and recorded and now we’re on Panic.
The Self Titled has a different sound to your previous release ‘Destroy All Calendars’ could you go through what influenced the sound and lyrics for it?
At some point during the writing process, I think we collectively realized that we didn’t want to put out a straightforward hardcore record. We wanted to push ourselves as far as possible as musicians and really test the boundaries of what we were capable of. I think it’s easy to get stuck in a musical box, for lack of a better word, where your idea of what you “should” sound like is dictated by your genre and your preconceptions about what that means. We didn’t want to fall victim to that mindset and limit ourselves. We listen to a lot of other styles of music as well, and in hindsight I’m sure some of those influences found their way into the songwriting. At the same time, we have always been and always will be a hardcore band. Our roots are in this community and that influence is probably the strongest one of all; I think that’s evident when you listen to our music or see us live. I guess overall, we wanted to make a record that we wouldn’t get bored with.
The lyrics for the album were influenced by my journey through life and my attempt to understand and make sense of what I see and experience. During the writing of the album, I went through a really difficult time where I nearly lost relationships that were important to me and I was forced to face my shortcomings as a person. A lot of the album is about that; about coming clean and being honest about your weaknesses and finding redemption in the process.
Lyrically you choose to write in metaphors surrounding issues more then being straight out with things, why do you write in this style compared to being more straight forward?
That’s a hard question to answer. I’m not sure if the way that I write is necessarily a conscious thing you know? I can only really write when I’m upset or emotional; I just sit down and pour everything out as honestly and unfiltered as I can. I guess I view lyrics as a form of poetry and enjoy the challenge of writing in that style. I don’t think all the lyrics I write are like that though; there are some instances where I am purposely straightforward and stripped down.
Also on the new release you have not only guest vocals by Chris Rouse from Seven Generations but also Greg Bennick from Trial, who wrote his own lyrics for the song “Synesthesia” how, did this come about?
Seven Generations and Trial were probably the two most important hardcore bands for me; their ideas changed my life and helped shape who I am today. I’d known the members of Seven Generations years before Run with the Hunted started. Before RWTH could tour full time, we played a lot of weekend shows in southern California with them and our relationships as individuals and as bands grew stronger. I knew I wanted Chris somewhere on our record but I wasn’t sure where to put him. I was recording vocals for “Double Zero” in the studio and realized that Chris would be perfect for this song so I called him up to see if he could get into a studio. The next day, Paul Miner was nice enough to track him and that was that. It was a last minute thing, but it turned out so perfectly it’s like it was meant to be.
I also knew that I wanted Greg to be on this record, and I thought “Synesthesia” was the perfect song for him. I’d met him a few years back through Timm and we had an instant connection. I sent Greg a rough mix of the song and the lyrics and just asked him to write something based on how the song made him feel. He really tapped into the feeling of the song and did his own thing and it came out awesome. It was amazing to collaborate with him.
On your release ‘Destroy All Calendars’ it had written explanations underneath each song, where as on the self titled you choose against this, why was this?
The main reason was space limitations. There simply wasn’t room in the insert of our album to include that much text and it would have been really expensive to make it happen. We didn’t even have room to include the extensive thank you list we’d made unfortunately. But I also think the songs on the full length speak for themselves in a way that the ones on “Destroy All Calendars” may not have. The songs are also way more personal and come from a very raw place in my being, so writing about them any further than I already did would be difficult - maybe even impossible. Each song has something to say and I think sometimes less is more. I feel like going into depth about a songs explanation can sometimes take away from its impact as a piece of writing on its own. I’ve tossed around the idea of providing explanations/insight into some of the songs on our blog though. We’ll see what happens.
Also why did you choose to put Destroy All Calendars out as a one sided 12” with artwork on the spare side as opposed to a cd?
Ever since the band first started we had really wanted to release something on vinyl. Growing up in punk and hardcore, vinyl was a really important format to all of us; there was something really special about holding a physical piece of music in your hands and pouring over the lyrics and liner notes. Our first EP was on CD only, so we hoped our second one could be on record. Fortunately Glory Kid was into the idea as well; since it was only 4 songs, we figured we would just do a 7” but Andy from Glory Kid thought it would be much more interesting and unique to do a one sided 12”. Somewhere along the line the idea of screen-printing the B side of the record came up and we knew we’d found a great way to release the songs.
Coming from Arizona how do you think that has influenced your sound and overall views as a band? Is it as conservative as it is made out to be? Especially seeing as you have outspoken Senator John McCain as the chosen representative for the state.
Arizona is pretty conservative but I don’t think that’s something you necessarily witness on a day to day basis; people’s ideas and beliefs aren’t always a visible thing, especially in public. My circle of friends are on the opposite side of the political spectrum so I think in some ways, we’re insulated from mainstream attitudes and beliefs. Personally, I can say that living in a conservative place made me want to go the opposite direction politically and explore non-mainstream radical politics.
It’s hard to say how being from Arizona shaped our sound... AZ isn’t really known for its hardcore bands; for years we’ve had a small but relatively strong scene but almost no punk/hardcore bands have really done much outside of that. It feels sort of isolated, like being on an island. I guess it made us want to create our own sound since we didn’t really have one locally to borrow from.
What does the future see for Run with the Hunted?
We’ll be doing a lot of touring this year, hopefully making it out to Europe finally. We’ll keep writing new music between tours and growing as much as possible, both as individuals and as a band. Past that I can’t really say... Our music was always meant to be an outlet for us as individuals, something we felt inspired to create and something we hoped others could find solace in. I don’t know where that will take us, but not knowing is half the fun.
I’m assuming this band are big Bukowski fans being named after a reader of his, are you dudes big readers? If so what have you read that’s good lately?
Yah Bukowski is great and a few of us are big readers. Right now I’m re-reading “A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn, which is pretty incredible. Last tour I read a really inspiring book my mom gave me called “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson about a guy who started building schools for children in northern Pakistan. It was really good. I also read “Under the Banner of Heaven” by Jon Krakauer on that tour; it’s a historical narrative about the history of the Mormon Church and how Mormon fundamentalism came about. Also a great read. I tend to read political/historical books the most but they can be overwhelming so I have to eventually break away and read something light or fictional from time to time.
What legacy would you like to live as an individual and a band?
As an individual I want to do my best to leave this world a better place than I found it. I want to give more than I take and never stop questioning, learning, or growing as a person. I want to inspire people to do things they never thought they could and never accept things as they’re given to us at face value. I guess I want the same legacy for Run with the Hunted. I want people to find solace in our band and take away from our struggles whatever they may. Sometimes hearing a song or reading particular lyrics and just knowing that someone else out there felt the same way you do (especially at our worst moments) can be a life changing experience - I know it has been for me. I hope the band encourages people to question everything, especially themselves. I hope people can look back on RWTH and feel like the band meant something special to them, something as special as it has to the five of us.
Yo, How are you? Could you introduce yourself and what you do in the band? And a brief history of the band.
Hey, my name is Drew and I am the vocalist for Run with the Hunted. We played our first show in June of 2007 in our hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. A few months later we released our first EP “Find Your Way Out” on local label Rebuild Records. We did a few west coast tours and then released our second EP “Destroy All Calendars” on Glory Kid Records in March of 2009. We toured the rest of the country and then released our debut LP on Panic Records this past November. Then we toured some more.
You recently put out a new Self Titled release on Panic Records, can you tell us about how you got hooked up with them?
Timm, who runs Panic, found us shortly after our first EP came out. We talked about eventually working together and a friendship formed. The timing wasn’t right for either of us when we put out “Destroy All Calendars” so we agreed to have Panic release our first full length. A year and a half later, it was written and recorded and now we’re on Panic.
The Self Titled has a different sound to your previous release ‘Destroy All Calendars’ could you go through what influenced the sound and lyrics for it?
At some point during the writing process, I think we collectively realized that we didn’t want to put out a straightforward hardcore record. We wanted to push ourselves as far as possible as musicians and really test the boundaries of what we were capable of. I think it’s easy to get stuck in a musical box, for lack of a better word, where your idea of what you “should” sound like is dictated by your genre and your preconceptions about what that means. We didn’t want to fall victim to that mindset and limit ourselves. We listen to a lot of other styles of music as well, and in hindsight I’m sure some of those influences found their way into the songwriting. At the same time, we have always been and always will be a hardcore band. Our roots are in this community and that influence is probably the strongest one of all; I think that’s evident when you listen to our music or see us live. I guess overall, we wanted to make a record that we wouldn’t get bored with.
The lyrics for the album were influenced by my journey through life and my attempt to understand and make sense of what I see and experience. During the writing of the album, I went through a really difficult time where I nearly lost relationships that were important to me and I was forced to face my shortcomings as a person. A lot of the album is about that; about coming clean and being honest about your weaknesses and finding redemption in the process.
Lyrically you choose to write in metaphors surrounding issues more then being straight out with things, why do you write in this style compared to being more straight forward?
That’s a hard question to answer. I’m not sure if the way that I write is necessarily a conscious thing you know? I can only really write when I’m upset or emotional; I just sit down and pour everything out as honestly and unfiltered as I can. I guess I view lyrics as a form of poetry and enjoy the challenge of writing in that style. I don’t think all the lyrics I write are like that though; there are some instances where I am purposely straightforward and stripped down.
Also on the new release you have not only guest vocals by Chris Rouse from Seven Generations but also Greg Bennick from Trial, who wrote his own lyrics for the song “Synesthesia” how, did this come about?
Seven Generations and Trial were probably the two most important hardcore bands for me; their ideas changed my life and helped shape who I am today. I’d known the members of Seven Generations years before Run with the Hunted started. Before RWTH could tour full time, we played a lot of weekend shows in southern California with them and our relationships as individuals and as bands grew stronger. I knew I wanted Chris somewhere on our record but I wasn’t sure where to put him. I was recording vocals for “Double Zero” in the studio and realized that Chris would be perfect for this song so I called him up to see if he could get into a studio. The next day, Paul Miner was nice enough to track him and that was that. It was a last minute thing, but it turned out so perfectly it’s like it was meant to be.
I also knew that I wanted Greg to be on this record, and I thought “Synesthesia” was the perfect song for him. I’d met him a few years back through Timm and we had an instant connection. I sent Greg a rough mix of the song and the lyrics and just asked him to write something based on how the song made him feel. He really tapped into the feeling of the song and did his own thing and it came out awesome. It was amazing to collaborate with him.
On your release ‘Destroy All Calendars’ it had written explanations underneath each song, where as on the self titled you choose against this, why was this?
The main reason was space limitations. There simply wasn’t room in the insert of our album to include that much text and it would have been really expensive to make it happen. We didn’t even have room to include the extensive thank you list we’d made unfortunately. But I also think the songs on the full length speak for themselves in a way that the ones on “Destroy All Calendars” may not have. The songs are also way more personal and come from a very raw place in my being, so writing about them any further than I already did would be difficult - maybe even impossible. Each song has something to say and I think sometimes less is more. I feel like going into depth about a songs explanation can sometimes take away from its impact as a piece of writing on its own. I’ve tossed around the idea of providing explanations/insight into some of the songs on our blog though. We’ll see what happens.
Also why did you choose to put Destroy All Calendars out as a one sided 12” with artwork on the spare side as opposed to a cd?
Ever since the band first started we had really wanted to release something on vinyl. Growing up in punk and hardcore, vinyl was a really important format to all of us; there was something really special about holding a physical piece of music in your hands and pouring over the lyrics and liner notes. Our first EP was on CD only, so we hoped our second one could be on record. Fortunately Glory Kid was into the idea as well; since it was only 4 songs, we figured we would just do a 7” but Andy from Glory Kid thought it would be much more interesting and unique to do a one sided 12”. Somewhere along the line the idea of screen-printing the B side of the record came up and we knew we’d found a great way to release the songs.
Coming from Arizona how do you think that has influenced your sound and overall views as a band? Is it as conservative as it is made out to be? Especially seeing as you have outspoken Senator John McCain as the chosen representative for the state.
Arizona is pretty conservative but I don’t think that’s something you necessarily witness on a day to day basis; people’s ideas and beliefs aren’t always a visible thing, especially in public. My circle of friends are on the opposite side of the political spectrum so I think in some ways, we’re insulated from mainstream attitudes and beliefs. Personally, I can say that living in a conservative place made me want to go the opposite direction politically and explore non-mainstream radical politics.
It’s hard to say how being from Arizona shaped our sound... AZ isn’t really known for its hardcore bands; for years we’ve had a small but relatively strong scene but almost no punk/hardcore bands have really done much outside of that. It feels sort of isolated, like being on an island. I guess it made us want to create our own sound since we didn’t really have one locally to borrow from.
What does the future see for Run with the Hunted?
We’ll be doing a lot of touring this year, hopefully making it out to Europe finally. We’ll keep writing new music between tours and growing as much as possible, both as individuals and as a band. Past that I can’t really say... Our music was always meant to be an outlet for us as individuals, something we felt inspired to create and something we hoped others could find solace in. I don’t know where that will take us, but not knowing is half the fun.
I’m assuming this band are big Bukowski fans being named after a reader of his, are you dudes big readers? If so what have you read that’s good lately?
Yah Bukowski is great and a few of us are big readers. Right now I’m re-reading “A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn, which is pretty incredible. Last tour I read a really inspiring book my mom gave me called “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson about a guy who started building schools for children in northern Pakistan. It was really good. I also read “Under the Banner of Heaven” by Jon Krakauer on that tour; it’s a historical narrative about the history of the Mormon Church and how Mormon fundamentalism came about. Also a great read. I tend to read political/historical books the most but they can be overwhelming so I have to eventually break away and read something light or fictional from time to time.
What legacy would you like to live as an individual and a band?
As an individual I want to do my best to leave this world a better place than I found it. I want to give more than I take and never stop questioning, learning, or growing as a person. I want to inspire people to do things they never thought they could and never accept things as they’re given to us at face value. I guess I want the same legacy for Run with the Hunted. I want people to find solace in our band and take away from our struggles whatever they may. Sometimes hearing a song or reading particular lyrics and just knowing that someone else out there felt the same way you do (especially at our worst moments) can be a life changing experience - I know it has been for me. I hope the band encourages people to question everything, especially themselves. I hope people can look back on RWTH and feel like the band meant something special to them, something as special as it has to the five of us.
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