My boyfriend's band Mom Fight released their first EP a little while back, and everyone around us has been pretty stoked about it. Hailing from Central Jersey (I'm not arguing--Central Jersey EXISTS), this band has provided everything needed to set the record straight in the hardcore scene.
Hardcore is known to most as "screamo" music, a phrase that grinds the whole genre's gears. The technique of hardcore is quite more complex than that. Screaming is usually referred to as the vocal technique used in metalcore. The yelling that is used in hardcore typically has more of a growl in it. However, these are just basic generalizations. One of the best things about hardcore is there is no "right" way of performing. If you listen to "Under Duress" by Converge, and then to Mom Fight's "Destroy," you'll notice major differences in the sound and vocal style of each band, even though they classify themselves under the same genre. It's very important to a lot of these bands to sound different from other groups in order to retain individuality.
Mom Fight underwent major changes this past summer. Not long before they started recording their debut EP, lead vocalist Joe announced his departure from the band. "It saddens me to say this but I will no longer be the vocalist of Mom Fight," Joe wrote in the official statement. But as they say, the show must go on, so my boyfriend, Nick, assumed the role of vocalist, while continuing to play the guitar in the EP recordings. His unique vocal and guitar styles, Evan's heavy bass levels, and Steve's relentless drumming, each characterize the songs in different, yet complementing, ways.
Last year, I sat down with former bassist of Flammable Animals, Pat, and discussed their EP. After getting such a great response, I have decided to do the same here to provide a true feel for what Mom Fight was going for with this record. Here's a piece of Vacant with Nick.
You guys, back in February of 2016, released two sets of two-song demos. On Vacant, you only recorded two songs from the demos, "Pain Within" and "Destroy," and then wrote three new ones. What made you not include the other two songs in the process?
When the time came to pick songs to record, we wanted to pick the songs that best represent Mom Fight at the moment. The three newer songs that made it on the record were the obvious choices. The two demo songs that were picked were picked because they meshed best with those three songs, resulting in a cohesive EP.
Were the three new songs written before Joe left, or did you group together and come up with those once the thought of an EP crossed your minds?
Joe had written only a handful of lyrics total for the three songs, "Ren," "Zodiac," and "Songbird." Most of the lyrics were improvised during the gigs we had, and gave me his blessing to write over anything he had previously come up with. The day before tracking vocals, I rewrote the songs entirely, creating themes out of the working titles we had chosen already.
Which was your favorite song to record both vocally and/or instrumentally (remember, Nick does vocals and guitar)?
For both instances, "Ren" was my favorite to record. For the vocals, even though it wasn't the first song I tracked on vocals, it was the first song I got to see take shape with my lyrics on it. I felt as though the lyrics sat on top of the instruments so naturally. As for guitar, "Ren" was the first song that we tracked as a trio, and it was also the first song that we really experimented with to get the tone that we desired.
What about live? What song do you love performing the most?
I think "Songbird" is the most fun for me in a live setting because my vocals mimic a really cool rhythmic groove in the instruments.
Is the answer the same for what you'd love the audience to hear?
I think the answer's the same, but the reasoning is different. There's a certain way I want the audience to perceive us, and I think "Songbird" does that best. It's dark and heavy, but also somewhat chaotic. It doesn't sound like a stereotypical hardcore song--it's heavy in its own way.
This was a short interview, but I only wanted to give a brief view from their end, rather than just always throwing my opinion out there. The EP is available on Bandcamp and Spotify.
[Photo: Mom Fight]
Hardcore is known to most as "screamo" music, a phrase that grinds the whole genre's gears. The technique of hardcore is quite more complex than that. Screaming is usually referred to as the vocal technique used in metalcore. The yelling that is used in hardcore typically has more of a growl in it. However, these are just basic generalizations. One of the best things about hardcore is there is no "right" way of performing. If you listen to "Under Duress" by Converge, and then to Mom Fight's "Destroy," you'll notice major differences in the sound and vocal style of each band, even though they classify themselves under the same genre. It's very important to a lot of these bands to sound different from other groups in order to retain individuality.
Mom Fight underwent major changes this past summer. Not long before they started recording their debut EP, lead vocalist Joe announced his departure from the band. "It saddens me to say this but I will no longer be the vocalist of Mom Fight," Joe wrote in the official statement. But as they say, the show must go on, so my boyfriend, Nick, assumed the role of vocalist, while continuing to play the guitar in the EP recordings. His unique vocal and guitar styles, Evan's heavy bass levels, and Steve's relentless drumming, each characterize the songs in different, yet complementing, ways.
Last year, I sat down with former bassist of Flammable Animals, Pat, and discussed their EP. After getting such a great response, I have decided to do the same here to provide a true feel for what Mom Fight was going for with this record. Here's a piece of Vacant with Nick.
You guys, back in February of 2016, released two sets of two-song demos. On Vacant, you only recorded two songs from the demos, "Pain Within" and "Destroy," and then wrote three new ones. What made you not include the other two songs in the process?
When the time came to pick songs to record, we wanted to pick the songs that best represent Mom Fight at the moment. The three newer songs that made it on the record were the obvious choices. The two demo songs that were picked were picked because they meshed best with those three songs, resulting in a cohesive EP.
Were the three new songs written before Joe left, or did you group together and come up with those once the thought of an EP crossed your minds?
Joe had written only a handful of lyrics total for the three songs, "Ren," "Zodiac," and "Songbird." Most of the lyrics were improvised during the gigs we had, and gave me his blessing to write over anything he had previously come up with. The day before tracking vocals, I rewrote the songs entirely, creating themes out of the working titles we had chosen already.
Which was your favorite song to record both vocally and/or instrumentally (remember, Nick does vocals and guitar)?
For both instances, "Ren" was my favorite to record. For the vocals, even though it wasn't the first song I tracked on vocals, it was the first song I got to see take shape with my lyrics on it. I felt as though the lyrics sat on top of the instruments so naturally. As for guitar, "Ren" was the first song that we tracked as a trio, and it was also the first song that we really experimented with to get the tone that we desired.
What about live? What song do you love performing the most?
I think "Songbird" is the most fun for me in a live setting because my vocals mimic a really cool rhythmic groove in the instruments.
Is the answer the same for what you'd love the audience to hear?
I think the answer's the same, but the reasoning is different. There's a certain way I want the audience to perceive us, and I think "Songbird" does that best. It's dark and heavy, but also somewhat chaotic. It doesn't sound like a stereotypical hardcore song--it's heavy in its own way.
This was a short interview, but I only wanted to give a brief view from their end, rather than just always throwing my opinion out there. The EP is available on Bandcamp and Spotify.
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