by marcs77
Lots of bands are dished out to you everyday and the net is unbelievably jam packed of new names, new outputs but sometime you happen to stumble upon something which catches your interest right off the bat, and that's how things went with me getting introduced to South London native hardcore band LAY IT ON LINE.
This four-piece, started out in the recent years, plays his blend of hardcore with some clear influences drawn off early days and more punker Iron Maiden, lays down lyrics which have kind of a classic romantic British literature feel to them and uses some Victorian crepuscular imagery that suits the whole (I'm talking about the cover artworks).
Well, I hope you too like me will be finding LAY IT ON THE LINE interesting and cut out some of your time to go on and read this interview Mike (vocals) replied and check out their stuff.
gan: Hello guys, how're things at your camp?
Hey dude...pretty good...no complaints!
gan: So this first question to introduce your band to our readers. Who make up LAY IT ON THE LINE, your age, where are you from, when the band started out and other additional details you wanna trow at us...
Well, we are Matt, Tristan, Joe and myself Mike aged between early 20s and early 30s and from London...we started out in 2012 after various other bands split up. We recorded a demo at the start of 2012 and did our first show spring 2012...done...er...3 EPs and a split since then...writing another split and a debut album at the moment.
gan: In your FB info page you write "The UK's tallest hardcore band. And Tristan". What does this mean?
3 of us are over 6ft - Tristan, the bassist. He's the only short dude. I really should change that to say something useful about the band.
gan: “1968” the opening track of your first 12" “Crowhurst” kicks off with a concrete-heavy-breakdown with an Iron Maiden's feel to it. I guess a bunch of Londoners like you know something about this band, right?
Iron Maiden are the best band of all time. Like, no arguments. The best band of all time. I think they have something about the way they play that is nice to inject into more melodic hardcore stuff sometimes. That kind of...er...medieval, gallop thing they have? that make sense? We love a bit of that. I wouldn't want to copy them completely because what they do is already so perfect, but they influence us as much as anyone else.
gan: What are some of the other bands that somehow influenced your sound?
We got a really varied taste. I'm from a more punk/hardcore background - Pennywise, RKL, Consumed and more recently bands like The Effort and More Than Life...Tristan is more from a NYHC/metal background (the dude is excited to watch Dog Eat Dog this summer...gives you an idea)...Matt likes to add a bit of ambience and soundscaping - and Joe is the new boy. He hasn't been given a choice yet.
gan: London is world-renowned for being the trendiest music scene of UK. How do you guys fit in the musical ground playing your own stuff which I think it isn't exactly metalcore, pop-punk or whatever Kerrang! is pushing these days?
I think England (or the UK) has a really strong hardcore scene at the moment - a lot of bands are from the more melodic end (Goodtime Boys, More Than Life, Landscapes and all of those bands)...I guess we don't consciously fit into that, but kind of are in that category. Some people have said we are post-hardcore, metalcore, deathcore...I don't really care. We just try and mix it up really. But hardcore fits as a label fairly well.
gan: You recently packed together the two EPs you have out into a compilation but I'd like to go a bit in-depth on the lyrical themes behind the second EP titled “Vigilante” and the latest 12” titled “Crowhurst”. Wanna talk about this?
So Crowhurst came out in...may 2013 if I recall..it's only recently come out on 12"...it's about a dude called Donald Crowhurst, who died in 1969 after trying to sail around the world on his own...he slowly lost his mind at sea. The story was really interesting so we based the EP on it.
'Vigilance' is our most recent release - it's about a dude called George Hutchinson, who was a witness in the Whitechapel murders in London in 1888. I have a bit of an obsession with him - he's a really dodgy guy. I wanted to write about him.
Basically all our releases are concepts on people in history - the other two releases have been about people we knew personally.
gan: How did you guys got into these stories in the first place?
Well, our debut EP was about mine and Matt's head teacher from school. He was murdered by a guy he owed money to...some of our tracks were about my friend Ben, who was murdered in our home town in south London in 2009...and the other stories - we just keep our eye out for cool stories - and choose what we are going to write about before we write the songs.
gan: And what about you approaching the hardcore punk?
Hey dude...pretty good...no complaints!
gan: So this first question to introduce your band to our readers. Who make up LAY IT ON THE LINE, your age, where are you from, when the band started out and other additional details you wanna trow at us...
Well, we are Matt, Tristan, Joe and myself Mike aged between early 20s and early 30s and from London...we started out in 2012 after various other bands split up. We recorded a demo at the start of 2012 and did our first show spring 2012...done...er...3 EPs and a split since then...writing another split and a debut album at the moment.
gan: In your FB info page you write "The UK's tallest hardcore band. And Tristan". What does this mean?
3 of us are over 6ft - Tristan, the bassist. He's the only short dude. I really should change that to say something useful about the band.
gan: “1968” the opening track of your first 12" “Crowhurst” kicks off with a concrete-heavy-breakdown with an Iron Maiden's feel to it. I guess a bunch of Londoners like you know something about this band, right?
Iron Maiden are the best band of all time. Like, no arguments. The best band of all time. I think they have something about the way they play that is nice to inject into more melodic hardcore stuff sometimes. That kind of...er...medieval, gallop thing they have? that make sense? We love a bit of that. I wouldn't want to copy them completely because what they do is already so perfect, but they influence us as much as anyone else.
gan: What are some of the other bands that somehow influenced your sound?
We got a really varied taste. I'm from a more punk/hardcore background - Pennywise, RKL, Consumed and more recently bands like The Effort and More Than Life...Tristan is more from a NYHC/metal background (the dude is excited to watch Dog Eat Dog this summer...gives you an idea)...Matt likes to add a bit of ambience and soundscaping - and Joe is the new boy. He hasn't been given a choice yet.
gan: London is world-renowned for being the trendiest music scene of UK. How do you guys fit in the musical ground playing your own stuff which I think it isn't exactly metalcore, pop-punk or whatever Kerrang! is pushing these days?
I think England (or the UK) has a really strong hardcore scene at the moment - a lot of bands are from the more melodic end (Goodtime Boys, More Than Life, Landscapes and all of those bands)...I guess we don't consciously fit into that, but kind of are in that category. Some people have said we are post-hardcore, metalcore, deathcore...I don't really care. We just try and mix it up really. But hardcore fits as a label fairly well.
gan: You recently packed together the two EPs you have out into a compilation but I'd like to go a bit in-depth on the lyrical themes behind the second EP titled “Vigilante” and the latest 12” titled “Crowhurst”. Wanna talk about this?
So Crowhurst came out in...may 2013 if I recall..it's only recently come out on 12"...it's about a dude called Donald Crowhurst, who died in 1969 after trying to sail around the world on his own...he slowly lost his mind at sea. The story was really interesting so we based the EP on it.
'Vigilance' is our most recent release - it's about a dude called George Hutchinson, who was a witness in the Whitechapel murders in London in 1888. I have a bit of an obsession with him - he's a really dodgy guy. I wanted to write about him.
Basically all our releases are concepts on people in history - the other two releases have been about people we knew personally.
gan: How did you guys got into these stories in the first place?
Well, our debut EP was about mine and Matt's head teacher from school. He was murdered by a guy he owed money to...some of our tracks were about my friend Ben, who was murdered in our home town in south London in 2009...and the other stories - we just keep our eye out for cool stories - and choose what we are going to write about before we write the songs.
gan: And what about you approaching the hardcore punk?
If it was up to me, I'd write another Expire album ;) but we all argue loads, then eventually make music that's kind of between our tastes...it's not consciously hardcore, but I guess with my vocals the way they are, it always is going to sound abrasive.
gan: “Crowhurst” sounds to me more raw and metallic and riff-based. Just my impression? How would you compare this latest work to the previous stuff?
We are enjoy a riff in the band...sometimes I like old school, fast hardcore too, but we always put a riff or two in there. It's boring just playing power chords for ever.
gan: We awarded you to the “Hot New Bands To Check Out” section and I see Absolutepunk.net and other press cut a spot for you or spent good words about what you do? How does it feel?
Haha, thanks dude! It's a nice feeling. Everyone who listens to us and pays us attention is due our eternal gratitude. I think it helps we offer our downloads for free - means more people hear us i guess...but yeah, means a lot - so thank you :)
gan: Tell us something we will never learn about you despite coming to your shows, listening to your music or regularly checking out your social-web-channels.
People seem to think we are dark, moody and angry. But really we are 4 dudes who have the biggest laugh on tour...I think the dark side of humanity comes out in our music, so we can enjoy a beer, watching football and fucking about. So yeah!
gan: Time to close this up. Any last words?
Thanks a lot for interviewing us - and if anyone is interested after reading this, all our music is free to download from http://layitontheline.bandcamp.com thanks :) - Mike.
gan: Mike, thanks for taking time off your daily-schedule to reply this interview.
Check: www.facebook.com/layitontheline
gan: “Crowhurst” sounds to me more raw and metallic and riff-based. Just my impression? How would you compare this latest work to the previous stuff?
We are enjoy a riff in the band...sometimes I like old school, fast hardcore too, but we always put a riff or two in there. It's boring just playing power chords for ever.
gan: We awarded you to the “Hot New Bands To Check Out” section and I see Absolutepunk.net and other press cut a spot for you or spent good words about what you do? How does it feel?
Haha, thanks dude! It's a nice feeling. Everyone who listens to us and pays us attention is due our eternal gratitude. I think it helps we offer our downloads for free - means more people hear us i guess...but yeah, means a lot - so thank you :)
gan: Tell us something we will never learn about you despite coming to your shows, listening to your music or regularly checking out your social-web-channels.
People seem to think we are dark, moody and angry. But really we are 4 dudes who have the biggest laugh on tour...I think the dark side of humanity comes out in our music, so we can enjoy a beer, watching football and fucking about. So yeah!
gan: Time to close this up. Any last words?
Thanks a lot for interviewing us - and if anyone is interested after reading this, all our music is free to download from http://layitontheline.bandcamp.com thanks :) - Mike.
gan: Mike, thanks for taking time off your daily-schedule to reply this interview.
Check: www.facebook.com/layitontheline
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