This Friday night at The Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood, Melbourne’s Declaration will launch their new 7″ ‘Before It’s Too Late‘ via Call To Arms Music who launch their label on the night as well. The line up also features Crowned Kings, Ill Vision, Right Mind and Anchors Away. This week in The Hotseat we catch up with Jeremy from Declaration. Expand this post to check out his answers.
THE BASICS
Name : Jeremy
Band : Declaration
Job In Band : Guitarist and stupid voices in the van
Website Address : www.facebook.com/hcdeclaration
HOME
Hometown : Melbourne
Hometown is best known for : Coffee, AFL and Bodyjar.
Best venue in your hometown : I think the Bendigo Hotel has been the best we’ve played since the Arthouse closed. It’s a good size room, sounds great and has cider on the rider!
Favourite show you’ve seen in your hometown : There’s been so many good shows, but FC Five from Japan playing at the Arthouse was what really got me into hardcore. I’d never seen or heard them, so I had no idea what to expect, and they just came out and kicked so much ass! They opened with Dawn Break, and when that dude started screaming, it was like a punch in the face. Still gives me chills to think about it!
Favourite show you’ve played in your hometown : We played a show at Laundry for the Chucking a Mosh birthday with the Mung, The Union Pacific, Right Mind and Gold. That was such a fun show, good turnout, great vibe, and raised some money for Beyond Blue.
THE BAND
How did the band first come to exist? Adam and Chris played in a band called Procedure286, and after they called it a day, Chris got toey to play again, and started working out a lineup for his new band. He had Dan down to play drums before he moved down from Newcastle, he asked me while we having a drunken D&M leaning on the Arthouse bar, and Dave (the first bass player) and Adam came on board soon after. Dave left before our first show, and Gerry was with us for about a year before he had to leave and Reece joined us!
How long has the band been going? We played our first show in November 2010, but we were jamming for a while before that.
Any particular story behind the name? Nah. Sounded Hardcore. Haha! I’m sure it does, Adam will tell you, he’s so passionate about hardcore and what it all means to him, so it must. Just ask him at a show!
What’s your most recent release? Tell us a little about it… Our new EP comes out on August 24th, a limited 7” picture disc. We recorded it with Julian Renzo at Legion Studios in Williamstown. We were initially recording for a split that fell through, so we ended up recording both sides in separate sessions. It was cool because Gerry (bass player) left shortly after recording the first side, and Reece was able to record the second side.
Got a personal stand out achievement of your band to date? This is my first band, so everything about this band is a stand out for me! I was really stoked to play the Arthouse, putting out an EP was huge for me, being a part of Pee Records, and getting to play shows in Queensland, Tassie, Canberra and Adelaide was amazing! Now we’re doing this release DIY on Adam’s new label Call To Arms Music, and have some pretty cool things lined up for the next few months
OFF THE STAGE
What was your first introduction to music that made you think seriously about playing it? I was/am a huge pop-punk kid, and the first ‘local’ show I went to was to see Seraphs Coal, For Amusement Only and Underside at the Tote, and it was game on from there, learning to play crappy covers on my dad’s acoustic.
Any particular band / album or song that you personally credit as a major influence? Where do you start with that one?! Blink 182 – Cheshire Cat and Dude Ranch, MXPX – Slowly Going The Way Of The Buffalo were such major influences on me when I started playing guitar, I’d have to give them the most credit. And later on, more bands like Good Riddance, Dead Hearts, Rise Against, H20 and the Loved Ones!
Your first band name, and what style did you play? Ouch. Ok, it was called Under New Management, playing pop-punk stuff like Goldfinger and Reel Big Fish haha! We never got past the garage.
Most prized music related item you own? For Christmas this year, my girlfriend gave me the Bad Religion box set, on limited edition red vinyl! Sooo awesome! Into The Unknown is pretty rubbish.
When you’re not doing band related stuff, what are you usually found doing? Drinking coffee, reading Batman comics, watching Law & Order SVU and playing video games.
The thing you most look forward to just before a tour is… The drive to the show, and the party after!
The thing you least look forward to before a tour is… Having to wait for toilet stops, the drive home, and the after-effects of the party!
ON THE STAGE
When on offer, what’s your one must have item on the rider? If we had the option, it would be one thousand brown M&Ms to fill a brandy glass, or else we won’t go on stage that night.
Favourite place you’ve toured… and why? Adelaide for the Pee Records show in early April, playing with One Vital Word, Driven Fear, My Catalyst and Hightime. It was such an amazing show, so many good bands, new and old mates, hip-hop blasting afterwards, and some dude spontaneously breakdancing and sliding across the floor on his forehead!
Most memorable show you’ve played? and why? Our first show! It was the first show I’d EVER played, and I was stoked to play the Arthouse stage after years of looking at it!
Got a favourite song to play live? I love playing ‘Before It’s Too Late’ and ‘Side By Side’, the first two songs we wrote for the band, and one of the sides on the new EP. ‘Before It’s Too Late’ is about the violence in the streets of Melbourne, it builds and builds, and then ‘Side By Side’ has an epic outro that is so much fun, with Adam screaming ‘THIS MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME!’ It’s a song about the hardcore scene, and I know that he puts everything into it!
Any embarrassing on stage moments come to mind? Can’t really think of anything embarrassing. I remember our old bass player Gerry breaking his strap a few times, mainly because it was made of shoelaces and gaffer-tape, and he wouldn’t spend anything to buy a new one. He’s so DIY!
Any pre-show rituals? Lately it’s been getting a take-away burrito, and smashing it down on the way to the venue. Usually backfires by the 3rd or 4th song.
What do you find is the hardest aspect of touring in a band today? Australia is fucking huge man, you have to travel so far to do interstate shows! And I think just getting the word out to new people. People like to pigeon-hole what they listen to (hardcore, punk, metal etc) and tend to not to colour outside those lines.
RIGHT NOW
Last song you listened to? Swingin’ Utters – No Eager Men off the Live In A Dive record!
Last album you acquired? Devil In Me – The End, an awesome Portuguese HC band!
Which band or album is currently on high rotation? Swingin’ Utters, Bouncing Souls new record, and Driven Fear – Contender, so fucking huge! That band is amazing live too, check them out. Do it.
Tell us an up and coming band or artist you think we should go and listen to right now? Right Mind, old school hardcore from Melbourne, played by a cool bunch of dudes who clearly love doing what they do! They’re actually releasing their EP the same night as we are, can’t wait to check them out again!
What’s on the cards for the next few months for the band? Putting out another EP, and hopefully touring it!
IF ONLY…
You can pick any one album for your band to cover in full, what would it be and why? Descendents – Everything Sucks, or Bad Religion – No Control, they’re two of my favorite records, so much fun, and I don’t think I could ever get sick of them!
You can pick any one band / artist to cover one of your albums in full, what would it be, and why? FC Five, just so I could hear them play again!
One band you wish you were able to see live but never had the chance? H20… I had tickets to see The Bronx when they played at the Espy, and I’d also have to say the Ramones! I saw Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, which was one hell of a singalong, but pretty fucking lame too haha.
One venue you have yet to play that you would love to? Wembley. I heard about the idea of doing alley-way shows from Sean from Stolen Youth, and that totally flipped me out, I’d fucking love to do that!
The chance comes up to fill in for a member of a band for one tour, which band would it be, and why? Pete from the Bouncing Souls, so I can play some fun tunes and do some crazy WHOOAAH-OOOOHH’s!
A headline tour overseas comes up, tell us two bands you’d take along to support your band. Right Mind and Daybreak!
PLUG TIME
Got any final words? We’re releasing our new EP, Before It’s Too Late, it’s a limited 7” picture disc on Call To Arms Music, and the release show is on the 31st August at the Bendigo Hotel with Crowned Kings (starting their Aussie tour), Ill Vision, Right Mind (also releasing their record) and Anchors Away (their last show).
