Interview with Isaac Horne (Sulfuric Cautery, Orchiopexy, Mankind's Devastation...)

I'm very excited about this post, not just because I'm really psyched with how the interview itself turned out, but also because for the first time in ages I was able to make an update relatively soon to the last one!!! Hooray!!!

So this time around I got to interview Isaac, who has for sure been an integral part of the goregrind renaissance we have all been witnessing for the last several years. Isaac has played in numerous killer bands and is for sure one of the most prolific blast beaters in today's scene.

I had the pleasure of meeting Isaac on my visit to Anti Music Fest #4 this fall which he organizes in Ohio, and I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to bear witness to the Midwest scene and hang with Isaac and everyone else in that insane scene. I'm sure for many of you, Isaac's reputation precedes this introduction, so I'll just cut it short. Thanks again Isaac for agreeing to have this chat and hope y'all enjoy this piece!!! 

Pic by Sicken Designs

PROCRASTINATE: HELLOO!!! Thank you 666x times for agreeing to do this interview!! How are you?? What have you eaten today and what was the last record you listened to?

ISAAC: Thanks for your interest Urho!!! I'm doing well, just at work right now. I ate a feta/egg/guac sandwich a few hours back. I was just bumping Hacked Up For Barbecue but got complaints from customers about it, hahah. Now I'm bumping Roland Jones, awesome ethereal phonk remixes from the Ukraine, check him out if you're into that kinda stuff!!

PROCRASTINATE: Ohhh nice!! I was actually just listening to Chainsaw Dismemberment today at work too!! Nice that you get to blast music at your place of work as well haha! Also, that sandwich sounds fucking killer... So, I have a ton of questions for you, but I wanna start with asking how you got into music in the first place? When did you get serious about it and when did you start playing your first instrument? What were your first projects like etc.?

ISAAC: I heard Linkin Park when I was like 8 and thought "DAMN that's heavy", haha!! I blasted a bunch of nu metal and awful alternative rock for a few years before inevitably getting into the heavy stuff. I started playing drums when I was 12. My dad was in a bunch of punk bands when he was younger and still plays music, so he wanted me to learn an instrument when I was younger.

For some reason I always wanted to play the drums and never guitar or the piano like he wanted. So after years of getting the "drums are too loud" response, he caved and I said I could get a kit and he would help me pay for half of it, so I did a bunch of babysitting and yard work for neighbors and eventually got a shitty one! 

My first band was a powerviolence band called Detroit who started off pretty rough but I think we were doing some pretty cool stuff near the end of our existence. I started playing with a horrible hardcore band called Suicidal Cop as my second band, and then a shoegaze project I still actually really like, called Hard Drugs Hamilton. Then I got fast enough to play grindcore and it was all downhill from there...

Hard Drugs Hamilton - Heinous demo brother (2013)

PROCRASTINATE: Drums are for sure my favorite instrument too, I just never really had the chance to play them regularly, aaargh!!! Do you still listen to nu metal? I have to admit that I sometimes listen to that kind of stuff as a guilty pleasure sort of thing, haha... Why do you think that people have this kind of weird/shitty taste for stuff? And when did you shift from hardcore and powerviolence to grindcore? Was there a difference between the scenes or a transitional period or something like that?

ISAAC: If I'm hanging out with Kerby from Girth, chances are I'm exclusively nu metal, haha! And honestly, yeah I do independently sometimes too. I think it's largely nostalgic, and cause it's super funny, and straight up some of that shit is still heavy. Dystopia is more or less weaker Korn, haha. A big part of that transition waas just getting good enough and fast enough to play grind! With PV there's generally more slow parts and the blasts aren't as quick, so it was easier to manage for my amateur ass.

Also finding people who wanted to play grindcore was kind of a mission in Edmonton. The first two grind bands I played in were formed because friends from BC came to Edmonton to stay for a while so we started jamming. Scene wise there wasn't really a scene for grind or PV when my first two bands started playing shows. Sick bands would come through and the openers would be like a noise rock band, a punk band and maybe one grindcore / PV band which made me start booking shows to see 100% brutal line-ups!

Detroit - EP (2012)

PROCRASTINATE: Oh yess, I have a faint memory of banging some nu metal shit with Kerby!! And hahaha it's funny you should say that, I always thought Dystopia had a strong nu metal vibe too, haha! Do you like that band by the way? I listen to them quite regularly, I really dig the lyrics, or at least parts of them. And oh fugg, I forgot you used to live in Canada for who knows how long! So what was your first grind band there?

ISAAC: He's the king of the nu!! Nah, I never got into them. Really I don't like heavy music unless it's the most speedy brutal shit possible. If I wanna hear anything else, I'll listen to a different type of music. There's lots of soul songs that are millions of times heavier and more depressing than any sludge or doom stuff, for me at least. The first grind band I played in was called Cavity search. Collin from Shooting Spree and I started that project when he was working in Edmonton for a month. It was really fun! Not only because it was my first 100% grind band, but also if you know Shooting Spree, you'll know that Collin think about / plays grind like no one else on earth, so playing along to his insane riffs was quite a rewarding challenge.

Cavity Search - Demo (2013)

PROCRASTINATE: Ohhh that sounds great!! I'll have to check out that band, Shooting Spree too! I never listened to them although I've heard recommendations from lots of folks! By the way, I heard you say some where that for you 100% blasts are where it's at! Do you really prefer 100% blast music or what are your thoughts on the more tupa-tupa style grindcore? ALSO!! How the fuck did you achieve your current snare sound?? I never heard anything like it!! (With reference to the Sulfuric Cautery / Take That Vile Fiend split 7")

ISAAC: Shooting Spree is legit my favorite band. It's been a huge influence on my playing all around, and for the writing in Sulfuric Cautery as well! I definitely prefer all out blasting, but there's definitely some great groovy grindcore out there too. If it's pornogrind or all groove and no blast, I'm not down. But bands like Couple Skate and Girth do a fantastic job of mixing lots of tupa in their grinding. 

Thanks man, I've been on the hunt for the most annoying / abrasive snare tone for years, and this is the happiest I've been with it!

Step 1: Acquire a snare made of metal, preferably a large deep one.

Step 2: Put a clear head on it. Coated heads sound too traditional and not annoying enough.

Step 3: Tune the top head up as tight as you physically can.

Step 4: Get someone stronger than you to tune it EVEN TIGHTER!

Step 5: Don't be a featherblaster!!!

It's really hard on your snare and I have broken many many snares doing this, but that's the price of finding the perfect ping!

Track from the SxC split with TxTxVxF

PROCRASTINATE: Your style of drumming includes a lot of different accents and tempo changes that sound like they're really challenging technically! Was there a point where you really started to practice your technique and started to develop as a drummer, or did you achieve your current touch as a more gradual process? Also, when did you join Hyperemesis with Andy and how did Sulfuric Cautery get started?

ISAAC: I'm not a super musically talented person that can learn instruments quickly, so it was a very long and gradual process. But some key turning points for the blasting progress were learning to blast with my fingers instead of my wrist / arm, playing a set in between Obacha and Shooting Spree every night for 2 weeks, while getting any confidence I had annhilated daily, and pushing myself to play above my skill level in Sulfuric Cautery, haha.

Andy had been doing Hyperemesis for a few years as a solo project before I had even met him, and it was one of the first goregrind bands I got really into. He had Graham from Shooting Spree playing drums briefly. Then when he came out to Edmonton, I became the second session drummer in Hyperemesis. After recording a few splits and doing two North American tours, Andy decided I could be the full time drummer in Hyperemesis, and it's been a two piece since then. Soon to be a three piece with our homie Hepatitis Steve on bass!

Sulfuric Cautery started a few months after I moved to Dayton in 2015 with Ryan Mattox and me trying to make unreasonable hyperblasting goregrind, influenced by Last Days of Humanity, Warsore, Shooting Spree, Neuro-Visceral Exhumation, Deterioration, Goner, Anal Birth, etc. Trashcan Wilkinson joined in late 2016, and Kerby joined this year, so now we are a four piece!

Sulfuric Cautery - Live @ RDF (2018)

PROCRASTINATE: Hahah that sounds like a pretty intensive way to develop musically! Hyperemesis became pretty popular after you released such a huge amount of killer releases that maybe in some way redefined the modern goregrind sound / style, and I think with Sulfuric Cautery you've also had a nice reception. This might be a pretty weird question, but how has your experience of becoming a well known underground musician been like, and has that led to any sort of weirdness? Or does this at all ring a bell?

ISAAC: Ah thanks man!!! I've also noticed that the mincegore style that Andy did with Hyperemesis has been influencing a good number of bands in recent years. That's all his doing though. I didn't add much to the Hyperemesis sound other than playing some of the drum parts faster, haha! Regardless of success or exposure or anything, I suspect I'll always do this stuff, as I did for many years doing stuff no one cared about, hahah! 

Fortunately there's not much difference between a "well known" underground musician and any other underground musician, so there hasn't been any kind of temptation to sell out and play metalgrind or anything. Though it has been nice to not have to reach in my own pocket as much to be active in bands, factoring in breaking gear all the time and stuff, I'm still losing lots of money to play.

Establishing a good network of D.I.Y allies, definitely makes it way easier to put out records and book tours though. Shouts out to all the awesome people I've had the pleasure of working with throughout the years! The teamwork and passion driven nature of D.I.Y will forever be a grinders best friend!

Hyperemesis - Split with Dope Resin (2015)

PROCRASTINATE: I totally agree with you about the underground community being one of the best examples of what teamwork and non-profit mentality can achieve! What kind of ambitions or goals do you have as a musician? I know you've played tons of shows in North America, but do you have plans to go tour internationally? If you could pick one place for your next tour where would that be and why?

ISAAC: At the present time some of my grindcore related goals are: Improving my endurance on drums, getting the Moller technique down, and wrapping my head around stringed instruments better so I can write riffs that don't suck!!! Also a few projects I'm involved in have started trying to mess around with doing full length records instead of our typical 5 minute bursts for splits or demos.

Yes, we absolutely do plan to tour internationally eventually!! I've typically been too broke to invest over a grand in plane tickets to get out of North America, but the longer we stay here the more tempting it is to play outside the continent!! If money / logistics / fuckin' LIFE, man, in general weren't obstacles, I would book a Japan tour ASAP!! They've always had a remarkable grindcore / noisecore scene and it would be amazing to play with World / Unholy Grave / Viscera Infest / Patisserie / Oniku etc.! The culture shock of being North American out there sounds immense too, which I think I would really enjoy after being in the grindcore rich but culturally bankrupt American Midwest for the past few years.

Hyperemesis live at SGF in LA, opening for DT80k (2017)

PROCRASTINATE: A Japanese tour is probably a huge dream for lots of people because as you rightly say, their extreme music scene is just insane!! Not to mention all the other interesting cultural aspects that you mentioned. Do you currently play stringed instruments in any bands? I saw you do vocals for Sissy Spacek at Anti Music Fest #4, but this was a one-off kind of thing, right? How was that fest for you by the way? I'd imagine organizing such an event would be quite a hassle! Do you book a lot of gigs nowadays? Also, you mentioned something about the culture of the Midwest there, would you like to elaborate on that a little bit?

ISAAC: Nah, right now I'm only playing drums in bands. I don't consider myself anywhere near skilled enough to offer my stringed services to anyone, haha. I do play bass on most recent recordings for my one man project though, called Mankind's Devastation. The Sissy Spacek thing was indeed just a one time thing. The mic was shocking their bassist, so I improvised the set last minute. 

Lots of people seemed to enjoy themselves at the fest this year, so I'd say it was a success! I was a horrible stress bag the whole time though. I plan on making a few changes next year so I can enjoy myself a bit too, haha. I typically book about one show a month, but they're in my basement and only 4 / 5 band line-ups, so they're much more manageable. 

In a lot of regards the Midwest is the center of American ignorance, xenophobia and depression, which I think is responsible for why there is such an amazing grindcore scene here. Lots of people have put tons of effort to make their own special scenes from nothing, which I think is a very positive response to the overall bleak nature of the Midwest.

Mankind's Devastation - First Two Demos

PROCRASTINATE: I see what you mean. I think organizing shows has to be one of the most thankless jobs in the whole scene, when you consider the amount of preparation and hassle that's involved. I still wanted to ask about your other projects, including Mankind's Devastation. How long have you been doing that for, and how do you like having a solo project? You also play in Rancho Relaxo, right? Can you tell us a little bit about that project as well? ALSO, you're making the "Open Your Eyes and Die!" zine! There have been two issues of it so far, any chance of a third one coming soon? I really like the D.I.Y style of that zine and have thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Do you do the zine all by yourself or is it a group effort?

ISAAC: I think MxD has been around for around 2.5 / 3 years now. It started (as the name partially implies) as an attempt to combine the later non-stop blasting chaos of Last Days of Humanity with their early hellish noisecore stuff. I'ts been a fun experience doing a solo project, as it has pushed me to do more than just drums, get better at recording, and I can run further with ideas that might have been a bit too absurd to pursue in a full band.

Me and my partner Vicky are responsible for both Rancho Relaxo and OYEAD. It's been great getting to collaborate with her! I know it's not too different than grindcore, but the slight style change to play fastcore is quite enjoyable! Lots of changes in the super short songs, all single kick blast beats, and the style is much more punk.

We will be working on a third issue, after making a repress of the second, which is now sold out. I'm glad you're enjoying them. It's done purely out of our love for horrible noise, and to try and give exposure to projects that we think are doing interesting things. For the most part I handle the written content and Vicky does the visual stuff, but the separation of content isn't exclusive.

Rancho Relaxo - 2 tracks from the first demo

PROCRASTINATE: Nice!! You will definitely have to send out copies of the third issue to Europe so we can all catch up with the latest news and gossip over there, haha!! You mentioned self producing for MxD, so I wanted to ask you how you produce the stuff for your other bands. Do people mostly do D.I.Y production there or do you go to studios? Also, it seems to me that there are quite a lot of D.I.Y venues in the states, which I think is pretty cool and exceptional. How often do you play in clubs, and are there downsides to hosting house shows that makes it more difficult / less appealing?

ISAAC: Deal for sure! The time that I started doing Mankind's Devastation was the first that I've recorded independently, so it's a relatively new thing. Me and Ryan self-recorded most of the early Sulfuric Cautery and Orchiopexy stuff, and we recorded with Trashy a few times too before he was in the band. Now we do most of our stuff with Trashy because his set-up is far superior to mine. He knows a lot more than I do about recording, and just knows how grind should sound!!

All of the "higher quality"  recordings I've released have still just been with friends in a basement or practice space or something (shouts out to Doug Long, Shady Jim and Dan Ryckman!). I've never recorded in a studio, and I don't really have any desire to, haha. I know other bands and friends over here have done it, but it never seemed worth it to me, plus overproduced grind is poop.

Orchiopexy - The Ultimate Putridity (2016)

Fortunately the vast majority of shows we play are at houses or other D.I.Y venues, clubs / bars suck and do not exude the essence of grind, plus they exclude young people from the fun!! In some cases they are a necessary evil. It's better to have some place to do shows than none. It's definitely harder to run a D.I.Y venue than to put something on at someone else's club or venue, from my experience, but I still maintain it's a worthwhile thing to do! 

When you do shows in your house specifically, you have to deal with a bunch of drunk people in your home, on top of running a show and all the things that come along with that, like having shit stolen / broken, people pissing off your neighbors / roommates etc. Fortunately for the most part people have been pretty respectful since we started doing the Treehouse of Horror though, and it's been going for a bit over a year now!

PROCRASTINATE: Oh shit, I didn't even know you played in Orchiopexy!! And that reminded me that you also have the project Raw Addict! Haha, so many songs do you estimate you have memorized at this moment? It must be in the hundreds haha! By the way, what is it about gore that appeals to you? Are you really into horror and pathology, or is the appeal related to something else entirely? Also, when is the Sulfuric Cautery / Chopped Off Dick split LP coming out?

ISAAC: I think I only have like 30 songs memorized right now. When we write new ones I forget the only songs very quickly! I think pathology, and both real life and fictional horror are very interesting topics, but neither are my main draw to the goregrind genre. The most alluring aspect of goregrind for me is the sheer extremity of it. It pushes grindcore to its furthest limits. Between the faster tempos, the lower tuned guitars, inhuman pitch shifted vocals, and raw and nasty production, it is to me the furthest conclusion of grindcore, and by extension death metal and hardcore punk.

I wish I could state a date for the release of the Chopped Off Dick split 12", but it's still in the works. Our side is done, Chopped Off Dick have started recording their side, but it's not quite ready yet, same with the artwork. I'm incredibly excited for it to be out though. It's the best recordings we've done yet, and CxOxD are one of the most spectacularly brutal bands going right now! Plus Julian from CxOxD has been a huge supporter of SxC and my number one partner in grind, so on top of it being a super harsh record, it'll also be permanent evidence of grindcore friendship!

Teaser track from the SxD split with CxOxD

PROCRASTINATE: I really look forward to hearing both sides of that release! By the way, was Raw Addict a one-off kind of thing, or are you planning to release more stuff or do shows+ Did you do the collaboration with Joe through the internet, or how did that happen?

ISAAC: Raw Addict has been a project for longer than I've been living in the states, we're just very gradually releasing our stuff. Me and Andy spent two weeks in Winnipeg jamming for a Hyperemesis tour in 2014, and near the end of our stay, Joe invited us down to the Laboratory for Fecal  Analysis. We consumed malt liquor while jamming and then recorded the first Raw Addict session! It was supposed to be for a split with a band that Andy and Dan Ryckman were going to start while we were in Winnipeg, but that never happened, so we released this session on tape about a year later.

After the first session, all our stuff has been recorded long distance and sent through the internet though. Since then, we have released a self titled EP on tape, and recorded material for a full 7", out soon on Mullet Death Records, and a split with Flesh Hoot. We're currently in the beginning stages of recording for a split with Rawhead as well!!! As of right now, we haven't had time to get a live set togther, but if we find ourselves in the same city for long enough we absolutely plan to jam and hopefully play some Raw Addict shows! Joe has been a huge inspiration for me, not just in terms of his amazing grindcore output and partying abilities, but in his D.I.Y work ethic as well, so it has been an honor to collaborate on this project and we'll have much more coming soon!

Raw Addict - 2nd Demo (2018)

PROCRASTINATE: I really love Joe's projects too, and your playing really compliments one another in Raw Addict!! Now I'm beginning to run out of questions, but I wanted to ask if there are some things in the grind / punk / metal scenes that you'd like to see change, and on the other hand are there things that you'd like to always stay as they are now?

ISAAC: At the moment in our little scene, I'm pretty happy with it in a lot of ways. I really wish there were more young people getting involved though. Young people are the life of any scene really. No one gets into abrasive music in their 20's, but lots of people drop out the older they get. If younger people aren't able to attend shows are discouraged / ridiculed when they do, I firmly believe any scene will eventually totally die. 

The other main thing is that a lot of people are quite apathetic, not just locally, but in the worldwide grindcore scene. It seems like many people have for gotten or rejected the ideas on which the genre was first founded upon. I've seen a fair amount of people, mostly straight white males who aren't affected by any of these issues, call to keep politics out of grindcore, for people to shut up and play riffs, or point out that it's absurd that bands that talk about war and violence to be politically or socially minded, which I think is very dumb.

Filling in vocals for Rawhead, opening for Mortician in Baltimore

I view being able to simply enjoy yourself and listen to music as important too, but to dismiss it as purely entertainment seems short sighted to me. I know this attitude is largely a reaction to "PC Culture", and I do believe there are many flaws for that way of thinking as well, but to reject having any dialogue on important issues is a huge oversimplification of the matter. It's looking at it as a black and white thing, when like any other issue it's a shade of gray. And on top of that, to dismiss and act annoyed by issues that you're lucky enough to not be affected by seems pretty damn selfish. Those are my two main complaints, for the most part I think we have a pretty cool little scene locally, and internationally there's no scene I'd rather be involved in than the grindcore scene!

PROCRASTINATE: I see what you're saying, and I definitely agree about the D.I.Y scene being the best, even though some elements of it can in some instances be a bit questionable! But yeah, although it would be sweet to go on chatting for basically forever, this seems to be a good place to stop, as I think you've pretty much covered everything I wanted to ask you about! But if you have any final words, cheers, jeers, shout outs etc., the floor is yours!

ISAAC: Shouts out to you for the interest and great questions, you and Temsu for coming across the world to grind our brains out in September, Vicky for being the best, Girth for being our best friends and forever tour homies, Julian, Vulva Essers, Deterioration, PLF, HARM, Couple Skate, Melbourne sickos, Blake and Logan, all my awesome band mates and all the homies I've made through grindcore worldwide, ya'll rule!!!!! Big fuck you's to MDFL, Doperunner, Greg Deadfest, Esceula cops, and all other racists, rip offs, homophobes and misogynists out there, rail a bullet!!!

If you want to get in touch, holla at: sulfuriccauteryATgmailDOTcom

With the fam in Edmonton

AAAAAARGHHH!!! That's everything for now folks!!! Hope you enjoyed the read, and be sure to check out all of Isaac's projects from the links below and show 'em some support!! AAARGH!!! 

LINKS:

https://orchiopexy.bandcamp.com/

http://blastaddict.tictail.com/ (ISAAC'S LABEL / DISTRO)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrIfsAQ0TIgr_mCH2EQ0Q2Q

https://rawaddict.bandcamp.com/

https://hyperemesis.bandcamp.com/

Interview with Jessi Mathis (Bitchie Rackmore, Jeffrey Donger, Methcuck)

Once again this interview has been super delayed because of me being all over the place and not having my shit together. However, I'm extremely happy to have it finished now, as this was a super fun interview to do and I'm excited to get to share it with y'all!

I briefly met Jessi during my hazy travels in the U.S. this summer. I had the chance to see her perform with Jeffrey Donger and Bitchy Rackmore just before AMF#4, and both bands' sets were really energetic and memorable. Their sound was a bit different from the ultra heavy and dark gore sound that a lot of the bands I saw had (which I also loved of course), and as these bands were both completely unknown to me before, they really peaked my interest. 

I traded myself all the releases that the bands had available at their shows and luckily got to meet all the members, who were just the coolest and nicest people and whom I would be very happy to meet again someday. I kept in contact with Jessi after I left the States and very luckily she agreed to do this interview with me. We covered a huge amount of subjects, from Jessi's various musical projects to the political climate in the U.S as well as the punk/extreme music scene's reaction to it, and finally we closed on some phenomenal notions about how to cope in these trying times. ENJOY!!! 

Jeffrey Donger played at the Nest that night. July 2018, idgf underground (George Forste took the video this is from.

PROCRASTINATE: HELLOO!! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview!!! How are you? What did you eat today, what is the last record / trax you got addicted to and what is your favorite tv show at the moment?

JESSI: THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I am doing great. I'm out at a deli right now and smashing some jalapeno dip. I've been going nuts over Napalm Death's Harmony Corruption. My friend left his copy in my car. And I've also been blasting United Mutation. Always down to get with them. Also a lot of outlaw country. Good drinking tunes!

As far as T.V. goes, I don't watch a lot of it, but I can get down with Mr. Show, Kenneth Anger movies and Paradise P.D. Also my friends (and bandmate) in Slutbomb were recently featured on Bojack Horseman! So I've been picking up where I left off.

PROCRASTINATE: Jalapeno dip with what? Or are you just having the dip?? I never got into that NxDx album. Should I?? I always though that the band ended with FETO, heh... I actually got into Bojack after hearing about that Slutbomb cover too and realized that the show has a lot more depth than I initially thought. 

But AAANYWAYS, how did you initially get into music? What was the first record that made you go "AAARGH" and how did that affect you? When did you start getting active in making music?

JESSI: These homemade tortilla chips, great stuff! And yes you should! The album is kinda industrial, but Barney's voice is still good! The show is about filling the void. I'd be afraid to be a big star for that reason. 

I got into music very early. It was a trip to the Hard Rock Cafe in Washington D.C. that did it for me. I was so entranced by the detail in the building and the bass blaring out of the speakers. I was actually more interested in playing music first. I was about six and I met a violin player at a restaurant and I begged my mom to let me play violin. 

After the trip to the Hard Rock Cafe, and some music classes alongside my own research, buying records at a flea market with my allowance money, I decided to start learning drums at 11 years old. Then I moved onto guitar and bass at 14. As I got older I started working with manipulating sounds and it's all been there ever since.

Jeffrey Donger's first show. Plan Z Photography (Pluto Komit). Witler on the 8's, September 2017.

PROCRASTINATE: Ooohhh those sound like genuinely inspiring moments! That's awesome, it's so cool when music hits really hits you like that. At the moment you play the bass in Jeffrey Donger and do the vocals in Bitchie Rackmore right? Oh and you also have your project METHCUCK, in which I'm not sure what you do, heh! Is it a solo project? I also wanted to ask you about the stories behind these names, cause none of them really say a lot to me, except for Methcuck, which I understand is a drug reference, heh..

JESSI: I play bass in Jeffrey Donger and do vocals for Bitchy and Methcuck. Methcuck is not solo, it's me and my boyfriend Steve Merrill. Jeffrey Donger comes from imagine Dahmer's face on the shaft of a penis, being a dick and dying. Bitchy Rackmore is Ritchie Blackmore but backwards. Methcuck is definitely a drug reference. There is a radio show here called Bob and Tom, and they have a joke about watching drug addicts on the street. That's where Methcuck came in.

PROCRASTINATE: Oohh nice!! What kind of an album is this gonna be? Also, do you ever find it hard to juggle around all of these different projects or do you prefer having multiple projects at the same time? I also wanted to ask you about the lyrics of these bands! Who writes them, what are they about, and what are the inspirations behind them?

JESSI: Our genre is cyber grinding death wave. Vaporwave with grind in it! The inspiration in Jeffrey Donger lyrics is mostly about injustice and abuse. Bitchy is a shitlist of spoofs on prog rock. Methcuck is just all about imagination and morality. It all comes out from the chest and guts. Everything that you feel.

Methcuck - Angelic Hellbabies from Outer Space (2018)

PROCRASTINATE: From the gut is definitely best way to go! Super cool that you have that vaporwave aspect in Methcuck too! It seems like a pretty cool scene, I just never got super into it myself (yet). This actually brings me to my next question: What kind of stuff are you in to, if we exclude all the more extreme punk and metal stuff? 

Also, a follow up question about your lyrics: How does the writing process usually go for you, and do you address your lyrics to a specific group when you write them? I only ask cause I feel I'm pretty shitty at writing lyrics myself, and I'm always interested in the processes that people have for writing.

JESSI: I really enjoy northern soul, old school hip hop (Trick Daddy, Tribe Called Quest, Gangsta Pat and Leaders of the New School are my favorrites). I also grew up listening to a lot of hippie folk shit too, hahhahah, so I never fail getting into anyone from Jim Croce down to the psychedelic sounds of The Soft Machine. The reason why I love all these genres so much is that they are beyond beneficial for writing extreme music.

As for the lyrics, it's all fueled off of daily observation. The writing process, even in extreme music, is so poetic, and you still need a flow. You suddenly find yourself comparing something outward, for example like a "mom getting arrested with the kid watching". Then you try to explain that scenario to something more physical. What did that scenario turn into? Put the chain on the bear and leave her babies. Then you've condensed it, but you've got a lyric. 

A lot of the writing process is just sheer reality. IF you get knocked by all these people that say they are your friends, sometimes it's just a lot easier to say "I got knoced by all these people that were my friends", but for the sake of poetic justice, it's good to enhance your statements.

And on another note, while I'm thinking about it, I also remember how when I first started I would just look for things that fit together and words that rhymed. I'd find it hilarious if there was a song where it was just one syllable words that all rhymed together. But in all seriousness, that's how a good chunk of them start when you're new to writing lyrics.

Jeffrey Donger - Demo (2018)

PROCRASTINATE: You have a really nice approach to doing the lyrics! Super cool to hear that you have influences from such a wide spectrum! Was the message of punk/grind important for you when you initially got into it, or was it more just the music? Also, how is the scene over there? I understand that it's pretty DIY oriented, but I'm interested to hear about the political orientations and stuff like that as well. For example, is veganism a big thing over there?

JESSI: Everyone claims to be an anarchist when it comes down to American politics around here. Especially the Cincinnati scene is very politically charged. We all hate Trump, and any suit that marks you as an ally. Morality is a big deal for punks these days from what I've seen. An American leftist wants to depend on the government, a rightist wants limited government. I think that seems to be lost in transition here with such a jock for a president. Inreal anarchy, you don't want anything to do with the government. So does that label exist if you want the government to make stricter laws, legalize opiates, and more training for police that will evolve to less violence? 

You can't do those things on your own, however you can take the first steps to the higher ups. If you don't like it, you have to change it. It will always start with the people. And it's showing here in Cincy that folks so want change and the city recently has progressed in a lot of ways. Columbus day is now "indigenous people's day", and we also have a Black Lives Matter group, and we are also a sanctuary city, which means immigrants are safe here. It's not like this in every town in the states though.

Bitchy Rackmore - How Did Lynyrd Skynyrd Do It? (2017)

PROCRASTINATE: Wow, it sounds like Cincinnati is a really progressive place! Or is that just the side of the city that's within the state of Ohio? Is there a difference between the side that's in Kentucky? Anyways, I've heard tons of rumors about the political situation in the U.S., but it's super nice to hear that it's going pretty okay where you're at! What is your personal stance on politics? I got a glimpse of it from your last answer, but because at least in Finland there seems to be quite a significant gap between 'leftists' and 'anarchists', or at least between political punk and just otherwise politically active people who might be more inclined towards parliamentary action as well, and I was wondering how, or if you've experienced or noticed this kind of stuff as well?

JESSI: Northern Kentucky is a lot better than the rest of the state. But even in the major cities, such as Lexington and Louisville have neighborhoods that are relatively progressive. I'm grateful to see that, because most of Kentucky is very republican and Christian. 

I see the political punks here expressing concern of property value, minority inclusion, and feminism. They've done a lot of revamping in the city so more suburbians will come visit, but it raises property values, so it causes a minority based neighborhood to have to move out and live somewhere that's worse. Some people who own properties really do wanna thin the herd, and it's sad. I see a lot of politically active people try really hard to understand issues for the sake of empathy, which I applaud, as long as they're really willing to be taught. That's another thing I notice here, that people are willing to be taught certain things that are valuable to the city. 

I work at a radio station in northern Kentucky, for a lot of spiritual leaders in town, and many of them discuss diversity and how really we can all get along. I also work for a non profit organization in which I support all kinds of different people. Conservative in one thing and liberal in another, or vice versa. These people I support can get along and coexist with each other miles better than what the general community does. That's why it is so important to include everyone. I mean everyone, we can all learn something from each other.

And I got into punk and grind because in MY opinion it is the absolute of anything you can do in music. You can be the fastest, most technical, most "profound" in your words. Your songs could be the most off beat thing and it'd sound good because it came from you. You can literally do whatever you want, it's free game. And you get some really cool shit out of it. Hell, we wouldn't have had the blast beat without Gene Kruppa.

About juggling projects, it's not that hard! I also have two jobs, so as long as I have an even schedule, I can keep it together. I have one day dedicated to Jeffrey Donger, and in Methcuck, since it's just Steve and I, we have time to work together since also we live together. Bitchy Rackmore is easy too. I spend a lot of time listening to our recordings, and hopefully figuring out how to contribute things too. Regan and Delaney live in the next major city to the north, Dayton, Ohio, which is only about a 45 minute drive. It doesn't stop us tough! It's awesome that we're all intertwined. 

Bitchy Rackmore ft. Steve Merrill at Mike's Bike Park, March 2018. Dayton, Ohio.

PROCRASTINATE: It's nice to hear that the scene is quite political there! Inequality, rapid changes in property values and gentrification are probably a lot more blatant over there in the States, but I think it's quite a problem in lots of places in Europe as well. It definitely seems to be a difficult issue to tackle, because people really seem to blindly respect the whims of the market forces instead of thinking about the broader and more intricate consequences that it has for individuals. And I definitely agree with you about inclusiveness, and I also really respect people and communities like that, where people can get a long despite their differences. It's for sure the only way that people can achieve any meaningful change.

And wow, sounds like you're keeping super busy!!! It's nice to hear that you've got all of your shit together in such a way that you can manage with a schedule/workload like that! By the way, when did you start playing with JxD and BxR? JxD has only released one demo and the tour split cd-r with BxR, right? I noticed that BxR has some more material on its bandcamp as well, but I was wondering if the tour cd-r was the only physical releace so far?

JESSI: Well, you've just gotta the the right folks to do the right thing. It's that plain and simple. We need real people in this joke of an office. Literally the 99%. And well thank you! I have to stay busy these days.

JxD came together in June of 2017. We started playing shows that September. Our demo was done in the Nest basement. Landis recorded it for us. Him and Jodi throw some of the best house shows there too. I've played there four times and it's always awesome. Love them to death. 

ANYWAYS! Bitchy came together at a show at Mike's Bike Park in March of 2018. Our buddy in Menstrual Munchies, Jesse Creekbaum, couldn't make it to that show, so Delaney and Regan asked if I'd join. I literally just did the vox at the show with Steve and it stayed. After being on a tour where I double dutied, I really wanted to start adding my own ideas. 

JxD's only other release is the split with BxR, but not for long! The demo and splits can be found on cd-r and we also have demos on tape. I'd like to get tapes of the splits. It'll happen! Bitchy has the album and the split.

PROCRASTINATE: Oh cool, so you just joined the band on the spot with no preparation for the show? That's awesome! Do you have any plans to make vinyl releases or stuff like this in the near future, maybe a tour or something like that? By the way I really like your vocal style! The shows that I've seen from both JxD and BxR were super crazy!! I'd like to ask what your songs are about, and if there is any certain theme you try to address with them?

JESSI: Absolutely hahaha!! Thank you! It was a lot of fun. We would love to make vinyls with JxD's album once it's finished. The Bitchy one can be done, we're just getting the money together, haha. And thanks again! I try to put a happy medium in with the bass and vox so I don't run out of gas. It's important.

In BxR we ffocus more on classic rock themes. For example, "I wish Neil Young Was My Dad", "Lita Ford", "Should Have Been Lars". It all shows in the song titles JxD is more of a temper tantrum at your therapists office. For example "Assisted Suicide" talks about the things that make you wanna blow your head off. "Aftermath" is about toxic relationships and cutting off people that aren't good for you.

Jeffrey Donger - Live at the Hub (2017)

PROCRASTINATE: Nice to hear, I'm really looking forward to those releases! Do you have any sort of philosophy regarding the lyrics, for example about juggling between lighter and more serious themes? Are there any certain bands or artists whose lyrics have been especially influential for you?

JESSI: You'll be the first person we ship them out to! If I'm writing lyrics, I just remain honest with myself. I can't lie or hype myself up. I'm just "doing Jessi stuff" as I'd say hahaha! Patti Smith for the poetic detail, Jack Grisham from TSOL, Seth Putnam for the humor, and Jello Biafra. All of them are also honest. Even though Seth Putnam is a total dingus, he knows he's jerking dicks.

PROCRASTINATE: NICEE! Can't wait!! And haha I agree about Seth, I personally only dig AxCx from the early era when they didn't have any lyrics yet, heh... How would you describe the Midwest scene more generally? I think it's becoming like an international grindcore capital of sorts, but I was wondering what other kinds of music there is, what the people, bands and scene infrastructure is like, and if there are some significant differences between the Midwest and other states/countries? What are your favorite / least favorite things about it?

JESSI: Yeah AxCx turned into buttrock after, Fucking A. Dude, the Midwest from Ohio into Illinois has so much. It's really a melting pot. If you start north on the border of Michigan in Cleveland, Ohio, you have a lot of hardcore punk and powerviolence. Apartment 2113, Fuck You Pay Me, the H100s and Face Value all come from there. Forgive me if I missed any names. Then you get to Columbus and there's a really good chunk of things, especially if you get towards Ohio State University. However, since it's central Ohio, it's easier for them to just come north or south. So there's a lot of general punk and metal, but they all travel.

Dayton Ohio, as I'm sure you noticed, it's more known for grindcore than any other extreme genre. In Cincinnatti, since we're in a triangle of different states, southern Ohio gets raided with all sorts of different stuff. We have experimental and post-music from northern Kentucky, we have D-beat punk, black metal, powerviolence, brat punk, crust, grindcore, death metal, and a lot ofopeople in Cincy develop bands inspired by touring bands. We're all influenced by each other, and it shows. If you go west into Indianapolis, Indiana, you get a lot of garage rock and post-punk. Narcan, Mr. Clit and the Pink Cigarettes are good exampples. Go further west into Chicago, Illinois and you get a lot of skate punk and fastcore. I have some personal favorites out there, Chicago is so good to us every time we go.

Bitchy Rackmore - The Cumming of the Lord & The Birth of the Brother (2018)

PROCRASTINATE: Lots of new names there that I'll have to check out for sure! Hahah by the way, what is 'brat punk'? I've never heard of this genre before. Anyways, from following the news and hearing stories from people over there I've understood that America is in a really turbulent state at the moment, as populist politics have really spread through the country and lots of bigoted and super conservative people have gotten more support and legitimization for their fucked up views. Does this affect your daily life a lot? From your perspective how have things changed in the past few years and how do you feel about American culture in general?

JESSI:Brat punk is like that snotty sounding vocals and fast garage riffs, hahaha. Oh god. America has a new reign of ignorance. The way I see it, it's the last laugh for this kind of movement. I feel that American culture can either build up or destroy so rapidly. We have a strong war culture, which would be tight if we were fighting the evils in the communities instead of in other countries... (and the government wonders why people are getting addicted to different kinds of drugs such as heroin, or cocaine), because we're trying to flex on the whole world.

We have a constitution that is constantly being violated by our government, but we also have a melting pot of different people from different backgrounds and ethnicities. I feel like right now the wrong set of hands is in charge of American culture. However, I have faith in the years to come. It will be in our playing field as long as the real ones keep fighting back.

It affects me because I want to lead a succesful life, but if I always have to pay for my medical bills or weeding away debt from something else. If I can't get enough funds aside to get out, I have to pull some illegal shit to get there, or just avoid it. Even if I avoid it, it affects me if my car breaks down and I need a new one, or if I have to put new pipes in my house. We are a cash cow of a country that wants its money back. No lying.

The one Badfit show of the year. The Nest, winter 2018. Thanks to Ethan from Bent Photography.

PROCRASTINATE: Aaaargh I can only imagine how shit like that can fuck you up daily, when there are so many things to stress and despair over!! I'm very sorry to hear that, but it's nice to hear that you have faith in people's ability to change things for the better. Without that, whats' the point of anything right? I find it  interesting that although in many ways the general culture there is so conservative you still get to have things like house shows etc. without so many problems! I'd imagine that with the outside culture being so hostile that there'd be quite a big sense of solidarity within the underground, right?

JESSI: Oh god yeah. It's for real the only way to get things done around here! None of the big wigs are there for you just do it yourself. Even genres outside of extreme music have stopped giving in! So it's all a start.

PROCRASTINATE: What do you think about the punk/extreme/alternative scene's role or capabilities in relation to these kinds of social crises? I've been thinking about this a lot, and while I see lots of potential for change in these communities, sometimes what I see and experience makes me think that they have quite different meanings for some people. What has the role of subcultures been for you in this broader sense?

JESSI: I think other folks can take a look at subcultures and an alternative scene and see what works. We do all things with zero higher-ups holding us from full potential. A lot of the positivity in an alternative scene comes from independence. I embrace the fact that I live in a subculture, because regular culture has failed me. It's not enough for how I want to lead my life, or the things I choose to express. I am completely free to pitch in where I see fit. That's why I work for a non-profit organization, and a local radio station. Without the influence that subcultures have had on me, I would never have made it this far, and I wouldn't be as satisfied in my own life. I'd still be out, searching around.

I think in extreme and alternative music and their communities we call this shit out hahahah. I think that we are outside of society, looking inwards and just reporting our observations. Punk isn't the same as it was in the late 70s and early 80s. Rednecks still hate us, and some of us smell bad, but we started washing our asses and getting involved.

PROCRASTINATE: It's so cool to hear that the underground mentality is such a big part of your life, and that it's not just related to the music! Are there any particular things that you would hope to achieve with your current projects, e.g. musically, in regards to touring and playing live, or just otherwise? Also, do you have hobbies that aren't related to extreme music or the scene, or does that take up most of your free time?

JESSI: I honestly am very happy with where the projects are going. However, you must stay hungry. I'd like to get out of the country! I'd also like to get all the work on vinyls. Maybe we can push them to different record stores or something. 

It's awesome you ask about that, because outside of music I'm really into drawing. I've done illustrations since I was a teenager. I also like being outside. I feel kind of lackluster for not having been in nature so much this summer, but the fall is the best time to do it! I also like researching diseases, and the medical reports behind them. I recently just foudn some pics of gangrene that looked nasty hahaha!

PROCRASTINATE: Oh sweet! Do you do art for your bands or commisioned stuff? It would be cool to see some of your work. And it's funny you brought that up, because I was going to ask you if you are really into horror, pathology, gore etc., and if yes, what you find so appealing about it? I've been thinking about this subject a lot, and I find the ways that people in the grind/punk scene feel about this stuff very interesting.

JESSI: As far as art goes, Kenneth Anger, William Blake and Cloud Studios have really been ones that I go to. See, Kenneth Anger's films are all so old school, Hollywood elaborate. I'd say they're in the styles as all the ones from the era of the 1930s and 40s. They are like plots of dreams and hallucinations. My favorites are Kustom Kar Kommandos, Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome and Revocation of my Demon Brother. Scorpio Rising is dope too.

I like Cloud Studios, and William Blake, as they've got their vulgarity, but the tone justifies the nakedness, the blood and the eyes popping out of heads, you know. Cloud Studios is so cartoony, which influences me too. I draw way more cartoons than any realistic stuff.

Methcuck - Don't be a Dick (2018)

PROCRASTINATE: I really like Blake's works too! I'm not too familiar with Cloud Studios, but I'll have to check it out some time. Now I'm beginning to run out of questions, but I'd still like to ask you some short questions. What gets you up in the morning and motivates you in life? What is your favorite Discharge release? Do you prefer D-beats or blasts? And finally, what advice would you give our readers in these difficult times?

JESSI: The things that motivate me to get up are my dog who needs to eat and be taken care of, the work that I need to get done, and even on the days that I'm a walking void, I have to look up, live and do whatever I need to keep up any accomplishments that I've made so far. Discharge? I honestly like Disrupt more. I like the crusty segues between punk beats and then back to the blast beats. They're way more organized in their songwriting. With all due respect, haha! 

My advice? Even I need to listen to myself on this. It is so important to look up and live. A client I have from Detroit always reminds me of that. Look up, keep your name within your personal representations, hold no grudges but protect yourself. Also, you are a citizen of not just your country, but the world. Sharing videos, articles and pictures on social media only does so much. Take action in a way that is effortless for you. Because if it seems like a chore, you won't put your everything into it.

I mean, I can't brag about myself, but in the past year I've surrounded my life with doing my part in the way that I want to. That's why I'm in the DIY community, working at an inner city radio station and working for the developmentally disabled. All those things just do something to me in a way that makes me feel fulfilled. Even in my rough seasons, I find strength to keep myself afloat just by those things because they all have purpose. I'm not useless, even if I feel that way.

I encourage folks to always find their strong suits and use them. You know how cool it would be to have an inner body spirit leader without any ties to any religion? Shit would be phenomenal. I think there's a strong lack of care and attention to your impact to your surroundings. Some people just get up on their pedestals and think they're so great, when really all of their decision making only works for them, and then they wonder why everyone around them is hurting. Then they are left with nothing.

But if one just feels like nothing and doesn't push out the potential that they desire, or go for any of those things, they too are left with nothing for not taking any plunge or charge of their life. Too much submission and too much hype can leave anybody with nothing.

PROCRASTINATE: Ohhh that is SUPERB advice!!! And for sure you can brag a bit, heh, your words are inspiring and true and it sounds like you've given this a lot of thought and got your shit together! And hahaha don't worry, I love Disrupt too, but of course I only worship Discharge hahah... Anyways, as all your answers have been so in-depth I don't really have anything more to ask you! However, if there's anything you'd like to add or say hello to someone, please feel free to have your final words!

JESSI: Hahahah well hell yeah! Thank you so much again! Well, I'd like to say hi to everyone in my family, I love you and I'm present, just trying to make y'all proud of me hahahah. Um, well, sorry about American, and in grind we trust. We've got the power!

My dear friend Amber and I out on the back porch of a pizza placce. This was when she returned home from Philledelphia. She's back out somewhere now, she's thought about a lot.

THAT'S IT!! WHAT A FUCKEN AMAZING INTERVIEW!! AGAIN, AN INFINITE AMOUNT OF THANKS TO JESSI FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DO THIS!!! GO CHECK OUT JEFFREY DONGER, BITCHY RACKMORE AND METHCUCK RIGHT NOW AND STAY ON THE LOOKOUT FOR ANY UPCOMING SHIT!

LINKS:

https://bitchyrackmore.bandcamp.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2DZOPiGpQ0Fso_aLA9S1Yw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X33XnkqgAOA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U5HLcq0pLM