Houston’s 80’s-influenced hardcore act BLACK COFFEE have recently released a music video for their new track “The Critic”, coming from their upcoming split with with FORCED FEM. I took this chance to talk to the band’s very own Halston Luna (also of PELOTON) about this new outing, their anticipated full length and the band in general. See our quick chat below.
Welcome guys! So, you’ve just released a brand new 100% punk video for your track “The Critic”. Tell me a bit about the track and the picture.
Hi, the song is from our split tape with fellow Houston band FORCED FEM due to release in about a month or so, and the video was done by our friend and vocalist for FORCED FEM, Denniz Polk. All the footage is from past shows from this year.
How many of them were there?
It’s three songs per band, and one of our tracks is an AK-47’s cover, a local Houston band from the early 80’s.
Haha, sorry, I meant the shows :D
Oh hahah, there were a lot. I don’t know which shows exactly Denniz used for all the shots but if I had to guess i would say about 6 or 7 different shows.
Ok, back to the split, how did you team up with FORCED FEM for that release?
We have known the members of FF for years and we are all very into the idea of doing things ourselves. And since we haven’t done a split with anyone yet we felt it only appropriate that we do one with people we know and love.
How can we get it?
You’ll be able to order it from the black coffee bandcamp and possibly some distro’s. All the info on where to purchase the tapes will be on both the FORCED FEM and BLACK COFFEE Facebook and WordPress pages.
What’s the timetable?
They will be completed by the end of October.
Cool. Halston, your influences include NEGATIVE APPROACH, SSD, and other bands in the vein of straight forward classic hardcore punk. Are there any newer bands that make you feel really excited?
Oh absolutely, CONCRETE, GLUE, RECIDE, and BREAKOUT from Austin, TX. PRIMAL LEAGUE, DROWN, GAIN, WARHOUNDS, and UNITED RACES, and COMExCLEAN from Houston, and a ton of other bands. I could go on for days man there are so many ill bands materializing every day.
Non-musically, what other stuff can inspire you to write songs for BLACK COFFEE?
I can’t speak for the other members on this, but I feel like social interaction and all the awkward nuances that go along with being socially “acceptable” by other people has a lot to do with how we write.
Is it exactly what we should expect in the new album’s lyrical content? You teased a 20-song full length. What’s the plan to finally put it out?
I think I would be doing the album an injustice by disclosing the lyrical content. But I can say we’re really happy with the how everything is coming out and are very satisfied with the way all the songs are coming together. We’ll be finishing up recording this month. Ryan is getting married next month, so depending on how busy our boy is, that’s when we’d like to have it completed.
Do you feel it is still possible to do something new and push the limits of hardcore punk with new releases? Are you trying to do that?
There are so many different genres to pull inspiration from, so in my opinion absolutely it’s still possible to make hardcore sound new and different. I think a band like us just changes like that naturally.
What’s the spark that keeps you doing this?
I don’t really know, everyone has their reasons, I feel like as long as I have the energy to be fed up with the bullshit, I will want to play hardcore. I can’t imagine why else anyone would play this kind of music.
Is hardcore always more than just the music?
I feel it is. There’s always some sort of message behind the lyrics, And if it’s not a lyrical message you’re feeling, there is a riff that conveys all the rage the guy who just got mugged is feeling. It’s an outlet.
Where is it heading? Considering both local and international scenes, do you analyze hardcore punk’s state these days?
To be honest I don’t really analyze it, but I do hear new bands all the time from all over the place so I imagine it will only spread farther and spawn more bands, the same way it’s been happening over the last 30 years.
What are some of the best things happening in your local scene now? Any cool bands, zines or other undertakings you’d like to spread the word about?
PRIMAL LEAGUE and GAIN are two very sick straight edge bands that are happening right now. DROWN is a heavy new young band, and one of my other bands CHIPPED TEETH is about to record an EP.
Alright Halston. Thanks for the quick chat and a brief update from the band. Always a pleasure to spread a word around about BLACK COFFEE. Feel free to add anything you like. Cheers mate!
Thank you dude! Always cool to hear from you.
