Interviews: Plague Mind

This is a new interview with the Hardcore band Plague Mind from the USA. Check out the interview and follow the band on his INSTAGRAM PROFILE. 

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you plan it or came out just like that?

We originally had another name in mind, but when a rock band that sounded more like puddle of mudd had that name already, we're like "no let's not do that" so when looking into names I kept coming up with the Plague name in mind due to the current status of the world these days, and while reading an article I actually saw the lines stacked on top of one another and "plague mind" was in the text. I thought that was a cool enough concept, and no one notable had that name, so we went with that. For a hardcore band, the imagery going along with the name also can draw many comparisons, so it works on a few different levels. 

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

We've all been doing hardcore bands for 20 years, and even though we've tried to play other genres it's just something that seems to come more naturally when writing. It feels much more comfortable even if I've written in other genres.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Yes. Rob, the singer, and I (guitarist) have known each other since high school. Our bassist was in a few bands (with honor and in pieces) that our old band (love is red) toured with back in the early 2000s and when we all happened to live in the same city, it just kinda made sense 20 years later to try and play some music together.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

There's so much to cover in this one, but I'm gonna take a stab at it for each of the guys. Rob loves strung out. Jack is a big fan of Gwar, Bobby only listens to Hatebreed or new found glory. And I love bands ranging from nirvana, to strike anywhere, to cult of luna.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

I think we all just enjoy creating music. I am inspired by a lot of different genres but use them to write hardcore. An old doom metal band of mine, I actually got an idea from the foo fighters, so there's plenty of influence from all styles of music when I write.

6. Where was your last gig?

This will be a fun one. We started this band in 2021, wrote 8 songs, and recorded them earlier this year, and still have not played any shows yet! We plan on playing late summer or fall locally in Seattle to start off.

7. Where would you like to act?

We will try to play anywhere and as much as we can. We are all in our 40s so for now travel is limited, but we live on the West Coast of the US, so tours in that general area seem doable. 8. Whom would you like to feature with? We will play with anyone, especially since we're a newer band. Lots of friends bands in the Pacific Northwest, and hopefully some old hardcore dudes like our buddies in Sunset as well.

9. Who not?

Hmmm, I think we'd even play with bands we hated just for the story, haha.

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

The only time I ever had stage fright was during my first punk band show when I was in high school, but as soon as we hit that first chord, all the adrenaline and fear went away and we just had fun. So my advice is just to have fun, you're bound to fuck up and sound like shit sometimes, just play it off and keep going! 

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

So many bands in any genre, but for the sake of this band, we did a call back to bands we enjoyed in the early 2000s like Hope Con and Modern Life is War

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

In another band I was in, we played in Ukraine and the kids were so excited to see a US hardcore band that they ran up on stage and stole the guitar pick out of my hand! They later came up and asked me to sign it haha.

13. What do you think of your fans?

If we didn't have them we wouldn't be here. the friends and people that appreciate our music make it all worth it.

14. What do you think of our site?

We dig the site! I've interviewed with you before and that's why we reached out to this band. We appreciate your work and the promotion of bands!

15. Something to add?

Anyone that is hesitant. Don't worry, just start a band. Have fun with your friends. You'll be old one day and think you're too old and then start another hardcore band in your 40s anyway.