Hiroe, the new darlings of the American post-rock underground, have revealed their new single ‘Dancing at the End of the World’, taken from their forthcoming debut album, Wield, due 20th June via Pelagic Records.
Both powerfully melodic and heavy, Wield shows the Philadelphia-based quintet mastering their craft, of creating compelling melodies that sound larger than life.
On ‘Dancing at the End of the World’, the group comment: “Though seemingly contrasting, “dancing” and “the end of the world” are brought together to symbolize our shared human capacity to transform pain and vulnerability into something profound and meaningful when facing overwhelming adversity. ‘Dancing at the End of the World’ represents an act of defiant optimism to find hope in the face of hopelessness. It’s a conscious choice to find light in darkness and not be consumed by despair, even when all hope seems lost, even when it feels like the end of the world.”
2022 saw Hiroe burst onto the scene with an explosive debut EP full of soaring anthems and sublime soundscapes. Combining the sonic expansiveness of Deftones with the dynamic heaviness of bands like Isis and Caspian, Hiroe immediately already figured out how to make the most majestic sounding post-rock early in their career. “Our first album, Wrought was a statement of creation,” explains principal songwriter Eric Kusanagi (guitars).
For the recording of Wield, Jill Paslier moved from bass to guitars, with Brian Kong (guitars), Jon Seiler (bass) and Dan Sagherian (drums) joining to complete the lineup. Produced once more by Mario Quintero (Spotlights) Wield capitalises on everything the band learned in the creation of its predecessor, adding to it a new focus on textural intricacies and compositional detail.
“We wanted to show a larger range of musical themes on this record,” continues Eric. “You’ll hear us dive into some synth work, some piano work, some really interesting effects that Mario helped us dial up.” Wield as a resultpacks in a huge range of details, which reveal themselves over repeated listens.
Nevertheless, Wield is still an affair of instant gratification for fans of guitar driven post-rock. From the soaring leads of ‘Tides’ to the epic finale of ‘I’ve Been Waiting For You All My Life’, Hiroe show they’ve upped their game in every department, but especially that which tugs at your heartstrings.
Wield presents the brave new future we all need in these confusing times. A new American frontier on which we can build our wildest dreams and our most daring ambitions.
Hiroe are:
Eric Kusanagi – Guitar Jill Paslier – Guitar Brian Kong – Guitar Jon Seiler – Bass Dan Sagherian – Drums
Lockjaw Records quickly became one of my favorite record labels out there. Besides releasing great music records, they recently also got themselves in coffee project with Sham City Roasters. Punkrock and coffee? Yes, please! It was about time for me to talk about everything with Sarah from Lockjaw Records/Shout Louder zine.
PUNKROCK AND COFFEE, IS THIS A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN? ARE YOU GUYS COFFEE ADDICTS LIKE ME? LATTE OR MACCHIATO, TURKISH COFFEE, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE?
The Lockjaw team is definitely obsessed with coffee! Our social media expert Joelle is a bit less keen, but the rest of us more than make up for it. I tend to drink my coffee black – no sugar, no milk, no nothing – just to make the most of the flavour. I used to drink a lot espresso, but nowadays I tend to go for an americano.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN FOR OUR READERS THE PHILOSOPHY AND BACKGROUND BEHIND LOCKJAW RECORDS? IS IT SMALL DIY LABEL BUSINESS?
We’re all individually part of the DIY music scene, however as Lockjaw we like to take it a step further with a ‘do it together’ philosophy. Our aim is to contribute to the music community by supporting bands as best we can. None of us have any grandiose expectations of financial gain! We’re also keen on doing that in the most ethical and environmentally sustainable way possible, which has led us to producing merch using bamboo, cork and recycled materials, rather than plastic.
LAST SUMMER YOU GATHERED A NEW CREW, NEW TEAM, COULD YOU TELL WHO IS ON BOARD LOCKJAW CREW RIGHT NOW?
There are five of us in the current Lockjaw crew; it works well because we’ve got a variety of skills and a lot of enthusiasm between us.
Rob Piper is our head honcho; he’s run the label since 2011, however he’s also known as the guitarist in Darko. Lesley-Anne O’Brien is our resident spreadsheet wizard and industry expert, she also plays guitar in Midwich Cuckoos.
Cedric Degruyter is a web designer who’s a whizz at keeping everything up to date, improving our webstore and making all of our online material look bangin’. He also plays bass in The Affect Heuristic. Joelle Laes is in charge of all our social media; she’s got lots of experience from previously running Less Talk, More Records. I’m Sarah Williams – I look after press, publicity, marketing and write all of our blog posts / online content. I’m probably slightly better known for looking after a website called Shout Louder.
HOW MANY RELEASES DID YOU HAVE UNTIL NOW? DO YOU ALSO BOOK TOURS FOR YOUR BANDS? IF I HAD A BAND, HOW COULD I GET YOU INTERESTED IN THE MUSIC OF MY BAND? WHAT ARE YOUR HOTTEST RELEASES RIGHT NOW?
Since 2011 we’ve put out more than 60 records, although we’ve not properly kept count. In 2018 we put out 8 records, including successful albums from Fair Do’s and Drones and we’ve got a similar amount booked this year. This year there’s even more on the way, plus we’ve just released a coffee and a hot sauce.
We help our bands make connections with promoters, and Rob often drives or tour manages bands that we’re working with. We tend to work with bands that we’ve enjoyed watching live; it’s important that we love their music.
We’re stoked at the moment to be working with Chicago skate-punk legends Much The Same to release their new album Everything Is Fine. If you want our hottest release though it’s definitely Fights & Fires’ Kebaptism! It’s a bottle of hot sauce with an EP attached.
LET´S GET BACK TO COFFEE. PROJECT LOCKJAW RECORDS COFFEE IN CO-OPERATION WITH SHAM CITY ROASTERS, HOW DID IT COME TO THAT? IS IT THE TWO SMALL BUSINESS DIY PROJECT? IS IT BORN OUT OF YOUR OWN LOVE FOR COFFEE?
I’ve been in love with Sham City Roasters for a long time – they’re an excellent punk-inspired artisan roastery in Hastings, with a little veggie cafe attached. I’ve been pretty keen to work with Dave over at Sham City for a while and, with a bunch of coffee addicts behind Lockjaw, it seemed like the perfect time to start up a fresh project.
photo by:Josh Sumner
IS THE NEW PUNK COFFEE AVAILABLE FOR BUYING? HOW MUCH DID YOU GUYS RELEASE? ARE THERE BIG QUANTITIES? ARE YOU GOING FOR BIGGER SHOPS DISTRIBUTION OR PUNK STYLED, LIKE DIY RECORDS AND MERCHSTYLE?
We sold out of our first batch of coffee pretty quickly! We’re getting a fresh batch roasted in time for KNRD Fest in Nuremburg, where we’re planning to serve up some Lockjawesome espresso martinis.
The coffee’s small batch only so that it stays fresh. Initially we’d planned for it to be a one-off, but there’s been so much demand that we’ve ordered more. You can buy it direct from our webstore, or come find us at a gig or festival. You can’t buy it anywhere else – this is DIY only.
BESIDES COFFEE, THERE IS ALSO COMPILATION FOR OUR LISTENING PLEASURE, HOW DID YOU CHOOSE BANDS ON IT? ARE THERE LOCKJAW RECORDS BANDS ONLY OR OTHERS TOO? WHAT ARE YOUR MUSICAL FAVORITES PERSONALLY RIGHT NOW?
The coffee comes in an exclusive 30-track compilation. It’s a mix of Lockjaw Records bands, bands we admire from outside the label, and bands based in Hastings (where Sham City is). We wanted the comp to reflect the collaboration between the two businesses, and we’ve got ourselves a diverse (but awesome) comp as a result.
I got the pleasure of finalising the tracks and fiddling about with the running order, which was great fun – like making a big mix tape for all your friends.
WHAT GOT YOU INTO THE WHOLE DIY PUNK HARDCORE MOVEMENT PHILOSOPHY?
Personally, I grew up in a family with a fairly alternative ethos and an interest in music, so it’s pretty deeply ingrained. Growing up, I started watching a lot of ‘punk’ bands. I’ve always felt embraced by the music community and I agree with the principles of helping one another, supporting venues and bands, and being socially and environmentally aware.
IS THERE SUCH THING AS UNITY OR IS IT ONLY HARDCORE PUNK ARCADIAN DREAM, UTOPIAN LAND OF DREAMS?
I think that it’s better to focus your efforts on what you can achieve: support local businesses, venues and bands; be good to the people around you; always be open to new ways of thinking. Focus on and build on the positives that you have.
I CAN´T AVOID POLITICS HERE, DO YOU GUYS THINK THAT BREXIT WILL BRING GREAT PROBLEMS TO PEOPLE AND BANDS FROM UK TRAVELING TO PLAY OR VISIT FESTIVALS ABROAD CONCERNING VISAS, WORK PERMITS AND STUFF?
Unsurprisingly, none of us support Brexit. For one thing, three of our team are in England and two are in Belgium, which presents enough challenges without adding extra legal complications.
We’re expecting it to be a clusterfuck and for there to be complications with visas, etc., but we’ll still make it over to the mainland for tours. I’m more worried that we might see less international bands coming to play in the UK. I’m worried about the queue for the ferry getting bigger too!
I SUPPOSE THAT LOCKJAW DOESN´T PAY YOUR BILLS. WHAT DO YOU DO PERSONALLY?
No, Lockjaw doesn’t pay the bills! We all do it for the love of punk. We’ve all got full time jobs and other projects alongside Lockjaw.
LAST QUESTION:WHAT FESTIVALS ARE YOU RECOMMENDING FOR US TO VISIT THIS SUMMER? WHERE WILL YOU GO? WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES?
This summer, the Lockjaw Crew will definitely be at KNRD Fest (Germany), Brakrock Ecofest (Belgium) and Punk Rock Holiday (Slovenia). You can also spot a couple of us at Polite Riot (UK), Jera On Air (Netherlands), Boomtown (UK) and Wotsit Called Fest (UK). Come say hello!
Lockjaw Records has recently announced a big, international expansion to its team, accompanied by a brand new logo, a new line of merchandise and a unique compilation!
Specialising in punk and hardcore, Lockjaw Records was first started in 1997, later taken over by Darko’s guitarist Rob Piper in 2011. Since 2014 the label’s been a two-person operation, but that’s all set to change this year.
“Lesley and I were doing good stuff for Lockjaw, but with a bigger community more would be possible,” said label head honcho, Rob Piper, on the recent expansion. “We needed to talk to people who were on our level and were fully invested in the scene like we were. People who do it for the love of punk.”
Now with outposts in Guildford, London, Manchester, Oostkamp and Antwerp, the team has expanded to include Sarah Williams (Shout Louder), Joëlle Laes (Less Talk, More Records) and Cedric Degruyter (The Affect Heuristic).
“We’ve been talking to a lot of bands about future releases and events and there will be some great records from great bands coming out,” Piper continues. “We will be more actively introducing people to who’s running it and how it works, encouraging people to come and say hello and be part of the gigs.”
The label has launched a fresh new logo and a refreshed, more user-friendly website. As well as Lockjaw releases, the site provides distribution for a range of international bands.
“The benefits of having a bigger team are that you get more ideas and you get feedback instantly, so expect more exciting things to happen,” Piper conmmented. “We’ll be sharing more with you. The useability is going to be improved on the website. It’s going to be easier to get hold of the music you like.”
Lockjaw are proud to be part of a thriving international music community, built on friendship, social-responsibility and a mutual love of punk rock. The new team is introducing a more cooperative approach to the label, aiming to operate in a transparent, ethical and eco-conscious way.
To celebrate festival season, Lockjaw Records launched a brand new compilation: Catchy Tunes for Fetching People. What sets this apart from other compilations? Well, it comes on a frisbee!
The Lockjaw team curated 33 tracks of fast, exciting skatepunk from the best labels and bands they’ve worked and partied with recently. The Catchy Tunes compilation features bands like Belvedere, Drones, Waterweed, Eat Defeat, For I Am, Wolfrik, Hightime, Eat Dirt., The Human Project, Forever Unclean, Astpai, Sombulance, Straightline and more!
What better way to discover your new favourite band this summer? You can buy the Catchy Tunes compilation on a vibrant red or yellow frisbee, made from 100% recycled plastic! Just be sure to scan the QR code printed on it to get your download, before you throw it to your friends.
The frisbees flew off the shelves at Brakrock Ecofest and Punk Rock Holiday, but you can get one directly from the Lockjaw Records webstoreor find them at select shows now.
NEW MERCH
Lockjaw Records have gone the extra mile to ensure all our merchandise is organic, Fair Trade and environmentally friendly, using the best quality materials. You can be assured that you’re wearing something that looks great and looks after our beautiful planet.
They have also created some super-sweet sunglasses, snapback and toothbrushes (that’s right, toothbrushes!). You can look and taste fresh with their eco-friendly laser-cut bamboo swag, featuring their classic diamonds and lightning bolts.
Lockjaw Records are so proud of their brand new logo that they’ve created a sweet range of t-shirts to show it off. You can represent the best in punk and hardcore and look great while you’re doing it!
CONTACT
We would love to tell the world about our ethics, our plans for the future or the thriving European music community.
If you’re interested in an interview or an exclusive article please contact Sarah Williams @ Lockjaw Records e:sarah@lockjawrecords.co.ukm: +447835 053 633
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