About.com caught up briefly with PxDx electronics guru and programmer Blake Harrison before a performance at the Maryland Deathfest to discuss what’s next for the band; why playing infrequently leads to more memorable performances and how strange it feels for the band to be accepted by the wider metal community. At one point during the chat Agoraphobic Nosebleed vocalist Richard Johnson stopped by to say hello.
Justin M. Norton: You grew up around here. How does it feel to have Baltimore turn into metal Mecca for three days?
Blake Harrison: I think it’s great. This area is known for grindcore because of Enemy Soil and other bands like that. It’s central to lot of places like New York and Richmond. A lot of these bands don’t tour or ever play. It makes it possible for kids to come and check out something they don’t know about and might never see again.
What have you been working on lately? Are you writing new material?
We’re starting to soon. We don’t tour too much, so we did Australia and a few one-offs and blind dates in Atlanta and Seattle. This (the Deathfest performance) and a New York date is pretty much it for the rest of the year and then we’ll start writing.
All of you hold day jobs. What is it like to work and not do the “road warrior” thing a lot of these other bands do?
We like it. It gives us the opportunity to be passionate about our music. It doesn't become a job. We don't rely on it. It s not ‘we’ve got to play more shows because I can’t pay my rent.’ We want to do this because we’re playing with bands we want to play with or because it’s a cool show. It’s more fun for us.
Has Scott (guitarist Scott Hull) been working on any riffs?
Not yet, although it seems like Scott always has something cooking.
Each album seems to get a bit more of critical bump. Does any of that come to mind when you start writing or do you try to work in a vacuum?
We try to do just what we like. We don’t want every record to sound the same because that’s boring to us, too. It takes time.
You are playing fewer lives shows that a lot of these bands. Does that help performances and is it more cathartic?
Absolutely. It’s also means more people come and it’s more of an event. The crowds are always good, always good.
Do you have any idea of what to expect from the material?
We never go in with any preconceived notions. J.R. (vocalist and lyricist J.R. Hayes) and I always want short, fast grinders that are 30 seconds, little brutal stabs. But it doesn’t always work out that way.
J.R. gets a lot of plaudits for his lyrics. Does he listen to the music first or come in with ideas?
Some of it is stuff that he already has written and some of it is what he intentionally writes for a song.
His lyrics come from an intense and dark place. What is it like for him to be accepted and praised for them?
We all kind of feel that way. Frequently in interviews I say that we’re way bigger than we should be. In our eyes we’re a grindcore band and that’s it. Other bands that we grew up listening to remain cult and underground bands.
At the end of the day we don’t pander to anybody. We write what we write and if people like it, they like it.
It does seem that authenticity is one the band’s draws.
That’s good. I’m glad it comes through.