Lachlan 0:01
What's up, everyone? You're listening to WKNC, 88.1 FM, HD-1, Raleigh. We're a student run radio station based out of North Carolina State University. I'm Lachlan Vester, and this is off the record. Here with me today is the Raleigh hardcore outfit, brick. Why don't you guys? Go ahead and introduce yourselves.
Murphy 0:22
I'm Murphy. I'm from Charlotte, North Carolina. I've been playing in bands since I was, like a freshman in high school, like, going on five years now.
dylan 0:26
Yeah, my name is Dylan. I'm from around Greenville area, if you all know where that is. And I've been playing since around middle school. But my first, like, real band was around sophomore year
jackson 0:39
sup. I'm Jackson, I'm like, I live in an I live in a small town called Roxboro. It's like an hour north of Raleigh. I've been playing music since, like, freshman year, sophomore year of high school. I've been making my own stuff, like metal and indie stuff, just all around everywhere.
Jacob 0:57
I'm Jacob.
Jacob 0:59
I've been making music not that long. I think this is like my first actual band I've been in, but I've been kind of, like making Garage Band beats since sophomore year. That counts. I think that counts. I made like three albums on garage band when I was in like, high school. Like, very, just, like, not good. Just like Steve like, just like Steve Lacy,
Lachlan 1:21
all right. Um, so how long you guys making music as a band?
dylan 1:25
I think we started
jackson 1:27
March
Speaker 1 1:29
right. The timeline is weird, because Murphy and I met beginning so about a year ago. Are you bringing freshman year? We lived in the same dorm, and we're like this, like, became like friends, friend group, and we were the only two who were like, kind of into, like, punk music and like little music. So we kind of start a band, and then we're gonna be called lunch meat. Lunch me, yeah. And we switched our name to brick because the band we were sharing our storage unit with, guard dog has such a cooler name, yeah? Okay. We had to get a different name, yeah. And I think we didn't have a place to practice, so we had to rent a storage unit. I think we just, like, walked up to Jake and was like, Yo come with us. We abducted Jacob. I don't think we ever, like, officially asked him. He's like, Jacob, you're in the band now. And then, I think I posted on the Snapchat story, and then Jackson added me, and then we jam. So I think started practicing on like, February or March. Yeah, I think it was around March of 2025, and we started writing music, like during our first practice, and we've written everything. I think we just wrote a song a few weeks ago. So everything that's on the EP we wrote in the last six months. So you guys describe yourselves as hardcore, do you? What is the Hardcore scene to you as a like, as artists, what do you feel hardcore embodies? I feel like the genre of hardcore, as opposed to the journalism metal, it's all about just like the show, like I see a lot of bands who just released like, very, very, like messy and like unfinished demos, just so the crowd knows the songs and knows what to do at the show. It's like, almost entirely about the show and not about the actual recording, I feel. And
dylan 3:12
it's like, yeah, especially as a smaller artist, it's all about just getting a really awesome live performance. So to a lot of people, that means that, like, the recorded music is secondary. But, you know, it's all preference. There's a lot of style that likes the really raw sound, which is why a lot of bands will go for demos. It's, it's all about like that, like, punch your grandma in the mouth type of thing. It's like that energy that, like, respectfully, though, respectfully, right, right? Just like, getting together to, like, just like, Let all your energy out, lay your anger out. It's, it's, it's really therapeutic, actually, Rick's really like, first introduction to metal as a whole. I never really listened to it before I joined the band. So what do you think about it? Yeah, I think it's pretty good. Like, I mean,
Jacob 4:02
I enjoy the shows, I enjoy playing. I enjoy, like, moshing when other hardcore bands play, it's like a whole new thing for me,
jackson 4:09
awesome. Like, this isn't my first time being like a punk band. So I used to play in punk bands in Charlotte, but I didn't really understand until recently, how different like punk and hardcore are. Like, really, like, if you look at, like, trace it back, they all stem from the same, like bands, like Bad Brains and stuff, but hardcore, it's just, like, all about the raw energy and, like,
Lachlan 4:32
just being as heavy as possible and aggressive and just like, up in your face. Yeah, yeah. And we're gonna get to, I have some questions about live performances, because I was there when you guys put the Merwin house, and that was that was a sight to behold. That was awesome. Thank you. But before we get there, you alluded to recording and doing that sort of thing.
jackson 4:55
Are you planning a release? We were just in Charlotte last weekend.
jackson 5:00
Recording with my friend Ashley. Shout out, Ashley, Ashley, or Ashley dot Hicks on Instagram. He records some local stuff.
jackson 5:10
But we just finished recording.
Lachlan 5:13
I don't think we're like, releasing anything for a little bit, just while it gets, like, mixed and mastered and like put the finishing touches on it. But hopefully before the end of the year, something will be out, yeah. I think the plan is to get something out before we leave for winter break, before, like, December. That way we can do some shows for it. I think the date of, like, around Halloween, of having it done, like finished mixing and stuff was talked about, but not like, official release, or anything, right, right? Because the and from what I've kind of gathered, is it that rough sort of sound is, is good you want that in the in the scene, and so, like, October is a good kind of spot to be in, plus Halloween hardcore, yeah, Google shows. We're definitely looking around that fall winter timeline, trying to build up a lot of hype before we yeah, we want to, like, play a couple more shows first, let people like, because I feel like, at this point, if you release too early, no one really wants it, right? But like, we just release it when the people want to hear it. I don't know if we're at that point yet, but maybe soon. So as artists, what has been your what or who has been your biggest influence when it comes to the music you make, the performance you give? I don't
jackson 6:35
think I listened to a single hardcore band before starting this band. I think I'd heard knocked loose album,
dylan 6:42
and that's it. But then when I was really getting into it, I really connected with drain, the hardcore band. I think they're really awesome, yeah, um, I will admit I don't listen to a ton of straight hardcore. For me, it's more about, like, death metal,
dylan 6:58
um, just anything a little bit more technical, and I think that kind of carries over in our sound. So, man, I like, I love Gojira, I love mastodon. Love crowbar, crowbar. So just anything with a real, real punch in the face sound.
jackson 7:17
I started out with, like, thrash metal. Back in high school, I was really into, like, metallic and all the that sort of thing. And I got deeper into it. I started getting to stoner metal and doom metal. I'm a really big sleep fan. Sleep is my number one favorite band. Oh, that's where I didn't even know that heavy. For me, that's where, like, all the riffs that I started playing, I wanted to just feel like heavy, like, you know, like, like crazy, like, I don't know, and then it can, and then it went into hardcore, you know? I mean, you put that, that same, like, energy and, like, guitar, 10 and all that, into fast and, like, hard, and it's like, I don't know, it's the best of both worlds you can do. I mean, it's sick, dude, yeah, bro, like, half of the drive back from Charlotte, we're talking about stone here, metal. And I had no idea you, because you told us the first place to say your favorite was death. Like, okay, oh, they were at the time. Is this a recent development? No, I've, dude, I've loved sleep since I saw you. Saw sleep. No, no no, since I first listened Okay, yeah, this this summer I got really big into stoner metal. Do metal stone, a rock. It's great. I like it. I was listening to a lot of Detroit. I like, been making, like, different kinds of music all the time, and I can definitely tell influence. Like,
dylan 8:33
I can't really point out the influence, but like, yeah, or well, when I'll find, I'll find a really good album, sometimes, like, bloody roots by selfatory
dylan 8:43
Bro as a drummer, that I just really loved that album. And next time, like, I went in to practice and write some songs like I was just trying to do what that guy was doing, it's just so cool. I feel like I get most my inspiration from genres I'm not making that way. I don't like copy. Yeah, people.
Lachlan 9:05
So getting on to sort of like performance, because you guys, your biggest thing right now is your live performance, which is, in my opinion, electric, like the whole crowd is into it. How would you describe that feeling from the other side of the stage. How do you describe, sort of, that feeling of being in front of from, from, like, the Merwin house, being in front of that many people chanting, break, break, break. You know, bringing a break to the show, being into it.
jackson 9:34
Um, it was kind of, or for me, I've been playing bands for a while. I was in a band Charlotte, who had, like, pretty decent pool. So I was like, I'm used to the crowd, but in that band, I played drums, so I wasn't really, like, front and center most of the time. I'm not really in a clear head space when I'm performing, so I don't really know what's going on. So I don't really know how many people were at this like, I've seen the video, but I give a number on it, I would know I'm like, never.
jackson 10:00
Looking at them. I usually wear sunglasses, but mine broke at the Merlin house. But
dylan 10:05
it's not that weird for me. But sometimes I get super nervous for like, special shows. Yeah, I think the only time I really feel nervous is at the very beginning, because everything's like, Oh no, we haven't started. Like, what if I mess everything up? And then you hit that first song, and it just feels great. Everyone's loving it. And then, I mean, yeah, I like to little dissociate a little bit, and then just feel the music like I'll be sticking my tongue out and just just going crazy for you know, it's fun. It's very fulfilling. I feel like I'm like, part of the crowd because you're just standing right there, and they're like, right next to you, going
jackson 10:40
like, ah, yeah, no, I agree, just like that. This is my first band I've ever been in and playing in a crowd like that, on the same level that you're standing on in the mosh pit, pretty much, dude, it's like crazy. You gotta, like, avoid, like, fist flying. Like, I've been like, pushed into like, my speaker, like my amps, like, multiple times, messed up the riff, but like, I don't care, because the energy is in the room and what's coming out of my guitar. Dude, it doesn't as long as it sounds good. Yeah, it's going to keep the party. That's honestly, like, one of the most fun parts, like when someone bumps into you and you have to, like, recover from that. Dude, the first song we played at Merwin house, this somebody just flew from the crowd into my drum set, so half of the song I was playing, like, sideways, because everything was moved around. We played mermen back in July, and I got a black eye at that show, because for the last song, we do, like, this false ending thing, and I was, like, on this couch, like, I kind of jumped off, I jumped right into someone's elbow, right in the eyebrow. It wasn't that bad, but it was fun. It's all fun. Like,
jackson 11:42
sometimes, like, I hate stages really, because, like,
jackson 11:47
I like to be in the like, in there, like, as a vocalist, at least, like, I like to be able to be, like, touch them, rub up against them. Like, if they're not moving, I can, like, push them. Like, I
dylan 11:58
could just, like, get get them moving, you know, start the energy. If we had a slow point, you know, since you're not limited by holding an instrument, because that was one of our problems, at first, we were thinking about, Oh, what if Murphy plays an instrument? Well, that kind of limits him, because then he can't run around and be chaotic. And that's, that's kind of the fun part of doing vocals. Yeah, I feel like, as an onlooker, your energy, like in the crowd, and for the
Lachlan 12:28
listeners, you have to, you have to be there. Murphy has the energy. He's in the crowd, in the mosh, with the microphone. I mean, it's spectacular. I've broken like, eight microphones.
jackson 12:44
My van yardstone has been Vulcan to the show on day nine parking deck, and I don't know why, but I was like, running around, and then I just, like, decided to smash my microphone. I was just like, smashing it against the concrete. And then it stopped working, obviously. And I was like, I just got even more mad that. I was just like, I don't even think I used a mic for the second half of the set. I was just like, yelling, yeah, he was just yelling. It was just like, cool. Once you get that first scream out, like, the adrenaline, just, like, carries you through the entire set. And I'm, like, always out of breath, or like,
jackson 13:13
like, I feel like, most of the time I can't I, like, only sing half of the lyrics of a song because I'm so out of breath, because I've been running around and jumping off things, but it's so much fun, just like letting the adrenaline take control.
Lachlan 13:26
Yeah, um, do you guys have any of, like, pre show rituals? Do We?
dylan 13:32
We? Okay, so after the shows, I can't think of anything before shows. After shows, we always hit up either Waffle House. It's a classic, or cook out, I think we've alternated. We did cook out waffles? Yeah, we alternate back and forth. And it's just so fun. Something about, like, kind of crappy, cheap food sitting outside. It's like, there's always a ton of people for some reason. Yeah, it's, it's just really fun. But because, like, you're no longer the attention. You just get to become the crowd, like, wherever you are. It was a sense of community. Man, yeah, man, it's connecting with your local community. I always try to, like, I'm always tell people, like, pull up cookout, and then no one ever comes. Or like, like, they're like, Okay, when are we going? Like, okay, I have to wait here because I'm in the band. But just wait. We'll go to cook out soon. I think last time we were gonna get a cookout. Do other bands. And then the line was like, down Western, yeah, we went after and we just left because it was so it was it was crowded, it was crazy, and it was like, all people from Merwin, really, yeah, like, the time we got there was just like, frat dudes, oh, really, yeah, because we got there, like, midnight, they were pushing it out fast. There was the dude by the window, one of his helpers, like, had a cup of water.
Unknown Speaker 14:46
It
dylan 14:48
was funny. I have some pre show rituals, but they're not rituals, just things I usually do before shows. But, oh, I don't eat before shows. That's my thing. I.
Speaker 2 15:00
Because I'll throw up all over the place if I do. I always like to eat right before a show. So I'm not hungry at this show. I do the same thing. I just like, yeah, I went last show. I went to cook out before the show, and dude, I had to, I
jackson 15:13
didn't sit well on my stomach, so I had to, you know, do some things. That's why I don't eat till after.
Lachlan 15:19
That's never happened to me before.
Lachlan 15:23
Okay, so
Lachlan 15:25
you guys obviously play mostly originals in your show. Do you have a favorite to play?
dylan 15:33
Um, our current set is, was it six originals, one cover? Yeah. So
dylan 15:40
leave like, what for me,
dylan 15:44
my favorite to play is usually the newest one we've written, because that one is just like, what I've been thinking about walking to class, and just like when I'm driving, I'm like, Oh, I gotta get this song down. So since it's what I'm thinking about, it's the most fun to like get down. Really good, because then you see everyone else like it as much as you do, I tell you. So we were playing a song in Merwin, my friend is getting dinner with someone and Victoria, and they told Victoria that they saw brick last weekend and that their favorite song was the second to last one, which was the new that's the new one. Yeah, my favorite song,
Lachlan 16:20
it switches. I think
jackson 16:22
my, I guess you can tell me, it's one called chunks. It's the third one we usually play. And for me, it's like all like gut, like gut voice, and it's very fast and chaotic. And I think Jackson wrote that one. I did, I did, right? It's pretty cool.
dylan 16:38
So when you guys do write, is it collaborative? Or, like, do you like jam band at first, or do you have one person write the whole song and then come together and teach everybody? It's a bit of a mix, because some of our songs who just jammed out, and then we're like, Wait, that sounds really cool. And then Murphy's like, over there in the corner writing lyrics down. But other times, like, people will have riffs, right? I feel like most of the time someone like comes with a riff. It's one riff specifically, like, it's the one that'll like, get your it's the hook, yeah? It'll catch your ears, and we just figure it out from the rest, yeah, like, write it from the rest of that riff. I think we have a song called Brick City, and that song was written in price music. Call is me, Jacob and Dylan during the Music Makers Club, yeah, and I don't even remember, um, like, if we had, like, a riff, then I think I was at that time, you were playing drums, I was playing guitar, because no, no or Yeah, I think I was, I think Dylan was
dylan 17:38
on bass. It was so funny, because our first practice, we could not figure out who was going to play what. So every song, we would just switch instruments, because Jacob can play bass and guitar, Murphy and I can play guitar, bass and drums. And then we didn't know Jackson at the time, but I'm sure he could have switched around too.
Lachlan 17:56
I think we it was either going to be
jackson 18:01
Dylan on guitar, Jake on bass, me on drums or and we get a new singer that we don't know or be singing him on drums, him on bass, which is what we ended up doing. But
jackson 18:14
heard you throw out the question, oh, had to read songs. I think on the EP, it's six songs, and each of us, like, wrote too, but I think they're all super collaborative.
Jacob 18:24
Like, yeah, for sure, for our first song, like, I think I came up with, like, the, like, the main notes when Dylan kind of turned it into a riff. Mm hmm. Because, I mean, when it's
dylan 18:35
when it comes to our process of songwriting, we don't really like talk about who wrote what. It's more just like, oh, this is our song. So I would say, like, it's very collaborative in that way, like we're not telling each other what to play. We just play what we wrote, and then everyone else comes up with stuff. We're like, Oh, I like that. There's elements of everybody in the band in every single song. Everyone add added and adds different things, and it all combines to be sick in the end.
Lachlan 19:07
All right, so you guys are playing locals only on the 11th so how does, how does that feel? Playing at Neptunes gonna be our first real venue? Yes, on a stage, and it's pretty cool. I think we've been to we saw a blank say that, have you been in Neptune's No. So I know Neptunes and kings are in the same building, but one's in the basement and one's above. I don't know which is. Neptune is in the bottom. Neptune is below. Okay, so we saw a band blank state playing on there,
dylan 19:36
and that room was pretty chill. It's very small. I think it's really small, and I think everyone's going to be really close to each other, and there's going to be a lot of people that want to march and a lot of people that don't. So I think we're going to see a big separation at that show. Yeah, I also am not. I think we go, we're opening it up, probably because.
jackson 20:00
This? Yeah, we're opening it up. So hopefully, like people from get two out of town, people Syndicate, 99 and super needs the soil. We don't really want to make them drive down and play for no one. So I feel like we like, work hard, get promote people be there for the first band. But I never really played venues that often, so it's gonna be cool,
Jacob 20:21
yeah, good opportunity to, like, reach an audience that's kind of outside of college NC State. Yeah, actually, I feel like all the house shows we play, I'm excited to see how many people will come now that they can't walk there. Yeah, that's true, because that's kind of been a major part of our audience it's just the fact that all these house shows are so close to campus, but so far, like, every venue or a concert I've been to, at Neptune has been, like, pretty packed. Like, down there. Who have you seen? Who have you seen? There was this, like, I've gone to jazz night several times, so that's and, like, you know, for jazz, you know, it's not really, like a washing type thing, but it's always still no pits at Jasmine, yeah, really, there's, like, I wouldn't say there's a pit, but there's like, bunch of people sitting up front. I'm very excited to see how it turns out. And I actually am a DJ here, or I was, I didn't really do it, so I heard about the locals. Only thing, like, last year, I was like, that'd be cool if I could get my band on there and then a henna. You know, Isabella, yeah, he reached out to me. He's like, Yo, can break off on I was like, Absolutely, yeah. And I think the you guys are, obviously, I'm a fan, so I think you guys will, you'll kill it, and I'll be there. So, yeah, but
Lachlan 21:37
so just kind of on the closing, end of our talk here today talking about your journey, as you know, not just musicians, but your journey that got you here. So are all of you enrolled at NCSU? Yep. So how are any of you out of state? No, okay. So NC, baby, NC. How has growing up in North Carolina, has that impacted
Lachlan 22:04
any of, like, your inspiration?
jackson 22:07
So I grew up in Charlotte, which is kind of like the biggest scene in North Carolina, like relative, like, biggest punk scene, I'll say, but I know Asheville is a great, like, folk thing going on. But I grew up in like the, I would say, the punk heart of North Carolina, which is Charlotte. So that definitely like shaped my like inspiration, because every band I'm seeing is a punk band, so obviously I'm gonna start making punk music and start listening to punk music and stuff. I'm always hanging out with these people who are making punk music. And I was saying the other day that if I grew up in Asheville, I know I would have been in a folk band. So it just, it's really time and place. But I think, I think North Carolina is the greatest state in the world. Is where I am, and it's where everything's happening. And I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in here, but it's just so awesome. There's so many great bands,
jackson 22:55
so many like, everyone's so friendly. I have, like, I've made friends across the state, just like through music, and it's just like, bringing everyone together. So I think, yeah,
dylan 23:07
so I grew up in little Washington, kind of the opposite of Charlotte. It's the opposite my town population is like, under 10,000 people. So coming to state was definitely a big culture shock for me. Like my high school was tiny. I had, like, under 20 people in my graduating class, so I was it's kind of funny that I even had a band in high school. Um, so my my high school band, The Vulcan, we were, like, the only metal band in Washington, and most of our no in our county, I think because everybody else would just play, like, kind of country rock cover stuff, and that's cool, but like, it just was kind of lonely because we didn't know anybody. And then coming to stay has been really cool for me, because I've met a lot of people, like all these guys here, that like the same kind of music as me, and I think that's really, really fun. So I'm proud to be here,
jackson 24:05
coming from Roxboro, North Carolina. Dude. It's just like, it's polar opposite Roxbury to Raleigh, because in Roxboro, it's all country stuff. All you're going to hear is just country stuff. And growing up, my dad introduced me into like, you know, kind of like rock and like heavy metals, like Van Halen really got me on that, and when I started listening to that, it started progressing. And like, I knew no one else who liked the same things, and I didn't know anyone who played instruments, and I couldn't really do anything. There was no bands, really in Roxboro, so I was just kind of, you know, duking on my own, just hoping, like, once I get here, maybe I can get into a band or something, or I can meet other people who like the same things that I do, and here we are. So
Jacob 24:47
yeah, my in my hometown, Jacksonville, it's close to Camp Lejeune. Here, it's like, no one really plays instruments or anything. So I've always been like, you know, very driven to, you know, form or being a.
Jacob 25:00
Band or write my own music, write music with others, just, you know, pursue that. I'd say I'm a very ambitious person, and growing up in like North Carolina has definitely helped me, you know, pursue that. Am
jackson 25:16
I the only one from the city? Yeah, kind
Jacob 25:20
of a city, right? Big, but you said you didn't have a grocery store, though, that's not no real, that's that's
Lachlan 25:27
not true. You definitely,
dylan 25:30
you're definitely the most city of us all here. I think
jackson 25:34
coming from Charlotte, I was not like, I knew a lot of people in Charlotte. I had pretty like, not popular bands, but popular ish bands in Charlotte. So I like new bands, and that, like, once I got up here, it was like, weird, because I didn't know anyone up here. And, like, I think, one of the first weeks my the first band I ever saw in Charlotte, blank state, came up, and I was like, begging someone to go with me. I was like, Dylan, please. Can you drive me? I said you were gonna like it. And then I did. After that show, I start, I met, I met this guy who introduced me to more people in this scene, and I was just able to, like wiggle my way in. And then we went to this one show in December. Was Demiurge, Archangel, foul tactics and cola. It was like a hardcore show, great show, I think, for that, after going to that show, is like, this is where brick has to be, like this. It was, it was in the room, like, maybe, like, a little bit bigger than this. It was so tiny. They had, like, people are standing on top of each other, like, on couches. Most people like, in the air the entire it was just, I have multiple videos of Murphy jumping off a two foot couch. I jumped off the couch, and I bruised my tailbone, and then he did it again. Well, the first time, no one caught me in the same kind of day catch me. But just like being able to, like wiggle my I met so many awesome people here, like Isaiah from soil tactics. He was awesome.
jackson 26:58
Just JT moving boxes. He goes here, and he helped us out a lot. There's so many nice people. I feel like, wherever you go in North Carolina, you can find people who want to help you succeed. I love about the scene as a beauty. I think that's the southern hospitality aspect. It's gotta be right North Carolina, like they just want everyone is trying to help you out.
Lachlan 27:19
Well, I want to thank my guests. Brick from Raleigh, this has been lachlanvester for WKNC. You can check out our other interviews with local artists by visiting wknc.org/podcast
Lachlan 27:30
and clicking on the off the record. Thank you for listening, and I'll catch you next time
Unknown Speaker 27:36
bye.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai