This week, BALL BREAKERS caught up with local Hardcore pioneers xCURRAHEEx to see what makes them tick. These are a genuinely exciting and vibrant group of lads who produce a fantastic racket with conviction to boot. Here's the interview!
Who and What is xCurraheex ?
xCurraheex is me (Smit: vocals), Mike (drums), Mike Time (guitar) and Taf (bass). We’re a Straight- Edge band from Manchester that play youth crew.
What made you start a Hardcore band?
There were a few bands in Manchester that all featured a friend of mine... Also another friend left his band More Hate Than Fear and gave me the phone numbers of all the guys in the band- I called them and we got together and started xCurraheex. Before this I'd never thought about being in a band- I just loved going to shows. Making that call was the best thing I've ever done. I couldn't imagine not being in a band now!
Which groups have influenced your sound most?
For me Youth Of Today, Warzone, Floor Punch and Reaching Forward have always been in my mind when it comes to writing. This won't change for our future creations.
You've certainly succeeded in re-introducing a raw, no- frills, old- school style of Hardcore but how do you feel about bands who have moved with the times and experimented in a more Metal- based sound?
We're all open minded and we've all had other projects. Myself and Mike had a Metal band called Wound Up which for me was a way of getting my aggression out in a more powerful and poetic way. I could talk about other feelings of emotion but to the audience they could just feel the sound and be taken in by the more "moshy" side of the music... xCurraheex is different- it's straight- up- in- your- face and it touches on modern life. It will always be old school and no frills for me!
What do you try to achieve with your songs?
As the vocalist I want every song to have a meaning. You can listen to any Pop/Indie/Rock band and they'll all have album tracks which have no real backbone or story. This is why Hardcore, Punk Rock and Rap are the best forms of creativity 'cos its all based on real life. My priority is to make a point and make it stand for something.
The first time I saw you guys was on 18/07/11 supporting Agnostic Front at Moho Live in Manchester. How was that gig for you?
That show was great 'cos it was very busy and gave us a chance to get our music across to a variety of people from our area. That was a Punk show- we turned up virtually unheard of and we were singing about Straight Edge to people drinking beer! But people were nodding along and some even got involved in dancing. After the set we got a lot of praise from people coming up to us and saying we were great, so all in all we enjoyed the show.
How important are the audience to you at a show?
Well, we've played in front of 10 people and we've played in front over 100. It only takes a 10 strong crowd to dig your tunes and all buy records to make it a success. Obviously being Straight Edge and playing to about 80% non- Straight Edge audiences can be daunting but I'd like to think that they just respect that we have a positive message and enjoy our music 'cos it's Hardcore. If one person in the audience buys our record then there's one more voice spreading the word!
What do you enjoy most about live shows?
There's no better feeling than playing live and people singing and dancing to your music. Whether or not they know it doesn't bother me though 'cos I still get the same buzz! I have a lot to say in our songs so to perform them on a stage is just amazing!
What would you be doing if you weren't in a Hardcore band? Has it affected or changed your life in any way?
Well we'd all be still going to shows so it wouldn't affect our lives in any way. We all do other activities away from music like football, muay thai and skating... So I guess those hobbies would get more attention if we didn't have music.
How do you feel about today's mainstream music? Does it bother you or do you tend to ignore it?
From 1980 - 2011, Minor Threat to Critical Point... Hardcore has survived and is still alive! Considering the amount of money and business in mainstream music it still hasn't affected what we listen to! The mainstream does affect me- it affects us all... At the end of the day a tune is a tune and if Rihanna brings out a classic then we're all gonna buy it!
I dont want to start a war of words with any bands, but there are a few around who I think are in it for the wrong reasons. The "chuggy", "moshy" Hardcore is what everyone is into lately and people are just creating "moshy" songs. There's no substance to what they're playing. It's easy to make people move to music but what's the point of the vocalist? I wanna hear what they're about and what they've got to say! Hardcore is a sub culture. It brings less fortunate people together- it's something we can all enjoy and afford to be a part of. For bands to demand £100 for playing and £20 for a T- shirt is outrageous! That part of Hardcore really gets to me. When was the last time a city rented a venue and got 5 or 6 local bands to play for free and charged £3 entry to cover venue costs? It doesn't happen!
What's next for xCurraheex?
The next step is a split with Truth Inside (USA) followed by another split with xUnforcex (Malaysia) and we'll also be featuring on some compilations. We're also touring Europe in December (2011) and March (2012). For us it's just another year! As long as we're together we'll continue making Hardcore music.
Cheers for your time, Smit!
Check out xCurraheex on facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/xcurraheex
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