Interview de Gather

First, can you tell us in a few words when and how Gather started?

I believe we started in February of 2004. The month before that was the Total Liberation Fest in Eerie, PA. It was very inspiring because there were a lot of vegan sxe kids there during a time when it seemed like not that many people were excited about that in hardcore.

You've work with New Eden Records and also with Catalyst Records, those two labels are both dedicated to the promotion of veganism and sxe. Why have you made the choice to work with labels that share with you the same ideals?

I have a lot of respect for both of these labels. Erik (New Eden) and Kurt (Catalyst) are both some of our best friends and they're some of the most solid people I've met, so it only made sense that we'd want to work with them. We put out our first 7" and also a split with New Eden, and next we plan to put out a full-length album with Catalyst. We feel very connected to both labels, and I want to be able to work with both of them as long as we exist as a band.

You have a split CD out on New Eden with the band 7 Generations, you've also tour with them. I've read that you and 7 Generations have a lot of respect for each others. Can you talk a little bit more about your friendship with this band?

For some reason, 7 Gen and Gather haven't officially been able to tour together yet, but we have played many shows together. They're the best band around right now in my opinion because they are so straight-forward and uncompromising, not to mention their music rules. Before Gather existed, and before 7 Gen had played any shows, Chris (the singer) and I would talk about how there needed to be more vegan sxe bands in the US. He gave me a lot of encouragement because at the time, I didn't want to be in a band at all because I had very little confidence. So I owe a lot to him because I honestly think that if he wasn't so supportive, I probably wouldn't have joined Gather. There are few bands where every member is so dedicated and genuine, that's why 7 Gen is so awesome.

I'm vegan, i know that you're too. For what reasons did you decide to make that choice of lifestyle? Is it difficult to be a vegan in the US hxc scene or not that much?

I went vegetarian when I was 14 and I hadn't even really heard of veganism because I grew up in a really sheltered town. Two years later a friend gave me a video that had a lot of footage of vivisection, slaughter houses, factory farms, and fur farms. After that, both me and my brother Dustin (our drummer) went vegan. I was finally made aware of the way our anthropocentric views of the world create so much unnecessary suffering. It's really not hard to be vegan in the U$; there are so many alternatives to meat and dairy that you aren't missing out on anything. And it can be very cheap if you eat more fruits and vegetables instead of fake meats. Also, it can be even cheaper if you dumpster dive instead of buy all your food.

I personnaly think that some hxc bands can have a positive and direct influence on the lifestyle of kids that listen to those bands. Were you also influenced by bands (like Earth Crisis for exemple) when you were kids too? And is Gather a way to keep alive the message you received?

I agree that bands can have a positive and direct influence on someone's lifestyle because I was definitely inspired by certain bands. I was introduced to veganism by some bands like Rudimentary Peni and Earth Crisis; bands like Anti-Product and Crass opened my mind to feminism; Minor Threat made me feel like I wasn't a loser because I didn't want to participate in drug culture, etc. For Gather, it's really important for us to have a message and make it clear when we play shows because it is a way for some people to relate to each other or get exposed to certain things.

What do you think about direct actions for animal liberation? Do you think that it's a necessary step forward veganism?

Direct action is undeniably the most effective method for animal liberation. We cannot depend on winning public support through legal means, because as long as animal exploitation benefits the economy and whatnot it will be legal and defended. The media is always going to make animal liberation activists/supporters look crazy so it's futile to expect them to help us out, and therefore, direct action is the only real hope for animals. Sure, veganism is a way to take a stand against living off the oppression of others, but while we're boycotting, animals are still dying.

On the internet i've read that you oppose " capitalism, sexism, racism, speciesism, homophobia, wage-slavery, drug-induced apathy, and all other forms of oppression". It clearly means that you have things to say in your songs. Do you think that the message have to be more important than the music or that the music can live without the message?

I think that hardcore and punk without a message losses the fundamental aspects that separate our subculture from the dominant culture. I believe punk/hardcore should be a threat to the mainstream culture which is so alienating and oppressive, and to do that, we must constantly challenge each other and keep each other aware. Since music is a crucial part of the punk/hardcore community, then it's the best way to stay politically focused.

Recently, I saw some live viedo of your shows, it was amazing... all those kids screaming "total liberation!" together.. you must be really proud of what you do when you see that, no?

It is always exciting to know that there are so many other people who also believe in some of the things we stand for. That video was in Arizona, and a lot of the people in it are awesome kids, and it's nice to know that there is a supportive group of people who all feel strongly about things like animal liberation.

How do you see the future for Gather?

We're hoping to record a full-length soon (within a month or so.) We're also hoping to tour Japan this Summer! Personally, it would be a dream come true to be able to tour Europe, Brazil, and the U$ this next year too, but we'll see how that goes--so far we don't have definite plans.

Which bands are you actually listening to?

Right now the bands I listen to the most are probably 7 Generations, Make Move, Vagary, Tears of Gaia, Chokehold, Framework, Point of No Return, and Ignite.

Finally, thank you for answering my questions, if you have something else to say, someone to thank, feel free to say it now…

Thank you for the interview. Also, check out what's going on with the SHAC7 at www.shac7.com

Par : robin

le 15/03/2006