sandiegopunk.com

End on End

SDP: Who's in the band and what do they do? Andy = vocals Josh = bass Phil = guitar Matt = drums Dan = guitar SDP: Briefly describe your music. Andy: The hardest question in the world! Mid to fast

hardcore tempo with politically-fueled lyrics and influences from all over the place. A little crusty, a little screamy, a little heavy, a little melodic.

SDP: Why should people listen to your band?
Andy: I don’t really think that people “should” or “shouldn’t” listen to End on End. We do what we do as much for ourselves as for others. It’s a way for us all to express our own ideas and interests. If that is something that appeals to other people, then great. If people want to hear five close friends screaming their heads off about issues that are really close to our hearts, then by all means, take a listen. I look at the band as a means of communication and an avenue for opening up dialogue with others about topics that I think are important.

SDP: How long has End on End been a band for?
Andy: Phil, Josh and I have been playing together for almost 6 years now. Matt and Dan are both new to the band, but old friends. They’ve both been honorary members forever.

SDP: Where did you get your name from?
Andy: We stole the name from a song by Rites of Spring, an old D.C. hardcore band. I know, I know, totally lame and unoriginal. But you should have heard some of the other ideas we were throwing around at the time...

SDP: What makes End on End different from every other band out there?
Andy: Hmmmm... I don’t know how to answer this. I don’t think that we’re the most important or unique band in the world. Our approach to playing music is about being honest and sincere and just playing and singing what we feel is right at the time. We’re not trying to become popular or huge or make money or whatever – we just want to be able to play music and travel and meet people and hopefully maybe do something that other people like as much as we do.

SDP: Is there any message you try to get across through your music?
Andy: I think the only real message that I personally want to consistently try to get out there is to encourage people to be more self-critical. What I mean is that I try to write lyrics in a way that encourages myself and the listener to explore their own shortcomings and attitudes towards certain issues and then question where those come from and how to deal with them. My lyrics deal with a pretty wide range of topics, but they all more or less boil down to one key message: that I myself and everyone around me are very often complicit in the very problems that I strive to fight against. It isn't a self-defeatist mentality - it's just the awareness that the root of the problem too often begins with your own actions, so you need to begin change within yourself and by interacting with others around you. If you are more conscious of your own decisions and actions and how they affect others, that is a really important step.

SDP: Do you have a single song that has a special meaning to you?
Andy: Not really – every song that we play has its own importance and meaning for me. Some of the songs were written in reaction to situations that have changed or no longer exist, so I guess the songs then take on different meanings, but none are really any more important or special than any others.

SDP: What bands, people, books, etc. have had the biggest influence on your band?
Andy: We all draw on a huge range of influences. Musically and lyrically some of my biggest influences have been bands like Born Against, Fugazi, a lot of the older Ebullition stuff, things like that. But people like Howard Zinn, Victor Jara and Billy Bragg also influence my songwriting, particularly the lyrics.

SDP: What about End on End are you most proud of?
Andy: I’m proud of the fact that we’ve managed to stick around for as long as we have and travel to all the places we’ve been and talk to so many different people. It is just incredible when someone comes up and says that they saw us play like four or five years ago and they still remember us.

SDP: What is the biggest thing about End on End you want to improve?
Andy: I wish that we all had more time to devote to the band, especially for practicing and writing new material. But we’re all getting really wrapped up in other stuff in our lives too, so it is hard. If we were where we are right now ten years ago, or even five, when none of us had as many responsibilities to deal with, it would have been incredible!

SDP: What CDs are currently in your stereo?
Andy: I don’t really listen to CDs much, but lately I’ve been on a big black metal kick. Bands like Dark Funeral, Enslaved, Immortal...

SDP: Do you have any closing comments?
Andy: Thanks so much for the interview! It is a huge honor to be the band of the month on sandiegopunk.com.

Official Website: http://www.endonend.com/
mp3s: http://www.hxcmp3.com/bands/4691/

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