
We're joined in-person at HardLore HQ by the Biggest Boy himself, Brandon from BIG BOY. The Bay Area of California, and specifically San Jose is home to several of the absolute best and brightest modern bands carrying the torch for hardcore music around the world, and Big Boy is next up for world domination. After releasing their 4th EP ("Love Songs") in 6 years via Daze, Brandon joins us to talk about the origin of the band, RBS, his preference for music made after 2008, the SPLASH ZONE, the unexpected growth of Big Boy/what it means for the future of the band and much much more. We had a blast getting inside the mind of one of the most naturally charismatic frontmen in hardcore today. Enjoy. Edited by Steven Grise (@iamoneonenineseven) Title sequence by Nicholas Marzluf (@marzluf) HardLore: A Knotfest Series Join the HARDLORE PATREON to watch every single weekly episode early and ad-free, alongside exclusive monthly episodes: https://patreon.com/hardlorepod Join the HARDLORE...
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Colin
Is there any desire in your mind to ever do a Big Boy lp?
Brandon
Everyone wants that, right?
Bo
I feel like they say they do.
Brandon
They say they do. They say they do. Until you listen to the LP, you stop at the sixth song. Also listen to the whole LP. All my favorite LPs are only the first six songs. I'm like, oh, man, this is a killer LP. I'll hear some songs. I'm like, what song is this? It's like the eighth song.
Colin
Track 8. Track 8 goes crazy most of the time.
Brandon
It always goes crazy. Why not make track eight? Track four?
Colin
Yeah, because it. Because then what's track four?
Brandon
Track three.
Bo
That's Bay math, dude.
Colin
Hello, welcome. It's hard Lore time. How you doing, Bo?
Bo
I'm doing so good. Colin, who's there with you?
Colin
Huge day here today. A big day. Really?
Bo
The biggest day.
Colin
The biggest day with the biggest boy. I've got a. I've got. I've got a Bay Area titan here. I've got. I've got the man who won't take a horseshoe for an answer. One of the great frontmen leading the charge in hardcore today. I've got Brandon from Big Boy. How you doing?
Brandon
I'm doing great. Thanks for having me on. On the pod. On the episode. In your house. In your car.
Colin
In my car.
Brandon
Thank you.
Colin
Thanks for flying in today. Just for this. Had to stop that Bob's Big Boy to. So that the Big Boy can meet the Big Boy. Here's that.
Bo
Wow. Was it good? Was it tasty?
Colin
History?
Brandon
We didn't eat.
Colin
They were not eating.
Brandon
They didn't eat there.
Colin
That's.
Brandon
The statue was good.
Colin
Yeah.
Bo
Oh, okay.
Colin
There you go. So you're. You're an RBS man.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
Could you tell me a little bit about where exactly you're from in the RBS Spectrum?
Brandon
On the Spectrum?
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
What's one side of the spectrum? What's the other side?
Colin
I would say San Jose or Berkeley.
Brandon
Yeah, I'm full on. Full on. San Jose.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
I'm San Jose. Leaning on the Spectrum.
Colin
Okay.
Bo
Understood.
Colin
So how so RBS Fest, which just took place, looked like a smashing, tremendous success. How was that having something like that in your home?
Brandon
Oh, it was dope.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
Yeah, it was awesome. Kind of hard to articulate the words for it, but the amount of people I saw finally in our city was a great feeling and like, completely diy. Yeah, completely.
Colin
All your friends, bands playing, all friends, all the homies.
Brandon
The cool thing was like, recognizing all the people there from other areas and then them being in San Jose. I can't tell you how many times I said, welcome to San Jose.
Colin
How good did that feel?
Brandon
It was awesome. Yeah. Very, very good.
Bo
San Jose is a special place, even. Even for me. Like, it's always been a place that was cool when Harm's Way first went there. And we were more of like a power violence band. We played with in disgust. We played at the local. The Locust House. And it was like our first time over on the west coast. And it was just like open arms, very nice. So it's always been special to me. And I love that this is going on there, you know, almost 20 years later.
Brandon
Thank you.
Bo
From my introduction to it, it was.
Brandon
Really dry, like, for a period of time, or even separated. Would say people didn't really get along too well. And then certain bands that would come wouldn't get along too well with certain. You know, for whatever reason. But now is a beautiful time.
Colin
I think the bay kind of moves in cycles in terms of, like, where. Where you're playing. Like, San Jose, when I was young was the first place I ever played out of town. And then it became Gilman again and then it was Oakland and then it was San Jose again, and then it was Santa Cruz. Yeah, no, San Jose again. Here we go. So tell me about. Take me back in time. Tell me about young Brandon in. In a young San Jose or wherever. Wherever you're originally from, finding punk and hardcore music.
Brandon
All right, hold on. I got. I gotta set the foundation first.
Colin
Please, please.
Brandon
I was born in San Jose.
Bo
Okay.
Brandon
I lived in San Jose till I was like, five or six. Then I moved, found hardcore somewhere else, then moved back. So I. I'll say I'm from San Jose.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
But. Okay, here we go. But where was your.
Bo
Where was that interim.
Brandon
I moved to the Central Valley.
Bo
Oh.
Brandon
So part right near Stockton.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Yeah. I live in a farm town very close to Stockton, and I actually found hardcore in a farm. In a. In a farm.
Bo
You need it, though. You needed it there.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
The farmer introduced me to hardcore.
Colin
Damn. I was like, this bit is getting real, man. That's crazy.
Brandon
No, I. The spectacle of hardcore, I witnessed for the first time in the town I grew up in, at a coffee shop.
Colin
Really?
Brandon
By chance.
Colin
By chance, you guys in coffee, man.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
Coffee really just makes the world go round and. Yeah. So how would it happen? What happened?
Brandon
I. I mean, I already knew they were doing music, live music at this. This space.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
So I was just in and out of this space and I. Actually, someone was flyering and gave me A flyer and was like, you should come to this event. It's like a punk, it's punk rock, you know, and I'm, you know, my, the way everything is categorized in my head. I, I didn't know what was what yet. Yeah, but it was a hardcore show, a local hardcore show there. And it was, I, I witnessed like it was a shot show, but it was dope. Like it was dope.
Colin
Seeing that, you know, there's sometimes an intimate burnt out show when you're young is cooler than anything.
Brandon
I, I agree.
Colin
I think you're there for a reason.
Bo
We've all gotten that jab too. Like everyone has that story of the first time you go, oh, I like this.
Colin
Oh, there's nobody here. So I can mosh by myself.
Bo
I could do.
Colin
This is unbelievable.
Bo
Yeah. What, where was this coffee house?
Brandon
The town was, is Lathrop, California. And that's just south of Stockton.
Bo
Okay, gotcha, gotcha.
Brandon
And that's.
Colin
And this is Eureka Coffee.
Brandon
This is Eureka Coffee Shop in Lathrop. Yes.
Colin
Interesting. So you had a lot of experiences that you wreck your coffee.
Brandon
You know what it felt like a lot at the time, but I feel like it was only around for like two years or so.
Colin
But it's, but it's, it's formative to you?
Brandon
Very formative to me. I met a lot of people there that were telling me that there were other things going on around in the surrounding areas.
Colin
Gotcha.
Brandon
So that was a very critical period of time for me to like be there and like get. Gather this information.
Colin
What are your thoughts looking back on Eureka Coffee and Lathrop, California?
Brandon
My thoughts on Eureka Coffee in general? Yeah.
Colin
Yeah. Or just that time in your life?
Brandon
Oh, it was.
Colin
And Eureka Coffee in particular.
Brandon
I know. I don't think I ever had the coffee there. I was like so young. I was a little kid. Yeah.
Bo
What age were you? What was this?
Brandon
I was like 12 years old. 12, 13. Just skateboarding. That's how I.
Bo
Too young.
Brandon
That's how I. Too way too young for coffee. Yeah, maybe tea. Tea is fine. But coffee, way too young.
Colin
Okay, so those are, those are important days in your life.
Brandon
But my, my, how I feel about.
Colin
Yeah, I mean, is this where you're meeting like people. People like the tsunami guys and the gold skies and stuff like that?
Brandon
That, that was. They're all Bay Area. Like they live bay entire life bay. Oh, also this. If you're not familiar which the, the general people listen to this. Are they in California? Do you know?
Colin
I think they're all over the world.
Brandon
All over the world. Central Valley is only like an hour away, so it's not like that far, you know, I guess. But I met those guys early on in. In that time period, going to the Bay Area to go to shows.
Colin
Gotcha. You know, did you click very early or was there ever any beef like, oh, dad, that's that motherfucker from Lathrop.
Brandon
Oh. I was, like, always, like, moshing like a mosher guy. So I just felt like I had to be a mosher.
Colin
Sure.
Brandon
So sometimes, you know, people would feel some type of way, you know, I was just there just moshing. That's all I wanted to do. Never really had problems. Fortunately, just was a chill mosher, dude.
Colin
Some, like, pivotal shows that you remember from that time or bands you saw that, that were formative to you and kept you coming back.
Brandon
I. I'll name drop a few.
Colin
Hit me.
Brandon
Okay. When I was younger, the first band that I can think of, local band that was talked about in the scene, was this band called Portrait of a Ghost.
Colin
Oh, yeah.
Brandon
Portrait of a Ghost. That was the first ever local band I heard. The name of that introduced me to a local scene. The. Our local scene.
Colin
Wow.
Bo
And then. Were they from that area, that band?
Brandon
Some of them were from Lathrop, and then some of them were from this town very close by called Mantika. Okay. So I. They could have been in other places, too, but that's. Those are the. The people from Antika were the ones talking about Portrait of a Ghost.
Colin
So you're at the Portrait of a Ghost shows. Wrecking.
Brandon
So I actually, they were, like, on the verge of ending.
Colin
Oh.
Brandon
And I think I've probably only went to, like, one or two Portraits of a Ghost shows, but they ended up becoming this band called Ourselves, among others.
Bo
Wow.
Brandon
This is like synth core. Like.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Another band really close to our area was a Skylight Drive.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
But, like, everyone knows that, like, those sort of shows has the hardest moshers. No doubt. No doubt about it. You know, even, like, the beat not to talk down a beat down. Sure. Metal core. You see the craziest things, craziest moshers, like synth core. People have something to prove.
Bo
Yeah, that's what it is. It's something to prove. I know exactly what you mean. I remember, like, mixed bill shows from back in the day where it was like, Spittlefield was headlining, but there was some shitty metalcore band doing support and people were killing each other.
Brandon
It was dope.
Colin
Was that your experience at the CDC show at the workshop in Siri?
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
Can you tell me about that?
Brandon
That was my experience there. That was like, crazy. That was a crazy time. That was like the. The shift away from, like, metal core, synth core from in the scene. It. It became like this. This, like. I don't know what was going on, but that show was a. Okay, also to mind you in this. At the shows, if you're not moving, you're gonna get hit.
Bo
Yeah, right. Of course.
Brandon
You can't. You can't stand still. So you're in a show, there's like 20 people moshing simultaneously. No one is standing still.
Colin
Good.
Brandon
You know.
Colin
So what happened at the CDC show in the warehouse and Series workshop.
Brandon
So the workshop. Anyone that knows about the workshop just knew, like, it was like a. A special place.
Colin
Sure.
Brandon
Where special things happen.
Colin
Lawless.
Brandon
Lawless. It was in the middle of a field in the middle of nowhere.
Colin
Yeah. Thunder sounds familiar.
Brandon
Lawless. Lawless. I've seen a lot of cool bands there. Yeah, I mean, that. I. I wouldn't say that that was. I've already been exposed to, like, that sort of hardcore already, but that show was very anticipated.
Colin
And did you form EDC is coming to the workshop? Did you.
Bo
Did you Beat Ass the Cool Dudes chilling?
Brandon
Of course. I had to. That was like, one of the bands that I was, like, really dying to see. And there was a band introduced to me very early on.
Colin
You. We were talking before we started about how you have some, what you would call controversial bands on your list of, like, favorite bands.
Brandon
Sure.
Colin
Can you give me some of those?
Brandon
Like, CDC burn is like, one of my favorite CDs, you know?
Colin
CDs.
Brandon
CDs, yeah.
Colin
So you have the Physical Compact.
Brandon
I have the Physical Hard, you know.
Bo
How old are you?
Brandon
Are we gonna. How old am I?
Bo
Yeah, I'm.
Brandon
I'm 30.
Bo
Oh, okay. Okay.
Brandon
Yeah, I just turned 30.
Bo
Congrats.
Colin
He just likes. He's a man who. He knows what he likes. You know, what he's about.
Bo
He likes the cd.
Colin
What else. What else is on? Who else is on there?
Brandon
You want me to go in on that right now?
Colin
Go in?
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
How about I say, like, two other bands?
Colin
Sure.
Brandon
Warhound, Return of the Heart Style. Does that like, like. Cause any sort of, like.
Colin
No, I sang on their lp.
Brandon
Really?
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
Oh, that's right. Yeah. Cooler than Never or.
Bo
Yeah, they're a Chicago band that recently made a comeback.
Brandon
We're playing with them.
Bo
Where is that?
Colin
You can't. You can't wait at the Rumble. Okay.
Bo
That's right. Beautiful.
Brandon
Oh, yeah. We're next Month?
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Is that next month? Next month?
Bo
The end of June? Yeah.
Colin
End of June.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Yeah. That's going to be a good one.
Bo
It's a good lineup.
Brandon
Don't stand next to me. Do not stand next to me during that.
Colin
No friends during.
Brandon
No, no. No friends during Reality Check.
Colin
Okay. I've known the dude. Ronnie that was in Warhound, started Soul Search. So he was. He's from the IE here.
Brandon
Oh, yeah. Those. I mean, those are two very critical and crucial bands to me liking the hardcore I like.
Colin
Okay. Well, some. You said there's one more band.
Brandon
One more.
Colin
One more controversial band that you said.
Brandon
One more controversial band where the hardest monsters ever Set your goals.
Bo
Whoa.
Colin
Like, the guys in the band were the hardest monsters ever or the hardest monsters, like, set your goals.
Brandon
Hardest monsters, like, set your goals.
Colin
That is a fact. Yeah, I saw them at the Kung Fu Corner. Wasn't nobody there with animosity. That's. That was incredible. But yeah, hard people were pinned for. Set your goals. That is a fact.
Brandon
Well. Well, you know what? We. I would go attend, like, pop punk was really big at that time too. Like 2012. Ish. Really big. But I would see the hardcore, typical hardcore crowd at those shows and they would do like what hardcore kids do at shows.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
And set your goals. Was like a band that activated.
Colin
Some of people were pitting.
Bo
There's activation.
Colin
He's not wrong.
Bo
I think one of the cringiest things I can imagine. I saw people hardcore dancing to like, Saves the day, you know, I mean, that shit is my least favorite thing. Cannon and you know, like, dude, like, like crowd.
Colin
Crowd killing.
Bo
Yes.
Brandon
Saves the Day, I think is a little too soft to be doing those sort of activities too. But I love Saves the Day. I love like emo, I guess, right? Punk. Emo. But there is a time and place. Set your goals. Had certain things that would activate.
Colin
They had actual mosh parts. That's a fact.
Brandon
Yes.
Colin
Pardon this interruption. We got to talk to you about something extremely important. Are you in a band? Do you tour? Do you do merch? Do you tm. Do you do anything in the capacity of live music whatsoever? If so, I bet you need glasses.
Bo
I bet you do. I sure do.
Colin
And if you need glasses, how do you feel about getting some free glasses?
Bo
I couldn't feel better about that, Colin.
Colin
No strings attached. If you go to siteforsound.com Nevin Eyewear is giving you free prescription glasses or sunglasses.
Bo
It's amazing, man. You fill out a quick little questionnaire, answer some questions. They will Reach out to you via email and they will sort you out.
Colin
Straight up, no strings. Just have your prescription, get an eye exam, send them your prescription, tell them what band you're in or whatever you work with. And you're getting free glasses straight up or for prescription sunglasses. This is like a life changing program. We're so honored to work with them. There's no strings here. I cannot stress that enough. Just go to the website, trust me.
Bo
Yeah, let's. Let's reiterate because I've had people ask me, it doesn't matter if you're playing, driving, doing merch teching, front of house monitors. You work at a venue, you're a promoter who does stuff a lot, put in your info. They're going to sort you out.
Colin
They just want to give back to the community that they're from. That's right. This is a small business owned by Corman. It's a for us by us situation. So go to cyphersound.com, fill it out, get your free glasses. It's truly that simple.
Bo
That simple.
Colin
Click the link. Go. Description. Do it.
Bo
Can you see it?
Colin
Can you? Yeah, if you can even see it. Did you tell me about breaking down in King City for the new brigade chain of strength show?
Brandon
Oh, man.
Colin
Tell me about this. What happened there?
Brandon
Oh, man, I like that. I don't even know where I sit. Said that that's dope that you know that somewhere on the Internet. Oh, man, I was with Joseph. I had a beater ass Volvo. Like beater ass Volvo 240. Like, no, no plates. It was like crazy. I was on the 1. We were on the 101. I remember we had left like dumbass late at night. Like maybe like. Oh man, like nine.
Colin
To get to the show?
Brandon
No, no, to like head to the show. We're gonna stay like somewhere, you know.
Colin
Sure.
Brandon
We're about to leave, like do like an overnight. Okay. Probably sleep. Sleep in the car along the way and then go to the show.
Colin
Were they. Were they playing down here?
Brandon
Yeah, I think it was at maybe.
Colin
Like white Aladdin or something.
Brandon
Oh, yeah, I know. It was in. In the valley.
Colin
It was probably white oak though.
Brandon
It was probably white oak. I would always see that name on flyers.
Colin
So that was a short. It was a short era, but it was a good era. I think it's a karate dojo now. Oh, that makes sense.
Brandon
It was like an edge day. I believe it was an edge day show. And we all want. Me and Joseph wanted to drive down, but man, I was like, we can take The Volvo, I think. I'm sure it'll make it. Guess what?
Bo
It did.
Brandon
It did not make it.
Colin
King City is not that far from San Jose, so you know what's funny?
Brandon
King City is like. I know this for a fact. King City from San Jose is like, 200 miles.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
I know this for a fact because I. I got a tow truck.
Bo
Oh.
Brandon
And it was like, you have 200 free miles to tow the car. So they towed the car, and I only had to pay, like, an extra mile or two.
Colin
So it's, like, unbelievable. Great place to break down. Huge.
Brandon
Yeah, that. That was.
Colin
So you didn't make it to the show?
Brandon
Oh, no, we did not make it to the show. We did not.
Colin
How long have you been straight edge?
Brandon
27. Can I say that? Yeah, because that's when I got the Edge tattoo.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
But I've been, like, Straight Edge and introduced to Straight Edge since I was, like, 13.
Colin
Yeah, but were you a little from 13 to 27? Were you a rap scallion?
Brandon
Not like. Not. Not with, like, the substances.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
No, So I was doing other, like, knucklehead things. Skater kid things. Yeah, but not with the substances. So, you know, I, like, drink alcohol before when I was a youngster, like, at the Filipino parties. I'm Filipino. I'm Filipino, by the way, which I.
Colin
Knew from the Life of Agony cover.
Brandon
From the Life of Agony cover.
Colin
I heard you saying. I went, well, he's Filipino.
Brandon
You heard me sing. I'm Filipino.
Colin
He's obviously. He's too good at this. He must be Filipino.
Brandon
Way too good. I. I am Filipino. You're at a Filipino party, you're drinking like little kids drinking, you know, so that's, you know, just doing stuff like that when I was a little kid, but family stuff, you know, Family stuff, family style. But straight edgeness.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
I had actually got exposed to that through, like, have Heart, you know?
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
So I, like, also like that sort of hardcore. My brother showed me half heart.
Colin
Tell me about your brother.
Brandon
My brother showed me pretty much everything I know.
Bo
So he's right. He's your old head.
Colin
So aside from the flyers you were given in Lathrop at Eureka Coffee, your brother was the other gateway to this stuff.
Brandon
He was the one that showed me the aggressive music. He's like you. He's like, just listening to him. Like, what is that he was listening to? Like, Bless the Fall, you know?
Bo
Sure.
Brandon
All this Alessandro, Alessandra or.
Colin
That sounds right.
Brandon
I'm asking Alexandria, you know, like this.
Colin
I like Alessandro. Let's go with that. She sounds chill.
Bo
How much older than you is he?
Brandon
He's a year older than me. Oh, wow. He's only a year.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
But he was like, always on the computer, so I think that's how he knew, like, a lot of cool stuff.
Colin
That's how we did it.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
You weren't a computer head.
Brandon
He was always first on the computer. I was second because everyone at home. Exactly. Yeah. He was like, definitely.
Colin
Like he already found the link before you logged.
Brandon
That fool was going to the house first. Like racing to the house to get.
Colin
A computer to check his new messages and comments and friend requests.
Brandon
Everything. Yeah. Friend request.
Bo
He had to change his top eight.
Brandon
Always changing. Top eight, always changing.
Colin
Can you tell me before we get into like, your bands and playing and stuff, can you tell me about Terry Tuesdays?
Brandon
Terry Tuesday?
Colin
What is it? What's that?
Brandon
That's. It's just a special day. Tuesday is like. Is the day for Terry.
Colin
Tell me about.
Brandon
Hold on. Do you want to know, like, my fake story or the real story?
Colin
I want to. I want the. I want you to have whatever you want out there. This is for the whole entire world. This isn't just for me. What do you people. What do you want people to believe about Terry and her Tuesday?
Brandon
I don't out of the thing is, like, I still don't. I'm not on, like, on social media other than the big boy page. Okay. So I will like post like, silly stuff on there.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Like it's a personal page sometimes. Right. And so this is the birth of Terry Tuesday.
Bo
Okay.
Brandon
There's a mall, an outlet mall in the Bay area called the Great Mall. Okay.
Bo
Sounds great.
Brandon
It sounds great. It is great. Unpopular opinion. That's the best mall in South Bay. Unpopular people don't like Tuesday. Go there on a Tuesday.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
You're gonna. You're gonna see some things.
Colin
So tell me about Terry.
Brandon
Terry Tuesday. I was there like 5pm at night. Right. I just walk around with, like I was telling you. Right. I walk around with like, headphones on in the mall, no music, headphones on. No one bothers me. I walk around the mall solo. Okay.
Colin
What time of day do you like to do this?
Brandon
Usually, like right before the close.
Colin
Oh, really?
Brandon
Yeah, Because I'll go there for dinner. Like, I want to eat some.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Also, the Gray mall has a jollibee.
Bo
Really?
Brandon
You're not familiar with jollibee?
Bo
Familiar?
Brandon
You know, big. Some people aren't jollibee fans. Right here. The Gray mall has a jollibee inside. So I was Walking around, I go to the food court, I'm like, oh, I gotta maybe check out some food in the food court shot. The food court looked like like a show at Eureka, you know, it was.
Colin
Shot 20 people moshing hard.
Brandon
20 people moshing hard. But I looked, dude, the mall, the, the food court was shot except this one spot and I walk up to it. Terry. Tuesday. Okay, so 7.99 plate of teriyaki. Oh, 7.99 for a plate of teriyaki.
Colin
That's like, that's a great deal.
Brandon
Where can you get that?
Colin
No, never.
Brandon
Not even like Yoshinoya doesn't have that.
Colin
No, no, that's 11 bucks.
Brandon
Panda does not have that. The bulls like more than $10 now. Yeah, that used to be the jug, like the jig meal, you know, the whole. The, the bowl at Panda was the jug.
Colin
What's jug?
Brandon
What's jug? Jug is like, it's just like, it's like a deal. Like that's a deal. Like that's jug. That's jug.
Bo
Okay, that's like.
Colin
I feel like I'm appropriating every Tuesday is.
Brandon
Is the like, that's jug right there. Like, oh, 7.99. That's jug.
Colin
Okay, what about splash zone? Is that the joke?
Brandon
You know what? I feel like I know who you ask these question.
Colin
Yeah, what do you mean?
Brandon
Cuz these are so specific.
Colin
What is splash zone? Is it the joke?
Bo
It's only ever one degree of separation. That's the best part.
Colin
What do you mean?
Brandon
I don't want to say that, man.
Colin
Well, okay, no splash zone.
Brandon
So crazy is.
Bo
What is splash zone?
Brandon
Well, I'll tell you what the splash zone is, but just don't associate me.
Colin
It's okay, buddy.
Brandon
You know what? I'll tell you the story, but it's not you.
Colin
It's not, it's not representative of you as a person.
Brandon
I, I don't care anymore, man. Okay, so the splash zone is like. Okay, you know how you go to like, you go to like a, like a restaurant and they give you sauce. Like.
Colin
Oh boy, do I just.
Brandon
You like. So like, you take the extra sauce and you, you roll the window down, you throw it out the window.
Colin
Oh, yeah.
Brandon
Who hasn't done that?
Colin
No, it's. If you're any kind, if you're in this music, you're a little bit of a fucker. Yeah.
Brandon
You're so familiar with the splash zone, but you just don't like have the word for it.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
And then you just like throw it out the car and like, because it splashes like you're entering the splash.
Colin
Okay, yeah.
Brandon
That's all it is.
Colin
Fine.
Bo
And are you given a warning when the splash zone is approaching? Are you announcing.
Colin
Are you saying things such as splash zone?
Brandon
No, no, you don't. You can't do that. I mean, you. There's like other games where you yell stuff out the window, but this is like a different game.
Colin
Oh, okay.
Brandon
You know, but I'll say this. The splash zone stopped.
Colin
Oh, okay.
Brandon
I'll tell you why. I'll tell you why. I was solo, like, solo splashing. Like, I just had a solo mission. I was like, all right. What I did was I rolled the window down, my passenger window down.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
And I, like, was about, dude, it got in my car. I entered my own splash zone, man.
Bo
What kind of sauce?
Brandon
Okay. San Jose. San Jose is known for orange sauce.
Bo
Yeah, of course.
Brandon
Everyone knows orange sauce in San Jose. That's like the San Jose thing.
Colin
Yeah, the. The. The Taqueria Victoria. Orange sauce used to be the. The.
Brandon
The jug used to be the joke.
Colin
What's the joke now?
Brandon
The bottles. But you get it once every 10 times. The security would chase you. I got Chase once. And you can get a. You know. That was like the sauce.
Colin
Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's also like. I think it's like 3.99.
Brandon
But spot zone is free.
Colin
Yeah, it's supposed to be free, you.
Brandon
Know, like, if it was 3.99, no one's entering the.
Bo
So you got orange sauce all over the inside of your car.
Brandon
All over the inside of my car. Like, the inside, like, it hit the corner of like the wind, like the pillar of the car. It just was everywhere.
Colin
Doing that by yourself to an audience of none is crazy.
Brandon
At like 12 at night solo. I was going home. I had work the next day. Now, did you clean. This is recent. Did you clean it? I'm in my 30s. This is recent.
Bo
Did you leave it or did you clean it that night?
Brandon
I'm a clean 30 year old. I cleaned it. I cleaned it three days later.
Colin
Okay. So hopefully I leave unsplashed through the rest of this room.
Bo
Napoleon Dynamite thing.
Brandon
Hold on. Perfect opportunity. Oh, that's.
Colin
Careful with that.
Bo
Sounds good.
Colin
So tell me about the first band you were ever in. Ever.
Brandon
Yeah, it was only in one band. That's. It was a band out of the Central Valley in Lathrop. It's not on MySpace anymore, so I'm.
Colin
Not even on MySpace anymore. So it was MySpace vibes and 1.
Brandon
Million percent MySpace era. Like, pictures were taken for MySpace. Like, we all recorded it knowing what haircuts. I was never like that.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
I never had the scene hair. Never wore skinny jeans, fortunately.
Colin
Big ass pants.
Brandon
Big boy, normal pants.
Bo
Okay.
Brandon
Normal.
Colin
Many are saying, yeah, I actually.
Brandon
So can I. I'll explain the story of how the band became a band.
Colin
Hit me.
Brandon
I, very early on was at one of the Eureka shows. I saw a family friend of mine. He knew I was, like, down for these shows. And he, you know, I always see him every once in a while because he was a family friend. He asked if I wanted to try to be in a band, and that's how he started the band.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
He was older than me, too. Like, this guy was like a senior or like a year, like, out of high school, and I was like, in middle school or like freshman going into freshman year of high school.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
He asked me, hey, like, you should try to do this band with us. You play guitar, right? I'm like, I, you know, my foundation as a. As a musician that, like, someone that plays an instrument. I know how to do, like, power chords and sing Beatles songs and. And Green Day songs. Like, that's what I do.
Colin
I mean, that's more than the average hardcore musician.
Brandon
Yeah. I'm like, drop D, like, one finger. Okay. You know, like, that's all I really know. And like, see through some people make.
Bo
A good career that way. I'll tell you what.
Brandon
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Some of my favorite music is used with only one finger. Yeah. Yeah. But so this guy was like, hey, like, you should try to be in our band. But the guitar, like, everyone was so, like, all over the place. Like, I. I was like, I know a guy that drums. He would go to the shows with me. He was a fellow skater. He's like, also, side note, the dog. You know the dog on our demo cover.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
Or my drummer. That drummer at the time gave me that dog. So he, like, gave me the dog. When there's a puppy, like, here.
Colin
Oh, here's a dog.
Brandon
He was like, oh, I have puppies.
Bo
Like, I have something.
Colin
That's nice.
Bo
Oh, that's very cool.
Brandon
So that was like. And it was that time period too, like us being in a band together. He gave me the dog or.
Bo
Anyways, anyways, what was the name of this band? I. I want to know.
Brandon
Oh, it's like high school name. Like, we. We. The band is called Rage.
Colin
Oh, that's cool.
Brandon
Yeah, just like a high school name.
Colin
That's a sick name.
Bo
It's a good name I wrote.
Brandon
I just Remember, like, The aesthetic was MySpace aesthetic.
Bo
Can you remember a riff at all?
Brandon
I remember some of the names of the songs. Like, there was a song called, like, Commence or something. Yeah, I don't really remember the riffs too much.
Colin
You play that one.
Brandon
Wait, hold on.
Colin
It's not. It wasn't Rage. It was something else.
Brandon
That sounds like the song.
Colin
Is it really?
Brandon
Yeah, that sounds like the riff. But you know what everyone was doing?
Colin
That was someone else's riff. That was just another Sevenfold riff. No, for now.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Seriously? Yeah, it was ripped.
Bo
Oh, yeah.
Brandon
Okay. Because the guy that was, like, writing the songs loved Avenge 7.
Colin
So I just note for note. So the Unholy Confessions riff was a Rage Rift, straight up.
Bo
Oh, I'm sure he probably thought you somehow got the riff from your secret source.
Colin
He was baffled just then.
Bo
Like, damn.
Colin
There was no rage like that.
Brandon
I was like, oh, you're asking these questions from these people. Digging, like, deep enough. You probably found it.
Colin
I don't know rage like that.
Brandon
Yet here it's not even online because MySpace deleted all the music.
Colin
I know.
Bo
So whack. That's so, like, all the pictures and stuff, all gone.
Brandon
You should. The URL is still there. I remember. The URL is Rage Band 209.
Bo
Damn.
Brandon
Yeah. You can probably look it up. It's probably there. And you'll probably see everyone's, like, personal MySpace pages and some of the bands that we were, like, we liked at the time. We're on the topic, you know, so.
Colin
How this is the only band you're in until Big Boy starts.
Brandon
This is the only band I was in until a version of Big Boy tried to start.
Colin
Tell me about that.
Brandon
We tried to start a band. Pretty much the same band members. It was originally just me, Joseph, who plays bass. He also is in all the other bands. And our friend Keone, who drums in the band Legend. Legend. He. He drum in a lot of other bands. Keoni and Joseph used to play in this band called True Hearted Together, San Jose.
Colin
I played with them a few times.
Brandon
They used to play together, and I think that's how. And I was just always their friend. And we somehow, like, met up and wanted to make another band.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
And there was, like, no guitarist. We didn't have a guitarist, so. Or a bass or whatever. Like, there wasn't real members other than us three. And we played a show, and then it just never happened. We did, like, a Hate Breed cover. Two originals, Intro to originals, Hate Breed cover, and that's it.
Colin
What was this version of the band Called.
Brandon
I don't want to say it. I don't want to say that name.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Yeah. I respect you because on record I've. I've talked about this before and I said I never wanted to. I never said the name. So I'm going to keep it.
Colin
Keep it up. Okay.
Bo
Okay, cool. Cool.
Brandon
Because I like the name. I think it can be use, like Big Boy thing.
Colin
Okay, gotcha. Yeah, do it later.
Bo
No one will know.
Brandon
And no one will know, like, you know.
Colin
So does what you're working at Timeless Coffee? Great place up there with Joseph at the time.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
Is that when Big Boy kind of actually launches?
Brandon
No, this is. This is pretty like the. The coffee stuff. Shout out Timeless. Shout out rj. Shout out anyone involved with Timeless.
Colin
It's like the number one employer of hardcore kids in the bay.
Brandon
100. 100. That. That was all during, like, Big Boy doing stuff already.
Colin
Gotcha.
Brandon
And that was very short. That was like less than a year of me being there. But I have been friends with Joseph. I actually met him playing one of our shows, a Raid show in the Bay Area, very, very early on. He's one of the first people I ever recognize at a hardcore show. And I just became his friend because of that.
Colin
What did you recognize him from?
Brandon
Just being there and moshing.
Colin
And I found him that OG Masher I saw.
Brandon
Yeah. You know what? Okay, I'll say this story. I'll say this story. I was friends with Joseph. We became friends on MySpace, so I would see him at the shows. He went to this show in Dublin. Do you know where Dublin, California is? Yeah, Dublin. We were at this pizza shop show. There's this really cool. I mean, I think they're cool Death Corps band at the time called I Shot the Sheriff. Have you ever heard of that?
Colin
No. Crazy name, though.
Brandon
I think that's one of the best Bay area, like, aggressive Bay Area bands, period. Period. I shot the sheriff I shot the sheriff.
Colin
Wow.
Brandon
Yeah, it was like, like, like Death Core, straight up Death Corps, you know, but like really technical, really fast metal core or whatever, you know?
Bo
Yeah, sure.
Brandon
I don't know how to categorize this, but I saw him there. He was with his cousin and his cousin. I. I went to elementary school and like middle school and high school with.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
So I was like, oh, like, why are you with this guy?
Colin
Why are you with this OG Masher? I know from all the gigs, he's.
Brandon
Like, this is my cousin. I'm like, oh, shoot. No way. So, you know, we. We just like kind of made that Connection. And then anytime there would be some, like, family stuff going on in. In Lathrop. His cousin lived in Lathrop. He would hit me up like, yo, I'm in town. I'm in Lathrop. Like, do you want to hang out sick? And he. He would hang out with, like, me and my friends in Lathrop, you know, that's how I made the connection with Joseph.
Colin
Beautiful. So years later, 2019, Big Boy starts.
Brandon
Yeah, Big Boy starts in 2019. That's the beginning of Big Boy starting. We did like. I honestly, too. We knew. Okay, I may have even said this before. One time online, we knew that we were gonna play a show. We knew we had to make a band to play a show. That's why, like, we made the band.
Bo
Sure.
Brandon
We knew the show. Thought of the name. I thought of the name before the music or what I just said, oh, this would be a dope band name. I was saying the best band names are two words, one syllable. Big Boy. Yeah. Cold World. Cold World.
Colin
Agnostic Front.
Brandon
Soul Search.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
You know what? It's good. That's like, just like my favorite sounding.
Colin
Bad Brains.
Bo
Bad Brains.
Brandon
Bad Brains. Bad Brains.
Bo
God's Hate. Harm's Way.
Brandon
God's Harm's Way. Yes.
Colin
Damn. You're onto something.
Brandon
Typo.
Colin
Misfits.
Brandon
Typo. Well, so that's like, how that. That came to be. I. And it was pretty, pretty fast. That started because our guitarist Adrian, who's now actually the. The drummer of the band. Right, Our guitarist I had met. I would see this guy everywhere. Everywhere. At all the shows. He would mosh like, crazy style too. But this was like a time of. Of hardcore in the South Bay or Bay, where, like, not everyone really knew each other. So there would be like little clicks and like certain clicks. Mosh hard, right? Like, they're just like hard moshers in groups. And actually, so Adrian and Mike Dirt were friends, like, early on they were in a band together. I. I noticed that they would chill together and they knew I was like, friends with, like, the Bad Times Crew. True hearted guys. I would.
Colin
Which would go on to be like Hands of God, Tsunami. Okay.
Brandon
Exactly. Yeah. All those bands just regrouped and became these other bands. But I was at a show, a hardcore show, moshing like I always do. Hard. Hard body. Hard body moshing. Like people know the old way, the old way, the. The real way. And there was a. Something that happened between me and Mike Dirt. Oh. And he was like. Because Dirt always says this, he always, like, cites this story back to me. He's like, yeah, at this show you were moshing and I, I was like, this is Dirt speaking. He's like, sure. I thought I was gonna have to fight you.
Colin
Wow.
Brandon
He's like, it's that guy, that guy that moshes hard. He did this. He's coming to me. I'm gonna have to fight him.
Colin
He was ready for war.
Brandon
He was ready for.
Colin
Because you were going too hard.
Brandon
I, I actually, I actually said, like, what's up to him, really?
Colin
I think, yeah, what's up?
Brandon
No, no, like, like, what's up? Like, yo, you know what's up? Yeah. And he's like, it's chill. Like, we're chill.
Colin
Okay, so what band was playing?
Brandon
You're gonna have to ask Dirt. You're gonna have to get Dirt on the pod.
Colin
All right. Because let me know.
Brandon
He. That's, that's his story. Just me reimagining it.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
But so, okay. Slowly started, like, being okay with being around other hardcore groups. Sure.
Colin
I mean, like, I vividly remember these clicks from the bay just playing there for, for a decade of just like, okay, there's this group. They're here. So the show is going to be good. So these guys are here too. So the show is gonna be really good.
Bo
Yeah, we've talked about this before. Yeah, yeah.
Colin
That it was the best place to play.
Brandon
I'll. I'll say this, this one thing, this is like a lot like a life changing. Like, it is life changing because life changes. What happened was I saw Adrian hanging out with. We have a friend that moved to San Jose from Germany. I would see him around shows, met.
Colin
Him through, like, sounds familiar.
Brandon
He's a hardcore guy, like, really core. Like, he used to book shows in Germany. He's friends with a lot of the people out there. He moved to San Jose. He was hanging out with Adrian. I didn't really know Adrian at the time. I barely knew the. Our German friend Eric Buchwald. That someone's gonna hear and be like, I know Eric.
Bo
Okay?
Brandon
So sorry, I'm not even trying to be vague or like, I'm just like, I understand. You know, just respect. I saw them hanging out at this, like, Japanese market.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
I was with Joseph. We were like getting ramen or something. So I, I tell Joseph, I'm like, hey, like, don't you know those guys? Like, that's the German guy and that's the mushroom guy. Right. So we go up to them and start like, talking to them like, hey, what's good? You know? And yeah, I just kind of befriended Them, like, at that moment, like, like, became, like, better friends with them that moment.
Bo
And that was a pivotal moment for you.
Brandon
It was pivotal for me. It's I. In, like, a hardcore way. Yeah, pivotal because he's the person I ended up asking to, like, try to write music with us with Joseph, he's.
Colin
The guitar player you finally had, you know?
Brandon
Yeah, yeah. With. With Keone, like, we somehow managed to, like, figure out how to write some songs maybe. Like, it's dope that we waited that long because, like, all the time and experience of. Oh, it's dope that I waited. They've been bands forever.
Bo
Yeah, sure.
Brandon
I'm glad. I kind of waited to, like, be in a band again.
Colin
It's interesting to note that, like, relative to Big Boy, like, Tsunami starts the same year, basically.
Brandon
Tsunami?
Colin
Those demos are the same year.
Brandon
Same year we played the same first show.
Bo
Whoa.
Brandon
Yeah. Same first show with. Along with like, some other bands that are like RBS bands. When people refer to our hardcore as RBs, I don't even like. It doesn't. I don't even say, like, oh, those are RBS bands. It's just like the homies, you know.
Colin
I think it's just how other people are gonna peripherally look at it now because you guys have made it such a thing by accident outside of.
Brandon
So the outside looking in. Do you guys hear people refer to our bands as, like, The RBS guys 100?
Bo
I. I hear it more used as the people in those bands. Yeah. Not so much like a style or.
Colin
Something, but I know that's just like. It's classification of this group.
Bo
Yes.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
Every RBS band sounds different. I feel like there's, like. There's a lot of variation, but.
Colin
So tell me about demo coming out, putting it together, the reaction to it. Like, when does days come into play? Oh.
Brandon
Oh, sorry. Hold on. Let me just finish what I was saying. We all played our first show together. That was the RBS show.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Yeah. That's why I had to say that. That was like the RBS show. They call it the RBS show.
Colin
That was the big comeback from Pandemic show.
Brandon
No, no, this is before Pandemic. Yeah, this is pre 2019. Our first show is a Halloween show. It was us. These are the bands. Yeah, I know this for a fact. These are the bands. It was Big Boy. It was Tsunami. It was Spine Breaker.
Colin
Members of Gulch. Right.
Brandon
Members of Goal. Members of Tui. Yeah. Elliot Play and Spy Breaker.
Colin
Cole, the Homie. Ben, you say Ty.
Brandon
Benji. No. No, Benji.
Colin
Okay. You Just said it.
Brandon
Wait, did I say T. Yeah. When did I say that? Members of Go. Members of tui. Yeah.
Colin
Stephen, rewind it.
Brandon
Steven, rewind that. Cut that out. Steven. No good. Sorry. Spine. Hold on, let me finish. Spine. Big. Big boy. Spine. Big boy Gulch. Tony Molina. Tony Molina played Wow. Yeah. Foghorn. Foghorn's first show as well.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Oh, and then Extinguish did a Hate Breed cover set. Cool. So it was all Hate Breed. So Hate Breed played. Yeah, Hate Re. Played that. But that was the first official RBS show.
Colin
Wow.
Brandon
Before the Comeback.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Before the big comeback that everyone knows.
Colin
And, like, relative. Like, the Comeback thing was insane. It was like thousands of people outside. How was the first one?
Brandon
The show. I'm talking about the house show. Yeah, there's. It was. It was sold out, actually. But the house. It's like a house. It was like a. A non. This building is still there. The organization is still there, but it's not big enough to have any sort of shows. So it was like a 100 cap house. Like a. Two living rooms. And you watch the monsters are in one living room. You watch in the back. And the hallway from, like, for the Non Mash.
Colin
Is this that video of. Gosh. That went, like, kind of viral.
Brandon
Did it? Was it a house?
Colin
Yeah.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Yes.
Colin
Okay.
Bo
It has. Because I used to be. I've definitely seen that before.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
Has to be. Yeah. I'm pretty sure the tsunami video went viral too, because, like, people were wearing costumes and there's like, these people, like, wearing, like, just being crazy. But it was like that because it was a Halloween show.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
So this is why the banana costume guys are showing up now is because of this Halloween Tsunami show.
Brandon
I feel like I would see that in hardcore prior.
Colin
Banana suit guys just sort of.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
But now it's like an epidemic, you know?
Brandon
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Colin
The peel is coming off.
Bo
We got a piece.
Brandon
It's been peeled.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
For sure.
Bo
For sure. I was gonna say at a Halloween show, it's fine. You do whatever you want on Halloween. No other time is that accessible.
Colin
So demo is out. Covet hits immediately.
Brandon
Immediately. We played, like, three shows.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Or hold on. I remember we played that show. Our second show was with Initiate. Initiate came through town. We played a show with them.
Colin
Cool.
Brandon
And then the third show was gonna be with Year of the Knife. Like Hands of God Year. The knife extinguished. Great show. But that was like. That one never happened.
Bo
That was cool.
Brandon
The reason why I remember how many shows we played was because the merch I printed for for the shows? Yeah.
Colin
Like you physically printed or ordered?
Brandon
I ordered.
Colin
Okay. Got through. Through Cole or something.
Brandon
Through Coal.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
Is that public knowledge that Cole does all this stuff for all. Okay. Yeah. Through Printhead. Through Printhead.
Colin
That's awesome. So 2021 covered you. Did you spend that time writing the, the. The first prom, the winter promo, or does that come like. Okay, shows are back. Let's get some new songs going.
Brandon
The band, we've never even thought about like doing it again for whatever reason.
Bo
Interesting.
Colin
It was just a one time thing at the end. At that point in your life.
Brandon
I think at that point, none of us were like even actively trying to, like, Joseph had already started like to do Tsunami again. And I'm not entirely sure where like Keone and Adrian were at at that time.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
But I think somehow, some way, some miraculous way we decide. I think what happened was Adrian came to us with like this, some songs demoed out. He's like, hey, I demoed these songs out. We should record some songs.
Colin
Got it.
Brandon
So we ended up doing like a second ep, but way after, like, everyone started playing the shows again.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Yeah. I was just so busy doing like other. Other stuff in my life, you know, that it wasn't really a priority to continue the band just because I never saw it continuing in that way.
Bo
You just wanted to get together, play music, play shows with your friends.
Brandon
Exactly.
Bo
Didn't think about it. Totally.
Colin
The Bay has been this like ticking time bomb.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
For so long. Because it was always the best. The best. The best show on every band's tour was in the Bay for so long.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
But it didn't have like a marquee, like it had like ceremony and stuff like that. But yeah, in terms of like the style of music that that Big Boy plays and Tsunami's playing, there wasn't really proper representation like that on like a full worldwide touring scale.
Bo
Totally.
Colin
And then at the same time the bit like all at once the Bay explodes and now is like leading the charge worldwide in terms of just what American hardcore means to the world. You like Drain, Tsunami, Big Boy, even Gulch, who gone too soon but made their mark. It all explodes at once.
Brandon
Scowl. Scowl.
Colin
Absolutely. Of course. 100.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
There's. I'm sure there's many more. I'm not, I'm. I'm forgetting.
Brandon
But those are.
Colin
I.
Brandon
Okay, I. I will say that those are the bands that were the catalyst to people understanding that there is music like starting up and like going for it in, in the Bay Area. Yeah.
Colin
Because you. I mean, you had bands like Spine Breaker and True Hearted this whole time, which was like how these people, the. The evolution of all these bands that are breaking out now.
Brandon
Sure.
Colin
But in terms of like a full, full time bands on a, On a. On a global scale, it is really just now kind of hitting. What was it like? Just kind of seeing that and experiencing that in real time. Did it inspire you to want to be like, okay, I think let's just. Let's just keep doing this?
Brandon
I think. I think it did. Yeah, I really think it did. I. Let me. I'm trying to think of like our timeline.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
And what shows were like, we were doing on the way back. I just realized like the, the amount of people attending the shows started getting larger and then some of the people that organized, like, so everyone, Everyone in the Bay Area, like, like any show, most of the shows in the Bay Area, like, we're the ones that are organizing it. So whether it's like us suggesting what bands and like people will hit us and ask. Ask for shows, like, and we'll make something happen for them. Right. Because all the people booking the shows are in the bands. Right. Obviously. Yeah.
Colin
Whether it's through Danny or something else.
Brandon
Exactly, exactly. We all. I just remember like, like playing shows because they needed bands. Like, oh, we can. We can do this one. We can do this one. But do you honestly go on.
Bo
I was just gonna ask if you remembered the, the first big boy show after like the pandemic. Like, when did you make even a minor comeback?
Brandon
You know what we played? I remember one time we had played like a couple songs at like a. Like another show. Like we were all there, like, oh, yeah, let's just play some songs. Like those few songs we have, you know, but. Oh, one of the first shows back was this show at this bowling alley near, near our town.
Bo
I played there. I played that Bowling alley.
Brandon
X Bar.
Bo
Yeah, I've played there.
Brandon
Harm's Way played there.
Bo
Harm's Way played there. Yeah, With Joseph's other band, Fields of Flame played.
Brandon
That's correct. Yeah, I, Yeah, I remember that gig. So one of our first shows back was that. That get that venue. I believe maybe Dead Heat played. I think Dead Heat and Tsunami played and then we played and like two other bands, two other locals played, but Tsunami didn't get to play because there was like a crazy fight or something like that. It was just like a crazy problem. It's a good problem to have something crazy happened and like they didn't get to play.
Bo
Do shows still happen there?
Colin
I don't think so.
Bo
Right.
Brandon
They. The venue exists.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
They have their own little thing going on. We. We decided to stop playing shows there collectively. So I'm sure they took it like. They're, like. They were kind of exploiting what was going on.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
To be honest.
Colin
You know, understandable.
Brandon
The. The people that organize the stuff there were kind of, like, being weird. So it. Yeah. Like, yo, diy. Like, we can.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
But that was one of the first Big Boy shows.
Bo
Back when was that.
Brandon
We. Okay, we did a release. What, 2019. 21, then 23. Right.
Colin
Yeah, we.
Brandon
This was probably 21. You know, 2021.
Bo
Okay.
Colin
So tell me about the. The second demo. So the. The EP. The first EP. The 2021 winter promo. Tell me about it. Tell me about putting it together. Adrian bringing you those songs. You guys finished recording it? Are you, like, damn. We're actually pretty dope.
Brandon
I mean, I think. I feel like that one in particular was put out just so people know that we were active.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
I don't really have much thought about that one, because I think the reason why we did that was, like, just so we could play more shows.
Colin
The 2023 one was when I became, yeah, super aware of Big Boy.
Brandon
Yeah. That's when Days put it out.
Colin
Okay. And that's when I think you guys, like. Like, the. The writing was on the wall stylistically the whole time. But the 2023 spring promo. Is that what it's called? Yeah, the spring promo was where, like, Big Boys. Big Boy is Big Boy.
Bo
And that was. Was that the. The Sound of Fury year? Was that 2023, when. With the barricade and everything?
Brandon
23.
Bo
Yeah, that was that same year.
Brandon
Yeah. I think those. I think all three were out at that time already, so people kind of understood our discography.
Bo
But that was when I also became aware, because we talked to you guys, too, really briefly at the fest. We did, like, a mini interview.
Brandon
Yeah, I remember that. You guys were like, oh. You guys were asking people, oh, which band you want to see? And then you're like, oh, like, people are saying Big Boy. Like, I don't know what Big Boy is. But, yeah, that was, like, one of the. So the thing is, when we played that, I kind of already had faith in our band as a band. That would be a band that's starting to excel because of, like, the stuff we were doing just a little bit prior to that. So you asked me about the 2021 release. Yeah, I don't really think too much of that. The 2023 release is where I was like, oh, this band can start doing stuff. Which. Which is true.
Colin
Like, yeah, we start to do stuff.
Brandon
Oh, yeah, we started, like, actually just like, going for it.
Colin
What do. What was the first Big Boy tour like? Proper tour.
Brandon
The first proper. Okay, can I say two things? The first out of town show we ever played was at the midnight hour. It was beautiful. It was with Spy. It was with Spy. I think the Runs played that.
Colin
Oh, cool.
Brandon
Yeah, I think the Runts played that. Unless it's two separate shows, both of the midnight hour. But those were like. That was our first invitation to go out.
Colin
And how was that?
Brandon
It was a good experience, sure. Yeah. Also, admittedly, I've never traveled outside of the Bay Area to go to a hardcore show, with the exception of like, a show by chance I went to in Vegas one time or the one you tried.
Colin
The chance I tried to go to try.
Brandon
That was one of the first times. Other than Sound and Fury in Santa Barbara, I never had tried to go out of town to go to a hardcore show. Oh, I did go on some runs with Bad Times Crew.
Colin
Oh, cool.
Brandon
That. That was with like, this band called Bitter Thoughts from. From Chicago.
Bo
That's right. I don't. Not. Not personally, but I know them. Yeah.
Brandon
One of the best to me. One of the best. Like, one of my favorites. The. With the exception of those times, I've never really gone out.
Colin
So Big Boy is kind of the reason you start experiencing hardcore outside of the bay in general.
Brandon
100. So what.
Colin
Do you remember the first great reaction that Big Boy ever got?
Brandon
I do, yeah. Actually, other than the. Our local times, because people were starting to like, understand what was going on locally. This is actually the first tour we did. So this is a perfect question. It was an Abrasion tour. Abrasion organized it. Angel, at the time, he had just moved to the Bay Area and he. We befriended angel, started hanging out with angel, and he asked us if we wanted to do a tour. Like, hey, like, Abrasions wants a tour. You. We should do Big Boy and Extinguish. So it was Abrasion, Big Boy, Extinguish.
Colin
To a great tour.
Brandon
It was awesome. It was great.
Bo
How long was it great?
Brandon
It was like maybe like eight days. We did like, we went to.
Bo
The.
Brandon
First show was program.
Colin
Oh, sick. So that had to be good.
Brandon
It was honestly, like when I was like, oh, shoot, people know this. Like, people outside of our area know this. This is a dope vibe. This is a dope vibe. Straight up.
Colin
The first good reaction Big Boy gets out of town. I mean, program is 100 cap skate shop. So it's like, if you're popping at all, the set's gonna be amazing. But I love that. That being amazing. Your thought is this is a pretty dope vibe.
Brandon
Is a dope vibe. You know, I guess I'll do this.
Colin
For the rest of my life, maybe.
Brandon
That was the show that convinced me, though. Like, oh, like we can actually go and kick it and do.
Colin
So the whole tour that good? To an extent.
Brandon
It was good enough.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Yeah. It was good enough to be like, oh, this is a dope. This is a dope vibe. Actually, what had happened was we. We went to program. I think we played another show in SoCal somewhere, but we went to Vegas.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Then we ended up in Salt Lake. There was a festival that had just started in Salt Lake. Our homie Marquis and all the dudes that do and that rock. It was. It was cool. The vibe was cool.
Bo
It's interesting just because, like. Because California will lie to you. Because it'll make you feel like, oh, we're gonna be huge everywhere.
Colin
Yeah.
Bo
You know what I mean? Because shows can be so good there. And then you get into mountain time zone and.
Colin
Thanks 100.
Brandon
We. We were only, like, left. Wait, hold on. Oh, yo, hold on. My bad. I'm hella missing a tour. We did a tour with out of Pocket.
Colin
Oh, how was that?
Brandon
From Texas.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Oh, that may have been after the Abrasion run.
Colin
I'm sorry. It might have been because wasn't it to FYI or something or. No, you. You played Philly, and that's why Bob asked Out of Pocket to play fy, I think is what it was.
Brandon
We did that. We did FYA after the day stuff. Okay, so this is, like, pre that.
Colin
Gotcha.
Brandon
But Lumpy from Days already knew we were gonna release some stuff, so he saw what we were trying to do. I, like, sent him the music. Oh, also the connect. Can I give the connect. Sanction would come to the bay and play with Hog.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
And everyone just, like, kind of, like, had this tie with Sanction, right? And Lumpy knew that there was a scene up there. He had, like, heard of some of the bands starting to do some stuff. So he asked, like. Like, oh, yeah, I could put this stuff out. I could put Big Boy out. So that was like the. The third ep, like, game changer for us, I suppose, you know? But. But yeah, first tour was Abrasion Extinguish Big Boy circuit. We went.
Colin
Any. Any incidents come to mind from that tour?
Brandon
Any Incidents.
Colin
Big events.
Brandon
Big events.
Colin
No. Okay. Yeah, just a good tour.
Brandon
It was good. It was mild. We're all mild. Very mild people.
Colin
Just good vibes is what you're all about.
Brandon
Just chill vibes, coffee, eat food. Just be respectful and just do dope, dope things.
Colin
That's what's up.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
And write these little 92nd Marauder songs.
Brandon
92Nd Marauder songs. 90, 92nd CDC songs.
Colin
I mean, the thing I like about Big Boys, like the, the recordings are very real and raw. They're very human.
Brandon
Thank you.
Colin
Is that intentional?
Brandon
Can I tell you something?
Colin
Please.
Brandon
A lot of the songs that had came to the table are like supposed to be twice as long. And I like, we intentionally made them like very short. The goal was to make one minute songs, like one minute 30 second songs. So that's why all the songs are. Are structured like that. I've seen some people say, like, like, oh, I wish the songs were longer.
Colin
Oh, like I listen to them again.
Brandon
Yeah, yeah. These songs sound like, like, oh, just like parts put together. But I mean, all hardcore is just parts put together.
Colin
All music is just part.
Brandon
All music is parts put together and it repeats so it feels like a real song. We, you know who actually like kind of gave me that idea was Tony Molina.
Colin
Really?
Brandon
If you listen to like Tony Molina's music, it's like a minute long song. I'm like, this is. Should be a 3 minute, 4 minute Beatles song, but it's not. And I like that.
Bo
How many songs are in a set list then? Like a typical big boy set list.
Brandon
We only have, with the exception of the, like the new songs we put out. We have like a total of like, not including the. Okay, I'm not including this EP. We have like 15 minutes of music recorded.
Bo
It's amazing.
Brandon
Like less than 20 minutes. So our set lists are no longer than 20 minutes.
Colin
And it's everything.
Brandon
Everything.
Bo
The discography.
Brandon
That's the disco. That's the disco. I had to add the sample pedal. Like, I started playing shows with a sample pedal. The first time we ever did it was at Sound and Fury.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
And we started doing live samples because they asked us to play a certain time.
Bo
Right.
Brandon
I'm like, we need a sample pedal. There's no way. Unless we repeat a song.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Do a cover. There's no way. We can do like, dude, 25 minutes. Yeah. And. And you know, like, I feel like hardcore. Watching a hardcore set should never be more than 25 minutes.
Colin
Yeah, yeah. For the most part I agree. I think, I think there's like bands with longer songs who. You just accept that their songs are long and you don't even think about it.
Bo
Right.
Colin
But, like, fast hardcore.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
For even a half hour is like, man, it sounds like the same thing.
Brandon
Like, over and over. Like, to be honest with you, like, can I tell you my dream hardcore show?
Colin
Please.
Brandon
Four band bill, 15 minute sets, everyone sharing the same equipment in and out right after. That's like the best case scenario. Show starts at 7, ends at 9. In and out, 9:30, be home, 10:30. That's like best case scenario.
Colin
That's a perfect day.
Bo
That's perfect.
Brandon
Perfect day.
Colin
I've dreamt of that day before. I've never experienced it. Maybe someday. Maybe I gotta get up to the bay. RBS 2026, 7 to 9.
Brandon
In and out after that would be nice.
Colin
So the spring promo. Are you guys consistently writing this the whole time between the. The one, the other one, or is this kind of like, all right, guys, maybe we should do some new songs. Let's fire them out.
Brandon
We. We were writing it, so our writing process is. Is pretty fast.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
So when we're like, oh, we need a song. Someone will either bring a whole song or parts and we'll figure it out and we can write a song in like a day. Like, all the songs you hear is like a day song.
Colin
So jealous.
Bo
That's awesome.
Brandon
Thank you. Also, too. I don't write the songs. I'm not. I don't know. I could. They'll bring the songs. I'll be. Do it like.
Colin
That's right.
Brandon
Do that. Or like, don't play it this fast. Like, do it this fast instead.
Bo
Or that's writing all accounts. That's more than Rick Rubin does when he 100. Yeah. So you're killing it.
Colin
You would get points on the new Slipknot if that's all you said. Do you. So you do it fast. You fire them out, you get them ready. The spring, the 20, 23 promos, when you're like, okay, I love what we're doing. Let's hit the road. Let's do it for real. Is there any desire in your mind to ever do a big boy lp?
Brandon
I mean, everyone wants that, right?
Bo
I feel like they do. They say.
Brandon
They say they do. They say they do. Until you listen to the LP, you stop at the six song. Yeah, I also listen to the whole LP. All my favorite LPs are only the first six songs ever, you know? And, like, I'll see new music come out. It'll be an lp. I'm like, oh, man, this is a killer lp. I'll hear some songs. I'm like, what song is this? It's like the eighth song.
Colin
Track eight goes crazy most of the time.
Brandon
It always goes crazy. Why not make track eight, track four?
Colin
Yeah, because it, because then what's track four?
Brandon
Track three.
Bo
That's bay math, dude.
Colin
That is bay, man.
Brandon
So, so you what? Yo, like, I get it, people want the lp. But here's the thing.
Colin
Make an lp. LP can be eight songs. It can be whatever you want.
Brandon
I don't want any songs. You know what I want, I want, I want to really actually.
Colin
Hold on. Yeah, no, yeah, don't, don't tell them. Just do it.
Brandon
Save this for next time. Yeah, I'll tell you outside of here.
Bo
I, I, I truly think being in a band with five LPs, I, I truly think that the EP is the.
Colin
Perfect, especially for hardcore music.
Brandon
And split, but.
Colin
EP and split, but they get forgotten.
Brandon
God Stomper style, you know, but like only splits.
Bo
If bands like Big Boy, if that, if, if the scene starts changing, like, like scene visually starts changing. Where EPs are common, more commonplace. Thank God.
Colin
Tsunami's plan. Every EP song, every night.
Brandon
You know, I also also like the idea. So, like, the imagery is the same, right, throughout.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
I like the idea of like all of our physicals are one size. Like, it's all these 7 inches that all look the same. That's like.
Colin
It's a very Japanese way of thinking. And it's cool physical production. It's very cool. But if you ever do it, I just think you, you've got the, the formula down now, you know, quick to the point you give them what they want.
Brandon
The duration of our EP or LP, if we ever do one, is going to be like a long EP.
Colin
Okay. You know, 12 minutes.
Brandon
Okay. Our EP that just do. The EP we just put out.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Is only 10 minutes because the COVID we do is form, you know, like.
Bo
Yeah, good point.
Brandon
So I don't know, I'm trying to.
Bo
Think of, of bands that have their first thing and then an LP and then that's it. And the LP is as good. So like judge bringing it down. Great.
Colin
Like the only one.
Bo
Carry on.
Brandon
Can I tell you the band that I think is like that, the modern band who is division of mine.
Colin
You think LP smokes everything.
Brandon
No, like they have just like this small release than a big release. And they're both good. Yeah, it's like one of the own, you know?
Bo
Gotcha.
Brandon
But I like that style too. I like that style of hardcore so that.
Colin
I mean, that should be the goal, right? Extinguished Extinguish has a great LP. Same what used to happen from like 2000 to2016 was great demo. Perfect 7 inch.
Bo
Yes.
Colin
Pretty good LP.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
Like, that was. Yeah, that's how it goes.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
Big boy will. Big boy's got good demo. Good ep. Great ep, actually. Great ep.
Brandon
You remember I was like, oh, I'm away.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
Remember I was like, I'm a. Wait, I'll put it out right now.
Colin
Hit it.
Brandon
Exclusive Hard Lore. Exclusive. What I was gonna do was I wanted to do like an LP length project split into two eps.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Release one ep, then the next day release the other one. So next day. Next day.
Bo
Shadow.
Brandon
Shadow Drop Part 1, Part 2. Shadow Drop. So Crate has two to review straight up. Not just.
Colin
How do you guys do on crate.
Brandon
For a berry event? Decent.
Colin
Okay. Does it on the bay. The crate.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
I don't know that I'm not on there, man. It's dark.
Bo
No way.
Brandon
They'll be like, I don't like Life of agony.
Colin
Yeah. And that's like, what, one star? Yeah.
Brandon
I'm like, why are you reviewing?
Colin
This episode is brought to you by a G1. What was the first thing you did this morning, Bo?
Bo
I woke up and filled a glass with cold water.
Colin
How many ounces?
Bo
About 8 to 12. Yeah. Roughly. And then one simple scoop of this beautiful green powder.
Colin
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Bo
You can simply rip and pour and done and done.
Colin
It's 2025. Okay. It may be 2026 when you're watching this. We don't know yet.
Bo
We have no idea.
Colin
But we have hopefully survived by then because of the incredible things we're putting in our bodies now. AG1 is a big part of that drinkage. ONE.com Hard Lore this episode is brought to you by Mad Vintage.
Bo
Hey, Colin, where'd you get that shirt?
Colin
Maddvintage.com wow. Yep. That's all you got to do. You go to this website, you. You listen to a band that we talk about on our show. He's got you covered. You're gonna find the shirts you've been looking for your entire life, and this is it. We're passionate about this.
Bo
It's one of our favorite aspects of the thing that we're into. And it's important to note Luke over at Mad Vintage, he's looking to buy, he's looking to trade. He wants to see what you got. You know, you have things you haven't worn in a long time in that.
Colin
Closet, and you might sell them to him and see him on this show someday. So let's hurry it up. Hit him up. I want. Our closets are full, so please get the stuff before we do.
Bo
I can't take anymore.
Colin
No. That's code Harlow. 15 for 15% off. Mad vintage. This episode is brought to you by Guilty Party, the greatest menswear store in North America.
Bo
They got me, Colin.
Colin
They really did.
Bo
I go, I shop and I love it. They have so many items, top to bottom, head to toe.
Colin
Free. No. 316 Ironheart. So our favorite things that we love because they're built to last for life. Denim, Incredible outerwear. This is, these are. This is like this stuff we wear in our real world, everyday lives that people stop us and go, hey, where'd you get that? The answer is Guilty Party. If you go to guiltyparty co and use code hardlore, you're gonna get 10% off your order. If it $300, you're going to get free shipping too. And it just may be because you're going to see so many things that catch the eye.
Bo
Also, it's very important to note that Guilty Party is hardcore owned.
Colin
That's right, Champ. Our good friend is the co owner. He plays drums in a little band called foundation, one of the greatest modern straight edge bands of all time. So you're not only supporting a great local business, you're supporting the core. It all goes back in, back to the episode. Since we're on that topic, we'll. We'll. Let's talk about the new LP and then we'll go back to some other stuff.
Bo
Ep.
Colin
Yeah. So the new ep, what such an interesting choice for a cover because it's. It's a deep cut life of anything post. River Runs Red is a deep cut life of agony track to the general public. True, but it is. I think it's their best song after that record because it borrows parts from an old demo song. Who brought up doing that song?
Brandon
Me.
Colin
You did.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
Okay, great choice.
Brandon
Thank you. I. I brought it up because there were parts in that song that I believe that we can do. There were actually other covers that we. We kind of wanted to do that I. I thought, oh, this would be a dope idea for a cover. Not hardcore. Like hella not hardcore.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
So we'd have to figure out how to perform it. But they were just what I felt was a little too technical for us. And like one of the songs that I brought to the table was a song with like a woman singing. So I tried to do it and I hella couldn't.
Colin
Was it Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush?
Brandon
No, it was actually a Sunday song.
Colin
Oh, okay.
Brandon
Yeah. So like big. I. I really wanted the idea of like Big Boy to do a Sunday song, release it as a single and just. That just drop the key a little. True. That might happen. That might happen. I think because of like the. This showcasing our ability. Yeah.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
It can open us up to doing more experimental things.
Colin
100.
Brandon
Go on both.
Bo
I'm sorry to interrupt. I was. I texted Colin yesterday that I think not only is this your best release, I think start to finish, I just think it's awesome. But I text, I was like, dude can sing. You hit some impressively difficult, difficult notes is particularly on the COVID Obviously it's Filipino.
Brandon
I'm Filipino, don't forget that. But the thing is I didn't know if I can do it, so I did it. We were like. We brought it to the table in the studio. You know, we're like, we. Okay. The. The. The parts seem reasonably like easy to.
Colin
Most of the songs is pretty, pretty chill. Until the.
Brandon
Yeah, dude, I did not. I was like, I'm gonna sing it an octave lower, you know. But then the guy that records us, Charles Toshio, he records a lot of the bands in the Bay Area. He was like, dude, just try it. You know, like, I think you can just go for it and we'll see what we can do.
Colin
And they can always fix little things.
Brandon
Honestly, a lot of that is. Is purely me like. And. And I redid that like handful of times. That was the most. I was the most like self conscious about that. Obviously.
Bo
I'll say this full respect. It isn't perfect. And that's what I like about it. Because I can tell it wasn't auto tuned. Do you know what I'm saying?
Brandon
So you said it's not auto tuned.
Bo
It doesn't sound like fixed pitch.
Brandon
Correct. It's pitch corrected slightly. I. I hit the notes like so. I think so. Well, that, that. It doesn't sound like if you're a bad singer. You can tell when it's auto tuned and pitch correct.
Bo
That's exactly what I mean.
Brandon
I know I can perform. I can do it. So that's the only reason why I was okay with putting it out for sure. I even told him like, I might not be able to want this to be released because if it's not, if it doesn't do it justice, I don't want to do it.
Colin
No. And you nailed it.
Brandon
And it's.
Colin
It's not. It's not a hit song.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
And that's what I. That why I like the decision.
Brandon
I think it's so. It's. It's so deep cut that people think it's our original. And that's dope.
Colin
That's good.
Brandon
But also too. My goal was if an old head hears this, that they can't deny that it's a good song. Like a good cover. Because we tried to do it.
Colin
Like it's very like. Would the Keone play on. Play drums on the recording or was.
Brandon
It Adrian Keone played drums on the recording.
Colin
He did the. All the.
Brandon
There's one part of the song that I noticed is missing and I didn't hear it till after it was. It was like starting.
Colin
You're devastated about it.
Brandon
I'm not devastated. But when the. When the. The chorus comes in, there's a tambourine. Like.
Bo
Dude. The chord progression over the chorus is so funny because it's just two chords and they're like the happiest chord. This is so funny.
Colin
That is crazy. But they made it work, man. Because then they go back to the Palm mutant verse. It's good. But the Love Songs ep overall, tell me about writing the rest of that.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
Do you feel that this is your strongest material yet?
Brandon
Yeah, I think yes.
Bo
I think so too.
Brandon
The thing. Thank you. The Thinging about this ep though is like I. I'll say this. Now that it's recorded the songs like we already were playing live except one like the new. New song.
Colin
So you were solid at them before recording.
Brandon
I. I would say so. Because the first two songs that aren't like the intro track. I'll talk about the inter track in a little bit. But the first two, like Big Boy hardcore songs in that one of them we used to play, we still. We were playing it consistently actually. 2021 we recorded it. No vocals. So we have a version of the song with no vocals. How we initially recorded it, we would play it live, never released it. We would say it's just like a. Like A. An interlude of some sort. Like a straight up mosh part. No vocals. Like, minute and a half of moshing. Two step mosh. Two step mosh. The first song, Mystified.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
We don't know the name. I didn't know think of the names of the songs until, like, after everything was recorded, even.
Colin
Even lyrically.
Brandon
Even lyrically.
Colin
Okay, so you. You title last.
Brandon
I titled last. I title last after, like, doing the lyrics for the song. But Toshio was like, hey, I'm starting to master these. What's the track list? What. What's the name of everything? I'm like, I don't know, like, thought of the EP name, thought of the names of the songs, like, probably, like in 10 minutes. But was it.
Colin
Was it scary for you to change the format of the name? Yeah, like calling it Love Songs and not Fall ep. Fall promo, new spring promo.
Brandon
So he was like. He's like, do you want to call it Love Songs or Love Songs ep? I'm like, I think we need the. The EP there in. Intentionally, because there's like, spring promo, you know, Boom.
Colin
Oh, it's the. We did that on The Love Songs EP&I.
Bo
I think that's always cooler. Legit.
Colin
The love songs, Ricky.
Brandon
Exactly.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
But the new ep, we were playing the songs already. The second song or the third song. Okay, the time frame goes. We knew we were playing this fest. Rbs fest. We wanted to put out more material before the fest. We had these songs in particular recorded since, like, December of last.
Colin
Wow.
Brandon
Okay. Yeah. So pretty long. And I've just been listening to him, like, over and over and over and over. So I knew, with the exception of the first song, the I title it, I titled it When I Prayed. That's the first thing the person says in. The person in the recording is our good friend Saxon. He's done a real something on every release we've done. He did the. He also did, like, the Gulch intro, the Hands of God intro. He's. This guy is like. Like rbs. He's so rbs. He did that. We. Me and him were doing the. The intro together when I prayed. And the, like, the. The sample part and the spoken word. He all did that.
Colin
Awesome.
Brandon
We. I kind of, like, orchestrated it or whatever. The words that he's saying was from a book I read. I'm like, hey, like, can you say it like this in this style? But that. That was probably like, the second most. Like, I needed that to be perfect too. You know what I mean?
Colin
Sure.
Brandon
Going into the song. So I knew the other three songs. I knew the hardcore songs were good, so.
Colin
But is this the first time you've ever felt, like, the pressure of perfection going into a recording?
Brandon
Not the first time, because the EP prior, I knew was gonna be released on the label. So we needed it to be, like, on point too, of course, but definitely because of how much larger our band has gotten. I knew there was going to be a certain, like, set of people that probably have never heard of us before, wanting to check us out, knowing and. And knowing that, like, a fresh pair of ears would hear this. I kind of wanted to be a little bit more different than, like, the releases prior to. So that's why we did, like, a cool, dope long intro. Got you did the COVID just to.
Colin
Kind of, like, very substantial and real.
Brandon
Yeah, exactly. I just wanted to show, like, our. Our dynamic. Like, we have, like, a large.
Colin
Like, we're capable and you're doing a lot this year.
Brandon
We're capable.
Colin
You did a lot last year. You're.
Brandon
Yeah, it's just.
Colin
I mean, you're a real band now for sure.
Brandon
And until this day, like, sometimes. Real band. Yeah, sometimes it doesn't feel like a real band. You know, Like, I think about some bands in my head and they seem like they have. Man. Sometimes they seem more deserving of it than. Than I do. I feel that way.
Colin
It's just not how it works.
Bo
That's just called imposter syndrome, brother. We all got.
Brandon
I know it happens to.
Colin
It happens to the. All the greats, but I know the work. The work gets you where you are and you guys are. You guys are out here doing it.
Brandon
I. I think about how, like, man, some people work harder than we do, but we put a lot of work in, man.
Colin
Like, you're going to Scotland tomorrow.
Brandon
You're here right now. I know.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
That's work, dude.
Brandon
I know, man.
Bo
That's the one of the funniest things I think about. Anytime industry plant comes up with. With hardcore at all, it's like it just. That just doesn't work. Just doesn't happen. Like the bands.
Colin
Because this guy was.
Bo
Yes.
Colin
Doing his shift at Timeless.
Bo
Yes.
Colin
He was moshing at Eureka. Don't worry about what he's been doing. There's no such thing as a plan.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
You've been Australia as well, right?
Brandon
Yeah, we went to Australia last year with Tsunami.
Colin
Tell me about big boy in Australia. Your experience there. Any. Any big events or stories from that Hardcore. I guess it was cool.
Brandon
It was cool. The hardcore part was cool. Got to Play with a lot of cool bands. Being able to play like those songs for, for that continent sure was, was insane dope. Insane experience. Everyone's like singing the songs dope.
Colin
Right.
Brandon
Everything around the hardcore. Doper.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Yeah.
Bo
Okay, Okay. I didn't know where that was gonna go, but now that makes sense.
Brandon
Not my, my experience in Australia for this tour was like, it was the dream tour because of what we did. Away from the hardcore. Yeah. Like swimming in, in the ocean every day type.
Colin
That's your dream.
Brandon
That's. Didn't know it was my dream, but it was okay. Yeah.
Colin
So that, that's. You were saying to me on the way here, like, if all your friends moved to Australia, you would move to Australia.
Brandon
I wish everyone lived on in Australia. Everyone ever.
Colin
Hear that Australia, get to work.
Bo
Would you say it's like your favorite place you've been to? Like, it's up there.
Brandon
Favorite place.
Bo
Was there a specific city or.
Colin
So you're saying Australia is better than San Jose?
Brandon
Hey, hey. I can't answer that question, man. I. My favorite city in Australia was definitely Sydney.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
I think that that vibe was really cool.
Colin
Cool.
Brandon
But it's a good vibe. Everywhere. Everywhere we went was dope. We went from like the north part of it all the way down to like the bottom and all the climates were all different. Did you go across to Perth?
Bo
Yeah. I was gonna ask if you went to Perth. Perth is crazy.
Brandon
That was a time where warp.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Was a time war. What year is it in 2011? Oh, 2012.
Colin
That's not bad.
Brandon
Eureka Coffee shop days. No, it was, it was cool though, that, that was a dope experience too. I don't know if this is a controversial take, but it's, it's appropriate. When I was in Perth, it kind of reminded me of China. Oh, it kind of reminded me of.
Colin
Like I never been. How so?
Brandon
I, I, I went to Beijing. I had a layover in Beijing. Like more than 24 hour layover.
Bo
Okay.
Brandon
And I like went around and walked around and it maybe where I was just staying at it, it reminded me of Beijing.
Colin
Wow.
Brandon
It had a Beijing vibe.
Colin
Beijing vibes.
Brandon
It was chill.
Colin
I would love to experience some Beijing vibes.
Brandon
That was chill. Perth was chill. So maybe that's why I was like, oh, this is, this is chill.
Colin
Two chill places is. This is exactly like they're the same.
Brandon
It's almost like San Jose. Huh? It was dope.
Colin
So sound of your 2023 is when the, the, the big bike rack barricade thing happened.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
You ope you were first on the day or second on the day or something like that.
Brandon
I think we were like, maybe like one of the top or first. Like, I'd say, like, first six bands.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Yeah, we were pretty early on in the day.
Colin
That set was where the barricade came down.
Brandon
That was. That was the set where they put it up. Yeah, like the first set.
Bo
Oh, that's what it was. Because I remember we talked about it, Colin, and I remember we. There was some sentiment of. These poor guys had the first blank.
Colin
Yeah. But then they still.
Bo
It was still lit and they made it a thing. Yeah.
Colin
And then 2024, you get your comeuppance and have one of the best sets of the weekend. How. How do. How vividly does that set sit in your mind?
Brandon
2024.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
That was probably the craziest thing I've ever witnessed for. For our band.
Colin
I think you incited the. The biggest pit I've ever seen.
Brandon
Can I tell you guys something?
Colin
Please.
Brandon
Like, what I did. So, like, when you go to our shows, I sell the merch. Right. I'm like, also the merch guy for the band. I recognize a lot of people that were moshers. Okay. Like, trusty people that were like, moshers at our shows.
Colin
Red Mullet guy from Midnight Hour.
Brandon
Chase. Yeah, Chase.
Colin
Yeah, he.
Brandon
He's probably one of them. That I spoke to every mosher I saw. I told them what I wanted to do. I was like, yo, bro. Like, I know you're a mosher. I know that. I need you to do this for me. I need to make the biggest mosh pit of all time.
Colin
It might have been Guinness Book.
Brandon
Guinness Book mosh pit.
Colin
And they listened.
Brandon
They listened. But I. I asked kindly, politely asked, like, probably like a hundred.
Colin
Wow.
Brandon
Trusted mashers.
Bo
The trustees.
Brandon
The trustees.
Colin
So that's the secret, is just ask at the merch table beforehand.
Brandon
Hey, so that means you gotta sell your own merchant if you're not selling your own merch. How can you orchestrate that?
Colin
So true. So you're doing. I mean, like, you're. You're a charismatic front man to begin with, but you're doing charismatic friendship man shit hours before the set. It's genius.
Brandon
Hours before street level strategy.
Colin
Where did you, like. We have a question we like to ask our guests. That's. Who do you do? Like, who. Which hardcore front man or front woman or musician or anything that you're subconsciously emulating?
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
Do you have anybody that comes to mind that you saw as a youth that you've taken with you as A youth. Yeah. Like somebody you saw and you were like, I'm gonna do what that guy does. Live. Like, because you, you've got very unique Brandon Isms live in terms, like to get people moving. Like I said, you will not take the horseshoe for an answer. Where does that come from?
Brandon
This is like more modern, but j. Mind force.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Yeah. He's. He's like the guy that convinced me that we can do like that sort of thing.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
He. I'm trying to think if there's anyone like Prior.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
To that. I. I never really thought about it because I wasn't ever like performing. So it. A lot of my influences are pretty modern.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
You know what I mean? But jp, that's good, I'd say is.
Colin
Like, he gets a moving man.
Brandon
He, he. I just like how like, like casual Jay is, you know? And the thing is like, I'll see a mosh on stage. So I know he was like. He was a mosher. Yeah. So.
Colin
And he was in a sea of the biggest, scariest on earth. So he had to, he had to survive.
Brandon
Yeah. Fight to survive that. I. I would say this though. This is like a given rule. Like, like best front men are moshers. There's no denying that because you know what to do and say to get yourself to mosh. So you have, you're able to like create the mosh for other.
Colin
You know what you want.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
So give it to everyone else.
Brandon
Can I tell you something?
Colin
Always.
Brandon
Yesterday we played a climbing gym. We played an outdoor show for a climbing competition, which in, in theory, could.
Colin
Be the worst ever.
Brandon
Yes, in theory, it could have been horrible for a band performing in front.
Colin
But not for Big Boy.
Brandon
Can I tell? I'll say this, the demographic at this, at this thing, this event. 10, not even 10. I probably saw like 15 or 20 people. I recognize.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Okay.
Colin
How many people total, you think at this event?
Brandon
Probably like 300.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Or so. Maybe 300.
Colin
300. Athletes.
Brandon
Athletes. Pure athletes. Because they were all there for this climbing event. They're either there for fashion, for the hardcore.
Colin
This is a brain dead arcterics climbing thing.
Brandon
Brain Archy. Hardcore.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
Harky.
Brandon
Harky.
Colin
Hard key.
Brandon
Car key. But 10, I'd say like less than 10 were hardcore.
Colin
Okay. And you got them. Tell me, Tell me.
Brandon
I was like. I just, just like. You know what I did actually?
Bo
Yeah. How'd you get them?
Brandon
I. I had saw a group. I. I was chatting with one guy online. He asked me, hey, like, is Big Boy gonna have merch? It was a one Shout out Long Beach Rising. Long Beach Rising is. Is a. Like a climbing gym in Long Beach.
Bo
Okay?
Brandon
They were. They hit me up and they're like, hey, like, you know, big boy shirts. I'm like. I was like, yeah, I'll have some shirts. Well, let's trade some gear, you know, like, let's just. Nothing in life is free anymore. I went into this knowing I wanted to give stuff away.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
So I made some shirts to, like, just give to the beautiful people, you know?
Colin
Gotcha.
Brandon
I'm like, yo. Yep. Bring all your homies. Like, let's, let's. Let's rage, you know? I'm gonna shoot some gear. You shoot me some of your gear and we'll make something happen.
Colin
Okay?
Brandon
And we all just met up. It was dope. I'm like, I need you guys to. To just do something though. Like, please, like, try to activate or something. And, you know, you. You're performing in front of people that don't know how to react to hardcore music. The first song, two songs were kind of like, the vibe was kind of strange, but if you watch, like, Arcterics actually posted a video, like, you see all these people during a mosh part. Like our final mosh part. All climbers, like, crazy climbers, just like jumping around, like, having a good time, trying to two step, like, push pit vibes. But I was just like, these guys don't know how to hardcore dance. So I'm like, I want cartwheels. Like, just do cartwheels. Everyone knows how to cartwheel. Everyone knows how to jump up and down. Like, that's some. Like, moms were there.
Colin
Like, moms and moms can cartwheel.
Brandon
Moms weren't cartwheeling at this given moment, but moms were moshing. There was a dog in the pit. Like someone with a dog, you know? No, it was like he was carrying the dog. I'm like, everyone's having a good time.
Bo
Wow.
Brandon
Yeah, it was. It was like the coolest vibe ever. Knowing that also, that, like, I was able to like, create like, a good time for people. Not into it. Yeah, they're not. Not familiar with it. Yeah, that's the.
Colin
Like, they might not have understood the culture, but they got the spirit.
Brandon
One million. Okay. The energy was there. That's all that matters.
Colin
Beautiful.
Bo
It's one of those things where. Where one of those. One of those people is gonna find out or see a shirt of a big boy shirt or something one day. Like, oh, dude, I saw them. I saw them.
Brandon
Yes.
Bo
At a climbing gym.
Colin
Yes, ma. I was Cartwheeling.
Bo
And whoever's wearing the shirt, is he like, what? No, you didn't.
Brandon
Can I tell you something?
Colin
Can I tell you something is killing me?
Brandon
All right, so tell me. You know our logo, right? Yeah, the big boy logo and the.
Colin
Graffiti one or the. The, like, arch text one?
Brandon
Just like the graffiti. Little graffiti logo.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
I put that on the shirt at a specific size because I want, like, anyone to be able to wear it. Oh, this is the goal. This is the merch. Goal. Okay. I just don't want our merch to end up on depop. That's the goal. Don't end up online. I hope that. Yo, this is a shirt. I don't really know this band. I bought this shirt. Given the shirt. I want to keep the shirt, though. It's like a cool shirt.
Bo
See what you're saying.
Brandon
That was my. That was my.
Bo
Has to be.
Colin
Even to this day, I see some.
Brandon
Of our shirts online, but I feel like people are like, you know, this.
Colin
Is still a dumb shirt.
Brandon
I want to keep this.
Colin
Totally.
Brandon
I want to hold on to it. You know that. That's my goal with the merch we print, you know, so you make.
Colin
You want to make things that are universally wearable.
Brandon
Exactly. So I want them. I want no more black shirts with the red tags with the crazy, scary imagery. Like, that's hard. That's, like, hard to wear.
Colin
It's my bread and butter, baby.
Brandon
That's the bread and butter. Yeah, but I got the. The. The shorties at the climbing gym.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
Big boy teams, you know, Like, I want that.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
But also, too mind you, like, this community of people. Beautiful, lovely people. I met a lot of them yesterday. They were so nice. They. Some of them already knew who we were because some of the other homies, like, like, in, like, New York, we're rocking with it. They're just like climber fashion homies. They're just like, dope ass, like, culture people. They knew, like, Big boy was dope. And then I'm like, oh, yo, cool. That's. That's all I can ask for. You don't even need to like the music.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
You don't even need to just think that we're dope. Just think we're dope and chill, you know? And we are dope and chill.
Colin
No, I agree.
Brandon
I agree.
Colin
You know, tell me about Colombia. Was that insane?
Brandon
That was a beautiful experience.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Yeah. I had such a good time there. Shout out Carlos Rob Brigade. He invited us over. We. Yeah, man, we had. Oh, man, I had such a good Time there, that was, I, I mean, with the exception of Canada, that was our first, like, international thing. It was, it was such a dope vibe. We played one thing. We played one day of the fest. We were there for a week, chilling.
Bo
Whoa.
Brandon
One whole week.
Colin
That's awesome.
Brandon
I couldn't ask for more. That was like a good, surreal experience. Never thought, like hardcore would take me there.
Colin
What does that scene like?
Brandon
Crazy. Yeah. Monsters.
Colin
Hard Monsters.
Brandon
Hard body styles, for sure. You know what was dope? Actually? One of the coolest, like, music experiences. There was a pre show that happened where like a bunch of punk bands played and Gag played.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
It was like the Gag and Avery from New Jersey's band Cut Down.
Colin
Ah, yeah.
Brandon
Cut down or never again. He's in Cut Down. Sorry. They share an Instagram, so it's like the same band. Right. But they played and then some locals played and it was like four stories up in like what looked like an abandoned building in like a concrete building. It felt like the craziest punk thing ever. But it was such a cool vibe just being there.
Colin
Beautiful.
Bo
That sounds like, like the foot layer from Ninja Turtles.
Brandon
You know the foot layer. Ninja Turtle style. Turtle style. But yeah, that was like my, that trip was, was probably like one of the coolest experience.
Colin
I'm dying to go. I gotta go.
Bo
It is kind of how they do it down there too, is when we did Costa Rica, we were there for like five days. We played one show. So same, same kind of vibe.
Colin
Yeah. I mean, you experience the culture, you experience the, the scene overall, and then you, and then you culminate it with this Be big, beautiful show.
Brandon
It was awesome.
Colin
Dying to do it. Tell me about your plans for the rest of this year.
Bo
Big plans.
Colin
Big boy's big plan. Here's Brandon with Bob's Big Boy. Again, plans. Beautiful.
Brandon
Let me think, like what we have set up.
Colin
Yeah. What do you got?
Brandon
We have sound and fury.
Colin
Yeah. Yeah.
Brandon
Okay. I don't know if I can't say.
Colin
That's okay.
Brandon
Yeah, I want to actually. I don't care. We're, we're playing high up, so.
Colin
Oh, cool.
Brandon
Yeah. I, I, they never said we couldn't say that.
Colin
But we're, you're fine.
Brandon
Pretty high up, so I'm excited. I think the reason why I'm excited is because, like, I vividly remember, like, the higher up slots, like When Speed played 2023, I was like, oh, this is like insane.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
Bonkers.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
And like when have Heart headline last year, I was like, this is insane.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
I'm not saying we're half heart or speed, but.
Colin
Yeah, but no, no, you're. You're inching your way there in a big way.
Brandon
The energy changes when, like, the sun comes down at that fest big time. And I'm. I'm just like, hoping that we get to all experience something beautiful again. Oh, so that's, like, what I'm looking forward to.
Colin
I guarantee it.
Brandon
Thank you. Hold on. Let me think of what else, though, this year. Yeah.
Colin
What do you got?
Brandon
Oh, we were going to Europe three times.
Colin
You got that show with Turnstile, too?
Bo
Three times.
Brandon
We got the show with Turnstile.
Colin
That'll be crazy.
Brandon
We got. So we're going. We're playing Tied Down.
Colin
Beautiful.
Brandon
We're playing some shows with Combust.
Colin
Love it.
Brandon
New York, hardcore. Apex Predator, one of my favorite bands right now. Pacific Northwest.
Colin
Pacific Northwest.
Brandon
We play two shows in Canada. Toronto, Montreal.
Colin
Have you been to Europe yet?
Brandon
This is our first time.
Bo
Damn.
Brandon
Yeah, Our first time in. In the uk the month after we play Outbreak.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
And then Sound and Fury, some little stuff sprinkled in between.
Colin
Nice.
Brandon
And then we go to Europe again in November. Yeah.
Colin
We gotta have you back on after all this.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
Because it's. That'll. That's. That's going to be a pivotal life experience.
Brandon
I. Probably. Yeah, we'll see.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
I never thought I'd ever go to Europe, ever. You know, I never thought I'd leave San Jose.
Colin
You are leaving San Jose. You're doing great. But San Jose is lucky to have you there. I'm sure you're. You guys are flying the flag beautifully.
Brandon
Thank you.
Colin
For your hometown.
Brandon
Thank you.
Colin
And every. You're putting it on the map.
Brandon
That's. That's all we have lined up, though. Cool. Yeah. With some. The exception of some little stuff sprinkled here and there.
Colin
Do you. You eat pretty good.
Brandon
I'm an eater.
Colin
As a. As a big boy, I would hope so.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
We were just talking about this, like, at the. At the cafe. I lost some weight, fortunately. Lost some weight. Big boys and mentality, you know, you gotta be big up here before you're big up here.
Bo
Wow.
Colin
Big here.
Brandon
Big right here.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Beautiful.
Colin
But regardless of that, you still could eat.
Brandon
I'm an eater.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
I'm an eater.
Colin
Like a real eater.
Brandon
Dude, trust. I'm an eater.
Colin
Okay.
Bo
How many. How many nuggets do you think you could put down?
Brandon
More than you. Oh, more than 80.
Bo
Good.
Colin
More than 80.
Brandon
Wait, how much did you do?
Bo
62, I think.
Colin
No, it was actually 58.
Bo
It was. It 58 after the.
Colin
He did 58. I did 88.
Brandon
You did 88?
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
I could do 89 at least.
Colin
I mean, we got time.
Brandon
You.
Colin
You will prove this to me at some point in time, I promise. But before then.
Brandon
Yeah, Colin, I promise you, I can eat more chicken nuggets than you. I promise you that. I am an eater.
Colin
Wow. We'll see. But I. I'm sorry for what you just set yourself up for down the road. It's gonna be horrible. Horrible. But it's gonna happen. But tell me before then. Tell me about what, What Big Boy. Big Boy's touring eating habits are like. What do you guys like?
Brandon
Oh, we're good.
Colin
You're good boys?
Brandon
Yeah, we're good boys on the road. Yeah, we're like Whole Foods guys.
Bo
Oh, really?
Brandon
Not Costco guys. We're Whole Foods guys. Whole Food. Sweet greens, Chipotle. Like those are like the main three. Touring, like, that's what. What we're doing.
Colin
You keep the tank clean.
Brandon
Try to.
Colin
Okay, Try to.
Bo
But now when you're trying to get a little naughty.
Brandon
Oh, I can get. We can get naughty. Yeah, we can get really naughty.
Bo
So where are we going?
Brandon
We're.
Bo
We're.
Brandon
What part of the. What part of the country.
Colin
Oh, that's the game is we're.
Brandon
We're.
Colin
We're in a mythical place where everything is there.
Brandon
I'm going to Terry Black's.
Colin
Okay. Barbecue.
Brandon
Barbecue smoked meats. I love meats.
Colin
I love it. We're gonna go get some after this. That'll be fun.
Brandon
Hold on, let me think. Wait, I need to start putting on.
Colin
Yeah, put it on.
Brandon
Oh, man. We're coffee heads.
Colin
Yeah, you are big time.
Brandon
We're big time Coffee.
Colin
Give me your. Give me your top four coffee spots in the country.
Bo
That's fun. Outside of San Jose. Outside of. Outside of the bay.
Brandon
Oh, man. In the country or the world?
Colin
The country.
Bo
The country.
Brandon
Oh, variety. I love variety.
Bo
Where's that at?
Brandon
In New York. New York City. There's some in. In Brooklyn.
Bo
Okay.
Brandon
But that. That might be a controversial one for the coffee community. I think, like, they're all gonna like. Oh, it's just whatever.
Colin
Yeah, but you've roasted beans, so who are they to.
Brandon
Oh, this is strictly vibes.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
It has nothing to do with taste. Yeah, nothing to do with taste. It's still like five dollar cups.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
You know, and it's like, like dope. And like, they don't charge extra for, like the syrup, you know?
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
That's why you're a syrup man.
Colin
I like to put those. Poor little vanilla.
Brandon
I can get naughty. Yeah.
Colin
If they got like a house made Madagascar vanilla syrup. Dump it in, baby.
Brandon
I can get naughty in that way for sure.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Yeah. That's one of them, though. I like. I like variety.
Colin
Give me three more.
Brandon
Three more. I really also like. Oh, in Philly, there's this, like. It's in the middle of the street. It's called Herman's. Someone. Oh, Kyle. Kyle. Soaked in ink.
Colin
Soaked ink. Does great job. He does great stuff.
Brandon
So today, soaked in amazing. They. They told me about the. This cafe called Herman. Herman's. Yeah.
Colin
Sounds awesome.
Brandon
It's like literally in the middle of the street. It's a. Like a. It has like, groceries in there too, but they do this beverage called the Aricano and it's like a. A steamed espresso shot. Like frothed espresso shot with slight vanilla syrup. Slight syrup over ice. I'm not an ice drink guy.
Bo
Oh, really?
Brandon
I love hot beverages.
Bo
Interesting.
Brandon
I best. My favorite, like, easy, like, order 8 ounce Americano. That's like the drink no matter where I go. It's an 8 ounce of mercury.
Colin
He's got one right there.
Bo
Well, the beauty about an Americano is they exist everywhere. So when you're in Europe, you're going to be able to get that. Whereas if I'm looking for a cold brew, can't find that in Europe.
Colin
It's not gonna happen.
Brandon
Can I tell you something?
Bo
What's that?
Colin
Please.
Brandon
When I was in Australia, we stayed above a cafe, okay. And I'm like. I walk in and you know, I sound like, how. What I sound like, right? I walk in, I'm like, looking at the menu and I'm like, whatever. I don't care about, like, not discrediting this cafe. I just don't, like. I don't want to think. I'm like, let me get Americano, please. And then this guy's like. He's like, okay, here you go. All right. It's this much. By the way, we call them long blacks.
Bo
Oh, yeah.
Colin
Oh, my God.
Bo
And yet that knew what you meant, didn't he?
Brandon
I'm like, dude, just give me my Americano. You know what I'm talking about. Just put it in the cup. We didn't.
Bo
We Americans didn't name it Americano. It's literally an Italian.
Colin
And it's now known as that around the world.
Bo
The entire world. It's on. If it's on the Starbucks menu. Yeah, I think that's what it is.
Brandon
You. But they are Everywhere. That's what I like.
Colin
So give me, give me two more coffee shops around the country.
Brandon
Around the country, Yes.
Colin
I mean. And put on for your home, by all means.
Brandon
Hey, I'll say this, I'll say this. One of the most recent spots, Modu. Modu is Vibes.
Bo
Motu's sick.
Colin
Go to.
Brandon
Yeah, go to Modu.
Colin
Straight up.
Brandon
Go to Modu.
Colin
Agreed.
Brandon
America.
Colin
I wish it was a little bit closer to me. I'd go every day.
Brandon
They do like this really good black sesame mochi little loaf thing. That's good.
Colin
Yeah. Did you have the cream puff?
Bo
The cream.
Brandon
Oh my God, the cream puff. I have the whole, the whole array. I'm an eater, man. I bought the leaf on the thing.
Bo
I'm huge. I'm espresso tonics. And theirs was very good. Very good.
Brandon
I just had an espresso tonic recently. Oh, counterculture at the. At the climbing gym. Counterculture made me.
Colin
Counterculture is at the gym.
Brandon
They had a pop up espresso tonic.
Colin
Shout out. Do Dorian from Soul.
Brandon
Shout out Dorian.
Colin
Unbelievable.
Brandon
Unbelievable.
Bo
Love that.
Colin
All right, I guess that's that. Yeah, Give me one more.
Brandon
One more Cafe.
Colin
B. Yeah, sure. Yeah. I want you to put on for your home a cup that you're excited.
Brandon
To get an excited cup when you're home. Not timeless. Because timeless is.
Colin
Is obviously.
Brandon
Oh, man, this might be controversial coffee, actually, I'll use. Do a neutral one. Saint Frank's. Saint Frank's if you're from the bay or going to the bay. St. Frank's coffee movement. Roast.
Colin
Coffee movement's awesome.
Brandon
Coffee movement. Beans are St. Frank.
Colin
I know all about coffee movements, brother. You know what I'm saying? Oh, yeah. I've been there many times and I A lot, so I meant it both ways.
Brandon
Yeah, that's. That's a chill list. I feel like that's a great list. Any like real deal Coffeehead, if they like go to these spots, they're like, oh, yeah, Brandon knows what he's talking about. I like, don't get me wrong, there were other spots. I was gonna say I like really crazy experimental pour over type stuff too. Yeah. But you know, like that's going to make the list boring.
Colin
Sure.
Brandon
You know what I mean?
Colin
Yeah. Understood.
Bo
Beautiful.
Colin
So what's Terry Black's is your choice for anything in the country you would eat on tour?
Brandon
Anything on. I'll say that for right now.
Colin
That's a great no. That's a good answer. It's not. It's not fast food. It is. That is like a real Deal.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
Highly rated establishment.
Brandon
Very seldom am I, like, really looking forward to eating a specific food. And the barbecue in Texas is just so great.
Colin
It is.
Brandon
That I'm like, looking forward to that. Yes. Beautiful.
Colin
I love cherry blacks. There was a place we went to last time we were in Austin. Leroy and Lewis, it's called.
Brandon
That was on a list I was giving.
Colin
Next time you're there. Yeah, I know you're gonna want Terry blacks, but try Mr. Leroy and Mr. Lewis, those guys.
Bo
I'll be there in a few weeks. Maybe. I'll give that a try.
Colin
Get the bacon rib thing.
Bo
Oh, okay. Okay.
Colin
It's a rib, but it's. I don't. Don't get me started.
Brandon
Are you. You're going to Austin?
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
Yeah.
Bo
Harm's Boy's leaving for a tour in a week and it goes into Texas.
Brandon
Proud Mary's. What's in Austin? It's a cafe. Oh. It's an Australian like style.
Bo
Okay.
Brandon
Cafe. It originally started in. In Australia, but the only ones are in Portland and Austin. And I really like that.
Colin
There we go.
Brandon
I like going there too.
Bo
Beautiful. Okay.
Colin
Can I ask you something?
Brandon
Yes, sir.
Colin
You believe in ghosts?
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
You ever see one?
Brandon
I. I've seen what resemble a ghost. Yeah.
Bo
Please tell us.
Colin
Please go on.
Brandon
I'm trying to think of, like my last paranormal.
Colin
So there's more than one?
Brandon
When I was younger, I was more open to, like, feeling like I was like. Like seeing these things. But I used to live next to a water tower and Scary.
Bo
Scary, you never know.
Colin
Scary.
Brandon
Everyone was like, oh, there's like a lady when they were built. Because, like, of course, the place. Of course, you know. You already know where this story is going.
Bo
Yeah, yeah, of course.
Brandon
But there's like a ladder that goes up to the water tower. And like, we would visualize like. Like the ghost of the lady sitting at the top of the ladder.
Colin
So scary visualization.
Brandon
That's one of the last, like, ghost things that I was hoping.
Colin
You saw her? You saw a lady up there?
Brandon
That's what I thought I saw. Yeah.
Colin
Okay. I like it. I believe you.
Brandon
Thank you. You asked all the guests?
Bo
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Brandon
What's. What's your guys' he's out.
Bo
I'm out. I've never had a thing. I've never had anything.
Colin
He's a skeptic.
Bo
Skeptic. I've never believe in. Do I believe in what?
Brandon
Do you believe in anything that most people may not believe in?
Bo
I believe that there are things that we can't explain that are explainable if that makes sense. We just haven't figured it out yet.
Brandon
Elaborate.
Bo
So like one of my favorite analogies is when you take a cell phone near a speaker and it goes. You know, it makes like the noise, the static. No, that's two pieces of technology that are not made to go together, that are trying to interact.
Brandon
Sure.
Bo
I think that what we think of as a ghost or as a thing might be us being one piece of technology interacting with another energy form that is a piece of technology. And we just don't know how to see each other yet. Because all around us, all the time, there's WI fi, radio, violet light, X ray, radio waves. We don't see that shit. Yeah, 5G. You don't see that, you know, but it's there.
Colin
Yeah.
Bo
I don't think that's that far off from what we think of as ghosts. But I don't think there's like a Casper or like a guy roaming the hall because he died on duty and that's what he was doing when he.
Colin
You don't think the homie Ichabod Crane really saw? I don't.
Bo
I don't believe so. I think Ibad was lying.
Colin
I think, and I think they're straight up.
Brandon
Can I. Can I. Can I say something? I don't want to go full nut mode and you know, I'm not. I'm not really like.
Colin
Well, don't get him. If you get him started on jfk, you'll see nut mode. Okay.
Bo
Ask me, dude.
Brandon
So what happened? No, no, what I'm. What I'm saying is like you. Like everyone has a different perception of reality.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
Right. So it's. It's what your. Your mind can interpret. If you feel like you can like interpret energies like a ghost. Ghost, like energy. Your mind can also interpret figures.
Bo
Totally.
Brandon
Sometimes you. The idea of a go. Yeah. Like in like a scientific sense, like you might not be able to see it, but because your brain is so powerful and strong, your brain can like is infinite ideas. Right?
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
So your brain can interpret what could be a ghost. It might not look like Casper.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Could be like a. Like a. Of something dark. Just a dark thing. Doesn't even have to be dark. Could be light, you know? I did your brain.
Bo
What you said at the beginning of your story too, is like you were younger and you were more open to it. I think that's a thing too. Because Colin, as you know, I was a scared little boy. I was afraid of you. Yeah, like the dark. The dark scared the. About me.
Colin
He was Scared.
Bo
I was a huge giant pussy.
Brandon
So was I. Yeah, I pretended like I wasn't. You know, you pretend to be hard body. You're not scared of Chucky? The idea of Chucky under your bed?
Colin
Yeah, but then I care about Chucky. Yeah, but then I'm scared of Chucky.
Bo
Can you turn the hall light on, please? Oh, yeah.
Colin
Running up the stairs after taking the trash out, you know, straight up Kate Bush.
Brandon
Stop. Sorry, can I just. Let me just finish like this.
Colin
Stop.
Brandon
Thought.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
So when you're young, those are the things you feel or believe, right?
Colin
Yeah, yeah.
Brandon
There are sort of energies that I feel that make me believe these sort of things. Like, for example, there are these sort of feelings that I can feel from inanimate objects. When you look at something or, you know, you. You observe something.
Bo
Long legs, type that.
Brandon
So that's. That give me the same feeling of like, what it would be like to see a ghost again. So like, ah, one. One day I was. I was sleeping somewhere. I woke up and it was literally like a quarter mile away from like the face of a mountain. And when I woke up and I looked at the mountain, I felt like haunted. Like this haunting feeling. It was an energy. It was an energy similar. If you. Do you guys, like, get in the ocean ever?
Colin
Yeah, rarely.
Bo
I like to swim.
Brandon
So you get in the ocean. Like, if you ever swim out deep, like deeper into the ocean, like surf.
Bo
Style, when it gets cold.
Brandon
Let's say you're in a wetsuit, whatever. Yeah, but there's a feeling of like the mountains and like the. The cliff. When you're looking at it. Maybe it might just be me, you know, but there's this like, energy ghost.
Colin
Like the earth pulling you back in.
Brandon
You know, it could be that, you know, but I'm open to interpreting it as like a unexplainable, like ghost, like energy.
Colin
Okay, so you feel that every time you see a mountain in a certain.
Brandon
Way, sometimes speak to you. Exactly. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes certain objects, like, feel like you can. They radiate a certain energy. Unexplainable. Unexplainable. You know, I. That could be like the I iPhone to the studio.
Bo
Yeah, totally, totally, totally.
Colin
It's a good way to put it. So we got a believer.
Brandon
I believe a lot of things, you know, I'm. I'm very open to believing.
Colin
We got one. A lot of skeptics lately.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Who's skeptical?
Colin
Most people.
Bo
Most people. I. I. Don't get me wrong, I want to believe. I have just not. I Have never experienced X Files.
Brandon
X Files.
Colin
It's from the X.
Bo
It's from the X Files. Fox is on Fox.
Colin
David Duchovny.
Brandon
I like that. It's a good show.
Colin
So we had you on briefly on our letter Moshed episode where we asked people their top four Harcourt records of all time. Do you remember what your answers were and have they changed?
Brandon
I remember my answers.
Colin
So your top four hardcore records of all time.
Brandon
Should I restate them?
Bo
Yeah, yeah.
Brandon
I said Intolerable Weight.
Colin
Soul Search.
Brandon
Soul Search ep. Demo.
Colin
Demo.
Brandon
Yeah, one of the best. Still holds up to me. Still holds up. I said, dedicated to babies who came feet first, right from Soul Search.
Colin
Cold World.
Brandon
Cold World. Sorry. Yeah, yeah, we knew what you were thinking about. Cold World. That's like a very crucial band and like, format of. Of an album that is clearly reflected in the stuff that we do. Everything down to, like the speaking part.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Samples.
Bo
Yeah, totally. I can see it like the kind.
Brandon
Of like hip hop style, like, influence that we have. I said Secrets of the World, right?
Colin
Yeah, I think so.
Brandon
I. I believe I said Secrets of the World still, like, still top four. And then I said scared to death.
Bo
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's right.
Brandon
Also top. Yeah, still top four.
Colin
So you're feeling good about this Top four still?
Brandon
Are you gonna start quizzing me?
Colin
No, not at all.
Brandon
I do feel good about that. Yeah. Because those four, I think, are good representations of not just our band, but, like the influences that. That we put towards the sort of music we write.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
All four bands. I've seen every one of the people in our bands moshing, too, so it's important. Well, have you ever seen.
Bo
I was just gonna say I like your answers too, because it's very often that we get records that are like over 40 years old. Yours.
Brandon
Did I tell you? Can I tell you something?
Bo
You can tell me anything.
Brandon
This might be controversial. A hc.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
I don't like much. I. Sorry, let me rephrase this. Let me say this correctly so I don't get flamed. I don't tend to Favor Anything pre 2008.
Bo
Wow.
Colin
Wow. I mean, I can tell.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
Yeah, I can tell.
Brandon
I like modern. Modern things.
Colin
That's. That's rare that we hear that.
Brandon
Yes.
Colin
So I, you know, I appreciate that. That perspective.
Brandon
Like, I'll. I'll say this. I'll say this is how, like, my brain works with core. Bright side, that might be some, like, people's favorite.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
Albums, right?
Colin
Many.
Brandon
Yeah. I like Bright side because it sounds like combust.
Bo
Interesting.
Brandon
You. You get What I'm saying, that's where, like, my brain is when it comes to. So you.
Colin
You have a modern reference of it. Therefore, you go, oh, this is what this man I like is pulling from. Okay, Now, I understand that.
Brandon
Yes. This is also very controversial, what I'm going to say right now, and I won't even say the name of that band.
Colin
You're already striking controversy. But let's hear it.
Brandon
Let's say there's a band that, like, every single. There's. There are some bands that subjectively, every single hardcore kid, the general demographic, it is like, I like this band.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
Old heads, young heads, bands that are sometimes so popular that like, kind of create a style. Everyone imitates it. And my first. My first introduction to this band, like these sort of bands is like a bad version of that. And then I don't like the band because, like, oh, this was like.
Colin
That's. That's common, right?
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
Your band was doing this. It took me forever to, like, Hate Breed. Like, it took me forever to, like, Hate Breed.
Colin
Interesting.
Brandon
You know, and there's still certain bands that are on that caliber where I'm just like. I don't really know. I don't get it. Like, people say they get it, but I think because the style has been so diluted by local bands or people that are just kind of imitating it that I don't necessarily favor. So it's not. It doesn't satisfy me.
Colin
But, like, you went, like, Cold World takes a lot from Life of Agony. So that, like, you went back and that put Life of Agony in different context for you because, like, you covering Other side of the river was your choice. That's a deep cut song on a deep cut record by a band from the early 90s, which sounds like a thing you would not be into.
Brandon
Sure.
Colin
But is that. That. Is that just. There's rare cases of things that click for you.
Brandon
Okay, so I started liking Loa because I saw Age of Apocalypse Life.
Bo
Seriously, I get it. I understand.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
I was like, man, I really like aoa. Like, this is such a cool band. I like the sound that they do. And then they're like, oh, this is like, similar. This is like one of the influences. Loa, you know, you're doing.
Bo
I mean, you're doing what a band wants.
Colin
Yeah.
Bo
You know what I mean? So, like, it makes total sense.
Colin
That just means they did a good job.
Bo
Yes.
Colin
Wearing their influences on their sleeves.
Brandon
One. One more like, reference. Like that. Like, I remember listening to Desperate Measures is leeway, right?
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
I like Desperate Measures because it sounded like the first two turnstile releases.
Colin
Sure.
Brandon
And I was like, oh, this is great.
Colin
I. I appreciate your honesty about this.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
Because this is. This is like the exact kind of thing that, that people would be like. Yeah. I'm not going to tell them that. But that's how I discovered these things, so that's. It'll be good for the audience to hear.
Brandon
You know what I like, though? People ask me like, big boy. Hey, big boy. What? I like your style of music. What other bands would you recommend?
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
And I tell them, these are the bands that we all like.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
And got our sound from. You'll probably like this too.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
Wow.
Brandon
So. And amongst those bands are like the ones we were just talking. That's. That's how my thought goes into this, you know?
Colin
That makes sense. Makes sense.
Bo
I like it. It's like the opposite of gatekeeping.
Colin
It is.
Brandon
Yeah.
Bo
Very open.
Brandon
I'm. I mean, I'm. I feel like I'm. I'm pretty, like, careful about what I'm disclosing still.
Colin
Yeah, you're doing it.
Brandon
All right. But I am very. Yeah. I'm not gatekeeping.
Colin
And you're doing good.
Brandon
I'm not.
Colin
Why? What's the point?
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
All right, we got some questions here from our Patreon people. Favorite non Bay area slash adjacent part of the US to tour.
Brandon
What does that mean? Non Bay, though?
Colin
Like, you're not in the bay. Where are you site to play?
Brandon
Does LA count?
Colin
Yeah, LA counts.
Brandon
Oh, well, if I think our sets are better in LA than the bay.
Colin
Well, there you go.
Bo
Great.
Brandon
But also, I'll say this, my favorite part of the US to tour. Pacific Northwest, beautiful. All of the west coast, beautiful. Cuz I love sd. I love ele. Pacific Northwest. I like Texas.
Bo
A lot of Texas, dude. I love being in Texas. I like driving in Texas. I love eating in Texas. Playing shows in Texas. Everything about it.
Colin
Cowboys.
Brandon
I like how every main city feels like a different state. Houston, Dallas, very different. Austin, San Antonio. They all feel different.
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
San Antonio, Beautiful.
Bo
El Paso. El Paso is crazy.
Brandon
It is.
Colin
Yeah.
Bo
And it's awesome.
Colin
Top. Top four. Non hardcore records.
Brandon
Top four.
Colin
That's a crazy question.
Brandon
Wait, that's top four?
Colin
Yeah. Mount Rushmore is four. There's four guys on there. You don't have to do it.
Brandon
Wait, wait, hold on. Let me, let me. I listen to a lot of CDs. I'm a CD head, okay. I buy CDs.
Colin
I can tell by these headphones that you're a CD. That's crazy. These are real CD headphones.
Bo
I. And meaning no offense, I despise CDs. They're like.
Colin
It's an inconvenient format.
Brandon
How.
Colin
Because the. You crack the jewel cases left and right no matter what you do.
Brandon
Vinyl is inconvenient.
Colin
No, vinyl. But, but, but vinyl. I know, it's. It's intention.
Bo
Yes.
Colin
You know, I'm going to sit down in my house to put a record.
Brandon
I do the same with CDs.
Colin
Well then that's the set.
Bo
But you also walk around with, with. Do you walk around with a. Like a Walkman, like CD player?
Brandon
No, but I don't walk around with a vinyl player listening to vinyl.
Bo
Well, so that's what I was going to say though is the intention of a CD is. Is to be portable typically. Or was originally. Sure. Right.
Brandon
My, my. The way I enjoy CDs is I sit down in my room, I listen to them.
Bo
Well.
Brandon
Or I have. I have like a CD player in my living room.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
In my room, in my car.
Colin
Hey, you enjoy CDs?
Brandon
I, I know where that's going. But hold on. Rushmore.
Colin
Non hardcore.
Brandon
Non hardcore. Probably. Oh man. I want to put like 10. That's why I'm having a hard time.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
I'll. I'll say. Let's start with one. I'd say the self titled Third Eye Blind album.
Bo
Great.
Brandon
Yeah, great. That's a. That's probably top one of the four. The list can. This list can fluctuate, of course. Okay. I have. I like the Best of Sade. I have like 10 copies of the Best of Sade.
Colin
Masterful.
Brandon
But that's not a. That's not an entire record. That's like a compilation. I would also.
Bo
Comps count. Accounts comps count.
Brandon
Okay. It's like the, like the best of. That's like one of my favorites, man. Mount Rushmore. I. I gotta put a jazz CD up there.
Colin
Jazz head.
Brandon
I like jazz. Yeah, I'm a jazz head. I'll just say like a kind of blue Miles Davis. Cool. That can go up there too.
Bo
Okay.
Brandon
I was listening to that on the airplane. And then I'm a big fan of like ambient rock, so I'll put like a Yola Tango. Oh, cool. I love you.
Colin
Respect.
Brandon
Sick. Probably they have an album called Summer Sun Beautiful. That's like one of my favorite albums by them. So I'll add that.
Colin
That's a good four.
Bo
Good luck. Yeah. Eccentric.
Colin
Looking forward to your many UK dates this summer. How did the connection with Northern Unrest come about? And do you find parallels with what they're doing in Glasgow with what's going on in the bay?
Brandon
Last question. Yes, like the last part of it. The reason I. I also am looking forward to those dates, which we're leaving for tomorrow. I do see a lot of parallels, which is why I like, really like spending time with those guys. We met them, actually. I met Ben and Jury at. For the Children. Cool. Two years ago.
Colin
Dude. Jury's a legend.
Brandon
Legend.
Colin
Legend.
Brandon
Core legend. Yeah, I met them. I think Despise may have played or they're just chilling. I don't know if they played or they're chilling, but I just befriended them. I actually, like, really liked. I. I was talking to Ben. He's. We were talking about, like, aesthetic choices and designs, and they're really good at that.
Colin
Like, Despise always has cool.
Brandon
Best aesthetic. Like the. Those. The Unrest guys. They have the thing locked down, you know, but they had. I. I told them, oh, my favorite. One of my favorite modern, like, EP covers or whatever. Like, like designs that I seen was the. The Envision ep where it kind of looks like an import tuner. Like crazy. Like. Like it looks kind of smoked out, but in the best way possible. I was like, this looks like a 2000s import tuner ad. And he's like, oh, I made that. Oh, cool, man. You're. You're so dope, you know, Beautiful. But ye.
Colin
Yeah, I'm dying to go there.
Brandon
That's how I met them. And then we just kept in touch. We played. Sorry. One more like to add on to that, please. We played dop, Demonstration of Power. Played Santa Fe last year. We organized a show with these guys the day after. Oh. Who kind of helped us is. Who kind of helped bridge it to. I believe is Alex Casey.
Colin
Oh, of course. The king, dude.
Brandon
We ended up playing San Jose with them the day after. Oh, man, it was cool. Sold out show, like floor show.
Colin
Love it.
Brandon
It was on a Monday. It was so sick.
Colin
Beautiful. Love that. Somebody just asked Federal Way.
Brandon
Yep. We're from there.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Apex. Casey is from Fed, but when we're up there, I rep that.
Colin
Okay, good. Somebody said, why does the Bay Area have the best burgers? Is that true?
Brandon
Controversial, but I do. There are a lot of good burger spots there.
Colin
What city is the best in the 209? What city is the worst in the 2 or 9 worst?
Brandon
Is Turlock. The best is Turlock too.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
If you're from the 209, you love and hate it. So interesting. You just answer that question. Yourself, my friend.
Colin
What does FNs mean?
Brandon
That's an insider.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Yeah, that's before the band.
Colin
Interesting.
Brandon
So I'll leave that up for interpretation. You know, that only are only like, the close ones. Understand that.
Colin
Cool.
Brandon
Same with like, the 365. Stuff like that we always say, like, that's up for interpretation. That's insider.
Colin
Okay.
Brandon
Is that fair?
Bo
Yeah.
Colin
No. I can guess what that one might be about. But where's the best place to take a nap?
Brandon
Trying to think. When I was. When I was a young man, I. I used to get a lot of trouble.
Colin
Like, you were a little. Right?
Brandon
I was, yeah. When.
Colin
I mean, the Splash Z at 30 tells me you were an absolute demon.
Brandon
That's mild, you know, but. Okay. So I, like, had to do, like, an insane amount of community service. Like, wow. When I was a young man, like, adult. Adult. Oh. An insane, like, 300 hours type. Like.
Bo
Wow.
Colin
So this, we're talking crime in and.
Brandon
Out the court system.
Colin
Okay. Okay.
Brandon
Okay.
Bo
So where were you napping?
Brandon
So this is where it comes. I, I. When I was doing community service, there was a park in South Bay that this one of the dudes that was, like, in charge of, like, writing the hours off, I would go there. He'd be like, all right, dude, like, just do this. I'll come back at this time. And there was a hill, like a knoll under. There's a tree. A knoll under this tree. And I would just take a nap. I would have, like, the safety reflective vest on, take it off, roll it up, put in my pocket, just like, lay in the grass and then get your hours. Do my.
Colin
Did you get busted?
Brandon
Never got busted. That was like, like the best place I've ever taken.
Colin
You'll never sleep good. As good as that ever again.
Bo
That's what I was gonna say is like, I think modern day, it's probably like just like the couch.
Colin
Couch.
Bo
But dude, in, in high school, the, the naps I would take in class. That one on a book.
Colin
I've never. I haven't slept good since ever in my entire. That. That hour. Economics.
Bo
Yeah, dude.
Colin
Best sleep I've ever gotten. What's your deepest darkest fear?
Brandon
Deepest, darkest fear?
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
You know what my deepest darkest fear is, man?
Colin
I feel like you thought about this.
Brandon
Actually, I haven't. You know, I'm sorry. I wish I had a good answer for this, but let's make one. Okay. I don't really fear much. Maybe this will be, like, a good answer. I don't really fear much because I feel Like, I've never had. Had, like, that much to lose, you know?
Colin
It's a beautiful answer.
Brandon
Thanks, man.
Colin
Now you got a lot to lose.
Brandon
And the older I get and the more I realize life is precious, I feel like there's more to lose in life, for sure. Based on, like. Like, the relationships I've made, the things I've done, the things I am doing and will do. My deepest, darkest fear is not being able to, like, do everything. So that's a good. I feel like a good answer.
Bo
It's a good one.
Colin
Fomo.
Bo
Yeah.
Brandon
FOMO is your biggest FOMO of my life now. I don't even want to chill with heads. I just want to just post up.
Colin
Yeah. I'm the same. Great answer.
Brandon
Thank you.
Colin
Would you ever make a song and Tagalog and what is your to go order from Jollibee?
Brandon
I wouldn't ever make an entire song in Tagalog because I do, like, the representation of, like, the Filipino ness.
Colin
Yeah. Which is.
Brandon
I. I'm not. I'm not, like, intentional about it. Right. Like, it only comes out in subtleties. But the reason why I wouldn't make a song entirely in that is because I want any everyone to be able to, like, understand and interpret it.
Colin
Sure.
Brandon
So you know the general audience. Sure. But you do.
Colin
You would shout out some certain parts and whatnot.
Brandon
Yesterday, like, there's a voicemail part with my mom, like, in one of the songs that we do. We play that live. And after that, I'm like, oh, like, shout out all the Filipino moms.
Colin
The huge pop.
Brandon
Yeah. Yeah. There's a lot of food. What's your.
Colin
What's your Jollibee order?
Brandon
Jollibee order. I like the spaghetti.
Colin
You love the spaghetti. I'm not. I haven't acquired the taste.
Bo
Neither of us.
Colin
Spaghetti.
Brandon
They. They have a spicy chicken sandwich now there too.
Colin
Oh, yeah.
Brandon
That I. I think is good.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
Their burger is called a yum burger. I think the sauce that's in the Yum burger is good too. But also, this is a trick question. I sit down at the Jollibee.
Colin
You don't get it.
Brandon
I never get it.
Colin
To go fresh is crazy.
Bo
I'm on a huge, great mall. I'm on a huge Filipino kick because there's a cafe here called Mano, and they have, like, longanisa sidelogs, and I. I've been getting those.
Brandon
I love Filipino breakfast.
Bo
It's. It's incredible.
Brandon
I love Filipino food. I love Filipinos.
Colin
Yeah, me too. Favorite upcoming local band. Local, like, newish.
Brandon
From our Scene.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
From our band.
Brandon
Yeah, from our area.
Bo
What's the newest RBS band?
Brandon
Oh, this is. Oh, man. I. I don't even want to say anything because, like, one of the other ones might feel some type of way. They all feel grouped together for me, the newest one. Newest.
Colin
Like give me the newest one that you're like, this band is good. They should. They're gonna do.
Bo
Because obviously you're gonna put on for them because they're. They're. They're from your home.
Colin
He's not leaving anybody out. He's just highlighting the newest.
Bo
The newest one. Exactly.
Brandon
My favorite upcoming, newest local band from San Jose, in San Jose that is active is this band called Impurity. Yeah.
Colin
Oh, they played the Tsunami.
Brandon
They played the Tsunami.
Colin
Yeah. That was awesome.
Brandon
That's my personal favorite.
Colin
They were sick.
Brandon
That's like. Because I have a connection with these guys and you know, like, I. I see it all though, so don't get it twisted. Everyone is putting the work in. So. Yeah, that's just like close to me. So I can shout them out.
Colin
Beautiful.
Brandon
Yes.
Colin
All right, let's go. Let me do two more.
Brandon
Okay.
Colin
Two step spin kick or stage dive me or what?
Brandon
I like seeing people doing you.
Colin
And what do you like to see?
Brandon
I like stage diving. I spin kick so high. I kick people in the head.
Colin
Good.
Brandon
I'm like a. Might be controversial. I don't think you should be kicking your legs up unless you can kick someone in the head, dude.
Bo
I actually. I fully agree. And that is actually why I never did spin kick, like ever, because I can't lift my leg up. And I just. Did you ever see someone who, like, can't even get above their waist?
Colin
Yeah, it makes me sick.
Bo
Yeah, it's a bad look. And I was saving your energy. Yeah.
Colin
Just start punching.
Brandon
Start crowd killing. What. What I do, like seeing people do is like a sea of two steppers.
Colin
Oh, yeah, that's cool. I agree.
Brandon
But also, big boy, like, I tried to do the trifecta where like you need a stage, like full on stage diving, like singing along and. And moshing like you need all three.
Colin
Yeah.
Brandon
So great answer.
Bo
I don't think anything looks as cool as like the obituary video, you know, it's as cool as it gets.
Colin
Yeah. That when somebody says their set would so crazy.
Bo
That's what you think.
Colin
It's usually because of a lot of stage dives.
Bo
Yes.
Brandon
Yeah. Or like a pylon, like a dope pile on during a dope part. They're like. And you know what also too. I. I've seen, like, people comment, like, oh, like, do these guys have a song any more than Spades? I'm like, dude, like, that's the song. And people do the craziest things to that song.
Colin
Every band has.
Brandon
Yeah. That's awesome.
Bo
That's music called a hit.
Brandon
So I'm like, dude, you're not. You're no fun. Just. Just stage dive, dude.
Colin
Agree. Last question. You can think about this. What's the best breakdown?
Brandon
Oh, can I ask you guys a question first?
Colin
Sure.
Brandon
What were your guys's Crowbar to Carry the load?
Colin
Suffocation. Thrones of Blood. Hyper Doomsayer. April, Beholder of Justice.
Bo
That was what I was gonna say. I'll go. Chromags. Don't Tread on Me. Chromags. It's the limit.
Colin
Skank. Skank.
Bo
Same part.
Colin
Yeah. It's the same song twice.
Bo
Yeah. Earth Crisis, Gamora season.
Brandon
I'll go against that. My favorite breakdown is the end of Unconquered by Extinguish.
Bo
Whoa.
Colin
Putting on.
Brandon
There you go.
Colin
For your boys.
Brandon
I'll say that every. Any. I mean, all the. The. The mosh parts for Extinguished are my favorite. That band activates me. But that. I'll. I'll say that the Unconquered Breakdown, that's.
Colin
What it's about, is being activated. Straight up. Brandon, it's been such a pleasure chatting today and having you here. This was 2 hours and 20 minutes. Can you believe that?
Brandon
Honestly, I can't even believe that.
Bo
It's crazy, right?
Brandon
That was so. That was so great. I was watching like all the. I was. I was looking at the run time of all the other episodes. I'm like, I don't know how I'm gonna be able to talk that long.
Colin
Smoked it, dude.
Brandon
Cool.
Bo
Easy.
Colin
In a good way. I know you say smoked out is bad, but I think this was good vibes.
Brandon
You know what? I. I had to explain what the word smoked out was. And it's like, has nothing to do with like. Like, the best word is like, unconventional. Yeah, it's just smoked out.
Colin
It's just smoked out.
Brandon
Yeah.
Colin
This was not smoked out today. In fact, it was the jug. This episode was fantastic. Thank you, Brandon, for joining us. If you're in, you're probably home from Scotland by now. By this time, people are seeing this, but we hope you enjoyed that. Big Boy is going to have an incredible year. Love Songs EP is out now. Yes, I'm sure there will be more coming. Maybe a 10 to 12 minute LP down the road. Can't wait to hear it. Big boy. The biggest boy. Enjoy. Chicken Joy out now at your local Jollibee. Thank you, Brandon, for joining us. Have a great day.
Bo
Bye.
Brandon
Bye.
HardLore Podcast Episode Summary: "BIG BOY: Real Bay S*"**
Release Date: May 8, 2025
In this episode of HardLore, hosts Colin Young and Bo Lueders sit down with Brandon from the hardcore band Big Boy. The conversation delves deep into Brandon's journey within the hardcore, punk, and metal scenes, offering listeners an intimate look at touring life, band formation, musical influences, and the evolving landscape of the Bay Area's hardcore scene.
Brandon hails from San Jose, California, positioning himself firmly on the RBS Spectrum (Raging Bay Shore). His early exposure to hardcore music was somewhat unconventional:
Moving Between Cities: Born in San Jose, Brandon moved to the Central Valley near Stockton during his childhood before returning to San Jose later.
Discovery at Eureka Coffee Shop: At around 12 years old, Brandon stumbled upon hardcore music at Eureka Coffee Shop in Lathrop, California. This venue became a pivotal space for him, where he met like-minded individuals and discovered local hardcore bands.
Brandon [06:26]: "It was dope. Like it was dope."
This experience was formative, allowing him to immerse himself in the hardcore scene and establish connections that would influence his musical trajectory.
Brandon's passion for hardcore music led him to form his first band, Rage, during his high school years. While the band had a MySpace-era aesthetic, Brandon's approach was unique:
Musical Beginnings:
Brandon [30:07]: "I was like, hey, you should try to be in our band… I know a guy that drums."
Transition to Big Boy: Post his stint with Rage, Brandon connected with Joseph and other musicians like Keone and Adrian, leading to the formation of Big Boy in 2019. This band was conceived out of a mutual desire to play shows and quickly gained traction within the local scene.
Brandon [38:28]: "Big Boy starts in 2019. That's the beginning of Big Boy starting."
The RBS Fest, held in San Jose, stands as a cornerstone event for the local hardcore community. Brandon reflects on its success and significance:
Community Gathering: The fest was a testament to the DIY spirit of the Bay Area, bringing together bands and fans from various regions.
Brandon [02:40]: "It was dope. It was awesome."
Unity and Recognition: Hosting the fest in San Jose fostered a sense of pride and unity, as Brandon recognized familiar faces and bands from different areas coming together.
Brandon [03:13]: "It was awesome. Yeah. Very, very good."
Big Boy's journey extended beyond local shows, embarking on tours and releasing music that resonated with the hardcore community.
First Tour with Abrasion and Extinguish:
Brandon [59:02]: "It was awesome. It was good enough to be like, oh, this is a dope. This is a dope vibe."
The Abrasion Tour marked Big Boy's initial foray into touring, solidifying their presence both locally and internationally.
Recording EPs:
Big Boy opted for a raw and authentic sound in their recordings, intentionally keeping songs short to maintain the intensity characteristic of hardcore music.
Brandon [63:07]: "The goal was to make one minute songs, like one minute 30 second songs."
This approach ensures that their music remains real and unpolished, a deliberate choice to capture the essence of live performances.
Brandon's influences are deeply rooted in both classic and modern hardcore, shaping Big Boy's distinctive sound.
Favorite Bands and Albums:
Brandon cites bands like Cold World, Soul Search, Intolerable Weight, and Scared to Death as pivotal to his musical upbringing.
Brandon [119:12]: "I do feel good about that. Yeah. Because those four, I think, are good representations of not just our band, but, like the influences that we put towards the sort of music we write."
Approach to EPs vs. LPs:
While many bands strive for LPs, Big Boy prefers EPs and splits, believing they are more suited to the hardcore genre's fast-paced and intense nature.
Brandon [68:30]: "I want to keep the jacket off our LPs."
This preference underscores their commitment to delivering short, impactful bursts of music that leave a lasting impression without overstaying their welcome.
Big Boy places significant emphasis on community and authenticity, which extends to their merchandising strategy.
Merch Philosophy: Brandon aims to create merch that is universally wearable, avoiding over-the-top designs that could alienate potential fans.
Brandon [96:17]: "I want our merch to end up on depop. That's the goal."
Strategic Distribution: By designing merch that appeals beyond hardcore enthusiasts, Big Boy fosters broader recognition while maintaining roots in the underground scene.
Brandon [96:41]: "That was my goal with the merch we print."
Big Boy's dedication to their craft has led them to tour extensively, including international venues.
European and Australian Tours:
Touring in Australia and Europe allowed Big Boy to showcase their music to diverse audiences, further cementing their reputation.
Brandon [85:32]: "I had such a good time there."
Memorable Performances:
From performing at climbing gyms to participating in large festivals, Big Boy has navigated various venues, adapting their performances to different settings.
Brandon [104:07]: "We played Tied Down… Combust…"
These tours not only expanded their fan base but also enriched their experiences, influencing their music and performance style.
Throughout the episode, Brandon shares personal stories that highlight his character and the camaraderie within the hardcore scene.
The Splash Zone Incident:
A humorous yet telling anecdote about Brandon attempting to create the "biggest mosh pit" during a performance at a climbing gym.
Brandon [89:41]: "I asked kindly, politely asked, like, probably like a hundred... They listened."
Beliefs and Fears:
Brandon opens up about his belief in ghosts and his experiences growing up, offering a glimpse into his personal life beyond music.
Brandon [112:01]: "Sometimes, certain objects, like, feel like you can. They radiate a certain energy. Unexplainable."
These stories not only humanize Brandon but also illustrate the close-knit and supportive nature of the hardcore community.
Looking ahead, Big Boy has ambitious plans to continue their growth and impact within the hardcore scene.
Upcoming Tours:
Plans to tour in the UK, Canada, and further into Europe, playing alongside notable bands and expanding their international presence.
Brandon [102:41]: "We got the show with Turnstile…"
Musical Evolution:
Exploring more experimental elements in their music, Big Boy aims to push the boundaries of hardcore while staying true to their roots.
Brandon [75:21]: "That was their best album."
Brandon's vision for Big Boy is one of continuous evolution, ensuring that their music remains fresh and resonant with both old and new fans.
This episode of HardLore provides an extensive and heartfelt exploration of Brandon's journey with Big Boy, encapsulating the spirit of the hardcore scene in the Bay Area. From humble beginnings at a local coffee shop to international tours and a dedicated fanbase, Brandon's story is a testament to passion, community, and the relentless pursuit of musical authenticity. Listeners gain valuable insights into the challenges and triumphs of maintaining a band in the ever-evolving landscape of hardcore music, all while highlighting the profound connections that fuel this vibrant subculture.
On LPs and Song Structure
Brandon [00:06]: "Everyone wants that, right? They say they do. They say they do. Until you listen to the LP, you stop at the sixth song."
On RBS Fest Success
Brandon [02:40]: "It was dope. It was awesome."
On Being Straight Edge
Brandon [19:03]: "I've been Straight Edge and introduced to Straight Edge since I was, like, 13."
On Community and Merch
Brandon [96:17]: "I want our merch to end up on depop. That's the goal."
On Tours and International Shows
Brandon [85:32]: "I had such a good time there."
On Personal Experiences
Brandon [112:01]: "Sometimes, certain objects, like, feel like you can. They radiate a certain energy. Unexplainable."
This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the "BIG BOY: Real Bay S***" episode, providing readers with a clear understanding of the discussions, insights, and narratives shared by Brandon and the hosts. Whether you're a hardcore enthusiast or new to the scene, this episode offers valuable perspectives on the life and legacy of a band navigating the pressures and passions of the punk and metal landscapes.