CARRY ON: Ryan George & Todd Jones on A Life Less Plagued, Breaking Edge & Reuniting

Summary

HARDLORE PODCAST: CARRY ON – Ryan George & Todd Jones on A Life Less Plagued, Breaking Edge & Reuniting (Aug 6, 2026)

---

Overview

This episode of HardLore functions as both an oral history and a “Carry On therapy session,” bringing together vocalist Ryan George and guitarist Todd Jones to look back at the complete Carry On saga—sketchy punk origins, membership shifts, youth crew revivals, disharmony and reunion after 25 years apart. The conversation charts their influences, songwriting, the end of Carry On (via Ryan breaking edge), and the impact that rippled through the hardcore scene, spawning major bands like Terror. There are unexpected revelations and a powerful sense of reconciliation as they discuss the band’s return.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Days & Punk Discovery (02:18–09:08)

• Ryan’s Entry into Hardcore:
  • Grew up in Atascadero, CA; discovered punk/hardcore via skate videos, a Wasted Youth tape, and connections to underground scenes through dubious local figures.
  • “Somehow I got a hold of a Wasted Youth cassette and I would listen to that a lot, like over and over and over. And I met this skinhead guy... He had Youth of Today, Can't Close My Eyes and Judge Bringing It Down. And I was like, what is this?” – Ryan George (02:27)
• Community Formation:
  • Ryan forced local skater kids to get into hardcore and especially straight edge culture—"You have to be straight edge" (06:37).
• First Encounters:
  • Todd and Ryan met at a Living Room show in Goleta—Ryan's shirt choice impressed Todd enough to strike up a friendship (05:31).

2. First Bands: Persevere to Carry On (12:42–16:24)

• Persevere Origins:
  • Persevere grew from Ryan’s drive and his local skate crew; the demo was recorded at drummer Nick’s house.
  • “As soon as you guys had a demo, you were, like, not selling it, or maybe you guys had already moved on from it or something.” – Todd Jones (13:56)
• Transition to Carry On:
  • Influenced by the straight edge resurgence and East Coast bands: “I just like forced everyone to—this is what we’re doing. Start Today from Gorilla Biscuits is a way better record than all these... Floor Punch was a huge moment..." – Ryan George (16:31)

3. The Youth Crew Revival and Local Scene Building (16:24–29:59)

• Influences:
  • The importance of comps like "Time Is Now" and "Growing Stronger" in shifting Persevere’s sound toward faster, more youth crew-inspired hardcore (14:47–15:28).
• Strife’s Impact:
  • Both discuss how Strife was a “massive” presence in Southern California in the mid-90s, acting as a torchbearer for modern Straight Edge bands (09:12–10:26).
• Local DIY Scene:
  • Carry On played with other emerging hardcore bands at places like Pickle Patch, described in detail as a hub for the scene (31:05).
  • “We started to have good shows at the Ojai Women’s Center for sure... That was like our CBGBs or something.” – Ryan George (98:52)

4. Membership Changes and Chemistry

• Constant Evolution:
  • Old members drifted toward crust punk; Ryan swapped in new members to realign with his hardcore vision: “I was a guitar. I was a fucking bully.” (26:08).
• The “Solid Three”:
  • As the lineup settled, Ryan, Todd, and Corey became the group's core (82:02).
• Writing Partnership:
  • “We were feeding off each other’s chemistry... We were fucking charged, dude.” – Todd Jones (56:25)

5. Songwriting, Demos, and Studio Stories (39:07–44:04)

• Conscious Style Shifts:
  • The Teamwork 7” and “Off My Chest” are discussed as conscious steps forward—a blend of Right Brigade-style aggression and pride in youth crew tradition (36:14, 40:56).
  • “Every single song on that [Teamwork] is like fucking insane to me.” – Ryan George (38:58)
• Studio Anecdotes:
  • The deadline-based naming of “Off My Chest”: “We didn’t have a song title for the song yet. And we were just like, well, let’s just call it Off My Chest. That’s like a cool title.” (44:13–44:59)

6. Carry On’s Full Length: A Life Less Plagued (52:39–71:10)

• Bridge 9 Signing:
  • The band fulfilled its teenage prophecy: “We fucking did it. That was the best feeling in the world. Obviously the LP being on Bridge 9 was awesome, but those 27 inches... I felt like so chuffed.” – Ryan George (52:06)
• Songwriting Approach:
  • The LP was a collaboration, with songs rapidly finished to meet recording deadlines.
  • “We wrote three songs in like two hours... Is This All There Is, Rethinking, and Broken Strings.” – Todd Jones (64:29)
• Studio With Kurt Ballou:
  • Recording analog in Boston, influenced by American Nightmare’s work with Kurt. Jones credits Ballou as a “hardcore-literate” engineer, a rarity in California at the time (59:05–60:11).

7. Breaking Edge & Band End (79:40–88:50)

• Ryan’s Edge Break:
  • Rooted in personal turmoil and existential burnout, Ryan quietly leaves straight edge life—eventually revealing it to Todd over the phone, effectively ending the band.
  • “[My edge break] is the most significant in the history of straight edge.” – Interviewer (83:09)
• Aftermath:
  • The news deeply affected bandmates, but ultimately set the stage for new bands (Terror, Internal Affairs, Stand and Fight, The Adored): “After Carry On, it was like Sonic the Hedgehog getting hit and all... bands, bands, bands.” – Ryan George (83:52)

8. Legacy, Last Shows, and Reunion (94:19–113:16)

• 2005 Showcase Farewell:
  • Feeling the lack of closure, the band did two proper final shows: “We didn’t really say goodbye ever... It was like, let’s actually play our last shows.” – Todd Jones (95:40)
• Carrying the Torch:
  • Despite the band’s influence, neither member expected constant reunion offers, and both insisted for many years they’d never reform (107:01).
• Reconciliation and Return:
  • A guest spot at Sound & Fury 2025 with God’s Hate paves the way for a Carry On reunion.
  • “After playing Off My Chest and getting to repair the friendship was just magical. That’s what makes me so happy about doing Carry On again—being friends again, just sharing love, like brotherly love.” – Ryan George (110:00)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Carry On was my favorite band, like, before I was in it.” – Todd Jones (02:15)
• “You have to be straight edge.” – Ryan George (06:47)
• “All these people... chips on your shoulders... It was just like, dude, all these people. I mean, those people are very nice. You know, it’s. Everything’s good.” – Ryan George (57:34)
• “Your edge break is the most significant in the history of straight edge.” – Interviewer (83:09)
• “After Carry On it was like Sonic the Hedgehog getting hit and all... bands, bands, bands.” – Ryan George (83:52)
• “No matter how upset you get with somebody... you’re always going to have those really good memories.” – Todd Jones (112:02)
• “We knew what we wanted to do right away. We know... we don’t want to do a lot of shows. We want to keep it special.” – Todd Jones (113:14)

---

Important Timestamps

• Discovery of Hardcore / Meeting Each Other: 02:27–05:31
• First Bands / Persevere: 12:42–15:28
• Transition to Carry On: 15:28–16:31
• Local Scene/Influences: 29:18–31:05 (Pickle Patch story)
• Writing Roll With The Punches: 39:07–40:05
• Recording Off My Chest: 42:42–44:59
• Bridge 9 / LP Writing: 52:39–55:18
• Breaking Edge: 79:40–80:50 (Ryan explains the moment)
• Band Fallout: 86:49–88:58
• Carry On Last Shows: 94:29–98:17
• Reunion / Friendship Reconciliation: 107:35–110:55
• Advice to Younger Bands: 112:02

---

Carry On’s Influence and Afterlife

• Band Family Tree:
  • Spawned significant post-Carry On acts: Terror, Internal Affairs, Stand and Fight, The Adored, God’s Hate, Youth Code.

On Legacy/Closure:

• “Before the album came out... we knew our band was great. Like, I knew the band was great before I was in it. So I’m like, why don’t all these other people think it’s great?... But we were great.” – Todd Jones (100:32–101:01)

---

Hardcore and Beyond – Top Records & Mosh Moments

• Ryan’s Top Hardcore Records:
  1. Youth of Today – Can’t Close My Eyes
  2. Sportswear – s/t LP
  3. Strife – In This Defiance
  4. Time is Now Comp (134:22–139:50)
• Todd’s Most Influential Mosh Parts:
  • Straight Ahead – Breakaway
  • Floorpunch – No Exceptions
  • Right Brigade – Keep Me Down
  • Death Threat – Brotherhood (141:18–145:10)

---

The Reunion

• 2025 Sound & Fury Guest Spot: Both join God’s Hate for “Off My Chest,” rekindling old friendships and prompting the Carry On rebirth (107:35)
• Band’s Current Philosophy:
  • “We don’t want to do a lot of shows. We want to keep it special… if you want to see Carry On, go see Carry On, because we’re not going to be doing this for very long.” – Todd Jones (113:14)

---

Closing Reflections

• The episode is packed with deep personal insight, heartfelt admissions, and a tangible sense of both nostalgia and ongoing evolution.
• “A great straight up hardcore LP is an incredibly challenging feat... this being 12 songs in 18 minutes makes it so easy to go back to and start over and over again for 25 years.” – Interviewer (73:43)
• “I love talking about Carry On, dude.” – Todd Jones (118:08)

---

This "Carry On therapy session" stands as an essential oral history of the band’s rise, demise, and emotional renewal—a testament to both hardcore’s power and its enduring bonds.

Transcript

[Interviewer]

Hey, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us this week for this incredible episode with Ryan George and Todd Jones of Carry On. After we wrapped this episode, these two described this episode to me as a Carry on therapy session. And it's something I'm incredibly honored to have been present for. We learn all about Ryan's sketchy origin to hardcore music, how Carry on started, how Todd joined the band, and how Ryan's eventual Edge break ended the band until now. Now, 25 years later, this episode is jam packed with lore and had both people saying, oh, I never knew that at certain points, which is always my favorite thing. So sit back, get ready to learn about all things Carry on and enjoy. Hello, welcome. It's Hard Lore time. How you doing, Bo? What a beautiful week we have here on the show. I must first introduce my guest co host. To my left, this is a Hard Lore hall of Famer, certified he is Nails. Carry On. Ex Terror, Betrayed. The list goes on. Todd Jones, welcome. Stand your ground, Stand your ground, which I'm sure we'll get to in a second. And on my right, our illustrious guest this fine day, here to tell us his side of this incredible saga. Finally, from Carry On Youth Code and the adored Ryan George. Welcome.

[Ryan George]

What's up, y'?

[Todd Jones]

All?

[Interviewer]

How you feeling?

[Ryan George]

Feeling all right? Good, yeah.

[Interviewer]

Good. Todd, how you feeling?

[Todd Jones]

I feel good.

[Interviewer]

You get to interview with me, your friend of many years and bandmate. And really, this is the. This is the best case scenario for the breakdown of the full Carry on saga. I feel like.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, man. I mean, I was there.

[Interviewer]

You were really.

[Todd Jones]

Carry on was my favorite band, like, before I was in it.

[Interviewer]

This is why. Let's start from the beginning here, Ryan. All right, tell us about growing up and discovering hardcore in Atascadero, California.

[Ryan George]

Okay, let's see. I probably got into it like a lot of people my age through skateboarding videos, more just hearing punk bands and stuff. And somehow I got a hold of a Wasted youth cassette and I would listen to that a lot, like over and over and over. And I met this skinhead guy, like a. The bad kind of skinhead that worked at the local gas station. And he was like, oh, you know, you gotta check out this stuff. And he had either today can't close my eyes and judge bringing it down. And I was like, what is this? And like, I had kind of like found out about Minor Threat and stuff. So I sort of knew about Straight Edge. And that just like opened the world up, you know, looking at thank you lists and changed. Yes, he did. Yes, he did. He had. He had great music taste.

[Interviewer]

He did one good thing in his life.

[Ryan George]

Yes.

[Interviewer]

Wow.

[Ryan George]

You said, tell me. That judge was great beer drinking music, man. Right? Yeah, Right, right.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Wow.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. You know, living in a. In a small town, I. It was. I lived out in the country and, you know, this was before the Internet and you didn't really get to choose, you know, your peers who was going to influence you.

[Interviewer]

Where is Atascadero?

[Ryan George]

It is inland from San Luis Vispo.

[Interviewer]

Oh, okay.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, it's about 15 minutes in, I think.

[Interviewer]

So you're up there.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, it's by wine country, Paso Robles.

[Todd Jones]

Is it a little north?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, I guess. To me it's inland because the coast is over here.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, I agree. Yeah, 100%.

[Interviewer]

But geographically north from where we are right now, correct?

[Ryan George]

Yes, correct.

[Interviewer]

Okay. And did you grow up going out to Escadero for shows ever?

[Todd Jones]

Well, I wouldn't say I did, but my friends and I started traveling to San Luis Obispo and Atascadero shortly after we met Brian.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

And where did you two meet?

[Ryan George]

Where did we meet?

[Todd Jones]

In Living room. In Goleta.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, that's. What was the show, dude, it was Eyelid and Far. Was the Far play. Yeah, Far. Probably island and Far.

[Ryan George]

What a two great bands.

[Interviewer]

You remember the moment was.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Did sparks fly?

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, I mean, I remember. I remember. Like, do you.

[Ryan George]

Are you on. You're not on Instagram very often, are you?

[Todd Jones]

Sometimes.

[Ryan George]

Brian from Ilid posted a photo of Eyelid playing. And I'm up front with these huge, like, cartoon X's on my hands.

[Interviewer]

Nice.

[Ryan George]

And an Earth crisis animal liberation shirt like this screaming. And I wonder if it was that show.

[Todd Jones]

Did it look like it was from the Living Room?

[Ryan George]

I think it might have been the living room from Still.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, dude. I mean, it's the rest of the.

[Ryan George]

I remember you.

[Todd Jones]

You were sitting on a couch and I just came over and, like, talked to you, sat down.

[Ryan George]

I was just curious if it was that show because in my head, the first time we met, you had an Earth Crisis shirt on. And you've told me that I was wrong about that. And I'm wondering if I had the Earth crisis shirt on. Whatever that.

[Todd Jones]

That I can't remember which shirts we were wearing, but you were wearing a shirt that. That made me think, like, oh, I should talk to this person.

[Ryan George]

You were too. I don't remember what it was. Yeah, that's how it was back in the day, though. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

That's all it took, man. You could see a Guy with tattoos on the street and, like, know for a fact that, like, he's heard Mad Ball before, and now everything is everything.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

So youth of today and judge are the bands that open the door for you.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, I can rewind, though. His girlfriend, her name was something Beth, but everyone called her Scary Death. Oh. She gave me the Flex Ear Head Comp. She said, I don't like this shit. Like, take this. I know that you like Minor Threat. And I was like, what the fuck? This is so sick.

[Interviewer]

So locally, what do you discover and what. Who are the people you connect with that turn it into a community thing for you?

[Ryan George]

No one I like. I forced all the kids that skateboarded to get into hardcore, and I told them they had to be straight edge. Like, you have to be straight edge.

[Todd Jones]

Agree.

[Ryan George]

Like, you stop listening to Pearl Jam. Listen to this. They kind of, like, gravitated more to, like, stuff like Undertow or Strain. Like, more chuggy, you know, what was, like, pretty popular in the mid-90s.

[Interviewer]

And how did you feel about that stuff as it was?

[Ryan George]

I loved it.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, I loved it, and I like

[Interviewer]

it a lot now.

[Ryan George]

I definitely shunned it for a while when we had Youth Crew Revival for sure, and acted like I didn't. But I absolutely love that. Okay.

[Todd Jones]

I love Undertow.

[Ryan George]

Me, too. So good.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. Strain, too.

[Ryan George]

Who is in control, baby?

[Interviewer]

How early do you become straight Edge?

[Ryan George]

I already pretty much was. You know, I did. My family had. Not my immediate family, but, like, my uncles. I had an uncle that passed away from heroin, and. And he was like, my idol when I was a kid. And then another uncle was addicted to heroin, and he was in and out of our lives. It's just, like, substance abuse. And I got to see it growing up, and I was just like, I don't want anything to do with it.

[Interviewer]

So it was a natural discovery.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Yeah. So I was basically like, oh, there's a thing that I already am this. And I love the music. Like, let's just slide into this.

[Interviewer]

I had read that Strife was part of your introduction to Shredded.

[Ryan George]

Yes. Yeah, absolutely. The gray 7 inch with Rick Rodney. He's got a champion hoodie. He's X'd up. When I found that in a record bin at Boo Boo Records in San Luis Obispo, I saw that and I went, holy. There are bands around right now because, you know, you said today, like, 85, you know, but it seems so old at that age. Like, I was like, this is ancient. Like, it might as well have been, like, the Rolling Stones or something. Which. It really wasn't that long ago, but at the time, but finding Strife, I was like, this man is current and this dude looks like he's in youth today. Let's go. And no, I mean that far from me.

[Interviewer]

You know, it's so fascinating to think timeline wise because this is. This is what, 96, 97 and 95.

[Ryan George]

90, 95, 96.

[Todd Jones]

Great. Gray was 96.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

And that's 10 years after. Can't close my eyes.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. But it seemed.

[Interviewer]

Which is 20. That's 2015 to now.

[Ryan George]

It's, you know. Yeah. It's crazy. It's so fucking crazy.

[Interviewer]

Could you guys. Could you kind of explain to or put in context Strife's impact in Southern California at the time?

[Todd Jones]

Dude.

[Ryan George]

Massive.

[Todd Jones]

Massive. Extremely important, extremely powerful band.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

When's the first time you saw Strife?

[Ryan George]

California Takeover.

[Todd Jones]

Okay. You were there.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Snap Case, Strife, legendary show. I think 18 visions opened.

[Todd Jones]

That would make sense. Was that the Whiskey?

[Ryan George]

Oh, yeah, it was at the Whiskey.

[Interviewer]

It's so fascinating that a thing with that much reverence is at the Whiskey, of all places. What is the capacity at the whiskey?

[Todd Jones]

500.

[Interviewer]

There's 500 people there.

[Ryan George]

That was the biggest venue I had ever been to, though. I thought it was fucking huge.

[Todd Jones]

Same.

[Ryan George]

I remember I was scared. I sat up in the balcony because it was like the first time I had gone to a show that wasn't like a Eddie Numbskull, like, event. That was at like a VFW hall. Like, I like, got to that. And there. I never seen that many, like, hardcore, specifically straight Edge kids. I'd never heard a hard line. There were people passing out hard line zines, talking with lists of people that weren't vegan that they wanted to destroy or whatever.

[Interviewer]

Were you vegan already?

[Ryan George]

I don't know. I think I might have been vegan by then.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

Definitely didn't eat meat, though.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

And yeah, it was. It was a trip. I was like. And everyone wore like. Like jancos and shit and, like, jerseys. And I was like, the fuck. Like, that's what all the ravers wear where I live. Like, why. Why are they wearing all this shit?

[Interviewer]

How much of an obstruction was the big pole in the middle of the dance floor? I don't remember.

[Ryan George]

I don't remember. I just remember going. There's kids moshing and ski masks, doing, like, windmills and I don't know what the fuck is going on.

[Interviewer]

Pretty cool.

[Ryan George]

I was like, I love this because these guys are straight edge and. But the music is a little like, Slower than youth of today. So I was a little confused. And they looked so scary. Yeah, because, you know, things were happening that I. I'm not aware of because I live in Atascadero. I live in the country. I live out on a farm. I'm looking at the inserts of my records, and I'm seeing little glimpses at punk shows. Going to see, like, Good Riddance or afi, seeing tiny pieces of it. But then I go to that in Los Angeles, and you have people coming from all, like, the surrounding cities meeting up for this thing, and it's fucking crazy.

[Interviewer]

It's intense.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

So where are you guys in your lives when you meet each other? Are you doing bands yet? Is stand your ground a thing?

[Todd Jones]

No, I think I was 15 and, you know, we went to that Eyelid show at the Living Room in Goleta. And, I mean, I was. I have played. I played with my friends in, like, local Oxnard bands. But, yeah, I was. I was 15 years old. I wasn't really doing much.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, I don't. I don't know if I had a band yet, maybe.

[Interviewer]

Did you have a band before Persevere?

[Ryan George]

No, no, I. I had. My friends had a band called Corporate America, and the singer was, like, always too scared to sing at practice, so I would grab the mic from him, and that's, like, when I realized I wanted to do a band. I would grab it and just, like, scream. Shit.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

And I was like, oh, I want to do this.

[Interviewer]

So Persevere is your first actual band? Yeah. Wow. Okay. Yeah, let's get into that.

[Ryan George]

All right.

[Interviewer]

How does it start and what is the vibe?

[Ryan George]

At first, I think it started coming back from that California Takeover show and,

[Interviewer]

like, literally on the way home.

[Ryan George]

No, like, just. I mean, I wish I could say that, but I. You know, this is a long time ago, so I'm not gonna get it totally right. But I remember I had kind of, like, you know, gotten like, a. Quite, like, a handful of kids into Straight Edge and hardcore, and I was. I was doing something. I don't remember what I was doing, but I was away and they. The kid that played drums, his name was Nick, his dad recorded bands, and he was like a. You know, he rocked in his house with his friends, and, like, they recorded, like, their jam, but they recorded, like, two songs, and Nick sang over it, and he was like, yo, come back and, like, redo the vocals. And, like, let's. Let's do a band.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

Because he was a drummer, so that's what we did. Came back and tracked those vocals. And I think that became the Persevered demo. Or we retracted. I don't remember.

[Todd Jones]

You still have it?

[Ryan George]

I listened to. Someone linked it to me on YouTube the other day. I listened to it.

[Todd Jones]

It's on YouTube?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, it's pretty good.

[Interviewer]

It's linked right there.

[Todd Jones]

I've never heard it, and I've always wanted to. I could never find it. And, like, by the time. I think it was. Tell me if I'm wrong, but I think it's one of those things, like, when. When Persevere was playing shows, like, I saw you guys at least a couple times or maybe once at the Pickle Patch.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, we played the Pickle Patch.

[Todd Jones]

And I think. I think, like, as soon as you guys had a demo, you were, like, not selling it, or maybe you guys had already moved on from it or something.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, I mean, I think what happened is the Time Is Now Comp came out or something and kind of, like, flipped the switch.

[Todd Jones]

So. Hold on a second. So, okay, so the Time Is Now Comp. That came out on a record label called Tension Building Records from Pennsylvania. It had Floor Punch, Hands Tied, Rancor, Rancor, Rain on the Parade.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. I think there was one more band on it. But so.

[Ryan George]

So.

[Todd Jones]

So that Comp came out at the same time that the. Growing Stronger.

[Ryan George]

Yes.

[Todd Jones]

Comp on Teamwork Record.

[Ryan George]

And

[Todd Jones]

Atari.

[Ryan George]

Atari was on there.

[Todd Jones]

Floor punch.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

97A pushed too far.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Push too far.

[Todd Jones]

So. So.

[Interviewer]

So that.

[Todd Jones]

The Time Is Now Comp was. Was that some. That's. That. Is that what exposed you to those bands of that time frame?

[Ryan George]

From that area? Yeah. Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

For sure.

[Todd Jones]

And that was, like, very influential, too.

[Ryan George]

I think I really wanted to get it, too, because it came with a zine Tension Building. And I was, like, really high. I had that. And I would just look at it over and over, and I was like, like, why am. Why am I doing, like, this, like, chuggy hardcore? Like.

[Interviewer]

Because Persevere is a straight up, like, kind of metallic Jackie band.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Strength, pride, Commitment. Believing in myself.

[Interviewer]

Okay, 25, come back.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Dude.

[Todd Jones]

Wait. That's a Carry On.

[Ryan George]

Is it?

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. Strength, pride, commitment. It's. It's pride.

[Ryan George]

From the first Carry on, those were Persevere songs. So that first carry on 7 inch, because persevere started playing fast and we went, wait a minute. Like, this isn't really fitting with what we were doing before. And we switched the. We changed the name of the band.

[Todd Jones]

Yes.

[Ryan George]

Because Carry on was Persevere.

[Interviewer]

Yes.

[Ryan George]

It changed. And there was, like, the whole Mess with the jitsu record and let's get.

[Interviewer]

Let's get into it. We're doing it right here. We are. The clock strikes. 1998. Persevere enters the studio with Paul Miner to record a seven inch. The music changes, the goal changes, the name changes.

[Ryan George]

Yes.

[Interviewer]

And at the end of the process, Carry on is born. How seamless is the transition from Persevere to Carry On.

[Ryan George]

I think it was another thing where I just like forced everyone to. This is what we're doing. I was like, start today from Gorilla Biscuits is a way better record than all these. Like it stands the test of time. And like there's, you know, there's all these new bands on the east coast that were super inspiring. I mean, Floor Punch was a huge moment, I think for a lot of us. Yeah, 10 yard fight too.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, 10 yard fight for sure.

[Ryan George]

Like you can say whatever you want about, you know, those records holding up a 10 yard fight in my eyes, all that. It was just like, let's go.

[Todd Jones]

The 10 yard fight show at the Pickle Patch was a huge moment.

[Ryan George]

I feel like Persevere played that.

[Todd Jones]

You guys did?

[Ryan George]

We did, huh?

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Graham took a photo of me. I'm like on a. Some compilation. There's a silhouette of me with like fucking huge like jorts on or something.

[Todd Jones]

You were wearing big jersey.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Oh yeah.

[Ryan George]

Well, I was fucking night.

[Interviewer]

Well, the Carry on and. Well, they weren't Carry on yet. You know, he was doing California Takeover.

[Ryan George]

This is why I wanted Todd here because this timeline is so like.

[Interviewer]

It's a mess. But we're gonna sort it out.

[Ryan George]

It was very messy.

[Interviewer]

So the. You mentioned Teamwork Records. I mean that's. That's just around the corner and that like such a staple of that era in the Youth Crew revival thing. You guys really end up doing it all in that goals and influences. When Persevere becomes Carry On.

[Ryan George]

All the Youth Crew hardcore. And then the. I guess you call it like second Wave Youth Crew, maybe. Is that fair to say?

[Interviewer]

I like it.

[Ryan George]

It was happening.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

And especially with those comps kicking off.

[Interviewer]

Who is in the band at the time?

[Ryan George]

Shit.

[Todd Jones]

So it's you on vocals, but then the fella, Andy on guitar.

[Ryan George]

Right, Andy? Yeah. But I don't know how long he lasted in Carry On. I think Jordan Johnson would have taken over and then maybe Corey was in the band before you.

[Todd Jones]

That's right.

[Ryan George]

Corey was coming down from Thousand Oaks. The fucking king coming up from Thousand Oaks to practice. Yeah. Cory's amazing.

[Interviewer]

Is it true that one of the members of the band who was vegan would jerk off with lunch meat.

[Todd Jones]

Oh, dude,

[Ryan George]

that sounds right.

[Interviewer]

Okay. Interesting.

[Ryan George]

Where the fuck did you find that?

[Todd Jones]

Where did you find.

[Interviewer]

I'll tell you later. Okay. So it's, you know, it's a completely different lineup than the. Than the Carry On.

[Ryan George]

You know what? That kid wasn't in the band. His name was Ian. He was the one that I would grab the mic from. Oh yeah, that was a thing. It was Ian.

[Todd Jones]

Remember his band played the Eyelid Far Show. Was this being called life or it was just called Corporate America.

[Ryan George]

Corporate America. They might have changed the name. They were into like Spaz.

[Todd Jones]

And I remember him. He was kind of a tall, lanky fella.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Bands where you wear like the black long johns under your ripped up shorts.

[Todd Jones]

He's one of those. Sure.

[Ryan George]

Dystopia. Is that a band? Yeah, yeah, yeah, he was into that. I don't. Dude, I like.

[Interviewer]

You're doing great. You're doing great. I like you. Stabbed in the Face, I guess technically the Carry on demo in a way, you know. Yeah, kind of.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Recorded with Paul Miner. How was that?

[Ryan George]

I don't remember. I honestly don't remember that recording session. I remember a little bit. I remember thinking about either him or his brother or something was a tattoo artist and Jim. Yeah, that's all I remember thinking about when I was there because I was

[Interviewer]

like, you just wanted to be tatted.

[Ryan George]

So. Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Let me ask you this when you recorded because I remember because Sandra Ground also recorded with. With Jim at the. For the record studio. And what we did is we got like a 24 hour block where we just started recording like.

[Ryan George]

Oh shit.

[Todd Jones]

At like. I don't know, I can't remember what time. But did you do the same thing? Did you guys record it? Just one session? Like. Yeah, like you went in for a day and then you just left and when you were done you had your record.

[Ryan George]

It was.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, that makes sense why you remember.

[Ryan George]

Not much. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Just a blur in your life.

[Ryan George]

That's that 7 inch.

[Todd Jones]

I don't remember like a lot of it.

[Ryan George]

I remember doing the stuff for Youngblood and I remember the teamwork. 7 inch. Yeah, the Stabbed in the.

[Interviewer]

The concept of a youth crew revival band where the A straight Edge song and record called Stabbed in the Face.

[Ryan George]

Oh hell yeah.

[Interviewer]

It's such an amazing concept.

[Ryan George]

I just thought it was like, you know, Stabbed in the back. Fucking. You stabbed me in the face.

[Interviewer]

I don't think this sounds like an amateur band demo, you know, I think maybe because it's this conscious evolution from Persevere, where it's these guys that have already been playing together. But, like, the songs are good. They were good. They were fun.

[Todd Jones]

I've been listening to that so long, I haven't either. I'm gonna go have to go listen to it.

[Interviewer]

But, dude, Pride, the song Pride, the clo is incredible.

[Todd Jones]

Sick that. So the musicians in the band were good. Like, they were young, but they were good. Like, that drummer could play. So, like, Carry on was a. In that lineup. Carry on was like a powerful live band. And just a little tidbit when we're not there yet, but when Carry on, when Ryan, you know, changes the lineup of the band. The song Pride was the only song that really got played after the big lineup change. But that song rocks. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

So did you play that song with in Carry On?

[Todd Jones]

No. By the time I joined this. The band there. Those. Those.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, yeah.

[Todd Jones]

I mean, they had like a full length. When I joined the band, there was like. There was like a full length of material. Material we never put out yet. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Does that exist anywhere?

[Ryan George]

That live living room tape has some of them on it. That sounds good. It sounds like Turning Point.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, it's really cool. Like, it's. It's hard to listen to because it's like such a bad recording, but. But you can hear the songs, like, they're cool. Jordan Johnson wrote some wicked, man. He was very, very good.

[Todd Jones]

Him and Josh.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, Josh Loose.

[Todd Jones]

We're not there yet, but Josh was like the first person I met that I was like, in complete awe of, of like, their songwriting, who was like, my age.

[Ryan George]

Sick.

[Todd Jones]

I was like, what the. Like this. He would just sit very nonchalant about it is effortlessly for him. He would just sit with a guitar and he'd just start playing cool shit. I'm like. I'm like, what is that? He's like, oh, no, I'm just playing it. I'm like, God damn, dude.

[Interviewer]

You took that with you. You did it.

[Todd Jones]

He was incredibly influential to me.

[Interviewer]

Where. Where are you at at this time?

[Todd Jones]

Probably. I mean, by that time we probably started Stand your ground. Like we were going up to shows in San Luis Obispo. Like, I would. What was it, Morro Bay that had that like, VFW hall style venue where there was a bomb shelter or something. So we would go see Carry on play at the. In Memorial Bay at that place. Like, one of my favorite moments, like hardcore moments ever, was seeing Carry on cover Little Friend.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Minor Threat at that place. But like, he was saying, like, Eddie Numbskull would book a ton of shows in that era area, and we'd go to him as much as we could.

[Interviewer]

And this 7 inch really connects with you at the time.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. I mean, we loved it.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

But in, you know, Carry on got way better than that too, though. Which we're. We're getting to.

[Interviewer]

Sure did.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

One of the things that's so striking upon revisiting Carry on is how straight edge it is.

[Ryan George]

Yes.

[Interviewer]

Drug free for life. I made my choice, man.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Is that something that strikes you upon revisiting the songs now?

[Ryan George]

No, I think it's sick. It is like, you know, like, obviously I'm not straight Edge, but I. This won't make any sense to anyone but me. I like, connect to that shit so much still. I hate anytime I ever hear anyone badmouth Straight Edge. Like, my favorite bands are straight edge hardcore bands. Like, I still, like, feel so connected to it, but, like, you know, I'm not anymore. But it's, like, very important to me still to this day. But, like, back then, you know, I meant it so much. Yeah. It's amazing.

[Interviewer]

It's every song. It's awesome. The line is drawn. 7 inch Youngblood Records. Is this the same group of people?

[Ryan George]

No.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. So explain. Explain between Stabbed in the Face and the Line Is Drawn. You pretty. I mean, it's. What I remember is you changed the whole band.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Like, it was basically a new band.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

All new people. Nobody. Nobody was the same. No. So explain that change. And also, like, when did you meet Josh? In Jordan.

[Ryan George]

Josh Loose was friends with my. He was. He was my brother's age. My little brother.

[Todd Jones]

Right.

[Ryan George]

And he. They had, like, been going in, like, me and my little brother shared a room, and they would listen to, like, my cassettes and stuff and my CDs, and Josh gravitated to this stuff more. And he was always asking me about hardcore bands. Like, what is this? Like, this song is sick. Do they have other stuff? You know, I'm just like, being like an older brother, showing them stuff. There was Josh and then Jordan played in a band in Paso Robles that was with his brother Jeremy and the drummer. What was his name? The blonde kid. He played in Carry on for a while.

[Todd Jones]

I know you're talking about what. His name wasn't Nick. No, dude, I don't. I don't remember.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, he's awesome.

[Todd Jones]

He was a great drummer.

[Ryan George]

Such a good drummer. But they were all in a. They were in a hardcore band in Paso Robles, which is our neighborhood town.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

And they were doing like, Chuggy. They were in like Deftones and shit like that. But Jordan was really into youth crew hardcore. So I just kind of like fucking went. You guys are going to be my band. I took their drummer and, and Jordan. I was a guitar. I was a fucking bully.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

How did that work out with just. I just deleting the rest of the

[Ryan George]

mad shit to everyone all the time. Like, what we're doing is going to be better. Like, you were fucking. Like, let's go. I don't know.

[Interviewer]

You seem to not have been wrong yet.

[Ryan George]

So I was good.

[Interviewer]

It's tough. You got a good track.

[Todd Jones]

What was the moment that made you just tell those guys, like, we're not doing this band?

[Ryan George]

I mean, they kept doing, they kept doing their band. See what happened. Okay, let me, let me rewind a bit. All the guys that were like, stabbed in the face 7 inch, like, they got hella into like cross punk and stuff. And I thought it was like so scummy. Like, it was just gross and I didn't want anything to do with it.

[Interviewer]

You're. You were a morally straight, positive you.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, it just looked bad. Like it's, the music was gross. Like you like it. But it's cool that they were vegan now. It's cool. I'm glad people like it.

[Interviewer]

Sure.

[Ryan George]

It's not for me. So I needed people to play and they were in the neighboring town, so they just started playing with. And I, I think also, like, I think a big thing was having Corey coming to Atascadero, like San Luis Obispo area. Because we all thought Corey was cool.

[Interviewer]

Like, we think Corey is cool.

[Ryan George]

We still. Yes, we do. He was just like, he knew the guys in strife.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Like, he had all the cool shirts. He talked with the side of his mouth all the time. He was just sick dude.

[Interviewer]

There's, he's one of one dude.

[Ryan George]

And having Corey being into the band, like, I was able to get these guys from Paso to come over and, you know, I don't know, there was just like momentum.

[Interviewer]

So is Corey part of the Line Is Drawn record at all?

[Ryan George]

I don't know. Yeah, he did. He did.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

And who is, who's doing the, the writing for this? Is it Josh and Jordan?

[Ryan George]

I think Jordan wrote a lot of it.

[Interviewer]

Probably Josh loose too, because the floor punchness.

[Ryan George]

Oh, then it's definitely, it's definitely Josh.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, he's huge. Floor punch.

[Interviewer]

So the line is drawn for you, Todd. How does this one hit you?

[Todd Jones]

That was incredible. I, I, My biggest Regret in that era is that I didn't go to the recording. You guys recorded that in Simi Valley?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, we recorded with Graham's friend, a fellow named Shannon.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, yeah, he ran. I think T4 was his studio name. But I. I didn't get to go to that recording and I don't know why, but I was super bummed on that. I think I had prior obligations. But yeah. Dude, that seven inch is incredible. I mean it was. It sounded so legit. Like Stabbed in the Face was cool. It was great. We loved it. But like there wasn't number one in California, in Southern California at least. Or I should say Central California because that's where Ryan lived too. But like there wasn't bands playing that style of hardcore that was as legit as the Line is Drawn. Like they're good. Like Collision was a good band.

[Ryan George]

Collision was good.

[Todd Jones]

Collision, yeah.

[Ryan George]

Built a Last.

[Todd Jones]

Built to Last was good, but Built to Last, they were kind of like. They're kind of like on a New York hardcore tip.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, they were like sick.

[Todd Jones]

Mad Ball bounce. Yeah, sick of it all. Mad Ball kind of like styles. And then there was Powerhouse from Oakland and I really like them too. But they weren't. They weren't. They weren't trying to do the youth crew thing. They were also in the kind of like the New York hardcore thing too. But like, I can't remember any other bands playing that style of music. It was just so good. Like there was. I was playing a band called Stand your Ground and we were cool, but like this felt like super legit. Like this felt like it could. It could stand in line with something like Floor Punch or. Or all the bands from the east

[Interviewer]

coast that we feel like kind. Having your own local floor punch in a way.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, I guess so.

[Ryan George]

That's how we felt about Stand you'd Ground. We felt like they were like 10 yard fight, like in Oxnard or whatever. And it was fucking sick.

[Interviewer]

Is this when you guys start playing around and outside of California?

[Ryan George]

I don't think we left to the east coast until like the Teamwork segment, August 2000. You remember?

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

That's why I wanted you here, baby. I mean, besides, I love hanging out with you.

[Interviewer]

And aside from Todd, like in your mind, do people care about these records at the time?

[Ryan George]

No, dude, no. The amount of Oxnard and Paso and that's it.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. I mean there was like, you know who, you know who was, who was cool was the life's Hawk guys. Yeah, they were cool. We had a bond with them and you know There are people like Graham Donuth, who's. Who at the time lived in Ojai, but also like, was kind of like an Orange county fella. He was friends with all the Orange county folks.

[Ryan George]

He would always be at the Pickle Patch and.

[Todd Jones]

Yep. Taking photos.

[Ryan George]

Tell me about this Pickle Patch.

[Todd Jones]

So, okay, so the Pickle Patch was an apartment on a ground floor and three fellas live there. One was Mike Feit, who currently is managing bands. I'm not sure where he lives, but.

[Ryan George]

Record label.

[Todd Jones]

He had a record label called Fight Records.

[Ryan George]

He was in Good Clean Fun.

[Todd Jones]

Ah, yeah. He bass player for Good Clean Fun. And then Steve Aoki, world famous DJ Benihana. Yeah.

[Ryan George]

And maybe a Republican now.

[Todd Jones]

And then some other fella, I can't really remember who, but it was.

[Ryan George]

It was Kent McLeod.

[Todd Jones]

No, he didn't live there.

[Ryan George]

He didn't?

[Todd Jones]

No, he was always at the show.

[Ryan George]

Was it so much Heart Attack fanzine stuff there?

[Todd Jones]

That was just what was there. Because Heart Attack, Kent and Ebullition was they had their office space in Goleta in the same city.

[Ryan George]

I always thought that fool lived there.

[Todd Jones]

No, I don't think so.

[Ryan George]

Cool. I just always imagined him upstairs when the shows are going on, like getting all grumpy.

[Todd Jones]

He was kind of grumpy.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

So around this time is when you decide to move to la?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, probably.

[Interviewer]

Is. Is Carry on being a band at the forefront of that decision at all?

[Ryan George]

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. The whole reason I moved to LA was because. Because of hardcore and Carry On.

[Todd Jones]

It had to be summer of 99.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

So tell me about recruiting the rest of Carry on for what would become the role with the Punches lineup.

[Ryan George]

Oh, boy.

[Todd Jones]

Well, on Thanksgiving of 99.

[Ryan George]

God, I'm so happy you're here.

[Todd Jones]

I got a phone call. No. Ryan called Corey at work. Corey worked at Kinko's off of. In Agoura Hills. And I would just go and hang out, like use their computer or whatever. I might have been. No, I wasn't living with Corey at that time, but I was just there hanging out. And Corey had called Ryan at work and had explained to him that Jordan had to quit the band because Jordan had a heart condition. And in order for Jordan to maintain his health insurance, he had to get a certain grade point average in college. I believe Jordan, you know, he did the response to the thing. Yeah. And he, you know, he left the band. And then. And then Corey and Ryan conferred together and I think, you know, Ryan put forth we should get Todd to play guitar. Like that's the obvious choice. Yeah. And so Corey told me that or I spoke to Ryan on the phone. I can't remember. And so I joined Carry on because Jordan quit. And I was so happy. I was like jumping up and down in this Kinkos. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Wow.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, that Kinko's was like a crucial. That was the spot for hardcore for our. Our little world.

[Todd Jones]

Because Corey.

[Ryan George]

Corey would bust shit out. He would work the night shift there and he would just like make shit like crazy.

[Todd Jones]

Made flyers, he made record covers.

[Ryan George]

Wow.

[Todd Jones]

He was really good at graphic design.

[Ryan George]

The test press of the Praying X tans.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Or like gold embossed.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Corey Kinko, dude. Wow.

[Ryan George]

He killed it.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Okay, so how. So you're jumping for joy.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

How. How soon does the like. Do you actually start writing? Like, do you remember vividly the first day you sat down with the intention of writing a Carry on song?

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, I do. It was the song Fuck your Politics, Track two.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Banger.

[Interviewer]

Banger.

[Todd Jones]

And what was really influential to me at that time was, you know, towards the end of 99, all the. What we referred to earlier as a second wave of youth Crew, like all those east coast bands were kind of winding down. I think Floor Punch had already broken up at that time, the end of 1999. Well, they played their last show in May of 2000.

[Interviewer]

So that. But that might have been after their European tour, where it seemed like they were.

[Todd Jones]

It was after their European tour and you know that that whole scene was kind of winding down, like Fast Break had started playing more of like a poppier rock music.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

You know, and 10 yard fight. I don't know when the only way 7 inch came out, but it might have been around that time or shortly. No, they were done. 10 yard fight was done by 99. Because of that. They play the Edge Day and they had the shirt.

[Interviewer]

That's the reason Edge Day exists, right?

[Todd Jones]

Yes. Yeah. 10 yard fight created that term. Or maybe Pete, Sweet Pete did at the show. But anyway. But yeah, all that stuff was kind of winding down. And what was really, really, really, really influential was that Right Brigade demo.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

In the right brigade 7 inch.

[Ryan George]

And that was mind blowing.

[Todd Jones]

It was. It was. It was like the youth, you know, it was very heavily influenced by the Youth Crew style, but also a little bit harder. Like, I think Jesse had become pals with. With the Blood for Blood people or something and was like torn with them doing Merch form or something like that. And those guys, you know, I can't. I have no idea. But I assume those guys Were like. They were just like, we're going to play a little bit harder, a little bit heavier, a little bit more aggressive. Aggressive. And that was like. I loved it. I love that. Right Brigade to this day. Yeah, yeah. Everything but. So, yeah. That song, your Politics was, like, largely influenced by Right Brigade.

[Ryan George]

Oh, that whole. I think that whole teamwork 7 inch probably was us going like, yeah, right Brigade, dude.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, probably.

[Interviewer]

It's so interesting to, like, the lack of stigma in hearing something brand new and modern and being like, this. This is what we're doing now. Whereas, like, well, even now, if a band was like, we're ripping off nails, I'd be like, that's crazy.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. The thing is, though, like, when you're young, that's what you do.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Like a baby learns how to walk from watching other people do it and wanting to do it. And it's like, dude, I was 19. 18 years old. 19 years old. Like, we were trying to have our own little piece of what we loved because we didn't have it.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, we didn't. There wasn't bands like that over here. Yeah. Like, they just didn't exist.

[Interviewer]

So it reminds me of people in New York telling me that, like, in 1986, all their friends would get together and just learn. Age of Quarrel. Oh, yeah. And like. Like, it's already this monumental landmark and they're just getting together after school and learning it. So there's no shame in hearing this new thing that connects with you.

[Todd Jones]

And I try not to be too hard on young people.

[Ryan George]

You can't.

[Todd Jones]

Like, when it's like, oh, this. This new band just came out, it's kind of a new style. The next thing you know, like, the UK has their own version of it. The west coast has their own version of it. Like, Australia has their own version of it. It's just like, dude, these are just young people. Like, they're just trying to figure it out.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, that's passion.

[Todd Jones]

You know, it's passion and that's what we were doing. And, you know, it's. It's. It might sound a little unauthentic to say, like, oh, yeah, we were just copying the things we loved, but I don't want to say we were copying anything. Like, was. When you put it through our filter, it was its own thing. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Was it Graham from Lecherous Gaze and Annihilation Time briefly in the band?

[Todd Jones]

Yes.

[Interviewer]

Dude, that's crazy.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

You play bass for us.

[Interviewer]

Bass?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, yeah. With a cat.

[Interviewer]

That's like one of the greatest modern guitar players. In the world.

[Todd Jones]

Undoubtedly 100% unbelievable.

[Interviewer]

So carry on.

[Ryan George]

Great.

[Interviewer]

Graham is a God.

[Todd Jones]

Great personality.

[Interviewer]

Carry on. As history remembers it is born in a way. Did you differ from your writing process with Stand you'd ground at all other than taking directly from RIP Brigade inspirationally?

[Ryan George]

Come on, man.

[Interviewer]

Positively. I don't mean nothing.

[Todd Jones]

I don't think you mean anything negatively. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

It wasn't derogatory. It's all good.

[Ryan George]

There was a lot of floor punch still, though.

[Todd Jones]

Oh, of course.

[Ryan George]

Josh Loose was like, to this day.

[Interviewer]

To this day, spiritually. A lot of floor punch.

[Todd Jones]

Absolutely.

[Interviewer]

Is there a song or part of a. Part of a song that you heard as the singer recruiting this whole new band that made you feel like something special was happening?

[Ryan George]

That whole seven. The teamwork. Seven inch, though, like, the whole thing is like every single song on that, on that is like, fucking insane to me.

[Todd Jones]

I have a vivid memory of. So I told the story about how the song Roll with the Punches came to be on one of, like, the last hard lore I did about where I heard Count Me Out. Me and Corey heard Count Me out at Dave Mandel's house. And then we drove back to that apartment we had in Woodland Hills, and we, you know, the song came to life. And then I vividly remember going to rehearsal and was it Reseda or Van Nuys at one of those hourly lockouts?

[Interviewer]

Probably Reseda. It was Sound Arena.

[Todd Jones]

Sound Arena, Yeah. And we would rehearse there, and we got there a little bit before you did. It was Nat Kiefer. Yeah, Corey and myself. And so we were rehearsing before you got there, and we were learning that song together, and we put it together, and then you came in, you're like, what's up? It's like, oh, check out the song we made. And at the end, you were like, oh, my God, that's like, one of the best songs I've ever heard.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, dude. It was insane.

[Todd Jones]

I remember that moment.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Felt good.

[Ryan George]

Maybe I'm wrong on this. And I haven't listened to it for a minute. I felt like Roll with the Punches. The song was also. I felt like we pulled something from the Overlook, a line demo.

[Todd Jones]

Well, I love the overline demo.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, but didn't. Didn't we lift something from that? It might have been like the fast, like, harmonic picking in the beginning.

[Todd Jones]

Did they. Did over the Line do that on their demo?

[Ryan George]

I think they do on a part. I could be wrong. I could be wrong.

[Todd Jones]

I vividly remember just in my head, like, it's.

[Ryan George]

That's always been like where we. We nicked part a piece of that from. But I could be wrong. I don't think I want to listen to it.

[Interviewer]

That just instinctive harmonic trim.

[Todd Jones]

I mean, I don't know. I just heard that count me out 110 album and I was blown away. Went back to our apartment, just sat and played guitar for an hour.

[Ryan George]

That record was so powerful.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

To this day.

[Ryan George]

To this day. Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

110 is great.

[Interviewer]

Were you conscious of how many times you said and off my chest?

[Ryan George]

No, but the whole record I used it as like a. Like a syllable if I needed to make something work. Yeah, yeah.

[Interviewer]

I like can't just say I'm this. Yeah, I'm this. You know. Okay.

[Ryan George]

Although. Yeah, whatever. No regrets.

[Todd Jones]

It's. It's funny like I never, I never during the band while we were making those songs. I never thought about that. I didn't after. And then people were like dude, Ryan says so much. He does.

[Ryan George]

I mean I do in my normal speech day to day too. So it's like not that weird.

[Interviewer]

Just the real you.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Phonetically.

[Interviewer]

It's a great, great word.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Off my Chest. Let's talk about that song because Hit. You know the, the Carry On. I think it's the top streamed song probably to this day. Were you. We talked about this a little bit in the Nails episode. But are there reservations from the band as a whole putting this big obvious breakdown in the end of the song like you as the singer. Okay. You're.

[Ryan George]

No, I. I think that if. If it wasn't. If I wasn't like, like cheering for it the most. Like I don't know. I was very, very into doing this.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. I really, really wanted to have a song that did that. Also the end of Roll of the Punches, like the. The very end of it breaking down was also I thought, very sick.

[Todd Jones]

That was your idea. I was nervous that you weren't gonna like the very, very, very end of off my Chest.

[Ryan George]

I loved it because we didn't have anything like it.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

And I was like this will be a big moment. I had a lot of. A lot, a lot of problems doing the lyrics for off my Chest though. I had to sit with Todd on a car and write it.

[Interviewer]

You remember that?

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, I do. I distinctly remember that Corey was dating a woman who. Whose family lived in Malibu. And our plan was before we went to Double Time Studios in San Diego was to go stay at her parents house. So we stayed in Malibu at her parents house. And it's like, dude, Ryan, like we're recording tomorrow, we gotta get lyrics for the song. Yeah, it's like, like at 10 or 11 at night.

[Interviewer]

Wow.

[Ryan George]

I just couldn't figure it out. Like I'd never written to a song like that. It was mid tempo, it was heavier than other stuff we had done. What were we trying to do? Like something a little more like chromagsy or something? Yeah, I just couldn't, I couldn't like musically Chromax

[Interviewer]

lyrically.

[Ryan George]

Chromax.

[Todd Jones]

I think musically, I think yes and yes, but I think a bit. Another big influence to the Off My Chest song. Agnostic Front song that's On Liberty and Justice. That's mid pace too. But we sat in this car and just listened to a rehearsal tape of the song and we phonetic, like, you know, the phonetics came to us and we're like, okay, what, what, what kind of line can we put in here? I think it was one of those things.

[Ryan George]

It went, it went really smooth once we got it going. I just couldn't find like the, the. I couldn't find the intro. Like, I couldn't find like just the flow of it. I was like, I don't know what to find. I mean now it's like a no brainer. Like I'd be able to do it.

[Interviewer]

That's always how it is.

[Ryan George]

I was just like, I can't wrap my head around this song.

[Todd Jones]

I've had that problem so many times.

[Ryan George]

But we put in the work and it ended up being sick.

[Todd Jones]

Can I tell you another tidbit about that?

[Ryan George]

Always.

[Todd Jones]

So we, our friends, we would hang out with a lot at Spotlight Tattoo Studio. Brian Burke, we had planned for him to do the COVID and the back cover, the art, you know, for the whole record. And I can't remember why it came out this way. I think we were like working with the deadline. But we were like, if we're gonna have this record come out by this tour we're doing in August, we need to submit the artwork, like tomorrow. It's like, okay, so what are the song titles? And we're like, well, we don't have a song title for the song yet. And we were just like, well, let's just call it Off My Chest. That's like a cool title. So we were like, okay, Brian, here's the song titles. Like please do the back art or please do the artwork. And, and so we were just like. We knew that the song was going to be called Off My Chest because of that, but we didn't have any

[Interviewer]

lyrics for it at the time you were stuck with. That's probably why it was so hard. You're stuck with the title and had to work.

[Ryan George]

Had to work around it.

[Todd Jones]

Do you remember that?

[Ryan George]

No. No. Well, do you remember? I do remember Brian be being a little bit behind on the artwork, though.

[Todd Jones]

That's okay.

[Ryan George]

We were like, stressed out.

[Interviewer]

Do you remember the reason behind this weed edition of the seven inch?

[Ryan George]

Oh, yeah, dude. That was. We played 420 Fest.

[Interviewer]

Ah.

[Ryan George]

And it was one of the. One of the times where we were able to be really funny because, you know, we're Straight Edge band.

[Todd Jones]

In April of 2001, we. We flew out to Boston and we stayed with Chris Ran and I believe Wes lived there and Tim Kosar lived there, but we stayed at their apartments and to record our album. And they were having a show on April 20, 4th 20.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Todd Jones]

It was Bane, American Nightmare. I think Stop. And Panic played.

[Ryan George]

Panic played okay.

[Todd Jones]

And I don't know if anybody else played, but Carry on played. So, you know, we had some of those seven inches. And I think Corey, like, did his thing. Went to Kinko.

[Interviewer]

Kinko'd it up.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, Kinko Corey, man, I don't know. I don't know if he cut all those or who cut them or how they got cut, but they. They look like a good cut job.

[Interviewer]

Pardon this interruption. You know, I hate to interrupt this chat, but I got to tell you about two very important things that brought you this episode. That's right. We got Old Faithful 1 and Old Faithful 2. First off, we have Guilty Party, my favorite menswear store in the world. You want denim, they got them Studio D, Samurai, Flathead, Ironheart. You want boots, they got them Knicks, Alden, Red Wing. It's summer, baby. You want a cool, breezy shirt. Free note and Studio D just put a few new ones up now. Every single week, there are new items on this store that do not last long. They just restocked a ton of their most popular denim. So be wise, look for your size, and use Code Hard lore to get 10% off site wide. That's guiltyparty Code Hard lore. They also just restocked the legendary Samurai Baker pants or fatigues that Beau and I simply would not shut up about. So check those out. Use the code, change your life. With just a handful of items here. This episode is also brought to you by Mills Vintage. He has risen from the ashes like a phoenix after getting his entire LA store robbed. That's right. Every single thing in the store was stolen. And thanks to many of you and many More, his stock is replenished, it is plentiful, it is bountiful. In this season's Harvest Spells, Strife, Dying Fetus, Bastard Entombed Obituary, and many more. He's also about to announce the reopening of the LA store, so stay tuned for that and some serious heat coming your way that hopefully I don't beat you to the punch on. So follow Mills Vintage on Instagram and head to millsvintageusa.com and use code HARDLAW to get 10% off site wide. And if you got some old stuff you're trying to get rid of, Vic is your man. Send a message to the Mills Vintage account and he will get you set up with credit or a trade to get you paid and to get that shirt on somebody who will wear it with love. Back to the episode. How significant is American Nightmare to the the Carry on story?

[Todd Jones]

Extremely.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, walk me through it. Does this start with the.

[Ryan George]

The first California shows played with them, I think was Jerry's Pizza.

[Todd Jones]

That's right.

[Ryan George]

Correct.

[Todd Jones]

But. But when we take it back a little bit during that summer. Well, American Nightmare had put out their demo and 99.

[Interviewer]

Right.

[Todd Jones]

I think. I think it was like late 99 and I didn't think much of it. I mean, the recording was awful, but people on the east coast were like, oh, this band's great. I'm like, okay. And then. And then the summer of 2000, they put out that 7 inch and it. That was. That was like the same. That had the same effect or a bigger effect actually than Right Brigade. Because it was like, okay, here's this band that's playing like Youth Crew influenced hardcore. But also it's a little rougher, it's a little heavier, it's a little faster, you know, and. And then Wes had. His lyrics were really cool too. Yeah, he had his own fucking style. Nobody was doing lyrics like that at the time. And it was, you know, it was poetry. And that really blew everybody the away. Everybody loved American Nightmare. They were great. And then. So what came. What happened was American Nightmare was going to come to California and play a handful of shows. And this was, you know, between Christmas and January 1st. So they came out and they played Jerry's Pizza in Bakersfield. I think they played in Northern California. I think they played Gilman or something, but we weren't on the show. And then they played Santa Cruz.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

So we got to play those two shows with them and. And that's where we met Chris Wren. And after that Jerry's Pizza show, Chris Ren asked us to do an album on Bridge 9 Records. And the Carry on album was the first proper full length album that Bridge 9 would have done. Yeah. But, yeah, American Nightmare was, you know, when they came out, it was like an explosion.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Were they influential to you for writing the full length?

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, yeah, I would say so.

[Interviewer]

Important. Important.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, they were influential to me. I mean, obviously I was very into them. Yeah. Lyrically it was cool. I'd already been like, listening to like a lot of like, Screamo stuff around this time and getting into, like more emo screamo stuff and getting into weirder music because I'm living in LA and seeing like club stuff, which I've never seen before.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

When do you become into that one? Like, pretty soon after moving to la, I started going out to. I don't remember. Oh, I was working at Urban Outfitters and the people I was working with were always going to like, 80s nights. I lived on Curson and Melrose and Urban Outfitters was like a block away and I worked there. So I'm just like getting exposed to all this new stuff, like a country kid in the big city. So, yeah, American Nightmare for me specifically at the time was like, very cool because I was meeting someone from another. From a band that comes from the east coast, where all this music is, and they're into all this weird shit too. So I was like, hell, yeah, this is sick.

[Interviewer]

And then they happen to also just kind of become like the band at the time.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

On the label, which was Bridge 9. And you guys signed to Bridge 9 in 2000 for what would become its 19th release total ever. And you said it's first full length.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, first LP.

[Todd Jones]

So.

[Interviewer]

Youngblood, Teamwork, Bridge 9, you've officially completed the youth group Revival Prophecy.

[Ryan George]

Yo, I. I know that we had this conversation where we're like, what do we want to do? We want to put out a 7 inch or we want to release something on Youngblood and we want to release something on Teamwork. I don't know if we had talked about Bridge 9, but I remember those two specific things and I was like, we fucking did it.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. I felt so good.

[Ryan George]

Like, yo, that was the best feeling in the world. Obviously the LP being on Bridge 9 was awesome, but those 27 inches, like, I felt like, so chuffed.

[Interviewer]

As you should. You should be proper chuffed, yo.

[Ryan George]

Fucking B boy stance forever on that one.

[Interviewer]

2001 a life less plagued. Your timeless, very straight edge, one and only LP. When does the idea of a carry on LP begin and how does the process start?

[Ryan George]

I don't know. Bridge 9 said, you guys want to put out an op? And we went, yeah, dude.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Todd Jones]

Do we have. Before Bridge 9 asked us, do we have plans to do an album?

[Ryan George]

I don't know if we did do it. No, I think I. I think that we, like, sat down to write that record because I remember you coming to the house at Kirsten and us writing songs. Like, you would be playing guitar and I would be giving my input on things. And I remember. I think you had maybe. Was it broken strings? I think you already had that.

[Todd Jones]

No, I distinctly remember, like, putting that together. Like, really? Yeah, I thought I could.

[Ryan George]

I could have swore. I remember you playing that at the house, and I was like, holy shit, this is so good.

[Todd Jones]

I love that song. That's why it made me a favorite song. Really Broken Strings. Yeah, it's. To me. To me, that's, like, as close as we got to sounding, like you said. And that's why I like it.

[Interviewer]

Hell, yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Let me try to think about this. So we had Waiting on Forever.

[Ryan George]

Oh, is that what it was?

[Todd Jones]

We had Waiting on Forever. We had. We had a lot of songs. We had Killing. Killing a Sound. We had that tune before.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, that. That one came out on the comp. The Bridgeline comp.

[Todd Jones]

And we played it at Headline Records.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

And I remember Ben Edge being like, whoa, that's great. Because I had that. That melodic solo. Like, we were trying to sound like bold and sportswear or something like that. And then we had.

[Interviewer]

He loves sportswear.

[Ryan George]

You'll hear about it.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

All right.

[Todd Jones]

And other than the two. Roll the Punches and off My chest, obviously, those were. Those were. Those were there. And I can't. I. I don't know. I don't know if we were. I think we were planning on writing an album before that.

[Ryan George]

We had.

[Todd Jones]

We had songs.

[Ryan George]

We had something.

[Interviewer]

Something was.

[Ryan George]

We were fired up all the time. Like, there's no way we weren't thinking.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Like, I was.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, I was always coming to your house with my guitar.

[Ryan George]

Like, we were just listening to hardcore records and talking about how every band was metal around us, and we were pissed and. Yeah, we were fucking charged, dude.

[Interviewer]

So you're ready. You've got. You got songs in the tank. You're playing some of them, but in your mind a little bit. The bridge nine of it all informs it being an LP and really kickstarts the process.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, he asked us to do an album, and then for some reason, like, you know, so we met him at the end of December, and for some Reason April became the month where we were going to go record it. I don't know why that decision was made or how it was made, but that was. That was when we were going to go do it. And so we needed a fucking. We needed to come up with some material because we already had like, maybe we had like four songs for an album or five songs.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

But we. Maybe we had like a handful of songs, but we didn't have an album's worth of songs.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, that would be why Roll the Punches and Off My Chest ended up

[Todd Jones]

on it, but thank God they were.

[Interviewer]

Dude should put the whole thing on there.

[Ryan George]

Let's go re record it.

[Interviewer]

Is this a situation where you guys feel pressure to make a full length for. For the big HC label? Or does it come easy once. Once you're locked in and you have this deadline?

[Ryan George]

I felt pretty confident at this point. I think I felt pretty swagged out. Like, you know, we had done. Yeah, we had done two well said seven inches on our, like, favorite labels. And then Bridge 9, fucking, the label from Boston that was doing rad was asking us from California where, you know, we had like our homies and we had. I don't like the word fans, but we had like, people that were into our band.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Here. But like, for the most part in Southern California, we got overlooked for everything. So we were like. And at least for me, I think Todd feels the same way. We were like, all y', all, like, we're doing this. Like, were. I was. I was ready, dude. I had a fire inside of me. Like, I was. I was like. I had something to prove.

[Todd Jones]

We definitely had something to prove.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

And we were just. We. We were feeding off of each other's, like, chemistry.

[Ryan George]

Absolutely.

[Interviewer]

I think you proved it.

[Ryan George]

A lot of anger.

[Interviewer]

I mean, we all. We know we've.

[Ryan George]

This is contempt. We had contempt.

[Interviewer]

As you should.

[Ryan George]

The world around us. We.

[Todd Jones]

So what was, like, popular in Southern California at the time was all the Indecision Records, Orange county bands and they, you know, they would play the showcase theater or they would play shows and they'd be packed. There was we, we, we. Well, I won't speak for everybody, but I definitely wanted to, like, play with those bands. I wanted to play, like, shows with those bands. Those people. Like, Throwdown was a straight edge band, you know. And, you know, for some reason, whatever reason, it doesn't even matter, but like, we never got that opportunity and we were, you know, we were pissed off about it.

[Ryan George]

Like, we would see, like, in my eyes come. I remember Specifically playing the showcase. And we were. We weren't asked to play. And I was like, why are. What. Who knows who it was? But I think it was Adamantium or something. Some band. Yeah. Then I was like, why are they on it? And, like. Like, why can't we be on the show? Like, things. Like, little things like that piled up,

[Interviewer]

chips on your shoulders. Yeah.

[Ryan George]

And it was just like, dude, like, all these people. I mean, those people are very nice. Yeah. You know, it's. Everything's good.

[Todd Jones]

I became friends. I became friends with all those people. Those guys. Those guys are super cool. Yeah, totally.

[Ryan George]

Looking back, I don't think it was any of their fault. I don't even think we were on their radar, honestly. But in our heads, we were like.

[Todd Jones]

Like, looking back on it, I think about. Like, it's a little entitled to feel that way.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, but absolutely.

[Todd Jones]

Like, like, we.

[Interviewer]

But.

[Todd Jones]

But when we were young, it was like, hey, we just. We just want to do the things we want to. We. We want to play with your band. We want to play to your fans or your people who are coming to your shows. Like, can we. Like, and it. And at the time, it feels. I don't know, it feels personal, but it wasn't.

[Interviewer]

I mean, I don't think it's crazy to feel that way. I mean, it's. Historically, looking back and you see that In My Eyes played the showcase while Carry on existed and Carry on didn't play, it's like, well, that doesn't make sense.

[Ryan George]

I mean, we're in the crowd.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, exactly. There you go. Corey took pictures on their record cover. The. Nothing to Hide record it. He has a picture on there.

[Interviewer]

What can't he do?

[Todd Jones]

No freaking legit do everything.

[Interviewer]

Agreed. Lifeless Plague was recorded with Kurt Ballou.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, that's correct.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Is this. Is this your first time working with or meeting Kurt?

[Todd Jones]

Yes. Yeah, I. I've never saw Converge prior to that. Even though I tried to get to one or two of their shows, it just didn't work out. Did you see Converge before you met Kurt?

[Ryan George]

Not until Back to School Jam when

[Todd Jones]

we played with them. That's right. That was probably my first time seeing them as well.

[Interviewer]

So why Kurt for this?

[Todd Jones]

Well, because American Nightmare had recorded with Kurt, and it seemed like, you know, it had a good production style to it, and, you know, Chris Wren had a working relationship with Kurt, and it seemed like the thing to do.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, sure.

[Interviewer]

So this is the Boston of it all.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. I mean, well, also, one thing to consider is, you know, we're here At Taylor's studio. Taylor is a great producer. I mean, he produces all sorts of sounds. But if you were in a hardcore band, you could come to a studio like this and record with Taylor, who knows everything about hardcore and will know how to get you the sound that you're wanting. Back then, it was not like that in California. There were no recording engineers who knew hardcore makes sense. Like, you really had to take a chance on going to somebody because there was nobody versed in hardcore. And I remember being excited about being able to go to someone who understood hardcore, understood the tonality of it, and under would understand our references when we're like, hey, we want to sound like this, or we want to sound like that, or a bass sound like this. And he would know how to do it. So that was. That was also one of the things that I was really fired up about going to, you know, record.

[Interviewer]

And the result speaks for itself, you

[Todd Jones]

know, I think so. I think it's a great sounding record.

[Ryan George]

Was this very good still?

[Interviewer]

Was this analog?

[Todd Jones]

It was. It was on tape. It's awesome. Yeah, it was. We recorded the tape.

[Interviewer]

Lucas is on drums.

[Ryan George]

That's right, yeah.

[Interviewer]

How did that come?

[Ryan George]

Lucas texted me this morning.

[Todd Jones]

Really?

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Awesome.

[Interviewer]

Hey, Lucas, great job.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. Lucas record.

[Ryan George]

Oh, yeah.

[Todd Jones]

So Lucas is on drums. We had met Lucas. Lucas was in a band called Reserve 34 and Reserve 34 played with carry on at the Boys and Girls Club, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles. Paso Robles. Yeah, that's right. Yep. Thank you. But we'd met Lucas like, like, like. And you know, Reserve 34 was cool. They were like kind of like. They played fast. They. He. We all like, the same. We were the same person. He was just from Vancouver. Yeah, we all like the same stuff. We love Floor Punch and like all the teamwork records bands. The Young Blood Records band. And we met him, I think the summer prior to him was this was

[Ryan George]

a ram out with them. Is that where we met a ram too?

[Todd Jones]

Oh, a ram was in a band called Face Tomorrow. And Lucas was the drummer of that? Yes.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

So we must have met him when Face Tomorrow came out because Face Tomorrow stayed at your house on Kirsten for like a week.

[Ryan George]

Wasn't there a band called Burden too?

[Todd Jones]

There was a band called Burden. They're from Vancouver.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Yeah, it's all coming back.

[Interviewer]

And so does he spend a significant amount of time in California writing the record?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, he came and stayed with me at Kherson. Yeah, he just moved in because this

[Interviewer]

is not an easy band to play. For it's very fast. And he's doing. He's compensating very creatively with the better.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Instead of going through it. Oh, yeah, yeah. Which kind of became like the. An iconic carry on thing when you revisit it.

[Todd Jones]

I think he did that for power. So every time Lucas would do a roll, he would end it with

[Ryan George]

boom.

[Todd Jones]

So he could hit this and hit this. Hit the symbol really hard.

[Ryan George]

Sick.

[Todd Jones]

As opposed to.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, makes sense.

[Todd Jones]

So I think that that was like, you know, part of his drum style.

[Ryan George]

I think it worked with you because, like, you like to hang on notes too before. Like, you have, like. You have the same kind of impact thing. You probably vibe. You probably. One of you probably caught it from each other and it just became more accented.

[Todd Jones]

Sure.

[Interviewer]

Went on.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Do you have any fond memories of working on something with him or informing a song?

[Todd Jones]

Because Jesus. So many. Yeah, so many. I mean, I would go like. Like Ryan was saying the house that he lived in off cursing. I would go over there. And I remember being over there in the daytime, and we were just. I think we were writing a song and we were just so amped on it. We're like, we're gonna make the best album ever.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, it was great. That house was so sick. That was being like young kids. It was probably more me than anyone. Like, not letting thorns come in because he smelled like cigarettes. Just being like, dude, you gotta get out, bro. You. Dude, thorns is awesome, by the way. It was that I remember Todd Tyler being, like, super hyper. He was like an older guy that lived in the house and finding out about, like, antidote through him. He had the craziest records. And I was like, holy, this is you today. Before youth is today. Like, how. How is this possible? That house was so dope.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

No justice staying there. Yeah, that was sick.

[Interviewer]

Were you there for a significant time whenever they were writing the music?

[Ryan George]

I mean. Yeah, I was living, like, while we wrote. I had my own room. Yeah, it was great. It's cool.

[Todd Jones]

Here's a story. We were. The night before we went to go record the album, like, the night before we flew. Oh, we were gonna fly. I drove over to the house with the intention of writing songs. It's like, yo, we needed to have a 12 song album in our brain. We were like, it needs to be 12 songs. Because I think Break down the Walls is 12 songs. We're not in this alone as 12 songs. So it's like, it has to be 12 songs.

[Interviewer]

He still agrees.

[Todd Jones]

So it was like, dude, we only have what's four minus 12? Eight. We only had eight songs. Wow. And I remember I went over and we wrote three songs in like two hours.

[Interviewer]

Wow. Do you remember what they were?

[Todd Jones]

Yes, I do.

[Interviewer]

Oh, yeah.

[Todd Jones]

They were. Is this all there is? And one thing in a little tidbit about that song, one thing I don't like or one thing I've. I fail at doing is. Is writing songs where. When you go from the verse. When you go from a fast verse and you go to like a moshi chorus, like, I'm just. It's just not my fucking thing. And that song has it.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. But it's cool when it, like kind of brick walls itself, when it just.

[Interviewer]

I agree.

[Ryan George]

I like, I don't mind not having like a. Like a transit. I think it's great when it's just

[Interviewer]

like he would always do that into it, and I just think it's very. Carry On.

[Todd Jones]

Okay. Yeah. So it was that soon and it was rethinking, really.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, rethinking.

[Interviewer]

So that's the only other song with another person credited on writing it is.

[Todd Jones]

That's right. Yeah. Because that.

[Interviewer]

So.

[Todd Jones]

So let me. Okay. Let me get that out of the way first.

[Interviewer]

So

[Todd Jones]

that was the intro of an old carry song song from the Line Is Drawn record.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Todd Jones]

And I thought, you know, Jordan had passed, and I thought it would be number one, really appropriate for the song we wrote. But also it'd be cool, like, let's. Let's like put some Jordan in here. Yeah. So, like, I remember specifically Ryan and I, we were talking about, hey, we need a song that kind of does an instead type of thing. Like, kind of like not an angry hardcore song, but like a. I don't know, uplift. Uplifting.

[Ryan George]

We needed.

[Todd Jones]

Great word. Yeah.

[Ryan George]

We wanted. We. Also, the record was very dark and I remember talking about wanting it to end on a better note, like. And that's why the world is fucked. But I'm still looking up, like, kind of comes from. It's like the whole record is pretty dark, especially for Carry On.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

And then we wanted it to. Want it to feel like a fucking lp.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Like a journey.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

So, you know, we're the fucking Lies

[Interviewer]

was really like, we're through with the fucking.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Did you ever hear Bo's story about that song?

[Ryan George]

No, but I'd love to.

[Interviewer]

He downloaded the record. This is like one of his favorite records of all time. And he downloaded it on Limewire. But rethinking wasn't there there.

[Ryan George]

Oh.

[Interviewer]

So he discovered rethinking like, years later. And it was like he had a new Carry on song, so it became his favorite character.

[Todd Jones]

That's really cool.

[Ryan George]

Pretty cool. I love that.

[Todd Jones]

And then the song, one of my

[Ryan George]

strings, it's probably one of my favorite.

[Interviewer]

Are you thinking, dude, you close with it tied down? It was incredible. Broken strings was third. Yeah, that one Night before Flying.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Wow.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. But it was just. I would just go over. I'd be like, all right, Ryan, I'm gonna sit here and play guitar. And Ryan be like, that's good, that's good, that's good.

[Ryan George]

Do that. Let's do this here.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

What about.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, so you're structuring music together.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, we. We have some chemistry.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, 100%. But. And then. And then here's a tidbit also about that record, the View.

[Interviewer]

Yes.

[Todd Jones]

The first song on the record. We wrote that the day of. The last day of drum tracking for the record. Because we were like, we. We have 11 songs. We need a fucking. Another song. And Ryan's like, I want to. I think you do you recall this?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, I. I was like. I. I remember, like, almost having the whole song written out in my head.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Like, knowing what I wanted it to do, how I wanted it to be only, you know, that small amount of time. Yeah, I was. I was listening to, like, a lot of, like. I liked a lot of stuff on, like, three 1G and stuff. And this. I wanted to bring that kind of, like, spasticness into the world of, like, the hardcore we do.

[Interviewer]

But this. This first. This opening track is so interesting because it being 20 seconds long and not fast is like. It'll. It can feel like an intro or like something you're just throwing on there, but you are not wasting a second of it.

[Ryan George]

No.

[Interviewer]

And you utilize all that time and space so perfectly, and it creates this. This blistering opening that, like, sets the pace for the whole record. And that never stops.

[Ryan George]

So.

[Interviewer]

Dude, it's. I don't think of this as like some 22nd, last second flash in the pan thing because it feels like such an important part of the record.

[Todd Jones]

We. So. So we were in the apartment at Mission Hill and Ryan was like, I want the song to do this. And he's like. And I'm like, okay, well, how's this? And then I play the. Just figure, figure. I'm trying to translate what. He's speaking to me in my head. I'm like, I think this is the riff you're talking about. He's like, okay, yeah, that's Great. And then we're gonna do this and then. And then that, and it's done. And at the time.

[Ryan George]

It's done. Yeah, yeah. Exactly how I wanted it.

[Todd Jones]

And. And we did it and we went to the studio. Lucas learned it, he played it. And. And at the time, there was no intention of having that be the album opener, but we were. We had a rental car or something. And like, late at night we were driving maybe to go get food or something around. Somewhere around Boston. And I think either Ryan or myself, I said, this could be like an opener. I think I said that. Ryan's like. I was thinking the same thing.

[Interviewer]

There's some songs where you hear them and then you think about the track listing and you think. And it's obvious. Like, it's here or nowhere.

[Todd Jones]

Sure.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Yeah. That couldn't have fit anywhere else.

[Interviewer]

It's so perfect to start it and then straight into. Did you know that Waiting on Forever and Roll with the Punches are swapped on streaming.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. I fucking hate it. I wish that would get corrected. I've sent an email. I've asked for it. It's just whatever Chris ran. Can you please correct that, Chris?

[Interviewer]

Please. People think that these songs are different songs.

[Todd Jones]

So. So the reason why that happened was when the master. When the record first got mastered, somebody, whoever, the mastering engineer was, mastered it like that. And we were like, hey, Chris, like, this sounds good, but these songs are out of order. So he corrected it and he got a new master made. But I think he held on to that cd, that master cd. And then when the record got repre. The record was pressed that way, like for. On the second or third pressing, too. And I think he. He must have, like, submitted the wrong master or something for like a repress or. Or. And for digital.

[Interviewer]

Easy fix.

[Todd Jones]

Easy fix.

[Interviewer]

So the drum intro starting on the backbeat for the LP recording of Roll the Punches, like, broke my. And then it corrects into, like a normal fast part. Broke my brain as a young drummer on. On Roll with the Punches. Because it goes. Yeah, yeah, but that's like. It's starting. If there's like a really. Yeah, there's like a swap.

[Ryan George]

Oh, I gotta listen.

[Interviewer]

It's really cool.

[Todd Jones]

Thanks. Well, you're a drummer.

[Interviewer]

Sounds like. It sounds like. And I can't. It goes. Because he doesn't go.

[Ryan George]

Is that what you're saying?

[Interviewer]

Yeah, it's like kick starts it. Which is like a.

[Ryan George]

That's so crazy because I. When I program drum machines for Youth Code, I always start my gallops with a kick first. Like, get it? And I remember Alex Lopez from Suicide File. He was going to play live drums for Youth Code for a little while.

[Todd Jones]

Suicide silence.

[Ryan George]

Suicide Silence. Sorry, not Suicide File. And he was like, I'm trying to learn these songs. And you're like, the beat is wrong. It's, like, backwards. And I'm like, no, it's not. And I wonder if that's where I

[Todd Jones]

picked it up from.

[Ryan George]

Like, it's not wrong, but it's cool. How can anything be wrong?

[Interviewer]

Even if it's. Even if it's a happy accident, it's like such a sick, happy accident that it. It makes it like. You have to really think about it when you're learning.

[Todd Jones]

When we're done here, we got to listen. You got to show me.

[Ryan George]

That's.

[Todd Jones]

That's a. That's a thing that I've never noticed.

[Interviewer]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't think I am because I did learn them all. And that's exactly. I'm not crazy. Wes's part in the title track. How does that. What's the story there?

[Ryan George]

And just wanted to have guest vocals.

[Interviewer]

Sure.

[Ryan George]

And I was like, write whatever you want.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

And then I was like, what is all this, like, flashlight shit?

[Interviewer]

Cool.

[Ryan George]

I love it. Let's go.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. I mean, he was. He was living at the apartment we were staying at.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

So it's just a natural thing.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. I was, like, more stoked than anything to have Sweet Pete say, so. Watch your fish. Show me what's up. The inside.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

I was like, he has to do it. I hope he. I hope he does. I hope he does it.

[Interviewer]

He sure did. And then Pat did it. A tie down. That was nice.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, that was so.

[Interviewer]

And then he broke his.

[Ryan George]

They got moated, dude. Moated, Corroded.

[Interviewer]

He really did. Was he there to fill in some straight edge gaps? Was that the goal?

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Like, we had loosely, like, talked about it. I was just like, like, you gotta, like. I was like, I want him to do, like, the. The overly straight Edge lyrics, you know? I was like, it'd be very appropriate,

[Interviewer]

so many of the lyrics.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. And then. And then I was like, you should do. Roll with the punches. And then I was like, you should do X is always win. I was like, just do whatever you want. He's like, well, what do you want me to do? And I was like, I don't care. Do anything. I think he wanted me to give him actual lines. Sure. And I was like, I just wanted to be chaotic. And then he broke his ass.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. And it was over. As lifelong, just fans of the genre first, we know that a great straight up hardcore LP is an incredibly challenging feat to keep engaging start to finish.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

And this being 12 songs in 18 minutes makes it so easy to go back to and start over and over and over again for 25 years. I. I wonder how you guys felt listening back to it and finishing it.

[Todd Jones]

I love.

[Ryan George]

I was so happy. Chuffed, like. Yeah, it was great.

[Todd Jones]

Me proper chuffed.

[Ryan George]

Proper chefs, proper.

[Interviewer]

So you're feeling, you finish this, you feel like you've made the record.

[Todd Jones]

Felt like a big accomplishment.

[Ryan George]

And then.

[Todd Jones]

And then.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, well, before then. Artwork and layout by Jake Bannon. Let's talk about this artwork. What does this decrepit old man represent in Jake's mind, do you think?

[Todd Jones]

Well, we had a meeting with Jake. I think Jake was at that time, you know, when we were recording the album, Jake wanted to get together with us and ask us what, you know, you know, give him some direction. Like, what do you want me to do for you guys? So I think he was staying in Rhode island, so I think we went down to Rhode island and we had, like, lunch or dinner with. Lunch with him. I think it was during the daytime. And I remember telling him, like, yo, we're really frustrated as a band. Like, we want, we want this record to look, like, frustrated. And so it's like you have the guy, you know, holding his head or with his head in his hand, which is a reflection of that, you know? And, you know, at the time, I don't think people really understood the artwork.

[Interviewer]

Did you like it and understand it?

[Todd Jones]

I liked it. I wish that we were able to, like, look at, like, the first time I saw it was when I held the CD in my hand.

[Interviewer]

Really?

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. Like, Bridge Nine did not keep us in the loop. Holy.

[Interviewer]

That's crazy.

[Todd Jones]

Like, at all. Like, I don't know why it's. But whatever, it doesn't matter. It's, you know, they're a very young label. I think they're just trying to get done what they could. I don't know. I, like, I, I.

[Ryan George]

It's grown on me a lot.

[Todd Jones]

I love it now.

[Interviewer]

Nothing else looks like it, which I

[Ryan George]

have to, like, be honest here. And I, I love Jake's art a lot. When we first got kind of, like, threw me off a lot. I was like, I don't, I don't get this. I don't get it at all. But I was like, you know, it works for the record.

[Interviewer]

But I think whether you liked it

[Ryan George]

or not, as time has gone on, I actually do like it. Like, I think it's really cool.

[Interviewer]

It's just yours now, whether, whatever. I don't even process that it was a guy until a couple of years ago because I just look at it and see the carry on art, you know. Right. But I think whether you liked it or not, it's kind of like insane to not have been part of the. The process of approving it or not.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

But it's like you said, it was a young label.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. I mean, I don't. I don't fault anyone for anything that happened.

[Ryan George]

We also like, weren't giving him any ideas either, you know, like, what can you expect, you know?

[Interviewer]

I have a quote here from your 2018 no Echo interview where you said that whole record was me questioning what the whole Straight Edge thing was about.

[Ryan George]

Yes.

[Interviewer]

Did you already have thoughts or desire to break edge before the record was done?

[Ryan George]

I don't think so so much. I just. I had met a lot of my heroes and let's say more than questioning Straight Edge, just more questioning the reality of being involved in a hardcore scene. As opposed to me sitting on the floor in my parents house looking at inserts to records and imagining this world inside my head of what this stuff was. Yeah. And it being my own creation. Right. Yeah. Like a fantasy world and then moving to a city and the reality of it where people are gossipy, like, you know, like there's clicks, there's this and that. Like then I would. It just sort of like I was like, oh. It kind of took the magic away from, you know. Sure. And I'm still like that to this day. Like, I love hardcore. I go to shows. Not like I used to, but I like it in my own world more than I do as like a thing, if that makes sense. But I'm like that as a person anyways. I like to be by myself. I like to think about things and you know, I like to imagine more than actually being involved in stuff.

[Interviewer]

Are there specific lyrics or songs that come to mind that illustrate this. This complicated deliberation?

[Ryan George]

Probably rethinking. I mean, it's called rethinking. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just. All of it pretty much, you know.

[Interviewer]

And then X is Always Win stands out to me with. I believed in zines and sounds from the stereo. They spit lies for years. That's all I know.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, that's another one right there. Yeah. Which has always been. It was kind of. It's always weird to talk about your own lyrics, but sure. That's why I was like, you know, I'm saying all this stuff, and then I say, but the hardest kids still put an X by their name. Like, I. I love you guys. Like, I might be gone, but, you know, y' all are the.

[Todd Jones]

Okay, tell them the story about where you got the title from. X is always one.

[Ryan George]

Oh, yeah. So I was at a. I think it was. Couldn't have been seven seconds because that's where I broke my X watch. I was at. I was at a punk show, a numbskull show, and there was a guy with an Instead shirt on, and he was like. You know, he was, like, moshing and stuff and that. There was, like, some tough guy in the pit. Probably, like, fucking Nazi or something, because it was that time period. And the dude in the Instead shirt just fucking socked the dude up. And he looked at me and he goes, exes always win.

[Interviewer]

It's fucking awesome.

[Ryan George]

He's badass.

[Interviewer]

Where is he today?

[Ryan George]

I don't know.

[Interviewer]

Instead Guy, if you're watching, we love you. You're awesome. When do you break edge?

[Ryan George]

Let's see. I'm not living at the Kirsten house anymore. Definitely going to lots of mod clubs. And.

[Interviewer]

You're full mod?

[Ryan George]

Oh, yeah. Yo. Straight up. And I don't know, I'm just, like, kind of, like, having a rough time in my life and just not really sure, you know, I'm a young person. I'm lost, I'm confused. I don't know what's going on. And I remember just, like, sitting outside of the house. I was staying on a couch. It was at Todd Tyler's house, actually. Yeah, Right over by Cha.

[Interviewer]

Cha.

[Todd Jones]

Fletcher.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Glendale.

[Ryan George]

Exactly. And I just remember seeing, like, a dude coming home from a construction job. He still had his hard hat on, and he was. And I've worked construction before. That shit sucks. When you're done, you're not happy. And he was happy walking down the street, drinking, like a tall boy. And I was, like, looking at him, and I was like, why is that guy fucking happy? And I'm depressed, like. And I have, like, so much cool going on. I was like, well, there's something that I've never done. I'm gonna try that. And.

[Interviewer]

Wow.

[Ryan George]

That was it.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. So is alcohol.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Number one.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

And how did. What did you think about it?

[Ryan George]

It was wild. Yeah, I loved it. Are you kidding? Yeah, it was sick. It was. I. It is what it is. I was like, this is radio.

[Interviewer]

So are you remember? I remember.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. I just remember, like, calling people and I was like, we're going out tonight. I'm ready. Like, I'm gonna drink at the bar. Like, it's gonna be cool.

[Interviewer]

And are people. Are people clocking you at the bar and being like, hang on.

[Ryan George]

No.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

No one gives they most like, the people. Like, I was, you know, I had a foot in two different worlds, and the. The people I hung out with at clubs, like, they were just like, cool, it's about time kind of thing. Okay.

[Interviewer]

So it's immediately just. Yeah, you're in it.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

And Todd, how do you find out about this?

[Todd Jones]

Well, I call. I called. I called. Ryan said, hey, we got this tour offer. You. You want to go on tour? He's like, I got something to tell you. I'm not straight edge anymore. That's how that happened.

[Interviewer]

Walk me through your mind in this moment.

[Todd Jones]

I mean, dude, I was. I was 19. I mean, I was, like, angry. I didn't know how to process. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Your world is crumbling upon you in a way.

[Todd Jones]

Well, one thing. One thing we haven't touched on is, like, doing. Doing Carry on was very frustrating because, I mean, it was awesome. Okay. But it. From the perspective of having members, it was very frustrating because we were constantly spending time teaching drummers how to play songs, teaching bass players how to. How to play the songs. Like, Corey and I and Ryan were like, the guy, like, the solid three in the band. But, like, it seemed like there was always, like, a bass. We always needed to find a new bass player or a drummer. And so it's like, hey, you know, we record this album. It's coming out. We got this tour. It's like, oh, you're. You know, you're not straight edge anymore. Like, I guess this is it.

[Interviewer]

And you had kind of just found Nick, too, who.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Is the perfect guy. That's right. Who would have solved that problem.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, he could have. He could have been the one.

[Todd Jones]

He would have been the one.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, he would have. Was the one.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, he was.

[Ryan George]

But if I never broke edge, there would never be terror.

[Interviewer]

Which leads me to something I wanted to tell you.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

I think you want to say thank you. I do. I want to say here's. Dude, this is real. This is on the record. I think. Ryan George.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Your edge break. Yeah. Is the most significant in the history of straight edge.

[Ryan George]

That's kind of cool.

[Todd Jones]

Fuck it.

[Ryan George]

You're going to do something.

[Todd Jones]

Do it big.

[Interviewer]

You Breaking edge resulted in the greatest hardcore band of this century starting.

[Ryan George]

I agree. I agree.

[Interviewer]

Everything happens for a reason.

[Ryan George]

No, that's.

[Todd Jones]

That That's a good point. I mean, and one of the things I'm very proud of is how many bands spawned out of Carry on in a week. You know, dude, piece by piece, Internal Affairs, Stand and Fight, Ryan doing the Adored, Me and Nick doing Terror. Like, dude, like, every member of Carry on really spun its wheels after.

[Ryan George]

With, after Carry on, it was like Sonic the Hedgehog getting hit and all. Coins, coins. It's like bands, bands, bands.

[Interviewer]

His coins became banks.

[Ryan George]

That's right.

[Interviewer]

So how long do you think it takes you to reconcile with the Edge break of it all?

[Todd Jones]

Oh, I mean, me and Ryan, we probably didn't talk for a little while, but, like, we, you know, we saw each other like. Like

[Ryan George]

some Adored shows and stuff. Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

I mean, it was hard for us not to not be, like, cool with each other.

[Interviewer]

It was a different time where that. That, that mattered.

[Ryan George]

I. I will. I will say before we jump too far forward, I. And I don't even know because when we broke up, me and you, like, it was not good when we first broke up.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

But I. I really thought we could continue doing Carry On. I thought it could be part of a story, and I thought it would be real. But, I mean, obviously that didn't happen. But I wasn't. I didn't break Edge because I wanted to break up the band. I broke Edge just because I was a lost young person.

[Todd Jones]

You were. You were going through a hard time then.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

You were going through a pretty bad breakup.

[Ryan George]

I was going through a bad breakup. I didn't have my own place. I was couch surfing. You know, my family wasn't in the immediate area. I was just, you know, I didn't know what the. I was doing.

[Interviewer]

I mean, it was as much of a personal choice to break Edge as

[Todd Jones]

it was to be straight edge.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

And it's. It's silly to look at that and think, like, this guy for this when it's like, it just wasn't right for you.

[Ryan George]

But I mean, back then, different. It's not like today. Like, I don't think people give a. Like, any. Like, people do. Let me. Let me rephrase that. People do care, but it's. Back then, if you broke Edge, you know, like, you had websites, like, how's your Edge dot com? You know what I mean? Like, it was, like, a big deal, so.

[Interviewer]

Especially the singer of Carry On.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, it was. It was pretty rough.

[Interviewer]

That's a big deal.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Who in your memory took it the hardest, you think?

[Ryan George]

I don't. My bandmates. Yeah. Corey and Todd. I'm sure, like, you know, I'm sure Chris Wren took it pretty bad too. He had a fucking record that wasn't getting toured on. You know, I. Looking back, it was like a fucking dumbass thing. A pretty reckless thing to do. But, you know, it is what it is.

[Interviewer]

You did what you had to do.

[Ryan George]

I did, I did. I won't name names, but I did get a phone call from a pretty well known edgman.

[Interviewer]

I think it's actually documented who is.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, I don't want to say it on camera. Someone can look it up.

[Interviewer]

He asked you to come back?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, and he said, I've done it before. This person, this person is like, this person's broke edge.

[Todd Jones]

And like.

[Ryan George]

And I was like, yeah, I don't know. Straight edge. It kind of meant a lot to me. And that was, you know, in my head, if you break edge, you ain't coming back. So.

[Interviewer]

Sure. And the call to end the band. Is that. Is that a whole band? Mutual decision.

[Todd Jones]

Nah, dude, that was. That was also messy. That was. So the last show that Carry on played as like a functioning band was December 9, 2001 at the Troubadour in LA. Yeah, it was with Converge, American Nightmare, Hope, Conspiracy, and Planes Mistaken for Star Wars. And Ryan, Inform Me, you were moving to San Francisco, I think at that show. Yeah, probably at the show. And I was frustrated, you know, and I was like, well, this man's over it.

[Interviewer]

And you had already known that he'd broken edge at this show.

[Todd Jones]

Oh, yeah, Okay.

[Interviewer]

I believe Nick told me that Corey didn't know.

[Todd Jones]

No, Corey didn't know. He didn't know, dude. Corey didn't know. No, because. Oh, wow. So, right. So Ryan told me he wasn't straight edge in the summer of 2001. And that's when I called him to say, hey, our record's coming out in October. Let's go do these dates with. I think it was Hope, Conspiracy, Death Threat, and Over My Dead Body on the East coast, like nine or 10 shows, you know, Ryan was like, hey, I'm not straight edge. And I'm like, okay, well, yeah, I

[Ryan George]

thought I was straight edge at those shows.

[Todd Jones]

I mean, at the shows you might not have.

[Ryan George]

So ridiculous.

[Todd Jones]

But no, you were already not.

[Ryan George]

Like, when I think back to that time, I thought I was straight edge.

[Interviewer]

You feel straight edge?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, but.

[Todd Jones]

But like. So I was like, I don't like, dude, Listen, I was 19 years old. Yeah. No, dude, of course I. I didn't know. Like, I was just. I was just trying to salvage the situation. So I called Chris Wren. I told him the conversation that Ryan I had. And then I think it was planned. That's like, hey, just don't fucking tell anybody about this and let's just do this tour. And so I called Ryan back. I'm like, this is what we're going to do. We're not going to talk about this to anybody.

[Interviewer]

But you're hitting the clubs.

[Ryan George]

Very chain of strength.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, it really is.

[Todd Jones]

But like, so, yeah, like, you know, it's like that sounds like I'm a terrible person for not informing Corey, which I regret.

[Interviewer]

You're 19, dude.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, but I was 19. I was, you know, not the best decision maker and doing, you know, whatever.

[Interviewer]

Todd, it took you one week to start working on Terror with Nick?

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Was any of the music that you already had in mind?

[Todd Jones]

No, because. Well, we. Let's back up a minute. We were going to. After our album, we were going to do a split. 7 inch was striking Distance and we got together a couple times to make some songs. And I've said this before on Hard Lore, but like, they were different songs. Like. Like one of them had like a Black Sabbath type of breakdown. Maybe one of them had like a refused part or something like that. Like, we were just. We had. We had just made an album of, you know, straight edge hardcore. Like, we were. We were. Our creative minds were just like in a different place. Like, I'm not gonna. Like I said, I don't know if it was good or bad. Right. We never got the songs to completed point with vocals. Like, if they had vocals, they probably would have been fucking awesome. But like.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, they probably would have.

[Todd Jones]

Probably would have been great. But like, didn't we throw the CD

[Ryan George]

out or was that. No, that was a different. We recorded something.

[Todd Jones]

Oh my gosh. So here's a story forgot about.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

After I joined the band and we recorded the Role with the Punches record, we had this idea to release. Well, what happened is. What happened? We. We combined the 7 inches onto one CD which Youngblood and Teamwork put out. But before it came out, I had this stupid idea to go re. Record the Line Is Drawn.

[Interviewer]

Holy.

[Todd Jones]

And I don't know. I can't remember if it's because I thought the recording wasn't great or if it's because I wanted to play on it. Because the line is drawn. I didn't play on that record.

[Interviewer]

Right.

[Todd Jones]

So we went and we recorded for like two days at studio.

[Ryan George]

The vocals were really weak on that record because I had been screaming and like Persevere. And I wanted to do more youth crew stuff, but I think I, I, I pulled back too much on the Line is Drawn and was like too soft spoken when I should have been hitting it harder big time. That. I still think that you figured it out eventually. But it's, that's probably some of it. I'm sure it needed. It could have been more aggressive for sure.

[Todd Jones]

But so, so we, we. And we demoed. Actually there's a lot of songs from, from the album that we demoed at that session. Waiting on forever killing a sound. So that's how I know that those songs were written. And yes, we destroyed the cd. However, I kept the DAT tape and like five or ten years ago I went and had the dad tape transferred so I have all that shit.

[Interviewer]

No way.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. I could send it to you.

[Ryan George]

Fuck yeah, dude.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

How does it feel to you now?

[Todd Jones]

Oh, it's, it's. I, I can't listen to it. It's. So we, you know, what we did, we tried to do too much and in too short of a time. So that's why it didn't come out very well.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. I remember you threw the CD out while we were driving down the street. We were on the freeway. Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Jesus.

[Ryan George]

You ejecting your this?

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. So mad.

[Ryan George]

All right. There goes that session.

[Interviewer]

So a week later, terror starts and. Are you starting from scratch creatively?

[Todd Jones]

Well, yeah, because, you know, you're starting a new band and you know, you, you're starting with, you know, Scott.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Like what? Like, like Scott loves Youth crew. Yeah, he loves the, all those. He, he loves that. But, you know, we, it was decided that we were gonna do like, you know, a little heavier, maybe a little more like New York hardcore influence sounding music. Carry on didn't have like a wealth of material after, you know, when we stopped playing. We didn't have, we didn't have really anything other than those two songs we

[Ryan George]

were trying to write, I will say, because I don't. Like, we obviously weren't really talking during that period. Hearing that you were doing a band with Scott Vogel was so sick.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

How much we fucking thought he was the greatest.

[Todd Jones]

Remember seeing Buried Alive at the Laser Star?

[Ryan George]

Laser Star. I was like, dude, that's the guy. He's the best frontman I've ever seen.

[Interviewer]

The guy.

[Todd Jones]

Did he come on stage with a side by side hoodie with the hood up?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, dude. And he, and there was a drum thrown on it and he's like, who the fuck's drunk? Don't. Is this We're Buried Alive threw it in the crowd and I was all, oh, my God.

[Todd Jones]

At the time.

[Ryan George]

Fucking dude.

[Todd Jones]

At the time you were like. Like you were totally, you know, like us all totally anti metal.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

In hardcore.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

But after the Barry lives that you went and bought their album.

[Ryan George]

I still love that record.

[Todd Jones]

That record. Yeah. All Barry Live of sick.

[Ryan George]

But I mean, before that, I had liked the spare too, so, like, I knew who it was, but it was just like, even if I like that, I wasn't going to tell anyone that I like that.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Of course.

[Todd Jones]

Scott's just an undeniable hard. Like he could be in. Like, he could be in an awful band, but if he's. If he's fronting it, it's going to be like.

[Interviewer]

I think he's the genuine greatest of all time.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, he's. He's hardcore in a person personified, for sure.

[Interviewer]

Can you tell me about hearing the Terror demo?

[Ryan George]

I didn't. I wouldn't listen to it for a long time. Yeah, I. I love Terror now, but, like, it took me a long time. And Todd, like, even just up to a couple years ago, Todd would be like, you got to go back, listen to this terrorist. And I'm like, I don't want to. I don't want to.

[Interviewer]

This could have been you. But yeah, he's playing.

[Ryan George]

You know what I mean? Like, we could have never been Terror. Yeah, right. Because it's us doing music.

[Interviewer]

Totally.

[Ryan George]

That's him, Scott, doing music. But I just. It was hard to listen to because you don't want to have regrets, like, totally. You know, but there's not really a second chance. Yeah. Right. I mean, second chances happen in the future if you make them happen. But that's already happened, so whatever.

[Interviewer]

So the 2005 last shows at the showcase, two nights. How does this happen? And how do you guys reflect on them now?

[Ryan George]

They. They were awesome. I don't remember how they happened.

[Todd Jones]

I remember. I think I was. Because I was. I was.

[Ryan George]

You know, maybe because we didn't really have a last show.

[Todd Jones]

We never had a last show.

[Ryan George]

It was an anniversary. Correct.

[Todd Jones]

What was the anniversary? The 2005 thing?

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

I don't think it was an anniversary. So I think what happened was I was. You and I were like. Like, I would come see you play with the adored. And so we were like, cool again. And I was living with Corey and Ventura in a house and I would listen to the Carry on album all the time. And I think I was listening. Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Wow.

[Todd Jones]

I was listening to it. With him, he's like, man, I wish we could. He might have said something to the effect, I wish we could play these songs again, or, you know, something. Something to that effect. And I was like, well, dude, we could. And it was like, oh, like, well, let me call Ryan. Like, let's. Let's see. Like, let's. Let's go. Let's go actually play, like, our last shows. Like, let's go play it. And, you know, a lot of people thought it was a reunion and that's fine. They can think that it doesn't bother me, but for us, it was like, hey, we're gonna do two proper last shows. Like, I know we broke up and it's four years later.

[Ryan George]

We didn't really say goodbye ever. We just sort of had like a fight on stage and played a few songs and then never played again.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, there was no closure.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, yeah.

[Todd Jones]

It sucked. And that always. I always felt that I was like, man, there's no closure to this. And I love this record and I love these people. Yeah. But. But so that's how that came. So we called Ryan and Ryan and Corey and myself. We got together and we had dinner. The Thai place?

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

In Hollywood. Yep.

[Ryan George]

Which Hollywood? Tie. Oh, okay.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

And we just talked about, like, you know, what we wanted to do and we made the plans and we did it.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

How quickly did that come together?

[Todd Jones]

I don't remember when we first had the conversation, but the shows were on July 4th and 5th of 2005.

[Ryan George]

I just remember being so stoked that we were able to do two nights at the showcase because I think we'd only played showcase theater maybe once or twice.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, well, we. One of the most. One of the best shows Carry on ever played.

[Ryan George]

Distillers.

[Todd Jones]

Was it with the Distillers.

[Ryan George]

It's sick.

[Todd Jones]

It was amazing.

[Ryan George]

Feet first, stage on. The guy with the mohawk. He was talking the whole time, just around, boom. You.

[Todd Jones]

That was so good. Rotter Nerve agents were supposed to play, but they cancelled.

[Interviewer]

Y.

[Todd Jones]

And so the Distillers. And that was like, when they were, like, blowing up.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

But still, like, appropriate enough to play the. The, you know, venue, like the showcase. And for some, you know, nerve agents put us on the show and we had a lot of friends there, like Jeff and Marco were there. A ram was there.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Did Champion play that show?

[Ryan George]

Think so. I think we were the only hardcore band on it. Maybe I'm wrong, though.

[Todd Jones]

I want to say they might have played it, but I like. Anyway, he was there. A lot of people Were there and we just killed. And like, it was cool because, you know, it was generally, like, Ryan said it was generally more of like a punk audience. Like, we had a lot of friends there, but it was for the majority. It was like a very, very, very punk rock audience. And we got up and we played it and they were like looking at us like, it, like, like, do I. Like. I don't know if I like this. Then like, by the time we were halfway through our set, they were. They were down.

[Interviewer]

You had.

[Todd Jones]

They were down.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

And Ryan was like, on stage, I remember you said something to the effect of like, you know, we all might look a little different. We all have up hair, like. But you said something that was like, really unified the room and made the them feel good. And it was. It was a badass show.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, but.

[Todd Jones]

So, yeah, we did play there, but to your point, we didn't have. We didn't play a lot. We didn't. We didn't play a lot of sick shows at the showcase. We played a lot of empty shows at the showcase.

[Ryan George]

We went and saw a lot of bands play. Six shows.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, it was like a personal goal. Like, I wanted, like, one of my goals in life is to have a six show at the showcase theater.

[Interviewer]

Well, your actual, like, run you and carry on from roll the punches to the end of the band is not a long time.

[Todd Jones]

No, it's.

[Interviewer]

Dude, it's not years.

[Todd Jones]

It seemed like for ever.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

I mean, when you're. Yeah, it seemed like forever.

[Interviewer]

How much did you do in that time?

[Todd Jones]

And.

[Interviewer]

And like, were the shows kind of. You've been in the band the whole time. Were the shows finally what you'd always wanted them to be?

[Ryan George]

No.

[Interviewer]

Wow.

[Ryan George]

I mean, we started to have good shows at the OHI Women's center for sure.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

They let me. Let me back up. They were. They were awesome. And they were getting good, for sure. But like, seeing shows at the showcase and seeing like people just stage diving off, balconies off, everything going crazy. Like, I always felt like we should have had shows like that or could have had shows like that. So I loved our shows at the Ohio's Women's center, like, so much. Like, that was like.

[Todd Jones]

They were great.

[Ryan George]

That was like our CBS or something. I mean. Yeah. Yeah, that's what it was.

[Todd Jones]

So the album came out in October.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

And we were done by December.

[Interviewer]

Crazy.

[Todd Jones]

We were only. We only. Yeah, less than two months. December 9th was the last show we played and that record got released in October. So, like, people. People were down with us. But when that album came out, people were really into it.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

And that's when, like, shows this did. Did get crazier. Like, one of the things we did, Ryan, is in November, we drove up to Seattle and we played Seattle and then we played Gilman street on the way back down with Limp Wrist. Yep. And the shows were awesome.

[Interviewer]

So you got those glimpses.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, I think we had given advances of the LP out to people too.

[Todd Jones]

Right. But. But, but. But when it came out, that's when the general public got it. And like, there was like a. Like, wow, these people finally. It was like, fucking. Finally people are finally starting to fucking get it.

[Interviewer]

And you got this glimpse of what could be. And then.

[Todd Jones]

Well, I mean, this is the thing. Like, we knew, like, I don't. I don't.

[Interviewer]

The record's good. I would hear that and be like, damn, this is going to work.

[Todd Jones]

Before the album came out, though, we, me and Ryan, we knew our band was great.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Like, I knew the band was great before I was in it. So I'm like, why don't all these other people think it's great? And I don't know if that's. I don't know if I genuinely think we were great, but, like, that's also like a very young person thing to think. Like, everybody in their band is going to think their band is great, and they should.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

But, yeah, like you said, it's a little. A little entitled, for sure. But, you know, but we were great.

[Interviewer]

We were.

[Ryan George]

We were right, dude.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, we were right. That's the thing. Right.

[Interviewer]

Are you, after these 2005 shows, content with leaving Carryon behind at this time?

[Ryan George]

I mean, I didn't really have a choice. Yeah. We were like, these are our final shows. I mean, did I want to do hardcore bands? Absolutely. Like, every single day of my life since Carry on broke up, I wanted to do a hardcore band.

[Interviewer]

Why haven't you?

[Ryan George]

I have. They just never did anything. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

I mean, and Youth Code was a hardcore band initially when he started, in a way. Right.

[Ryan George]

The idea of it was to throw two things. Youth Code started kind of as a joke.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

Like, it was. Sarah was working at Vacation and they were having, like, all the employees. Bands were playing a show. And she's like, fuck you guys. I have a band too. And she came home and she's like, write songs now. And I was like, it'd be funny if we mixed, like, industrial music with hardcore and just did it with drum machines. And then that thing just snowballed and Turned into a monster.

[Interviewer]

And it's been the last 15 years of your life.

[Ryan George]

Yes. Yeah. So I don't. Who knows where it's going now musically, but, like, we definitely. It was in the DNA for sure. And plus, I'm writing the music, and I listen to hardcore.

[Interviewer]

There's a little bit of youth today there. The whole time. Even in the name.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Yep. Exactly. It's exactly where it comes from.

[Todd Jones]

I want to ask Ryan something, please. So I don't know if this is real or not, and if we don't want to have this in the video, we won't. But Ram asked me something in the past six months, and he told me there was an incident where some 3.1G type of person. I'm not saying they were actually connected in it, but just some, like, fucking dork, like, put an ad about you in Maximum Rock and Roll, talking shit on you, and you beat their ass.

[Ryan George]

No, I didn't. I didn't beat their ass. So when I was living in Long beach with Jen Root or staying with her, I don't know if I was actually living in her house. Maybe I was. They would have shows at their house all the time, and Blood Brothers played there, and they were there with the guy that ran a label called Hopscotch Records. They ran an ad saying, oh, the guy from Carry on is, like, doing, like, coke or drinking or. I don't know what it was.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

And they put it out in the. In the. The zine. I don't think I ever fought those guys.

[Todd Jones]

Maybe a Ram said he heard. He hear a story about, like, you saw in a bar and you, like, socked him up or something.

[Ryan George]

I mean, I wouldn't be surprised.

[Todd Jones]

I don't either.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Socked up many people in bars and. Yeah, I. I mean, I definitely. When I was living in San Francisco, I can think of, like, a good handful of times I'd sock people in bars. But I don't know if it was about that.

[Todd Jones]

No, it was funny because I never heard that. I was like, what are you talking about? I've never heard this before.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I do remember getting into it with a guy that thought I was you at a house party, and he's all, you're Todd Jones, You. And I was like, what the. Yeah, it was wild, dude. But we scuffled, too. And I was like, that's my friend.

[Interviewer]

You did that for Todd?

[Ryan George]

Yeah. I was like, you. Yeah, I am.

[Interviewer]

No, I'm not. But, yeah.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

That's awesome. Wow. So, on that note, I mean the.

[Todd Jones]

Someone was waiting for me.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Scary dork, dude.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Them.

[Interviewer]

The. The bootleg Carry on coke lines.

[Ryan George]

Sure. I have one.

[Interviewer]

You have one?

[Ryan George]

Yep.

[Interviewer]

Let's talk about it. How do you. How do you discover this?

[Ryan George]

I didn't really know much about. Todd would know more than me. I didn't find out about it until way later because I met Sarah was touring or she had worked with the. One of the guys that made it on. They were working together on a tour and it came up and she asked me about it and I was like, oh, I've kind of heard about that. Tell him to give me his. And he gave it to me.

[Interviewer]

I'll be honest with you.

[Ryan George]

That's why I have one.

[Interviewer]

I would wear this. Take it back. It's never too late.

[Ryan George]

You know what? I'm all for funny stuff. I wouldn't do it out of respect for Corey.

[Interviewer]

Respect.

[Ryan George]

Because Corey's an Edgeman and he deserves that respect.

[Interviewer]

That's right. Well said.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

The. The white shirt with the roll of the punches 7 inch art was available at the Universal Studios Hot topic in the 2000s.

[Ryan George]

What?

[Interviewer]

Which I know because I got it there.

[Ryan George]

Dude.

[Interviewer]

We is this very.

[Ryan George]

Check. Yeah. Where's that check?

[Interviewer]

It was a white shirt with the. With the what the punches are in. I think it was just black.

[Ryan George]

No way.

[Todd Jones]

I had no idea.

[Interviewer]

Universal Hot Topic 2005.

[Todd Jones]

Do you still have it?

[Interviewer]

I don't still have it.

[Todd Jones]

It was a medium.

[Interviewer]

You didn't know about that?

[Ryan George]

No, man. Dude from 97A did a back alley deal on.

[Todd Jones]

I don't think it would have been him. I think what it would have. Yeah, I don't think he. You know, I think it would have been Merch. Merch. Now that could have brokered that deal, dude. I think that's. That's how that would have happened.

[Interviewer]

You have a merch now store. It could have been just that one month. The check was a little bigger.

[Todd Jones]

We did. I can't remember. I mean, that was like over 20 years ago.

[Interviewer]

I got it. Hell yeah.

[Ryan George]

Still have it?

[Interviewer]

No, no, it was a medium. So from 2005 to 2025, how often do you guys talk about Carry on, reminisce and are you getting offers once in a while that you choose to ignore?

[Ryan George]

We talk about Carry on all the time. All the time. We always talk about Carry On. Yeah, I. Yeah, I don't like.

[Interviewer]

I think almost that was a consistent thing.

[Ryan George]

Every time we talk, we talk about Carry On. Dude.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

That was sick.

[Todd Jones]

We never got any actual Offers like any, like, hey, I'll pay you this much if you come play my thing. Like, that never actually happened as far as I know. I didn't hear anything from anybody like

[Interviewer]

that, which is fascinating because I would imagine it would be annual.

[Ryan George]

I think most people that would actually be interested in booking Carry on knew that we said we would never get back together. So I think that kind of, you

[Todd Jones]

know, I really thought that Carry on would never, ever play again after those 2005 shows.

[Ryan George]

Same.

[Interviewer]

Well, last year at Sound and Fury, you both joined myself and the rest of God's hate to play Off My Chest in C sharp for the first time. In C sharp. The first time in 20 years. How cool was that? Thanks, guys.

[Ryan George]

It was sick.

[Todd Jones]

It was amazing. It was amazing seeing everybody smile.

[Ryan George]

Dude.

[Interviewer]

Smiling behind the kid the whole time. We, Our. Our idea was because we had this mini Terror set happening in the middle of our set, was that, like, okay, if we have to retake the stage after Terror, we have to raise the intensity. And to that we would just pay tribute to another band that we grew up with that we would have done either way. But you guys being into it was like just this, a next level beautiful thing. And I didn't know for a fact that it was happening until I'm mid set and look over and see you in Turning Point shirt. And then I'm like, okay, we're good to go. It's happening.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, yeah. We showed up a little, like, shortly before your set, which is cool.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Keep the mystery.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. I remember Todd hit me up and he's like, hey, they asked me to do Off My Chest and I said that I wanted you to do it. Do it with me. And do you want to do it? I was like, yeah, let's do it. And then we never really talked about it again until like a couple of days before. And we're like, we're doing this. Yeah, yeah, let's do it.

[Todd Jones]

And then I showed up at your apartment before we headed over there.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

And it's. And I remember us saying, like, I wish we were doing more songs.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, dude, I know, but we.

[Todd Jones]

It's too late.

[Ryan George]

We had already. We had been like, working on, like, demos and shit for. For another band. Right. So, yeah, we're kind of like already in the mode where we're going to be doing Carry on songs. Yeah. Either with this new band or. I mean, I didn't think Carry on would be playing again, but no, I was already in the mode that we were going to be playing those songs. Again.

[Interviewer]

So does this one song thing hold any weight towards carry on playing this year?

[Todd Jones]

Yes, all the way.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Corey saw it and was like so happy. He was just like, dude, I love seeing you guys. Like, me and. Me and Corey hadn't really talked at all for like years and years and years. And that kind of got us on the phone talking again.

[Interviewer]

Amazing.

[Ryan George]

Kind of a little bit between Todd as a middleman, a tiny bit. And then I was just like, it, we're gonna FaceTime. I got on a call with Corey, you know, as soon as I saw his face, I was just like, I love you, best guy. I love you, man. Yeah, but like, we. You gotta understand, like, we. We hadn't gotten along in like years. Sure. And we never really patched things up. There was just like a lot of horrible that happened with Carry on too. Like, we had like. There was like deaths, you know, there. The whole breaking up before the album came out there was just like so much like unresolved, you know. And like Todd has mentioned a few times, we were young, you know, like, we don't know how to deal with any of this shit. You know, we don't. We didn't have like therapy. We didn't have like fucking parents to like sit down with us and explain, like, you know, how to patch things up and shit. So things just kind of like stayed to the side and didn't get dealt with. So after playing off my chest and getting to like repair, the friendship was just magical. That's what, that's what makes me so happy about doing Carry On Again more than anything is like all of us dudes that grew up together, you know, in our formative years, being friends again, just sharing like, love, you know, like brotherly love.

[Todd Jones]

It's cool thing about doing bands, it's like you do bands with people and you have all these really intense moments together. You know, you go on your first tour together, you. You play a headlining show for the first time together, you write a fucking record together, or, you know, you're in close proximity, you have all these intimate moments. And you know, I've been through it with people in bands, you know, it's like, okay, we're friends. Okay, we're not friends. Okay, we're friends again. And it's like, like, no matter how. If I could give an advice to a younger person, no matter how upset you get with somebody, you're always going to have those feelings, those good feelings towards someone, like, because you had all these intimate moments with them. And that's never going to go away. So I, like, if I could give myself. I'll just say this. If I could give my younger self advice, I would. I would say, like, like, even if you're mad at someone, like, don't. Don't hold on to that because it will go away eventually.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

And hopefully you will become friends with somebody or, you know, hopefully all those bad feelings go away. You know, and here we are. Because no matter what, like, I'll never stop, like, loving anybody who was in Carry On. Even, like, you know, if there was a period, we went through some, but we're still here. Yeah, dude. Like, I'll never stop loving, like, the guys in Terror or Carry on or really anybody I played in a band with. Because it's just have too many good things like, that you experience together.

[Interviewer]

I mean, you're not. You don't always know that you're in a memory as it's activated.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. You never know. You never know how good things are either until. Yeah, they're gone.

[Ryan George]

True. Even like small things. And sometimes those small things are like

[Todd Jones]

the most important, the best things.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Just getting together for dinner or something.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

So how quickly does this conversation evolve into, okay, we're doing this. And. And what are your expectations going into it?

[Ryan George]

It happened pretty quick, honestly, after we did the off my chest thing.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, we talked.

[Ryan George]

We just started talking. Yeah, we just started when all, all three of us, well, me, Corey and Todd started talking, like, okay, we're gonna do this. Just got in motion.

[Todd Jones]

We knew what we wanted to do right away. We know that. And I'll share this. I won't share exactly what our plans are, but, like. Because we're still figuring it out. But it's like, we know that we don't want to do a lot of shows. We know that. We. We just want to play some shows and have it be done with because we want to keep it special. You know, there's some reunion bands, and I don't judge them, I don't criticize them, I don't care. But there's some reunion bands, they come up, they don't make new music, but they're here years and years and years just playing shows.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. There's no magic.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. And you can watch it fucking just go down the tube.

[Interviewer]

Sure.

[Todd Jones]

Like, these bands start out, they're playing, you know, they'll play their first show, maybe there'll be 500 to a thousand people at the show. And then five years later, they're playing it like. Like 50 to 75 people. It's depressing.

[Interviewer]

Sure.

[Todd Jones]

And we know we don't want to do that. So if you have the opportunity to see Carry on, and you want to see Carry on, go see Carry On. Because we're not going to be doing this for very long. There's not going to be a ton of shows. We're just doing this for.

[Interviewer]

I mean, you'll. You guys are self aware enough to know when, if the magic fades, you'll feel it. But I would also say, like, if you're enjoying it and then you feel like an internal pressure to stop because it's some weird stigma, who fucking cares at the end of the day?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, I mean, we, we know what we want to do. Like, we, we kind of. We have a. We have a layout, we have a game plan.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

You know, I'm sure things will change a little bit. And we also have to work around everyone's schedule because three of us are in, you know, active bands that tour and then, you know, other guys have fucking children lives and. But we ain't gonna fucking burn out.

[Interviewer]

No, no, impossible. So tell me about that. That first set, tied down.

[Ryan George]

It's sick.

[Interviewer]

Walk me through it. I. I'm there and I'm thinking like, A, I wish Bo was here.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

B, no idea what to expect. And then open with the View and like, you don't even say, dude, so sick. And like, you just see this, like, relief hit the room where everybody just goes, oh, wow, it's real. And we're hearing it and we're seeing it. Dude, it was so beautiful.

[Ryan George]

It was great. I. I thought people would know off my chest and that's it. Like, I really didn't expect anything. Not only. And then the other thing that I learned is, like, I could have been way more serious about my cardio and shit before because I was like, yo, I was good at practice. Like, I was fucking. I could get through the set like three times. And like, I do youth code. I'll move around in youth code. And like, you know, like, I'm, I'm. I'm. You know, I could lose a couple pounds, but I got, I got this. I didn't think about the fact people would be hanging off my, like five people at a time hanging off my neck while I'm trying to not fall into the crowd too. Like, I sound like a total old man, which I am. But, like, yeah, I didn't.

[Interviewer]

Well, it's different now.

[Ryan George]

I didn't think these things through.

[Interviewer]

The etiquette is completely different now.

[Ryan George]

Not only that, when Carry on was Playing like, we had people that liked our band and were into it, but it wasn't like that. Yeah, yeah. It was on a much bigger level. And I was just like, fuck, I got my ass handed to me as well.

[Interviewer]

Youth proof cardio is done by reps only. You know, you can't. You can't train for that. How was that for you, Todd?

[Todd Jones]

That was lovely. It was great. It was fucking awesome playing those songs again. And it was awesome. Awesome seeing us make so many people happy.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. I felt so good, dude. Absolutely. Looking out in the crowd, like, people like, almost every single person I made eye contact with was like, if they're singing or whatever. Everyone was just like, so jazzed.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

And I was just like. I was watching a clip and like, I could see myself smiling. I'm like, I never did that. And Carry on back in the day,

[Todd Jones]

I'd be like, oh, fuck you smile on stage.

[Ryan George]

And I was like, hey.

[Interviewer]

But I mean, it's different. You're looking out in the crowd during this and you're seeing like the last 15 years of hardcore musicians lining the front labels.

[Ryan George]

I was saying, like, like the people. And like, like people stage diving on me and were like, in bands I like. I was like, yeah, you know, and they. Bands that came after Carry on broke up that I like. And I was just like, this is so unreal. Because I see people at shows and, like, I say what's up to people and I meet, you know, shake hands, like, I like your band. No one ever really says anything to me about Carry On. So I just figure people don't know who I am or they never listen to Carry on or something. And I don't really know why that is because I'm always like, I love your band. I love your man. Hi, how are you? I love your band.

[Interviewer]

And they.

[Ryan George]

I mean, but I don't get. I don't get that very often.

[Interviewer]

I don't know how many people know that in the moment you were the one being like, let's keep the band going. Who cares that I broke edge? You know?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, true.

[Todd Jones]

Where.

[Interviewer]

If that was the. If that was the narrative that was out there, it would be like, hey, Ryan Lowe's Carry On. Let's talk to.

[Todd Jones]

To him about it.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, maybe. I don't know.

[Interviewer]

But here we are.

[Todd Jones]

I love talking about Carry on, dude.

[Interviewer]

It's the best.

[Todd Jones]

If somebody approaches me and they want to talk about Carry On, I'm happy to do it.

[Ryan George]

Same Me too. Doesn't happen very. I mean, it happens a lot more now, like, after. After the God's Hate set especially. But yeah, before. Not very often.

[Interviewer]

It's about to change.

[Ryan George]

Let's go.

[Interviewer]

Is there a point after Carry on in after, like, after 2005 where you don't expect to make music at all? Or I guess after 2001, are you just like, let's. I'm.

[Ryan George]

No, I'm a lifer, dude. I love music.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

I like.

[Ryan George]

I. I'm always making stuff.

[Interviewer]

How fast does the Adored. When does that come?

[Ryan George]

Happens when I'm living in San Francisco. I live in San Francisco for a year, pretty much immediately after Carry on broke up. I mean, that's the reason, besides Breaking Edge, right? Me leaving the San Francisco. The Adored. I'm living. I live in San Francisco for, like a year. I get a call from Nat Kiefer that used to play drums and Carry on, and he's like, hey, I'm starting a band that sounds like the Buzzcocks and the Jam in la and you should sing. And I was like, coming home, let's go. Yeah. And then I learned I couldn't sing, and I had to learn how to sing, and that was very difficult.

[Interviewer]

You were singing on there.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, I know, but I didn't. It took me a while to get there. I was like, I never done that before.

[Interviewer]

It takes some of us much longer.

[Ryan George]

That is hard.

[Interviewer]

That you signed to a Universal subsidiary, V2. What the hell? How did that happen? Did anything cool come of that?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, this guy, John Seidel, he was at A and R for V2. And the reason I actually entertained talking to him, he came to one of our shows and was like, you guys are sick. Keith Morris was assistant Keith Morris from Circle Jerks, Black Flag. And I was like, dude, fucking, let's do anything they want to do. Like, this is sick. I get to hang out with Keith Morris.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. How did that. How did you stop doing that?

[Ryan George]

I was a fucking nightmare, basically. I don't know how. In the weeds I want to go. I was just a complete maniac during that time of my life. Yeah. I was a liability. I was fighting people. I was partying way too much. I was. I would play sets and still think I was in a hardcore band and, like, kick people in the face in the front row and. And people were.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, but so did Liam Gallagher, you know?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, but I'm not Liam Gallagher. How.

[Todd Jones]

How many times did the Adored tour with BuzzCox?

[Ryan George]

Two or three.

[Todd Jones]

That's where. Like, the UK, right?

[Ryan George]

We did UK, we did U. S. We went up Into Canada. We recorded two songs with Pete Shelley singing. He saw us play in New York and we were covering Ever Falling In Love, and we noticed him in the crowd and we were like, should we play this song? I was just like, yeah, let's do it anyways. Who cares? And he was just, like, stoked.

[Todd Jones]

That's cool.

[Ryan George]

I think he was kind of hot on a couple of the people that were in the band, too. So he's like some young boys. All right, let's talk.

[Interviewer]

Let's talk a little more. Youth Code.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

You're still making extreme music, hard music, but through this very different lens.

[Ryan George]

Yes.

[Interviewer]

What. When do you get into industrial and how deep do you go into the rabbit hole?

[Ryan George]

I got into industrial music. I mean, I. I listen to ministry around the same time. I get into, like, hardcore and straight edge hardcore through skateboard videos. I liked ministry. I'd heard Skinny Puppy from, like, Girl, Like, Scary Death. That gave me the flexor head. Scary Death. You know what I mean? Like, when you live in a small town, like, the punks, they listen to everything.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

You know what I mean?

[Interviewer]

Everything underground is just one thing.

[Ryan George]

It's just a thing.

[Todd Jones]

Ministry was also, like. They were on, like, MTV in the mid-90s, early 90s. Yep. Mine's a terrible thing to taste.

[Ryan George]

He also had Pale head with Ian McKay. So there's a crossover there happening already, so I'm kind of dabbling in it. And then there's also a lot of, like, minimal synth stuff happening around the time Youth Code started, and a lot of that. Seeing a lot of those bands in LA and just like, listening to the records and it's just like synth pop, basically, but done not as good and not aggressive. Yeah, well, that's where. When we started doing Youth Code, we're watching these bands and we're like, these bands are so boring to watch. Like, I like listening to the records, but, like. Like, there's like, nothing's happening. And I was just. That's like. When the idea came, before Youth Code started, I tried to start a band with John Westbrook, Josh Luce, Sarah, me, that was going to have drum machines. It was going to sound like SSD crossed with Christian Death.

[Interviewer]

Insane.

[Ryan George]

And we started fucking around with that. And then this thing happened with Vacation where Sarah said, we have a band, it's called Youth Code. And then that other band just went away. Because when Youth Code started playing, we immediately people were like, do you want to play this show next? Do you want to play this show? Do you want to play? And then Gibby was like, do you want to put something out on Deus Records? And like I never got to go back to the other idea, which sucked because it would have been really cool.

[Interviewer]

It's never too late.

[Ryan George]

John Westbrook, Josh Loose. Great musicians doing weird ass music code too. I always thought like listening to like Christian Death, like they had like moshy parts. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Big time.

[Ryan George]

And if you just like translated it different, like you could have a cool like kind of like gothy hardcore band. But if you put in some electronics, like think about like Second Empire, Justice Blitz record, like make this monster of a weird band. I mean I, I still visit that

[Interviewer]

like I love industrial when it's fast.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Like transitions.

[Ryan George]

Oh yeah.

[Interviewer]

Banger dude. Fast song that just sounds like hardcore. Played with that song.

[Ryan George]

I said I'm going to. People keep saying we're a hardcore band that's industrial. And I was like, I'm actually going to make a song that is a hardcore.

[Todd Jones]

It's fully a hardcore.

[Interviewer]

That, that one. Oh yeah. You know, it's great. Who. Do you do the majority of the programming?

[Ryan George]

Yeah, I pretty much do everything.

[Interviewer]

What's your daw?

[Ryan George]

I use Ableton.

[Interviewer]

You got to teach me, man. I don't understand the shapes. Yeah. Squares. I like. I like waves.

[Ryan George]

That's cool. You can hit the fucking tab button. It flips over.

[Interviewer]

There we go. See, I didn't know about tab.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Do you have a favorite. Do you do everything kind of internally in the computer or do. Do you have a favorite toy?

[Ryan George]

I have a wall of synthesizers.

[Interviewer]

What's your. What's your number one?

[Ryan George]

Depends on. If I'm stuck on something, I switch it. I switch all the time and I buy new stuff all the time. Because when I don't know how to use it properly is when I make cooler sounds. Oh yeah. So I'm always. I should be selling the stuff I'm not using, but instead I put it on a shelf and I get back to it eventually.

[Interviewer]

Do you ever record a sound and then not remember how to recreate it?

[Ryan George]

All the time. Because I. I have like a pretty large modular sound system too where like there's no presets.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

The cables that go in and I just make sounds and then I either sample it with my MPC or I record it into Ableton. Like a big audio file. Just let it play for two hours while I'm plugging away and turning things and I go and cut it up and find little noises and then do something.

[Interviewer]

Do you. Do you start youth code before getting into this or do you get into this?

[Ryan George]

Oh, I was into it before.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, When I was a hobbyist.

[Ryan George]

Well, when I got kicked out of the Adored, I was, like, so mad. I was like, that's two bands. Like, I sabotage or got booted out of, like, everyone. I don't need anyone to, like, write music. I need to learn how to play guitar. And Todd, actually, you're involved in this part. I got a drum machine. You came over and showed me how to program drums on your laptop.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

And while I'm trying to learn how to play guitar, I had, like, an acoustic guitar. And you sat with me for, like, a day. And from that, I got inspired, like, going, I. I don't like being behind a computer, so I'm gonna buy a drum machine. But my drum machine was a Korg EMX1, and it had a synthesizer built into it. And when I started playing with that, I started going, oh, this is like New Order Depeche Mode. Like, that's where these sounds come from. And then I was like, what is this MIDI port? And then I bought a keyboard. I looked it up online, and then I bought a keyboard, and I was like. Started sequencing it, and I was like, oh, my God, I can start a electronic band.

[Interviewer]

Like a caveman making fire.

[Ryan George]

Yes. I was like, dude, I can do so much with this. So I was already doing that, but I didn't. I wasn't really showing anyone this stuff. It was just, like, what I was into. But Sarah knew that I was making stuff like that, so that's when she was like, come on, come on, we're doing a band.

[Interviewer]

Do that thing you're doing every night for me.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Does Youth Code scratch the creative itch left behind by Carry on right away?

[Ryan George]

In the beginning? Yeah. Yeah, for sure. But in the beginning, I was also not sure who was going to sing for the man, if it was going to be Sarah or me. And then I was, like, super stoked to let her, you know, become a front person and take over. But eventually I was like, I kind of miss, like. Like, I'll come out all the time from behind, like, the keys, like, because I, you know, I run sequencers, and I don't really have to do a lot of stuff. Like, I have things to do, but I can off for a while. So I would, like, get in the face of the crowd and stuff. And I was like, oh, God, he says so much.

[Interviewer]

I was in Carry On. Do you still feel like a. Like a hardcore musician when you're surrounded by synthesizers?

[Ryan George]

Yes, absolutely. Yeah, I did in the adored. I did. I do in Use code. It's just. It's part of me, you know?

[Interviewer]

So you are.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Does this feel like a. Like a culture shock? Like fully entering this world as a musician?

[Ryan George]

No, no, not at all.

[Interviewer]

Do you think touring with Korn in Europe later this year will provide the same fulfillment as Sound and Fury?

[Ryan George]

Oh, God, no.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

I. I'm very much looking forward to playing the shows with Korn, though.

[Interviewer]

Sure.

[Ryan George]

Yes. It's gonna be sick.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

We. We played stadium shows with My Chemical Romance.

[Todd Jones]

How was that?

[Ryan George]

It was great. And I'm looking forward to doing it again because playing on a stage that big, it's like. It's so far removed from the crowd that it almost feels like band practice. And it's like. And it sounds so massive that all I can do is go like for like the, you know, 30, 40 minutes we're out there. I can just go. I'm playing a fucking stadium stage right now. I have no idea if people are flipping me off or stoked or what. I don't really care. Yeah, I can hear like all the subs and it's like, I'm like, like, yeah. And then I go and hang out in a nice backstage.

[Interviewer]

Did you guys brush elbows with My Chemical Romance when they were like a young band touring with American Nightmare?

[Ryan George]

Sarah knew them from back in the day. That's. That's how we got on those shows.

[Interviewer]

Interesting.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

You tour with Skinny Puppy? Yeah. That's kind of like the top of the industrial mountain.

[Ryan George]

Two shows with Skinny Puppy. How was that? Two tours with Skinny Puppy. It was great.

[Interviewer]

What is left for youth code you accomplish to you.

[Ryan George]

We have a LP coming out on Sumerian Records.

[Interviewer]

How long have you been vegan now?

[Ryan George]

A very, very long time. I had. I. I always say since I was 16, which is not true, but I definitely stopped. I stopped eating meat around when I was 16 and then I went back and forth with veganism a couple times in my life, but I've stuck with it for a long ass time.

[Interviewer]

You ever experiment with veganism?

[Todd Jones]

No.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, I was vegan for 32 days. If you have any questions about.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. Oh, you were?

[Interviewer]

Oh, yeah.

[Ryan George]

Hey, I just saw you.

[Interviewer]

A lot of crunch wraps. Don't tell people. I was eating at the vegan sandwich.

[Ryan George]

I saw you.

[Interviewer]

That was cool. Yeah, it was just behind me in line at the sandwich spot.

[Ryan George]

Yep.

[Interviewer]

In the sickest youth of today shirt, man.

[Ryan George]

It's pretty ill. What's.

[Interviewer]

So tell me your go to vegan spots in la and then maybe around the country.

[Ryan George]

Oh, boy.

[Interviewer]

A lot of them have closed.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, it's. It's a rough time for vegan restaurants.

[Interviewer]

Not in vogue anymore.

[Ryan George]

I mean, the algorithm is telling you to eat raw cow milk and fucking pig hoofs, which is.

[Interviewer]

Which even I think is crazy.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, it's fucking weird.

[Interviewer]

The RFK of it all.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Get me started with that shit. Shit. Fucking makes my blood boil. My favorite vegan restaurants right now, they're mostly places that have like, both.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

Right now, let's see. I love the breakfast burrito at Millie's. The place in Silver Lake, they have vegan breakfast burrito. It's got soyrizo, just egg. It's got avocado.

[Interviewer]

Even the gravy is vegetarian, which I don't.

[Ryan George]

I don't. So easy to make. Yeah. I'll teach you a few things.

[Interviewer]

I don't want to learn. I don't want to learn how to make that Great. Come on, man. Okay. Millie's. Interesting.

[Ryan George]

Millie's breakfast burritos.

[Interviewer]

The bomb.

[Ryan George]

There's a place called Little Barn. It's over. I think it's in Frogtown. I just follow Google Maps to get there. I think it's Frogtown. They. Everything they have for breakfast is killer.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Ryan George]

I really like pine and crane Sl Joy. That has Taiwanese dishes.

[Interviewer]

One of the greats.

[Ryan George]

So good.

[Interviewer]

Pine and crane. I think I like a little more.

[Ryan George]

All the cold dishes are so.

[Interviewer]

Dude. The dandan noodles.

[Ryan George]

Oh my God. Come on.

[Todd Jones]

Love it.

[Interviewer]

You been there? Unbelievable.

[Ryan George]

I love. My favorite food is ramen. So Dalkuya in Little Tokyo has got a great vegan ramen. There's a place called DTLA Ramen that's across the street from where Ace Hotel used to be. They have hella vegan stuff. And it's so fire that cocoa is. Yeah, it's great.

[Interviewer]

Next level.

[Ryan George]

Have you been to the little. The express place? Next. They have the. In a. Gary.

[Interviewer]

No, no.

[Ryan George]

Am I saying it wrong? The rice triangle, like the rice balls? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Interviewer]

Oh, yeah. Onigiri.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Thank you. So off.

[Interviewer]

Sorry.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, that place is really.

[Interviewer]

Okay, good. Those are good. What about in the. When touring with you? Code around the country. Like, what's. What's the spot you're most excited to eat?

[Ryan George]

Probably. Even though it's not my favorite restaurant. I love. Always look forward to going to Chicago Diner Classic. Yeah, it's great.

[Interviewer]

If Bo is here, he would say, have you tried Handlebar yet?

[Ryan George]

No. Okay, Bo, I'll check it out.

[Interviewer]

Oh, go to Handlebar for both also in Chicago. And I think it's. I've had it. And I think it smokes Chicago.

[Ryan George]

Donner. That's what's up.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

I just like the diner experience.

[Interviewer]

Of course.

[Ryan George]

Yeah. But I'll check it out.

[Interviewer]

All right, it's time. I have a couple questions. One for you, one for you, two more for you. Could you. Ryan George, could you tell me your top four hardcore records of all time?

[Ryan George]

Yes.

[Interviewer]

Let's go.

[Ryan George]

No, let me look at my list.

[Interviewer]

Get your list. Get your analog list.

[Ryan George]

Kate, number. Number four. The bottom, very influential record for me would be the Time Is Now. Comp. Definitely came out at a time that a lot of things were very metallic and heavy and moving away from the hardcore that I initially fell in love with. And it was just like a fucking breath of fresh air. And basically, I don't think Carry on would have become what it did if it wasn't for that compilation.

[Interviewer]

I think this is the first comp and anyone's top four, really, which is such a brilliant way to get more bands in.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, it was mind blowing. I went. There's this whole thing happening like, that I was unaware of. And, you know, all those bands are sick. And Matt Smith did the layout for it.

[Interviewer]

Love it.

[Ryan George]

Then number three would be Strife. It would be in this Defiance. Yeah. Over One Truth, Just because I feel like number one, it has the song Gray on it, and it just is on, like, a whole nother level. And Strife was like, the most important band if you lived in la. They. They were total straight Edge dudes. They. They still sounded like Judge. They were heavy. The production on it was insane. It was just a very important band. Great answer. Yeah. Great record.

[Todd Jones]

I think everybody would agree with 100,

[Ryan George]

that was the band.

[Todd Jones]

I love One Truth, but I think in this Defiance has aged better.

[Interviewer]

I completely agree.

[Ryan George]

And then next would be the sportswear lp. That record is everything about Youth Crew hardcore put into one lp. And it's just so perfect. The songwriting is sick. The vocals are so good. It's like. Like bold, but better. The. The lyrical content is insane. It's. They have songs about. They have animal rights songs. They have straight edge songs. They dress so cool. They're thankless. They think like clothing companies. Like, it's just perfect.

[Interviewer]

And they're Norwegian.

[Ryan George]

It's Youth Crew. Yeah. They're from Oslo.

[Interviewer]

Right.

[Ryan George]

And that band, I think they're the illest band.

[Interviewer]

If you Google Ryan George, Carry On. You're most likely in a sportswear shirt.

[Ryan George]

Hell, yeah. Dude, that's sick. I wish I still had that shirt. A kid came out to a youth code show when we were in Europe on this last tour, which is just a couple months ago or a month ago, and he had a red sportswear shirt on. And I was like, dude, give me that shirt. And he's all, no, well, I don't want to make.

[Interviewer]

He should have given it to a Europe guy.

[Ryan George]

But he was like, no.

[Todd Jones]

A sportswear tidbit relates to me. When Nails played Oslo on this, that tour we did with Creator and Carcass and Exodus, I, I, I had our. I had the, the music that plays before we play. I had it be sportswear. No way. Yeah, I have a video of it.

[Interviewer]

No way.

[Ryan George]

Why didn't you ever tell me?

[Todd Jones]

I thought I did.

[Ryan George]

By the way, I know that they're probably long gone. I'm so mad. I never got the Nails Bold shirt.

[Interviewer]

Oh, the puff print? Yeah, dude, the puff print was ill.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, dude, that sold like. Nobody wanted that.

[Ryan George]

Are they laying around somewhere? I need one.

[Todd Jones]

I think. I think so. Yeah. They could be on size large or size medium.

[Ryan George]

Medium.

[Todd Jones]

Medium, yeah.

[Ryan George]

I like to show off my man body a little bit.

[Todd Jones]

I love bold, dude. But, like, nails and bold are just not two things that really intersect.

[Interviewer]

Well, you would think that. But then I roll to the Underdog Bold gig, and who do I see front and center washing Bold, TXJ and rxg.

[Ryan George]

That's right, brother.

[Interviewer]

I love that. Made me feel good, man.

[Ryan George]

Dude, I was so happy. Looking back is so good, dude.

[Todd Jones]

So speak out.

[Ryan George]

This is why I love sportswear.

[Todd Jones]

Yes.

[Ryan George]

Because all those elements are in there and they might be doing a little better. Honestly. It's good. Yeah. Sportswell Sportswear lp all day, every day. Also special shout out to the band Eyeball.

[Todd Jones]

Great band.

[Ryan George]

Fucking German hardcore band. Took Chain of Strength, turn it up to fucking 20, and then number one. My favorite hardcore record of all time is Youth of Today. Can't Close My Eyes.

[Interviewer]

Outstanding. Talk about it.

[Ryan George]

Young was just a fad for fucking losers who didn't care. I will fucking drive my car off a fucking bridge when that part comes on. I have to pull over.

[Todd Jones]

Over.

[Interviewer]

Dude, how funny is it? That lyric is like the antithesis of everything else he says on the record. Oh, yeah, it's all positive, but then it's like, but these other guys are

[Ryan George]

losers, by the way. Yeah, I mean, we just mind some there, too, so.

[Interviewer]

But they cut it on the seven inch. Yeah. Tell me about Can't Close My Eyes.

[Ryan George]

It's just. It's great. It's it's my. Besides Minor Threat, it's my first actual hardcore record. And it's so straight edge. Yeah. And it's the COVID art. Every. Everything about it is just perfect and, like, break down the walls is sick. But, like. Like, to say this sounds crazy, but it sounds, like, too polished to me compared to Close My Eyes, it's, like, so unhinged and ferocious. Yeah, it's a fucking banger.

[Todd Jones]

It is unhinged.

[Ryan George]

Great. It's so angry.

[Todd Jones]

I can't believe the.

[Ryan George]

The vocals are just so wild.

[Interviewer]

And I think he said that was all, like, one take.

[Ryan George]

I believe it, but it's so good. Like, there's just a tonality to his voice and it's just incredible.

[Todd Jones]

Incredible record.

[Interviewer]

Perfect hardcore music.

[Ryan George]

I probably listen to it at least every two weeks, and when I do put it on, I listen to it like 10 times in a row.

[Interviewer]

You get to every version of We Just Might.

[Ryan George]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Could you tell me one industrial record every hardcore kid needs to hear and one hardcore record every industrial kid needs to hear?

[Ryan George]

Oh, boy, that's a hard one.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Take your time.

[Ryan George]

You know what? Honestly, like, I don't really need to dig that deep. I would probably say, like, mind is a terrible thing to taste by Ministry. I mean, it's just like, if you're. If you like hardcore, you're. And you have an open mind, you're probably gonna like that record.

[Interviewer]

Hard band.

[Ryan George]

Yeah, it's good, dude.

[Todd Jones]

Hard as hell.

[Ryan George]

It's so good that. That would be. I mean, it's a. It's a record everyone knows. Or maybe they don't, but they probably should. But. Yeah, that one. I don't need to deep cut that. Great answer. Yeah. And then, I mean, eat it today.

[Interviewer]

Perfect.

[Ryan George]

Pick one. Yeah. You know, I'd pick Can't Close My Eyes, but yeah, that's a record everyone needs to hear. You know, if you don't like it, I don't like you.

[Interviewer]

Fair enough.

[Ryan George]

And you.

[Interviewer]

Now, Todd, you've been on the show before and we've done this, so I. I need to switch it up. And I need to know from your mind as a master pit craftsman, Your favorite mosh 4 mosh parts of all time.

[Todd Jones]

I'm gonna do it like Tara did it, and I'm gonna talk about things that are, like, a little bit more personal to me. There might be better mosh parts out there, but especially as it relates to Carry On, I want to list, like, four really influential mosh parts that were influenced to influential to me when I was In Carry On Number One. And this is the. One of the best mosh parts of all time. Straight ahead, Breakaway. I haven't talked to any of those guys about, like, where they got that from, but it's like a. It's like a chromatic walking, like, down the fretboard sort of riff.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

And I want to believe that they probably got that from How Low Can a Punk get by Bad Brains, because it does kind of the same thing. But that mosh part, I think, is the best fucking mosh part ever with, you know, the. The vocals, the. The lyrics, the way it's played, it's just so.

[Ryan George]

It's just.

[Todd Jones]

That's it.

[Interviewer]

It is it.

[Todd Jones]

And then floor punch, no exceptions. The same. Same thing. Like, great vocal delivery, great vocal cadence, great lyrics, and just very hard. Played extremely well. That drummer King Shot was and still is like, a phenomenal drummer, really in his bag. Good.

[Interviewer]

And that, like, that song in particular, I think, is as good as hardcore music gets.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, me too. I think. I think it's a perfect hardcore song.

[Ryan George]

Snow up Front. Sorry.

[Todd Jones]

I like it.

[Ryan George]

I just.

[Interviewer]

I just.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, you're right.

[Ryan George]

It's pertaining to a text message conversation. Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Third. Right. Brigade, Keep Me Down.

[Ryan George]

Yes.

[Todd Jones]

Jesse's vocals, his. The tonality of his voice is so good. The lyrics to the song, like, what leads up to the. What leads up to the. To the breakdown. The fast part that cuts right into the breakdown. I just think it's. It's great. And I believe that was also influenced by Straight Ahead, them doing, like, a fast part right into a mosh part. I believe I was told that somewhere

[Interviewer]

along the lines which you just described, the thing you said you. You, like, are self conscious about with Carry On Writing.

[Ryan George]

You know, I was just thinking that.

[Interviewer]

And it's so cool. Every other in it.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, I guess you're right. And then the fourth one would be. Oh, Death Threat Brotherhood. The first time I, like, like, Like Zach was really in tune with, like, Zach brought that into our friend group, the. The Death Threat demo when it came out. Yeah, Zach. Yeah. Zach Nelson, Zach Oxnard from 185 Miles south podcast, Shout Out.

[Interviewer]

Shout Out.

[Todd Jones]

But Zach brought that demo, and it just floored me. Like, I don't know. Is that number one? It has two mosh parts that are great.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

And Aaron's vocal on that, and his words are awesome. And, like, what blew my mind about that was, like, the. The last mosh part. I don't know if I'd call it a groove, but it's like, it's like, wow, Holy shit. And then he just starts talking about his friends. Like, I didn't know you could do that in a hardcore song. Not like, my friends are cool. Like, he's like, naming his group, like, sds, which I don't even know what that is, but it's like. Like, dude, he's talking about his friend group.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Like, because they're the ones there at the shows up front singing that part,

[Todd Jones]

you know, it's sick. That mosh part, though. Holy.

[Interviewer]

It's unbelievable.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. Still to this day.

[Interviewer]

And when we toured with Death Threat on stage, you said, I love Death Threat. Because when I heard them, it was a combination of paper and youth of today.

[Todd Jones]

That's exactly right.

[Interviewer]

And I remember standing there and going, he's exactly right. Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Like, I don't. Yeah, that's what I thought in my brain is like a 98. I would have been 16 or 17. That's what I thought because. And that was like, my range of music right there, too.

[Ryan George]

Wouldn't that be also explained? Tenfold.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

[Ryan George]

Great band.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah. Tenfold was sick, but, yeah. So there we go.

[Interviewer]

Great answers. Yeah. And Death Threat is kind of the hardcore band to. To me, as a Connecticut man, not. No Skips. Love them so much.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah, they're great answers. Yeah. Their discography is great. They still play. You could still see them. I think they're taking a break, but otherwise they're going to play. You could still see them.

[Interviewer]

I mean, they got Push Button on drums.

[Todd Jones]

Oh, that's right.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Todd Jones]

Yeah.

[Ryan George]

Cool.

[Interviewer]

Got it all. Well, guys, what a fantastic chat.

[Ryan George]

Hell, yeah.

[Interviewer]

Thank you so much for joining us. Carry on is back for now. So if they're playing near you, if they're not playing near you, go see Carry On. You're gonna. You're gonna be glad you did. I'm glad I did. Can't wait for the sound and furious set. I'll be there front and center. Maybe on the side as well, side to side, but here we go. Carry on is back for a short time and now we know a lot more about why and everything before everything in between in this beautiful chat. Ryan, Todd, thank you for being here.

[Ryan George]

Thanks for having us.

[Interviewer]

Pleasure and honor, and we'll see you next week.