"A Sense Of Direction In Life"- Setting The Record Straight With xapothecaryx
Roger recently broke down the walls and spoke with the individuals of United Kingdom's Vegan Straight Edge hardcore rippers xapothecaryx.
Thanks to Roger for putting this chat together and thanks to Amy, Dan and Jordan for making their music and spreading their message.
FOTS, 18/10/22
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Roger- Thanks for taking the time to speak with me. First I'd like to ask, what are your names and what instruments do you play?
Our names are Amy, Dan and Jordan. Amy plays drums, Dan plays guitars/bass and Jordan does vocals.
R- Where is xapothecaryx currently based and where are the member originally from? How did you meet?
xapothecaryx is based in the South East of the UK, our members hail from the Hertfordshire area. We met from being in a previous band together, Ill-Informed, Amy wanted to be involved after two of our previous members left so that we could continue making music, just in a different project.
R- Were you all in the same scene before the band formed?
Yes we were all in the same scene before forming the band, we had been playing and going to shows in the scene for several years. It made starting the new band easier, already having established relationships in the scene and having friends across the country.
I (Amy) am still relatively new to the scene and playing music in general. At the moment Dan writes the majority of the drums that I play for the band, however I am hoping to start joining in on the writing in the near future.
R- How long have the members been straight edge? What does straight mean to you? How did you find straight edge?
I (Jordan) have been straight edge for almost three years now. Straight edge means a lot to me, it was a conscious decision I made to abstain from vices that caused damage not just to myself, but the people around me. It gives me a sense of direction in life, and allows me to spend my time on creative hobbies. I found straight edge through being part of the UK scene, and meeting like-minded people that had claimed edge. It is something that I still read about presently, I enjoy learning about different peoples journeys and what it means to them to be straight edge.
I (Amy) found straight edge through a YouTuber/Pop Punk vocalist I enjoyed at the time. He did a tattoo tour on his YouTube channel and when it came to the big crosses he had, he spoke of how he grew up around people who were straight edge and described the life style that he was a part of. I instantly felt a connection - even though I was only about 14 at the time, I had been around a few people who liked to drink a lot and regularly, and I really didn’t like how I felt around them; how no one really acts themselves when they are intoxicated, and the idea of not being able to be fully in control of my actions if I were to be intoxicated always freaked me out a bit. I claimed then - when I was 14 - and I have never drank, gotten drunk or touched anything that could poison my person. When I met Dan, and realised him and some of his friends were straight edge (or considering it) I felt a lot less alone. Having not really been aware of the hardcore straight edge scene I didn’t really know anyone that had the same mindset about drink and drugs as I did, so I didn’t really tell anyone unless they were close family or friend. It is so nice now to be around so many like-minded people.
R- I really love the "Promo" and "Edification" cassettes. Very raw, stripped down, primitive and dizzying compared to a lot of other straight edge hardcore. Is this a conscious decision? How would you describe your sound? What are your influences musically? Anything beyond hardcore that you bring into your sound?
Thank you for checking out both of our cassettes, that means a lot. It was a conscious decision, we wanted our first releases to be completely DIY. It helped financially, and we weren't even sure if our project was something that people would listen to, let alone enjoy. The result being music that does sound raw, some people like this and others do not. I (Jordan) think we are still very much finding our sound at the moment, we are creating songs that we want to listen to with lyrics that we want heard. Influences for me are more embedded within the vegan straight edge scene of the 90s, but bringing in contemporary acts such as xElegyx and Contention. I have a broad love of hardcore and accompanying subgenres, but my lyrical style is influenced by my first loves of music such as Tool and Rage Against The Machine.
My (Dan) influences are mainly rooted around the current Euro hardcore scene with bands like Path of Resurgence and Times of Desperation being key influences. Other important bands for me are Show me the Body, Disembodied, World of Pleasure and Iron Deficiency. Bands closer to home that have had a big impact on what I'm writing include Going Off, Upraised, No Relief and Negative Frame, all of whom are killing it in the UK scene.
R- What are your origins with veganism and would you like to talk about your relationship with the diet/movement? Anything you'd like to say to the public in terms of making the choice to go vegan?
I (Jordan) have been vegan for almost three and a half years now, it was a decision encouraged by a good friend of mine, he suggested I try veganism for the weekend at the music festival we were attending, the rest they say is history. My relationship with the movement is a very healthy one and an inspiring one. I enjoy staying informed about the movement, and doing my best to help the planet. I heard a good quote that stuck with me in regards to veganism, 'plant-based is the diet, veganism is the movement', which rings true with my outlook on veganism. Anyone can eat plant-based food, but to be vegan is to care and to be active about defending the environment. The animal agriculture industries are actively destroying the planet, it is a truth that has been hidden for too long due to the mass profits that are made and used to create propaganda. You are not healthier for consuming animal products, the truth is very much the opposite. You will not deteriorate from a plant-based diet, the truth is very much the opposite. Animal agriculture is the leading cause of climate change, a truth that has been hidden. These industries harbour the profits to pay off politicians that enact policies which destroy the planet under the false curtain of betterment. These profits can pay off or create environmental charities that spread further disinformation, and suppress the truth. Wealth is the great corrupter, and in a world of capitalism it equals power. We are unfortunate to live in the era of capitalism, especially late-stage capitalism, but fortunate to live in an era of global connectivity where the real truth can be spread. Think for yourself and question authority. Go vegan for the sake of the planet and yourselves.
I (Amy) first went pescatarian when I was 16 after watching the Korean Film Okja. It felt like such a great way to show the horrors of the meat industry in a very easy way to understand and it really made me think more about what I was consuming at the time. When I was 19 I was surrounding myself with a lot more vegetarians that were showing me that being veggie wasn’t as difficult as I had made it out to be in my head, and so I became veggie. Less than a year later, me and Dan decided to go to the Retreat Animal Sanctuary and we got a tour around to meet all the the amazing animals that had been saved from horrific situations. As soon as we left that day I decided to go vegan. There was no way I could pretend that the suffering of animals wasn’t happening anymore.
R- Where do you sit politically? Do you consider yourself an activist?
Politically I (Jordan) am far-left, I reject the politics in this country and I am deflated to see such a large bound to the far-right that this country is seeping itself in. It is no secret that there is a rise of fascism in this country, I find a large majority of the current government policies to be fascist leaning. However, this isn't necessarily touched upon or brought to the forefront in politics which is concerning. I have only witnessed one MP to have mentioned the policies to be explicitly fascist when viewing debates within the House of Commons. It is disappointing and disheartening to have voted many times now since being of voting age, and not have any of those votes be successful. The only vote I can consider to be a successful vote, was a tactical vote that I conducted in the 2019 general election to remove the far-right MP that was currently sitting in my constituency. I shared information about the voting record of this far-right MP to local groups, and to have my voice heard about changing the sitting representative of the constituency. Many local residents were shocked to have not been aware of the evident voting for fascist policies, which was not the will of the local people. This posting reached many local residents before it was taken down by loyalist far-right residents of the groups, I then proceeded to post the information on my relevant social media pages to continue to reach people that might be unaware. Ignorance is bliss to far-right loyalists, they reap what they sow now in terms of the cost of living crisis, but this is not a burden that should be passed onto those of opposing political views. It is the poorest that suffer in this country, and that wealth gap is deepening at an alarming rate. The policies enacted now are no longer subtle in their benefits to the ultra-rich and encouragement of a fascist regime. What people forget is that fascism does not happen overnight, it starts with painting a select group of people as enemies of the state; unions, immigrants, transpeople, all of these people have or are currently being blamed for the economic turmoil in this country. Unions are for the betterment of the working class, to ensure safe working environments with a livable wage. Yet they have been branded as the enemy of the state for causing disruption to have their voices heard. Wages in this country have been driven into the ground, the national minimum wage is not something that people can live off. People can not afford homes, they are forced into rental agreements of which they will never own their own property. Energy prices have soared and a windfall tax has not been imposed, a disgusting and obvious act of paying energy companies using taxpayers money. The EU has been quick to enact a windfall tax, and their residents will not have to burden such heavy costs, unlike UK residents who will have to choose between heating and food this winter. The politics in this country are sad and abusive, no longer do this parliament represent the average person in this country. A party for the elite, funded by the elite, protected by the elite. How much do we have to endure until we fight back and take what is ours.
R- What literature/any type of books are you reading at the moment?
I (Jordan) am currently reading Sober Living for the Revolution: Hardcore Punk, Straight Edge and Radical Politics by Gabriel Kuhn. I had actually read the sequel to this book first as I was unable to find this book available to buy, but I was able to recently. I am about halfway through and adore reading about the different straight edge movements globally, the different bands involved, and the different people that are leading the movements. I cannot recommend it enough.
R- Favourite movies or television shows?
My (Jordan) favourite films list is too extensive but some off the top of my head are Alien, Blade Runner, Goodfellas, Saw, Stalker, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barry Lyndon and Lord of the Rings. Favourite TV shows include first season of True Detective, Game of Thrones and Black Mirror before it went to Netflix.
My (Dan) favourite film is Amélie. The storyline and cinematography are just beautiful and it holds a special place in my heart.
Some of my (Amy) favourite films have to be Alien, Hereditary and Parasite.
R- All time favourite albums?
My (Jordan) all time favourite albums include Aenima by Tool, Rage Against The Machine self titled and My World by Code Orange.
My (Dan) favourite albums of all time are Agætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós, Sprained Ankle by Julien Baker, and Home Alone by Totorro.
My (Amy) all time favourite albums are Back to Black by Amy Winehouse, Damn by Kendrick Lamar, Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers and I Bought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love by My Chemical Romance.
R- Any favourite visual artists?
My (Jordan) favourite visual artist is Stanley Kubrick, as a director I think his films are unmatched.
My (Dan) favourite visual artist is Ryoji Ikeda. I saw his 'continuum' exhibition in Paris 2018 and it blew my mind! Other works of his I have enjoyed are 'data-verse' and 'test pattern'.
I (Amy) have too many favourite artists but two that come to my head are Francis Bacon and Jess Chen. Bacon created such striking raw imagery with his paintings, and Chen creates tattoos that are very unique and just stunning.
R- If I may ask, what is the intro sample on "Maceration" ("Edification" cassette) from?
The sample on Maceration is a speech that can be found here. It is a combination of the opening statement, and the part focused on the disposal of male chicks.
R- Does xapothecaryx have plans to tour and record a full length anytime soon?
We are in talks for a Euro tour next year, and we will be in the studio before the year is up to record our debut EP.
Thank you for taking the time to talk to us and caring about our band.
Jordan, Dan & Amy
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