Runes

O 4theKids esteve à conversa com Dick Smith dos Runes, banda composta por membros dos The Legacy e dos Gold Kids. Segue então a entrevista.

How do two English guys and one Italian guy put together a Hardcore band?

Easily man. A lot easier than you would think. We're all so focussed on what we wanted runes to sound like, so when we get a small time to work together, we don't waste time playing nonsense that will never get used. We started the band because we love each others company and we get to see more of each other when we tour. In regards to the distance, we do our best to work around it, but it's hard, especially with me not having the Internet at the moment. Oh well, I'd rather have the distance and be in a band with one of my best friends, than be in a band of people I don't 'connect' with that might live in the same town.

It’s almost a hardcore super band, isn’t it? I mean, putting Legacy and Gold Kids member’s together…

Yeh, I guess you could say that, although there's a lot of people that would disagree with that term 'super'. We just took the good members from each band, so to me it's a super band.

It’s like Runes is going to sound like a mix of those two bands, or can we expect a whole new refreshing sound?

I guess we can't help but sound slightly similar to the bands we played in before, I mean, I spent a good few years with joey writing songs for the legacy, so when we write it has an element of that sound in there by default. But this is so different. It's better, for one. Much better. With me and joey writing most of the foundations of the music together, we get to shape it exactly how WE want.

Why “Runes”?

It's short. Easy. And it was suggested because we had an interest in runes used throughout history. And their aesthetic too. It was an artistic choice as well as an interest runes themselves.

What were the major influences, either musical or other ones, to the band?

I think if you can listen to the lyrics or read them, you'll be able to figure that out quite easily. Joey and I always wanted to do something a bit darker and a bit heavier, something that wasn't so bland. A sound that had dynamics to it, rather than just your 'let's play fast here, then go to a breakdown part here'. That's so worn out and transparent. We wanted to test our ability to actually write good songs that had good structure. Runes is bitter lyrically, in the truest sense, not because we thought it's 'cool' to be angry, I don't think there's anything cool about being angry. I hate it, but being angry or bitter really shaped our sound and influenced the band heavily.

It seems like there’s something of Integrity on Age of Enlightenment…

I'm not sure whether you mean the band or actual integrity? If you are talking about the band, then I can't really comment. I've never listened to more than one song in my life. I don't like them from what I've heard, it's not my thing. But that's not to say I don't mind the comparison, they are well respected band, so I'll take it as a compliment. Runes are better.

It looks like the lyrics are kinda dark and depressive, is that the lyrical direction of the band? I mean, what does the lyrics of Runes speaks about?

I wrote a lot of the lyrics with Joseph just after something significant happened, which is why I guess the lyrics aren't the happiest. I would love to be able to sing about real dark things more, say like Danzig, but that just wouldn't be perceived very well and I think you run the risk of sounding very trite and lame, so for now, I'll sing about what I've experienced.

What can we expect from Runes and your EP? Describe yourselves as a band…

We're releasing a four song 7" now as we speak, on anchors aweigh records. Like I said, if you know anything about our previous bands, then disregard that, it's not like them. We are not hardcore band, I've never said we were hardcore band. We just play as hard as we can, and as passionately as we can. That's all we know really. I genuinely think you can expect something different from your average 'hardcore' band, something totally different. If I had it my way, we'd be playing with stage shows and pyrotechnics and light shows, and girls dancing, but I'm a realist, that will come in time. As for a band, it's dark and heavy, what music should sound like.

Runes are going on tour with the label mates Lighthouse. How did it that happened?

Unfortunately, due to other commitments lighthouse couldn't dothe tour, which pretty much meant we couldn't either. But we are doing a few shows in November and possibly a proper tour in December. Keep looking on our pages online to see more details.

Can we expect you in Portugal in a near future?

Never say never, I would LOVE to say definitely. But we tour in a limited window of time, so if we can fit it into our schedule in the future then, see you there.

Speaking of it, have you ever came to Portugal? Do you know any of our hardcore bands or usually listen to any? (Day of the Dead is not allowed)

Unfortunately neither the legacy or gold kids have had that opportunity to come there, and a good reason to be in a touring band is to see as many places as possible, and take full advantage of that, so yeh, all I can say we'll try our best. I only know day of the dead, in terms of 'hardcore' bands. Oh and pointing finger too actually, my very first band were on the same label as them in Spain. Fight for change too right?

What are your expectations for the future of the band?

Tour as much as we possibly can, and hope that people will see how sincere we are about this band. I don't have any real expectations, I'll take it as it comes. But hopes, that's different. In an ideal world, we'll be touring with rammstein or Danzig and playing sold out venues all over the world.

List 5 hardcore albums that any hardcore kid must have on their shelf…

Don't limit yourself to hardcore. I'm not saying I don't listen to hardcore. I just think if I had only listened to hardcore, runes would not have taken the shape it has. So I guess my choices would be:

Descendents - milo goes to college

Nirvana - in utero

Rammstein - mutter

Danzig - ii

Runes - self titled 7"

Thanks a lot for your attention and time, you may say whatever you want to, here.

Contact us at : http://runesrunesrunes.com and find links to myspace/twitter/facebook/etc

Ao 4theKids, como será de esperar, resta agradecer aos Runes e, em especial ao Dick Smith, pelo tempo que nos disponibilizou para a elaboração da entrevista, bem como o interesse demonstrado. Thank you guys.