The split has been a staple of hardcore/punk for as long as I can remember. A showcase for bands to get their music to new listeners and make some new fans. Unfortunately it seems as though to become more of a rarity nowadays.
Enter two bands: Wish and Tear Drop.
These are two quintets with some things in common: Both formed and made their first recordings during the COVID lockdowns in 2020 and both play a crushing brand of unrelenting metallic hardcore.
Hailing from San Antonio, Texas, Tear Drop released their Circle of Pain demo in 2020. Featuring ex-members of Texas hardcore heavyweights, Bitter End, the group continued to stay busy and teamed up with Jay Reason's Static Era Records to release their Did You Wanna Love Me to Death EP later that year.
WISH from Tallahasse, Florida includes musicians from Malice at the Palace and Diamondback and they released their first EP, When I Saw Hell, in 2020. Then, in 2021, they hooked up with Strife guitarist Andrew Kline's WAR Records label to release their follow-up EP, Adapt or Die.
Now in 2022, WAR Records and Static Era Records have teamed up to give us the Tear Drop x WISH split as a showcase for two songs from each band that are crushing thrash infused statements of sheer and utter mayhem:
I spoke with Tear Drop vocalist Griffin Jarzombek and WISH guitarist Tyler Denslow to get some insight on what their plans are for the near future. This split will ensure that both bands are two hard-hitting outfits you need to keep your eyes on for the foreseeable future.
Tear Drop
What has the band been up to since the demo and that covers EP?
Not a whole lot. We’ve played a few shows. We opened for God’s Hate in San Antonio, which was great. I hadn’t played a live show other than a couple guest appearances since basically 2010, so it was really great to do that and quite cathartic on some levels. We also played with Restraining Order and then the pre-show for Wild West Fest in Salt Lake City. The fest was awesome, I feel like we’re getting our sound dialed in when we play live.
Are these new songs a progression for the band?
Absolutely. What interests me most about music is when artists evolve as time goes on. The songs we are writing are getting broader in sound. I’m trying to find more range with my voice and the other guys are trying new things as well. The band is definitely heavy, as is the trend in a lot of hardcore right now, but we just love heavy music and are trying to create something unique that we enjoy.
Any plans for a full-length LP and/or touring?
Yes, absolutely planning to do a full length. Things will be up in the air for a while as there are some pieces that have to fall into place. four of us are dads, and up until recently three of us didn’t even live in Texas anymore. That being said, we will all be living in San Antonio in 2023, so getting the LP done is top priority. \
With touring, none of us really have too much interest anymore. We are all in our 30s and 40s and have been in touring bands when we were younger. However, we’ve talked about doing a string of shows here and there.
What’s it like working with Static Era?
Jay has been great. I’ve been into hardcore for 20 years and have always loved doing things from a more independent standpoint. There’s something to be said about people who’ve actually been in bands, worked in the industry for years, have solid ethics, and understand the sound running the label.
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WISH
How did you link up with Tear Drop for this release?
Honestly, this link up was through Andrew from WAR. He had told us that they'd be a good fit and when we listened to their side, we were in.
How do you think the two bands complement each other?
Tear Drop is a little heavier but still super riffy whereas WISH is kinda thrashy. I really like splits where both bands don't sound exactly alike. I think it allows the listener to maybe check out something they maybe wouldn't normally listen to.
Tell us a little bit about the song "Crisis." What was the inspiration for the track musically and lyrically?
Musically the song is pretty basic with just three main riffs. We had an idea that we had been playing around with and then Kenny really wanted to sing, so we tried to write a part that complemented that.
What can we expect from WISH in the future?
Just trying to play some cool shows and write some more riffs.
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The Tear Drop x WISH split is available across all streaming outlets.
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