When No Echo last checked in with Bay Area hardcore outfit Bad World, the band was still finding its footing. Since then, Bad World has sharpened its sound and assembled Maker of Rules, a new three-song 7" dropped earlier this month. The record leans into crossover riffing and a distinct West Coast groove, capturing the band at its most focused and hinting at a larger vision ahead.
For vocalist GVB, the band's growth has been both personal and musical. Bad World is his first experience as a frontman, and the process has been a continuous lesson in trust and collaboration. "A lot," he tells No Echo. "I'm no musician, and this is my first band, so this has all been a learning process and exercise in trust. We've come very far from where we were originally in our approach, where it was just Timmy and me. We now have a much more open and collaborative space when it comes to the writing process."
Guitarist Timmy Lodhi manages much of the band's daily work, while GVB has settled into the frontman role. "Timmy is the band dad, so admittedly I'm not privy to a lot of the day-to-day, and let me tell you, I am so grateful for that," he says with a laugh. "They pretty much just tell me when and where. Some singer shit for sure, but I love pulling that card. I didn't know it was a thing."
Maker of Rules may be brief, but its three tracks offer a clear sense of Bad World's creative direction. "They definitely represent a cohesive sound that we're leaning into," GVB explains. "We've been sitting on those songs for over a year... I think we were trying to shop them around, but it does feel good to have them finally see the light of day."
The band has been working on a full-length album alongside these songs, a process that has taken more time than planned. "We've been working on a full-length for just as long—which would be because I've been playing that singer card a little too much," he jokes. "Because of that, the rest of my band got creatively stifled, and born out of that frustration are two great new bands in Phazed Out and Kill Em' All—both projects that rip and sound nothing like our new direction."
Bad World's music draws from hardcore's crossover tradition, but GVB's influences reach further. Much of his lyrical approach is shaped by hip-hop. "I listen to a lot of rap when I write," he says. "I appreciate the wordplay and the density of the lyrics, and I feel like it can really help craft a flow."
His listening habits extend well beyond hardcore and hip-hop. "I've been listening to a lot of Angel Du$t, Beton Arme, Alpha & Omega, Rude Awakening, but also Sade, John Moreland, Thin Lizzy, Paramore... obviously the Alan Parsons Project," he says. "Timmy's crafting the riffs, and I feel like we've always had kind of a Leeway thing going on. I think he's been listening to a ton of Bitter End lately."
Bad World's new release also marks the start of their relationship with Convulse Records, a connection that grew out of friendships formed on tour. "We've done a couple shows with them before, and they were just one of those bands you kind of get along with," GVB says. "We've got some mutual friends that put us in touch, and we reached out to see if they'd be interested in putting out the 7"."
He sees the label as a home for bands that exist outside of hardcore's current trends. "I think it's a really good fit. The Convulse roster is full of bands that can't easily be pegged into what's considered 'popular' hardcore and will stand out on a bill. I really fuck with that."
Growing up in Northern California shaped GVB's musical identity. Metallica and Exodus were early influences, followed by discovering Green Day's Dookie artwork in elementary school and trading for Nimrod in middle school. By high school, skating pools to AFI and All Bets Off led him deeper into Bay Area hardcore. "I'm so thankful to have grown up with these bands in the local DNA and going to venues like The Phoenix and Gilman—our own little Ruthie's Inn."
Looking ahead, Bad World plans to spend the rest of the year on the road, playing wherever they are welcomed. "Riding this mf out as long as I can," GVB says. "Playing shows in places we've never been to, for people that have never heard of us. Releasing our full-length."
Of all the band's achievements so far, one milestone stands out.
"When I first joined this band, I was really into daily gratitude lists, and I made one for things I wanted to accomplish with this band. At the top of the list was to have a physical record, and we've just got that one crossed off. Anything past this point is just icing on the cake."
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Maker of Rules is available on vinyl via Convulse Records.
Bad World on social media: X | Instagram
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