A couple of weeks ago, the Blacklisted Twitter account posted a Bandcamp link containing the demo of a new band featuring some of its former members. The name of the group is Staticlone, and while there's certainly a hardcore bent to what they're doing, there are other influences at play, but more on that below.
I was always a big fan of George Hirsch's lyrical and vocal work in Blacklisted, and I'm thrilled he's back at work in Staticlone, this time also playing guitar (something he also did in his Harm Wulf solo project).
After living with the Staticlone for a few days, I reached out to George to talk about his new musical chapter, its wide-ranging influences, and the personal loss that went into some of his lyrics on the release.
I learned about Staticlone via a tweet from the Blacklisted Twitter account. In this day and age of so much hype, it’s cool when bands just pop out of nowhere like that.
I did another interview the other day and they mentioned hype as well, maybe alluding to us trying to go under the radar. To be honest, I/we didn’t even think about it that way. We just demoed the songs and released them. It wasn’t a way of running counter on the norm. In a way it reflects my personality more than the others in the band, I think they would maybe want a bit more to show for their efforts, better recording, etc.
I am just always looking for ways to make myself smaller, which I guess isn’t good for a musician. I'm glad you think it is cool though, because I agree.
Give me the backstory on the formation of Staticlone.
Doing a new band started in my brain about a year after Blacklisted ended in 2018. I’ve mentioned this in other things, but Blacklisted was a heartbreaking experience. It went on for far too long. The tumultuous breakups and reformations are well documented. I wasn’t close with anyone in the band, or the scene for that matter, and I just felt unbearably lonely. It was difficult and I regret it.
But we as a band were also extremely lucky so there are aspects I am extremely grateful for. I’ve always likened punk/hardcore to a haunted house, most people just pass through get their scares, walk out the door at the end and do whatever it is they do. Go run a business, start collecting anime figures, take up surfing, I don’t know. I felt like I was in the haunted house, but only the janitor was there l, telling me I was a pesky kid. This is all just how I felt, to be fair, maybe it’s a real me problem. Who knows? So after the band ended I went home and was done.
So, after some time at home, I was working and just listening to music all day and I started obsessing over punk and hardcore. What I loved about it. My teenage self, before I was in a band or even knew what the scene was. All I knew were records. And before I knew it I wrote 20 or so songs and started asking people I knew if they wanted to do a band.
Hardcore is completely ageist, so there was some hesitation, I didn’t even know how it would work and at that point I didn’t even want or care to sing. I just wanted to play guitar. Everyone said no, or ignored it. So I reached out to the people I played with in Blacklisted towards the end. They said yes, I flew to Philadelphia, we demoed 6 different songs from what is on the demo we released, and then all went our separate ways.
Time went by and nothing happened. I spoke to the bass player regularly for the next year or so, but the others I sort of fell out of touch with. And at the end of the last year we got back in touch, I flew back home to Philadelphia again, we demoed the rhythm guitar, bass and drums of 6 new songs, with Jeff our drummer at his house. I took the recording back to Chicago and recorded my guitar and vocals in my house and now this band is called Staticlone.
How would you describe the band’s sound? Elements of it reminds me of Dance with Me-era TSOL and Samhain, but I’m curious about the influences you guys shared on this project.
Like I said above, I was just obsessing over what I loved about punk and hardcore. A band that would please my 15-year-old self. Some would vouch that I’ve been a moody person my entire life. I wanted to make something that reflected that. Doomy-gloomy-hardcore punk, whatever. Dave, the bass player, is the person I bounce most ideas off of, and we speak everyday.
Discharge, Motörhead, Nausea, Misfits/Samhain (if you know Dave this is a big talking point) are all things we spoke about. Random Japanese stuff like the band Ghoul. When I first showed the songs to everybody, there was a moment where Jeff and I looked at each other and he just said “Amebix," and I said, “Uhhh, fuck yea."
But also, something like Victim of Pain-era Agnostic Front may as well be tattooed on my soul, ya know? Its my favorite hardcore/punk LP of all time, so it would be hard to say it wasn’t an influence, even if none of us in the band talked about it specifically.
Things I was thinking a lot about while writing that no one else in the band cares for like Celtic Frost and Dream Death/Penance, even Shades of God-era Paradise Lost. Some of this stuff will reflect more in future releases, I think?
Yeah, I can hear those influences now that you mention it.
One big thing for me was the atmosphere. The atmosphere on those early '90s death metal and death/doom demo tapes was something I really want the band to have and I think we accomplished that, at least to my ear. That stuff is so powerful, and something I really thought a lot about.
The way when you are a kid, and you just want to listen to an album and you get it and do so by any means, whether is a 30th generation tape, or a record player that runs between 33 and 45rpm, never at the exact speed so there is a wobble that is unique to your listening experience and gives the music a different personalized identity to you.
I realize this is a romantic notion, even somewhat naive, everything is digital and crisp, and musicians learn how to do more than a power chord and think they deserve the most hi-fi documentation of their prowess. But it doesn’t mean I as a musician won’t try as hard as I can to achieve the opposite.
My favorite aspect of Blacklisted was always your lyrics and how you weren’t afraid to let things fly, no matter how self-critical you were. How are you approaching the lyrics on Staticlone? The words you wrote for the song “Pellet Gun” read like poetry.
I have to be self-critical. It's the only way I can analyze the past without just feeling crushed, let down, and angry, both at myself and others. I'm glad you appreciated that aspect of Blacklisted. I think this time around, the most important difference is, I play guitar and sing, which creates its own journey. In Blacklisted, I only sang, and I was give the music to sing over, so I had to do my best in figuring out that puzzle. I mostly sang with the drums. I was given the freedom for more words, etc.
One thing I wanted to do was be more minimal. More like Discharge-haiku style. But, none of my lyrics are sloganeering. They are still in my wheelhouse. I am hesitant to say this next thing because it's really personal, but you saying the lyrics for “Pellet Gun” read like poetry really hits me in regard to a turning point I had with lyric writing.
Before we recorded this demo, my brother was killed, and for the first time I had difficulty writing lyrics because I kept putting stuff together that I would read and I felt referenced that grief, and it felt wrong. I kept thinking about when I would talk to him and he would always get mad that I didn’t take a lot of the opportunities that were presented to me, signing with a bigger label, putting out a book of writing, even just doing “press” and things of that nature.
One conversation I had with him while I still lived in Philadelphia, he was saying I should make a book of lyrics and to embrace my “poetic” side, maybe get away from music. Of course I didn’t listen. And I think I’m a real poor mans poet. But, I tried my best on this stuff after he passed.
"Pellet Gun"
Like a pallbearer setting a wreath
Some see grief, some see relief
Are you at peace?
Are you at peace?
Keep the zealots on the run
Broke into heaven with a pellet gun
God plays favorites
So what
Like a gargoyle on a church
Some play hymns, Some play a dirge
Does it hurt?
Does it hurt?
Keep the zealots on the run
Broke into heaven with a pellet gun
God plays favorites
So whatKeep the zealots on the run
Broke into heaven with a pellet gun
God plays favorites
So what
Keep the zealots on the run
Broke into heaven with a pellet gun
God plays favorites
So what
What’s the plan for Staticlone now that you’ve released these songs? Will you be doing shows and is there plans set up yet to work with a label?
We are going to self release a flexi sometime early next year. 2-3 songs. And also release the demo on a tape. As far as shows, we don’t have anything planned. Whether that has to do with the continuous rumblings of the pandemic, or just me being weird, I'm not sure. We haven’t really talked about it. I think we are down to play a gig, sure. Hit us up.
We have no plans to release anything with a label. Not against it, but also not planned, and we are more than capable to do it ourself if we get to that point.
George, it was nice catching up with you again. Thanks for your time and if there's anything else you'd like to add, please let me know.
I really appreciate this website. Things like No Echo and the podcast/radio show Marked For Life, should be championed for their selfless coverage of music. Too much of a the modern world is just a shameless promotion of the self. I realize the irony as I end an interview about a band I am in and talk about…..myself.
You do a good thing though, thanks. Please take care of one another.
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Tagged: blacklisted, staticlone
