Tulsa’s Time Theft came together to help build their local hardcore scene, a noble task always applauded on this website.
“We’ve known each other for years and played in some other bands together,” bassist Tip tells No Echo. “I was trying to start something and just reached out to people I’ve wanted to play with for a while.” When the band formed in 2024, Tulsa’s hardcore and punk landscape wasn’t exactly booming, but that only added to the motivation. “There was not a lot happening… so we wanted to fill a gap,” Tip explains. Since then, things have shifted. “It’s really exploded with young bands, which is really cool to see.”
While Time Theft initially leaned toward a post-hardcore direction—pulling from bands like Drug Church and Gumm—that approach didn’t last long. “We pretty quickly found our own sound,” Tip says. What emerged is something more direct and urgent. “We are more on the punk side of hardcore… I think we all just like fast and heavy.”
That ethos defines the band’s latest release, The Unrelenting Force. The EP has been in the works for some time, recorded locally with Cassidy Mandel and Colton Jean. “I describe these as songs about isolation and collapse,” Tip says, pointing to a darker, more introspective thread running through the material.
Even as the band locks in on this release, they’re already moving forward. “We have another EP in the works… hoping to get out later this year,” Tip adds, signaling that Time Theft aren’t interested in slowing down.
The band’s momentum mirrors what’s happening around them. Both Tulsa and nearby Oklahoma City are seeing a resurgence in hardcore activity, driven by a tight-knit DIY network. “Mass Movement in Tulsa is doing good things for an all-ages venue,” Tip says, noting recent shows from bands like Angel Du$t and upcoming dates with Spaced. Events like Flyover Fest and grassroots efforts like Barkingham Palace’s house shows and OKC’s Backroom venue are helping push things forward.
“A lot of people don’t think of Oklahoma, but we have a growing group of young people making big things happen.”
Time Theft are part of that wave, and they’re quick to highlight their peers. Tip points to bands like DICED, Leash, Jaw/Line, Free 4 All, Dirty Work, Flyweight, and Surrounding Fate as acts worth keeping an eye on.
Looking ahead, the band is also considering how their music is presented beyond streaming. For the physical release of The Unrelenting Force, they’re working on something extra. “We’re putting together a zine to go along with the EP that will have artwork, lyrics, and a download code,” Tip says.
With a fast, heavy sound and a growing scene behind them, Time Theft are doing exactly what they set out to do—building something where there once wasn’t much, and pushing it forward at full speed.
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