West Virginia's Vile Mind has been steadily building momentum over the past year thanks to a combination of hard-hitting songs, honest subject matter, and a relentless work ethic. The band's latest EP, Doomed Future, expands upon the themes introduced on its debut release, Endless Suffering, while tackling addiction, recovery, grief, and personal transformation through a distinctly Appalachian lens.
I caught up with Vile Mind guitarist Ryan Herndon to discuss the making of Doomed Future, the state of West Virginia Hardcore, balancing family life with band responsibilities, and some of his favorite hardcore releases of 2026 so far.
I first covered the band last fall on No Echo. How have things been going in the months since then? Have you been playing a lot of shows?
The last few months for us as a band have been pretty solid. After the first EP, Endless Suffering, we played as many shows as we could. I think last year's total was 13, which is a good amount given our family and work lives.
I'm psyched on the Doomed Future EP and have been playing it a ton lately. Tell me a bit about the recording experience and the people you worked with in the studio.
Thanks, Carlos. I'm really glad that you enjoy it. When we recorded Endless Suffering, we already had two of the songs written for Doomed Future. We decided to hold them and write two to three more songs for the release. That started in December 2025 with our longtime friend and collaborator Jeremy Dingey.
We worked through March at his studio, Bike Path Studios in Ohio, and over four sessions produced the record that we wanted. Everything we did with this EP was done with a collaborative mindset, with the intention of creating exactly the feel that we needed to convey Nate's words and the story of his life.
What did you set out to say with this EP, and what are some of the themes that you tackle in the songs?
In our minds, the first EP is real-time active addiction. It's [vocalist] Nate's story of living with addiction, living on the streets, and battling for his life. Doomed Future is a bookend, or a part two, of that story.
The EP starts with addressing the disease of addiction head-on in "D.O.A." "Incensed" is the second track on this record, and it is pure anger. The anger comes from the fact that the state we live in and the people we love have been ravaged by the Sackler family and their product, OxyContin. We've all been affected by it, and the amount of loss, grief, and anger that we live with is hard to imagine.
In "Head of the Snake," we're tackling breaking cycles, whether it's addiction, a negative loop in your head, or generational cycles of harm. "Piece by Piece" is a continuation of that. It's about taking back your life and realizing you have to take control of your situation. Do the work and rebuild your life from the ground up if you have to.
The last song is "My Own Two Feet," and it's a culmination of the hard work that you've put in to be able to stand on your own and become the person you're supposed to be.
From what I've seen online, it looks like the EP has been getting a lot of love. Do you see an uptick in plays and all that other stuff? Are people discovering the band?
Interest in our band and our music is growing. The plays are going up, but they come down. You always have to produce something to keep people interested. With the state of the world, hardcore punk music is on fire, so you have to keep up with all the new and old bands out here ripping.
But the best thing you can do is not pay attention to the numbers and just enjoy it when you're out there living it.
READ MORE: Best Hardcore Albums and EPs of 2026 (So Far)
What's the plan for the rest of the year? Are you working on a tour? Also, have you been approached by labels and booking agents yet?
Touring is a hard one for us. We would love to, but we aren't able to pull it off. So we do what we can, pull a weekend every other month, and keep writing and working on new music.
We've had some interest from a few labels. It's awesome, and we're very grateful, but without touring it feels like it's not a fit for labels to work with us. That being said, if there's a label out there that's down to work with us without the need for us to tour heavily, hit us up!
How has being based in West Virginia helped or hurt the band? I know the hardcore scene has been getting stronger there, but it's still a tough go—or am I wrong?
First thing I'll say to that: we wouldn't do this if it wasn't for WVHC. This community gives us life. These songs are for them.
Living in this state is not a hindrance for us at all. We can reach some great areas within four or five hours, so weekends are pretty easy to map out and pull off.
As far as the state of hardcore in West Virginia goes, it's alive and well. We as a community wanted it, and we have built it.
We just had the Terror, Pain of Truth, and End It tour come through with 400 people showing up on a Tuesday night. Come through and see what's going on in the state of West Virginia.
What 2026 hardcore records (LPs or EPs) have you personally loved so far?
Here are my picks:
- Division of Mind – Exoterror
- Life's End – Accept the Pain
- Forced Order – Undying Spirit
- Bad Beat / D Bloc – DHC Split '25
- Mongrel – Baptized in the Gutter '25
Thanks, Ryan. Do you have any additional thoughts to share?
Thank you, Carlos, for your support. We appreciate what you do for the scene and the culture.
If you're pissed off at the world you see, if you're tired of corporate greed, if you're tired of divisive rhetoric from the "leaders" of this fucking place, start a band, start a zine, start interacting in your community.
Love one another, take care of each other, don't trust the government, and listen to Vile Mind.
Rest in peace, Brad Hutchison.
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Vile Mind on social media: Instagram
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