Washington state straight edge mainstays Wake of Humanity have spent over a decade blending urgent politics with hard-charging hardcore. After years of releases and tours across the U.S. and Europe, the band returns with new material and a partnership with New Age Records. Their forthcoming EP, Distress Signal, builds on 2018’s Fight/Resist LP, sharpening both their songwriting and their message.
Looking back on the band’s evolution, vocalist Chris LaPointe sees a natural progression in both structure and sound. “I think as the band evolves, so do our influences, and we continue to mature as songwriters,” he explains. “Things seem more fluid now with a well-defined path structurally and sonically. I view this record as a more straightforward hardcore record compared to Fight/Resist. Shorter songs, more breakdowns, fewer d-beat parts (which I sadly miss), and a few new/different twists and turns.”
That shift even surprised the band themselves. “At some point, someone or several people in the band, I can’t quite remember who, was like ‘we’re not writing any more songs with breakdowns…’ for whatever reason,” LaPointe recalls. “Pretty much every song on this record has multiple breakdowns.”
The writing process also changed as members moved farther apart geographically. “We’ve got folks in four different cities and two different states now,” he says. “That led to a very long writing process, but one of the songs, ‘Acquitted,’ was written by a few of us putting that together, demoing it and sharing it electronically, then hashing it out when we were in the same room. That process went smoothly and will likely be the case for the foreseeable future.”
While Wake of Humanity have long championed animal rights and environmental issues, Distress Signal leans more into social justice. “Lyrically, I took a step back from animal rights and environmental defense on this record,” LaPointe explains. “It wasn’t a calculated decision, just a reflection of the social tensions we were facing at the time. This new record leans heavily on our core value of human justice.”
Those themes were shaped by personal experiences during a turbulent period. “Absolutely, my lyrics on this one are a direct product of my environment at the time,” he says. “What drove these lyrics was the pandemic, isolation, attending protests, rallies, vigils, social upheaval—especially police violence with the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and the murder of Manny Ellis here in Tacoma just a few miles from my house. On a personal level, we’ve got a song that deals with my family being absolutely obliterated due to one person’s rampant substance abuse, manipulation, and greed over the past 10 years. Messed up times.”
The band’s new relationship with New Age Records came together in a characteristically organic way. “We had this EP recorded for a while, and we were discussing just putting it out ourselves,” LaPointe says. “One day it dawned on me, ‘Why don’t I hit up Hartsfield?’ We’ve known each other for years, even toured Europe together, and I’ve always loved New Age Records but never really considered that we could actually release a record on New Age. So I texted him… He responded almost immediately with ‘Let’s party.’ And here we are, super stoked.”
With a revamped lineup, the band’s dynamic has shifted as well. “With folks in different cities and states and busy lives, it’s definitely slowed us down a bit,” he admits.
“But the vibe of the band is much more laid back and chill, yet when we’re all in the same room, the energy is as high as it’s ever been. Songwriting has changed in that we share more demos and riffs electronically, then hash it all out when we practice together. That’s actually been way more efficient.”
Even with those logistical hurdles, the band’s sense of community remains strong. “If you come to practice, you’re gonna get fed,” LaPointe laughs. “Since our drummer lives in Portland, we rotate practice between Tacoma and Portland. We have no problem driving down for all the vegan spots.”
With tours planned across the Pacific Northwest, West Coast, and Europe, Wake of Humanity are gearing up for their busiest stretch in years. “Right now, I’m mapping it all out,” LaPointe says. “We’re playing local shows in the PNW to keep momentum, then definitely some record release shows. I’m most excited about going back to Europe this summer—we’re playing a fest I’ve wanted to play for a decade.”
As for the broader straight edge and politically minded hardcore landscape, LaPointe sees it in flux. “Hardcore is in a weird spot where XVX or political stuff isn’t cool or ‘hard’ enough,” he says. “But it looks like people are getting more politically minded with the current nightmare of a fascist administration.” He points to bands like Moral Law, Caged, and Clear X Cut as ones to watch.
More than 10 years in, Wake of Humanity are still pushing forward—refining their sound, staying true to their values, and bringing their message to new stages around the world.
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Distress Signals will be out soon via New Age Records.
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