New Noise Magazine Issue #50

PHOTO ALAN SNODGRASS PHOTO

BY BY ALAN SNODGRASS

MAKE WAR INTERVIEW WITH BASSIST / VOCALIST EDWIN SANTACRUZ

BY JOSHUA MARANHAS

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et It Together, released in November 2019 through Fat Wreck Chords, is the third album by Brooklyn-based punk band MakeWar. The record is upbeat and thoughtful, with a touch of neurosis.

GRADE 2

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST / BASSIST SID RYAN AND VOCALIST / GUITARIST JACK CHATFIELD BY HUTCH

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whole experience is something we will all rade 2 is a trio of 21-year olds from remember for a lifetime.� the U.K. who have been a punk band for five full years. It’s not amazing that a youth culture, going strong “It was a calm environment, and a very quick process,� guitarist and vocalist Jack for 50-plus years, still attracts riled and Chatfield notes. “Tim worked us all out angry kids. But it is notable that these three lads write damn fine songs with maturity, rapidly, differentiating our weaknesses from our strengths, taking our abilities up thought, and skill. They have a full sound a notch. It was everything we could have with elaborate execution, not just three hoped for and then some. It’s amazing to chords and a snarl. Graveyard Island - the have someone with his musical knowledge title alluding to their home, the Isle of Wight and understanding overseeing our writing - is their third LP, and shows further growth from their already impressive signature. process, and for us to see his. We learned so much from him.� Now on Hellcat Records, with their record produced by Tim Armstrong, Grade 2 also The songs on Graveyard Island express toured the States in the summer of 2019. concern and frustration for an array of socio-political issues, but through a perIntelligent songwriting has solidified Grade 2’s stature in European punk circles, and their sonal lens. youth gives them a different viewpoint and energy in the oi! and punk scenes. Bassist and “The majority of our motivation is definitely from personal experience and our survocalist Sid Ryan agrees with this. roundings,� Ryan says. “Our upbringing on the island has given us a unique perception, “I believe so,� he says. “Although most of the and I feel we write a lot better when it’s meaning and understanding for the scenes about something we have experienced stay the same, we are definitely trying to first-hand.� bring some modern twists to the table. If that wasn’t happening, everything would just remain stagnated. I think you can hear On their third LP, Grade 2 has learned to deliver the same impact as their previous it throughout our newest album, with song efforts, with more succinct tracks. Sure, topics about technology within modern it’s always been punk, but punk and oi! living arising twice.� bands can certainly indulge in five or even six-minute songs. Graveyard Island’s The fact that Hellcat is delivering these tracks trimming feels very intentional, and the to the world still stuns these young men. band’s songwriting is aware of duration and repetition. “It’s an immense opportunity that we’re incredibly fortunate and grateful to have received,� Ryan says. “We’re all huge fans “I think we demonstrated quite well on our of the bands on the label, past and present. last record, Break The Routine, that we can indulge in three-to-five minute tracks,�

Now to be able to have our name amongst Ryan says. “So, [on] this record, we were that, truly mind-blowing.â€? definitely keen to try and bash out a few more quick, to the point songs. In the studio, And actually having Tim Armstrong run we were actually talking about one of the the boards for Graveyard Island was, Ryan new tracks, ‘Johnny Aggro,’ and I asked if reflects, “incredibly surreal.â€? maybe it was too short. And Tim looked at me in horror! [laughs] He said ‘this is punk rock. “It’s not every day you have the chance to Ain’t no one gonna be mad about that.’â€? đ&#x;’Ł work with one of your heroes,â€? he says. “The

18 NEW NOISE

love of punk in two songs sung in Spanish on this record. “We're playing one of them live right now,â€? he says. “It's called "No MĂĄs."

And it's about what we sometimes had to go through being Colombian and people misjudging, saying that we are drug dealers “The night is drunk and we’re all young!� or something. So, it's about stereotypes and What a way to start an album, with a verse stuff like that.� about disorder and not sleeping in bed. “The night is young and we’re in love,� the Having songs in Spanish on Fat Wreck song “Hopeless Dreamers� continues.

Chords is a source of pride and joy for him. “When we wrote [those songs], I didn't know This three-piece packs a punch. Their music that [the record] was going to be on Fat. It's gets the listener up and gets fists in the air. just fucking amazing. So yeah, I mean, I'm Get It Together is a fast record with catchy super stoked.� tunes, the kind of record that demands memorizing lyric sheets for sing-a-longs.

MakeWar is making music that’s happening now. “Oh Brother,â€? the first video for the Edwin Santacruz, the band’s bassist and album and single from the record goes newly-minted co-singer, explains their something like this - “Welcome to your journey from Colombia and Venezuela, nine-to-five. If you call in sick, you’d better through Red Scare Industries, to Brooklyn, be dying.â€? A reminder to keep your heart young and your soul awake, even as life and onto Fat Wreck Chords. goes on and age catches up. “How did that happen? Weird, right? Me and Jose [Prieto, singer and guitarist] met Santacruz says, “I feel like every band that back in Florida. We went to school in Fort comes into [Fat] has all these influences Lauderdale. We clicked on the fact that we from the bands that came before. Like, were both from South America and we both Jose fucking loves Lagwagon and their liked punk, and we also didn't speak a word melodies. But at the same time, I've come of English. So, we met each other, became from a different perspective, and Greg as homies, and then, you know, fast-forward well. So, I feel like we merge these different ideas into what MakeWar is now. We're not seven years or something.â€? reinventing the wheel here, but I feel like we Santacruz expands on the timeline, “Jose definitely have a sound.â€? moved to New York. I moved after. At the time we were a folk-punk, acoustic live There’s a quiet lesson in MakeWar’s music, band, just the two of us. I was playing the maybe not a political one, but a lesson in upright bass and Jose was playing guitar and being a good human. At this point in hissinging. We tried a couple of drummers and it tory, a song like “American FĂştbolâ€? serves didn't really work out. And then Greg [Taylor] as a good reminder of what punk rock came along and I was immediately like, all should do - create an environment of unity, equality, and thoughtfulness. MakeWar is right, we're transforming this whole sound.â€? a band on the rise, and they have plenty Despite moving to New York, Santacruz to be proud of in their music and in their describes his love of South America and his character. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł

PHOTO BY JOSHUA MARANHAS