La Dispute

Jordan Dreyer: The response has been pretty fantastic so far. It’d been a while since we’d released anything substantial, and having all that time in between allowed for a significant amount of growth for the band, and for all of us as individuals as well. As a result, the record is quite a bit different from previous efforts, and any time you present something that shifts directions to whatever degree, you wonder how it’ll go over with both the people who’ve supported you in the past and with the people who’d heard something older and not grasped anything. Of course, you don’t write specifically for either demographic— you write for yourself and for the project itself, but it was kind of fun and interesting to step back upon completion and truly have no idea what people on either side are going to think of it. At times while writing, we thought every one was going to hate it, but the more that time has passed since its release, the more it seems people are gravitating towards it emotionally and musically. You see more and more singing along at shows and hear more and more positive feedback from both sides of the coin. It’s really cool, and very humbling, of course, to put it simply.
LH: Do you plan on releasing any splits or EPs sometime later this year?
Jordan: There’s talk of it, like always, but nothing is set in stone as of writing this. We spent a lot of ourselves putting Wildlife together and it’s had two kind of contrary effects. Firstly, we needed some time to step back and be away from the whole thing. Kind of a collection period, I guess, to put things together at home with friends and families and to settle into life existing in one place all the time, and then to just rest. Secondly, it’s made us feel an underlying counterproductivity to that whole desired rest and relaxation period. Where we’ve been able in the past to just shut if off and enjoy “vacation,” we’re now stuck with this feeling of treading water artistically (and in life in general, at times) when we’re not writing or working on something band-related. It’s a weird push/pull. Point being, I’m sure something will come up soon, whether it be a split or a 7″ or even another LP.

Jordan: Truly, some of my favorite shows were at 1919. Just the best times. From when we first came down to Texas forever ago, to when it was as familiar to us as any other venue back home, 1919 gave us some of our best memories as a band. Always miserably hot, always uncomfortably close to everyone, always teeming with the sense of community that’s kept it alive and in many ways a fixture in the DIY scene, at least to the bands that play it. It’s a fantastic thing, and it’s an increasingly rare thing, which is part of the reason I think we hold it so close to our hearts. We grew up playing anywhere that someone would have us play— basements, VFW Halls, cafés, living rooms, wherever, because there weren’t and still aren’t alternate options for most punk and hardcore bands out there. To see that a volunteer-based venue like 1919 can function and can sustain itself was and is an incredibly remarkable and inspiring thing. I hope it runs forever and I hope people know how exceptional it is.

Jordan: Of course, but you learn pretty early on it’s not the size of the room or the nature of the show that decides the fate of it, it’s the people involved, and as long as the people in attendance and the bands involved are into it for any number of the more valuable reasons, you’ll have a good time. But you do sacrifice certain things when you start moving into bigger rooms, and those things you miss, but they’re not necessarily things that pertain to the show itself per se, it’s more of a relationship thing. By which I mean very personal and direct relationships. When you’re playing a show in someone’s living room, hanging out with that person afterward, then sleeping on that person’s floor you’re able to make very lasting friendships. When you take those things away it becomes a little difficult to cement friendships past business. Not impossible, but more difficult. There’s also the adventure involved with showing up somewhere you’ve never been to play a place that you have no information on. When you’re touring venues, it’s easier to predict what you’re getting into. When you book a show through BYOFL there are so many variables to consider. I miss that.