Mindset is an up and coming band that is fueling the youth crew resurgence present in today’s hardcore. I conducted an interview with lead singer Ev Wivell at Charm City Artspace where we discussed youth crew, straight edge, homophobia, and being handsome. Swiz, Ev’s dog, was barking the entire time in the background.
Phil: I know you weren’t the original singer of Mindset. How did you end up joining?
Ev: The only reason I’m a member of Mindset is because of Mike, who plays guitar. I joined the band about two or two and half years ago. The Anti-Wasteoids were having a problem either finding a full time guitarist or full time vocalist, and Mike was kind of doing both. They had a few fill ins, but it got to the point where Mike was like, “if I can’t find a guitar player to play my songs, I want to find someone to do vocals.” I still remember, because it was a very big day in my life, we were sitting in my parent’s car and he was like “well… you want to do it?” And I said: “Hell yea!”
Phil: Were you in a band before that?
Ev: I was actually in a band at the same time that had just started. It was a joke band and the joke was that I was in it.
Phil: When and how did you become Straight Edge?
Ev: I would say growing up, before I was even straight edge, I always had this weird feeling that something wasn’t right with how everyone was doing things. I remember my friend Teddy and I were always against partying and getting wasted and always trying to find our own fun. I met Mike in my 10th grade biology class, and he turned me onto punk rock and straight edge, so it’s been like that ever since. I’ve never been drunk; I’ve only drank once. I was sixteen years old. I had some Jack Daniels mixed beverage – I believe it was watermelon flavored. I drank half of it and left the party. So that was the last and only time I drank.
Phil: The transition between being the Anti-Wasteoids into the Mindset album and seven inch was a pretty big turn in maturity. I know you guys talked about how influential the First Step was and I was wondering if you could tell us how much they meant to Mindset as a band?
Ev: Well obviously, when the First Step was going strong, they were not only the preeminent positive straight edge band, but also one of the only. We were really into the First Step. We thought they were an awesome band, we didn’t know them personally at the time (This was Anti Wasteoids time). I remember the first show we played with them was at Champ with Verse, Ruiner, and Van Damage. That was actually the first time we met Aram, who later put out our record. I remember they were really stoked on Anti Wasteoids because we had a fourteen year old drummer who was a total badass on drums and covered Turning Point and if you ask them today, they will give you the same answer. We met them there and we played with them again in Baltimore and a couple of us came up with them to Boston for that first Edge Day thing. So we kind of developed a relationship with them; but I remember there being a time of us talking about our first tours and we talked about bands we could tour with, and there were bands we talked about who were no where near the level of the First Step and we were like “No, they would never want to tour with us.” And then, Stephen called us up and asked us to do a weekend with them, and that was the weekend we got asked to be on React. Then we did another weekend with them, and another weekend with them and now they’re really good friends of ours. But yea, they influenced us a lot; I guess how I met them wasn’t part of the question. I will say, for a band that really puts their heart on their sleeve, those guys never let us down. I remember looking and waiting for examples of them being full of shit, just because so many people are, but they’ve always been the most sincere, nice, and genuine people who legitimately believe in what they’re doing. That’s one thing that stood out to us, that if you’re going to do something like this and be in a band that puts a lot of yourself out there, you better be true to it.
Phil: You guys sold out your first pressing in something like a month. Were you surprised?
Ev: We were definitely surprised. We played up and down the east coast a little bit and California without the record. Originally we were only going to do 500 records; for us, if he would of done 5 records, we would have been pumped on that. His first two releases did pretty well and React sort of had a fan basis in itself and he asked me if I wanted to do 1000 and I was like, “It’s your money, do whatever you want.” So it was a huge surprise. We have a lot of friends in Baltimore and Central PA, but we’re not selling out shows or anything. I think it has a lot to do with React and the popularity that they gained. I think React covers a certain niche in hardcore that isn’t represented very well. We got a little hype off it, did a small tour with the record, and next thing you know, we were planning a second press. We’re just grateful for everything React has done.
Phil: I know we’ve talked about this before; but you guys are said to be the front runners of a supposed youth crew revival. Would you agree that youth crew has become trendy again?
Ev: I definitely think youth crew is making a comeback. The first Anti Wasteoids demo was like: Yo, Chain of Strength is awesome is our demo, so we’ve been doing this for quite a while. Obviously bands like The First Step, Fired Up, and Get the Most have been around for a while and those are the kind of bands we always kind of looked up to. I guess it’s kind of weird timing, but it’s kind of like when TFS stopped and we started to gain a little of momentum – and I’m not saying that we were the reason for this or anything- youth crew started to pick up and we started to see some newer bands pick up all over the place. So I definitely think it’s picking up steam and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that hardcore has a very cyclical nature, things come in and out. I think the popularity of positive, older, faster, youth crew style hardcore has a lot to do with what is popular in hardcore now, which is a very negative and very theatrical, almost, brand of hardcore. I think a lot of kids have in their heart that the kind of shit they want is… I’m not going to say meaningful; I’m not going to talk shit on any hardcore band; but more positive, fast, no thrills, to the point, pissed off hardcore; and that’s definitely going to make a comeback. Some bands are Face Reality from Michigan, Alert from Massachusetts, a newer band from New Jersey called Outlast – kind of on the In My Eyes tip, bunch of bands from Florida, some bands from St. Louis, all those legitimate dudes from Seattle are doing bands again. It’s just cool to be apart of it.
Phil: I think the term youth crew has really lost it’s meaning lately. People label bands that aren’t necessarily youth crew as it, and I was wondering how you would define it?
Ev: I think it’s kind of like, you just know when you see it. First and foremost: it’s the sound. Original youth crew was kind of a big, close knit together community and there was definitely a very defined sound. Obviously, there were some variations to it between Youth of Today to Chain and even throw in early Supertouch - its not pure youth crew but it’s got some vibes from it. I think a lot of it has to do with the sound, the fastness, the message, the aesthetic, which may seem superficial, but everyone is rolling with an aesthetic, that’s just the way it is. At the same time, I’ve never worn a t-shirt over a hoody, and I sing for a youth crew band. So I think, you just know when you see it. You know a crust band when you see it. You know a New York hardcore, survival of the streets kind of thing, when you see it. Its just something that when you’re in hardcore, you can pick up on stuff like that.
Phil: How weird is it not having Phil in the band? I remember ever since we first played with you guys, Phil was sort of the mascot of the band.
Ev: It is very weird not having Phil in the band. I’m trying not to dwell on it too much. I know it was a big change for us when it was first brought up. Mike, Phil, and I have been in the band a long time. We were talking about ending the band because we didn’t know if we wanted to go on without Phil. That lasted for about a day and I just got really pissed off, and I told him this so I don’t feel about saying this, but it was basically “if you don’t want to be part of this, you can stay home. But we’re going to move on.” It’s weird but we kind of moved past it very fast. We have Dan Fang from Bad Habit on drums. He’s a certified bad ass and an awesome drummer and an awesome guy. I was really worried. I thought our summer touring would be done, and I thought it would take months for us to get to the point where we were, but Dan knew the whole set without actually playing it on a kit. We started writing the new record and I think we’re ready to just move forward. With Phil and with Chad, they were awesome guys, they were some of my best friends, but they weren’t feeling it as much as we were. We kind of just wanted to move on with people who loved hardcore, loved touring, and loved Mindset and just loved to rock. So we got Dan and Jon from Desperate Measures and LOJ on guitar and Chris on the funky bass.
Phil: When I bring Mindset up to a lot of people, they bring up political correctness. Would a PC band be a good definition for you guys?
Ev: I’m not insulted by it. I’m a pretty politically correct person. I’m definitely a peaceful person and I’m a person who thinks that if everyone took a little time to think before they did things, the world would run a little smoother. We’re definitely not afraid to talk about it. We’re not afraid to say that everyone is welcome and not to be elitist in hardcore. The last thing we want to do is exclude people. We all felt like outcasts and people who got this weird feeling in their stomach when they’re around normal people, which I still feel to this day. The last thing we want to do is make people who come to punk or hardcore as a refuge feel uncomfortable. People can define my band however they want. I kind of believe in social functionalism, where I am what you say I am. I think political correctness has a certain negative tone to a lot of people, but fuck it, I’m not afraid. People can say what they want.
Phil: I wanted to bring it up, because I believe that hardcore and political correctness are on the completely opposite spectrum. I think they just take it because of that song “Words.” I think people generalize because you talk against saying faggot, but that isn’t necessarily what being PC is. Being PC is, to me: I better watch what I say so I don’t offend anyone. That’s definitely not you guys.
Ev: Well, if that’s how define being politically correct, I would say we are definitely not a politically correct band. I’d say that I definitely think it’s ridiculous that people say things like faggot, and that was something I was very outspoken on, and still am. I wrote that song as a reactionary song to what I saw and still see in hardcore and every day. When I was growing up in high school, I’d being walking down the street and some fucking redneck would call me a faggot, and then I’d come to a punk show to be with my friends and people would still call me a faggot. Where else am I suppose to go if I can’t feel comfortable here because I’m a little different? I’m definitely not afraid to say what’s on my mind. We actually got a lot of shit for standing up against homophobia and shit.
Phil: Homophobia has always been a touchy subject…
Ev: …Right and that’s why we wrote the song. How many bands have songs about equality and shit, but then Mindset walks in the door, and they shit on us because we’re clean cut and don’t fit the punk aesthetic or some other superficial bullshit. Not a lot of people talk about homophobia, but if you’re going to say something like everyone is welcome, fucking mean it.
Phil: Without taking sides to the argument, I can see why a word like faggot isn’t a big deal. Homophobia, in its entirety, is about immaturity. I grew out of not liking people who were different from me when I was 12. So some people see it as that. Hardcore in itself is a very immature thing, you know? It’s like, I’m being immature, I’m moshing like an idiot, I’m young till I die.
Ev: Oh, definitely. That’s kind of the awesome thing about it. But I have a couple things I’d like to say about things. Its immature to the 99% of the rest of the world who are viewing it from the outside in. Its a youth culture and its about having fun and its about being with your friends and its about living your life unafraid of the consequences twenty years from now, but at the same time, its a subculture of consciousness that stands for something. It’s not just straight up sleazy rock n roll. I feel like it should have a message. I’m kind of an extreme person and I like to take sides on issues like this. I just feel when it comes to something like homophobia that if someone isn’t going to say something, I will. I have friends that throw words around a little vicariously, and I know they’re not bad people or bigots, but to me, I wanted to stand up in front of people and say: just listen to yourselves. You sound ridiculous. You can do away with that. Mindset is not afraid to be extreme.
Phil: Alright, last question. How does it feel to be one of the most handsome bands in the Baltimore, DC, PA area?
Ev: It feels pretty awesome actually. We were always a contender for most handsomest regional band, and now that we have Dan in the band. With his stunning biceps and rippling pectorals. I remember people were worried when we lost Chad, that we would lose a great deal of our handsomeness; but, if you’ve ever seen Jon Skovitch, I think you know we’re back on top.
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