INDOCTRINATE hail from Austria and are a political (anti-fascist, anti-sexist, anti-authoritarian and animal friendly) DIY crust punk band who play a catchy, abrasive and diversified blend of hardcore punk and d-beat/crust. Their music also incorporates elements from grindcore, post-hardcore, doom/sludge and other sub-genres of metal. They recently released a new 7” called “… and all hail to progress and efficiency” on Profane Existence. It is their first release for PE and the band as well as the label are quite excited about this collaborative effort. The record was co-released with several other fine DIY punk labels from around the globe. – Interviewed by Lisa H. CLICK HERE TO GET A COPY
PE: So you’ve just finished recording your newest release, a 7” going by the name of “… and alll hail to progress and efficiency”. Are you satisfied how it turned out?
Indoctrinate: Yes we are. We think the songs are cool and we like how the recordings turned out. It took us quite some time to get them done and to find labels which would contribute to the release. In the end we’re really happy to have all these great DIY labels from around the world behind us and supporting us. Also, we like the overall design of the record and how it goes together with the content.
PE: Your lyrics are mostly concerned with socio-political issues. Why do you think it’s important to keep writing about such topics? Could you imagine ever writing a feel-good party song or a love song? Do you think that music can actually bring about change?
Indoctrinate: We think it is important to write about these things because they concern all of us. Fucked up things happen all the time, everywhere, all around us and it’s not that we have a choice but in one way or another we have to face them. So we think it’s very important to draw attention to certain political/environmental/social issues because in order to be able to change things we have to understand them/know about them first. There are so many issues one could write about and sometimes it’s quite hard to pick just one of them. So yeah we think that music can actually bring about change in the sense that it can create awareness, unite people and inspire (direct) action. Hmm…a love song…what a great idea… No, seriously, I think there are so many more important current issues to address and there are just way too many ridiculous feel-good party or love songs out there so we will spare you from another one of those. Haha!
PE: So is this one of the reasons why you choose to make music? What other influences are there?
Indoctrinate: Yeah this is definitely one of the reasons why we do what we do. Concerning other influences I would say the world around us, especially when it comes to writing lyrics, is a big influence since we try to talk about things that are happening and that need our attention (e.g. animal/human rights, war, neo-liberalism, the prison system, environmentalism, and so on). Music-wise there are a lot of bands and musicians that are an inspiration for us but to name all of them would be pretty useless. We just wanna play heavy music that besides being brutal (wow!) has got a certain groove and feel to it.
PE: What do you think about the political and environmental situation of the world in general? Do you think that the recent riots in Egypt, France, Ukraine or Hamburg (Germany) could open the door to major changes in global politics?
Indoctrinate: In general I think that the current situation of the world does not look very promising. Although all the recent riots, protests and uprisings show us that people are in fact trying to bring about change in the world. And one can only hope that all these events in the long run somehow do bring about (for the lack of a better word let’s say revolutionary) change and an end to poverty and oppression on a worldwide scale. The least these events do teach us is that we as human beings are capable of autonomy and self-governance (when you think about Occupy and similar movements for instance).
PE: Lets talk about your music again: Who does the songwriting in your band? How do your ideas for lyrics and tunes evolve into actual songs? Could you describe the process for us?
Indoctrinate: We arrange the songs together but usually our guitar player/singer has already a certain pre-existing structure in mind which he tries to communicate to the others sometimes more sometimes less effectively.
PE: How would you describe the underground scene in Austria? Do you get the chance to perform a lot? Are there any remarkable differences if you compare your home country to other places that you have played in?
Indoctrinate: Well, I guess the biggest scene’s in Vienna although it’s actually not that big compared to other (for instance European) cities. And there are a few venues (like EKH, Venster99, Arena or Pankahyttn) and DIY promoters who set up shows in the city and surrounding areas. So it’s quite a good scene. Other cities like Graz, Linz and Innsbruck also do have a vibrant punk scene. As far as politics are concerned there are for example local groups of Food not Bombs and the Anarchist Black Cross. Yeah, you do get the chance to play live, especially in Vienna where you got a lot of shows. Hmm differences? There are some minor differences, of course, but I wouldn’t say other places are so much different when it comes to shows.
PE: Do you worry about the future? Do you think there’ll be a time when you will be “too old” for punk-rock, when you’ ll be happy to marry and settle down with your wife, your three kids, the dog and a big-ass plasma TV?
Indoctrinate: Yep, we do worry about the future. A lot. But there’s still hope I guess. Oh yeah, that reminds me, I gotta go and watch some MTV on my big-ass plasma TV!
PE: Well, thanks so much for taking the time to answer these questions. Hopefully the readers will have a chance to see you performing live sometime soon! Do you want to make any last comments or give a shout-out to anyone?
Indoctrinate: Thank you! And thanks for the support everyone! We really appreciate it. And you can keep up with what we’re doing here: https://www.facebook.com/indoctrinate.crust indoctrinate.bandcamp.com or drop us a line here: indoctrinate@riseup.net
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