Interview with Punk Band Valgarian

October 22, 2020

Interview with Punk Band Valgarian

By Mick Michaels

COSMICK VIEW: Hello! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.

CV: Do you feel artists are responsible to use their particular medium to "educate" their audience on social, political and economic issues that they feel are currently plaguing the nation? Or is it more of a personal agenda based on the artist's own beliefs and desire to use their celebrity to gain supporters and create overall awareness to further their own careers?
Vulgarian: Both/neither. Bands as an entity? If art’s your only focus, there’s nothing wrong with that. And even then, we saw a lot of great things done this summer by apolitical bands like donating merch sales to causes…and that’s equally valuable as being politically outspoken. That said, if you play in a band, hold strong beliefs, and are committed to change, you should probably be using your musical talents to engage with that to some degree, like playing in a more political project.

CV: Should music contain such a message that it makes people think and act or should it be more of escapism for the listeners...an escape from reality, much like a good movie is designed to be?
Vulgarian: Both are necessary…just like documentaries vs. movies. Music is a powerful art form and can tap into abstract, conceptual, textural explorations and provide a very necessary respite from the concrete confines of the physical world…or it can be a robust vessel for challenging the listener’s views and getting a message across. Both are important, and I think an absence of one side of that coin would make the other less powerful.

CV: Does music have the power to drive and make real social and political change in your opinion?
Vulgarian: I don’t think music has ever really changed anyone’s mind, but it does help galvanize existing views and provide sonic solidarity if you’re lacking in confidence for holding them or expressing them. Unlike documentaries, you can’t really support your arguments/lyrics with any sort of citations or extended discourse, so you lose a major avenue of actually challenging viewpoints. On the other hand, if you go to a lot of punk shows and frequently hear bands sing about veganism or killing landlords, that will likely leave an impression on you, if at least from a standpoint of localized social conformity.

CV: Would you consider one genre of music over another more suitable to deliver a strong, solid political message? Is punk music one such genre that has enough of an edge to have a high level of impact when it comes to certain topics?
Vulgarian: Some genres are more conducive to being political but it’s not an exclusive thing. For example we played with Dawn Ray'd last Stygian Rites fest in South Dakota and they were an excellent leftist black metal band. I think what helps punk, grindcore and so forth is that they were founded on being political so the culture is already there.

On a more practical level, the intelligibility of punk vocals really helps too…for instance, a lot of grindcore bands are also very political but you often wouldn’t know if you didn’t look at the lyrics, whereas Discharge’s stance on say, military expenditure, is immediately clear from listening to the music itself.

CV: Do you feel Vulgarian's music is solely charged by the issues of the current world status or are there other avenues of inspiration and resource for the band to draw upon?
Vulgarian: Definitely. In fact, some of our “homework” assignments for the band include going to protests, getting together to watch political events, and constantly sharing articles and discussion on matters. We play in more “artsy” bands outside of this one that do focus on more abstract concepts, so Vulgarian really lets us have a laser focus on providing straightforward reactions and commentary for contemporary political and societal issues.

CV: Tell us about the band's new album, "Human Scum." What do you want listeners to come Vulgarian: Human Scum was originally going to be recorded in May with a supporting tour in August but then the world ended... so that plan was tossed out and we think it benefited from it. By that, I mean members of the band were attacked by police at peaceful protests, the insanity that is Trump's America only increased and the specter of COVID and months of isolation only added to the intensity of the music. We also had time to rework some songs and write a few new things. Also, a big shout out to Pete De Boer of World Famous Studios (Blood Incantation, Spectral Voice, etc.), for really bringing out a great sound from us.

CV: Do you feel some of the band's music and lyrical themes might possibly alienate a number of current and or potential fans?
Vulgarian: We certainly hope so. If you play in a band like Vulgarian and you don’t piss people off then you failed as musicians. For existing fans, our message has been pretty obvious, so a leftist, politically-outspoken release isn’t going to come as a surprise.

CV: What's next for you? In addition to the release of "Human Scum," what can fans expect to see coming from Vulgarian in the remainder of 2020 and beyond?
Vulgarian: Well, one thing you can expect to not see are any shows…livestream or otherwise. We are big proponents of a mosh-oriented, energetic performance and until we can safely get the comfortable proximity down and number of bodies up, we just don’t think there will be an optimal setting to perform the material.

We will probably just work on promoting the album, getting a bit of merch together, and scheming about the very uncertain future…maybe work on some new material. If we can get some more fans we’ll probably be more active on social media too.

CV: Thank you again for spending some time talking and sharing with
our readers. I wish you all the best and continued success.

Check out Vulgarian at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vvlgarian
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vvlgarian/
Facebook: https://fb.com/vvlgarian

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.