Axis interview.

Check out the title track, streaming here.

I've had this interview laying around since about March. I was going to use it for a 'zine that never materialized because I don't give a shit about shit anymore.

Playing bass for Axis was one of the best times I’ve ever had in a band. That made it all the more hard when I had to quit after a three year tenure so I wouldn’t lose my job. Regardless, before I joined and after I quit, I still think they’re one of the greatest hardcore bands to ever come out of my state and the southeast as a whole. This is a conversation I had with Pat, my good, seldom-seen friend and founding member/guitarist of Axis. I should try to see him more often because he's a great friend. He’s still dumb though.
1. Let’s have the history of Axis, past to present.
I used to play in a band from Daytona Beach called Meantime (with you, wassup Mikey?), it sounded somewhere between Integrity and Strife kind of. When that band had run its course, Meantime’s drummer and I started the first incarnation of Axis in around 2010. We wanted to sound like Buried Alive. We were a 4 piece, we recorded a pretty bad demo, played a lot around Daytona and Orlando.
A couple of lineup changes occurred then we played out regionally, released the Rites of Passage EP in 2011 and a split 7” with one of my all-time favorite Florida bands, Weight of the World in 2012. Somewhere after that we shuffled a few members around, got a new singer and gained our second guitarist Dylan. At that time we started to tour more and played some cool fests.
In 2013, we got our third and current singer Rafael, toured a lot more and released a couple of tape and spilt 7”with Self Defense Family. Since then, for the past couple of years we done some pretty cool tours, been almost everywhere in the country a few times. Our debut LP is finished and about to be out in next few months, we’re taking a break from touring until then.
2. The new record’s finally done. Tell me about the writing/recording process.
We had been sitting on a couple of the songs for a while. When we decided to do the LP progress was pretty slow at first, I remember we all took a week off work and had practice all fucking day every day. It was kind of grueling but we ended up getting most of it done surprisingly. The last track we came up with very last minute but it ended up being one of my favorite. Dylan’s writing is a lot more prevalent in it all and you can absolutely tell, well I can at least.
We tracked everything in about 3 days in south Florida with the most backwards thinking engineer, got through that. Then Taylor Young at the Pit and Brad Boatright at Audiosiege mixed and mastered it, respectively. They both killed it and the LP ended up being something we’re all really stoked on. It’s like the recording I always wish we had ha ha.
3. Why the title Show Your Greed?
If you want something in life, take it. (Within reason of course.)


4. How’d you get hooked up with Mayfly? What’re they like? A lot better than a certain defunct label from Tennessee that shall remain nameless?
We reached out to Bob after doing some demos for Show Your Greed. It turned out he was a really big fan of ours to begin with so it didn’t take much convincing on our part. He’s got some cool releases under belt and is a great dude for sure. An actual real label that sends people what they buy.
But that’s funny you ask about that second part, one of those guys actually books us every time we play Memphis and really hooks it up. It was weird at first but I’ve got nothing against him anymore. He’s actually pretty cool. You live and you learn.
5. After the record comes out, what’s the plan? Tour the U.S. again? Europe? Japan?
Do a release show or two around FL, Full U.S. (even if it’s in chunks), definitely want to try for Europe. I don’t think we’re Japan level yet ha ha. We’ve got some stuff in the works.
6. I know it took a long time for this LP to come to fruition. Do you think the band has another full-length in it?
If you’d have asked me this a while ago, I’d have said no. It took us awhile to really gain traction in the writing process and honestly we took our time. We wanted to make it as special as we could. We have gotten really good at writing stuff that works for us after doing Show Your Greed, everything just comes together so much easier. We’re faster and better at getting what we want out of each song. I think we’ll be able to pump another one out for sure.
7. Have you achieved everything you’ve wanted for Axis so far? Is there anything you still feel the band needs to do?
If Axis ended today, I’d be mostly satisfied with it. But there’s definitely a list of shit I’d love to accomplish. Another LP or EP at least, Europe (finally), Mexico, Rainfest.
8. Tell me about the Florida Underground wiki and how people can view it/contribute.
It’s an idea I had whilst trying to brainstorm web development projects. The past 7 months or so I’ve really been into learning development and programming. I think I might do it for the long haul, it ain’t easy but I fucking love it. I’m up to my head learning JavaScript right now. So I’m trying to come up with cool shit to create.
The site won’t exactly be a wiki itself, but it’ll look pretty similar to one. With the help of my friend John Park, we’re trying to build everything up from scratch and it be legit. There will be band profiles with all kinds of info about them, forms for anyone to submit content on shit they know enough about. Label profiles, show calendar, articles. Hopefully in the next 2 or 3 months we’ll have something up for people to check out.
9. Axis seems to get a predominately insane reaction almost anywhere in Florida. What about out of state? What are some of the best cities you’ve gotten to play around the country?
We always do really well in Long Island, I love playing there. Atlanta, Savannah, Laredo, Nashville, Dallas, Kansas City, SLC and Detroit are almost always a great show for us.


10. Any side-projects in the works? New bands? Tommy playing with anybody of note?
Evan from Blistered and I are always talking about doing something. Maybe one day we’ll actually do it.
Dylan, Tyler and Tommy are doing a Sludge band with two drummers, I think Tyler and Tommy are doing a different band that’s really pretty emo stuff. Then of course there’s Shovelhead and Prayer Chain.
11. Tom Significant keeps bringing up a Meantime reunion. Would you ever do it?
I’d love to play the songs again one day but I doubt I’d do it at this point. I also doubt very many people would care unfortunately. That ship has sailed.
12. I know you have a love for obscure ‘90s hardcore and also ‘90s R&B. Gimmie your top five records/artists in each category and why.Aaliyah - One in a Million: Baby gurl was the coolest of cool. RIPTLC - Crazy Sexy Cool: The first cassette I ever bought. So smooth and full of bangers.Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill: So smart and talented on a lot of different levels.Mariah Carey - Daydream: In between R&B and pop. My first real crush.Tie between Blackstreet - Blackstreet and Boyz II Men - II: Come On.
Mostly late 90’s metal core stuff, but hey THAT is my shit.Acme - To Reduce the Choir To One Soloist: Super influential, Widely underrated. Nothing gets me more pumped.From the Dying Sky - Truth's Last Horizon: Came out in like 2000, but whatever. It’s like Arkangel but better.Breach - It’s Me God: Really creative song writing. Heavy Euro shit.From Here On - Hope For A Bleeding Sky: Jesus Christ, these riffs. Incredible. Affiliated with BTBAM.Dragbody - Flip the Killswitch: They were a truly great band out of central Florida. This album has the coolest feel to it. Bummed I missed the reunion.
13. I know Axis has always sort of been your brainchild/baby. Why did you start the band and what does it mean to you?
When it started, I really wanted to be in a fast band again. Meantime was a real mid-paced/slower kind of thing. I was really into Buried Alive and older Walls of Jericho, I admired what Foundation was doing at the time. I wanted to do my version of that 90’s influenced stuff.
Axis is the most special to me.  I love what we’re about and what we do. We aren’t the biggest band by any means, but we’ve accomplished way more than I would have ever imagined. We’ve done some great tours, had so much fun. The LP I am especially proud of, I can’t wait for people to hear it.
14. Do you love Florida and why?
I don’t see myself living here forever. But generally I truly do love Florida, I love the heat and the beaches. It’s beautiful. I love our scene. We’ve got one of the best ones in the country right now. I’ve thought that for the past few years but touring a lot recently has really cemented that notion. We’ve got a constant influx of young, stoked kids and our local bands crush most local bands everywhere else. It makes it really special to say I’m from here.
15. Closing comments? Anything I left out?
Thanks for being interested enough in what I’ve got to say to interview me ha ha. Shout out to FLHC, un-fuck-withable.

Snap of the old crew: OG Axis, Captive Bolt homies, and Maron Dorino front and center. Couldn't resist. However, Axis is a lot better now.