Name: Mitch OlshanskyLocation: The City of Firsts, Maryland
Active since: May 2008
How do you define your overall style?
Hard to say, man...we pull influences from a lot of places. clevo/nyhc meets haymaker with sprinklings of thrash metal and some baltimore flavor...or something...
Whats your goal with this band?
To continue spreading the hardcore reality
What do you have recorded so far?
Demo/7'' ep and a comp song. We are very close to finishing our first full length. fuckin "stoked" yo!
What are the origins of Brick?
Shrouded in mystery.
When did you start a band and what was the reason to do it?
We started Brick exactly 1 year ago and just wanted to rage. After quitting previous bands, we decided to combine vibes and make Brick. Nah mean.
How do you feel about your track on Mercy For None compilation?
Yo that song was cool, but we went through a lot of difficulties getting it done. Long story, but in the end i think we made a pretty sweet raw track.
Are you guys happy with the outcome?
Yeah
What are your favorite tracks off the album?
Off Mercy For None? Personally...the Unforgiven track kicks my ass every time i hear it.
What are the most inspiring things for you when you write songs?
Distress and paranoia that runs through my head on a daily basis. Anxiety. I think about each song in a different way, guitar-wise. Sometimes I want to create a tense atmosphere and sometimes I want people to feel like they drove 75 mph(120 km/hr haha) into a brick wall. And listening to all kinds of music.
Your music got some modern touch to it but I guess we can agree that compared to the bands like i.e. Hatebreed It’s still pretty traditional hardcore. How do you feel about hardcore music today, especially things like death/metal core or emo stuff.
I feel the same about hardcore music today as I did 8 years ago. It still moves me in the same ways. I have no problem with death/metalcore/emo or whatever. Shitty music is going to always exist, who cares. The only thing about those kind of bands that pisses me off is when they try to use hardcore as a stepping stone to climb up some high wobbly trendy ladder and then hop on the next big thing. Real hardcore music will always exist. Its stood the test of time for the last 30 years.
Whats the best and the worst thing about being in the hardcore band?
The Best thing - playing music I've wanted to play since 9th grade with some of my best friends. Hanging out everywhere and making new friends all over and creating this alternate punk rock reality to the daily bullshit.
The Worst thing - I feel pretty lucky to be involved in this band, so I dont think theres really a "worst thing" about it.
What's the status of your relationship with Reaper Records?
Patrick Kitzel is the man. He's been very supportive of us. He wanted us to do the song and we agreed instantly. Support Reaper.
Any future collaborations?
Who knows. It would be cool.
You’re from Baltimore, how’s the hardcore/punk scene doing over there?I love it here. There's really no other place I'd rather be. The hardcore scene is fuckin dope. We have many active venues and lots of shows constantly. Lots of awesome bands are from here. At the same time, since there are so many shows happening all the time, its hard to get kids to come out so frequently, but all in all...Baltimore is on top of shit. New bands to get into: TREASON, CRINGE, PLAGUELAND, BET THE DEVIL, PALA and SELF-INFLICTED. Pulling Teeth! Stout! Deathammer! Oak! Mindset! Deep Sleep! Alarmed! One Step Too Many! New TUI. New Surroundings. New Ruiner. SUPPORT A389 Records!! Baltimore 2k9 on Top!!
What are your plans for the future?
Full Length coming out on PANIC RECORDS! (hopefully by early summer). After that...maybe a split or ep. WORD LIFE. PEACE LOVE JAH. SHOUT OUTS TO DIRTY MONEY AND PAIN RUNS DEEP!
Check out Brick at: http://www.myspace.com/brickmd