Band’s name: One Step Down/OSD
Location: Bury St Edmunds!!!
Active since: OSD first started killing people's ears back in 2002/2003
How do you define your overall style?
Since starting 6 or 7 years ago, things with OSD have changed. One thing being our sound. We get chucked into allsorts of catagories like, punk, hardcore, metalcore, metal, thrash, metallic hardcore... WE JUST BOUNCE!
What’s your goal with this band?
I dont think OSD have a goal, in terms of makin many or selling out arena shows. If we do have a goal, its to try and play a new show in a new town or city every month. Not alot to ask for, is it?!
What do you have recorded so far? Jeeze, i've lost count! I think OSD have recorded about 5 demo's, and 1 full length (which never got released). We' were never bothered if our records didnt make it into peoples music collections or onto their ipods, we just like'd getting a feel of being in a band that spent time in a studio! But the last 2 records we made have started to appear in peoples record collections and ipods. simply because we started to play more shows, giving a CD to someone everytime they brought a t-shirt. I still listen to the first OSD demo and the latest, and its amazing! There's so much change, but you can still tell its OSD.
Could you tell us how did you guys got together to form a band?
Well it all started with Lew, Adam & joe. Lew and Ad are brothers, and Joe rides bmx with Ad, and they were just really friends from school who shared the same interested in music and bands and wanted to start a band! Lew used to sing and play bass. Then Joe's sister's boyfriend, Dom, came in to play bass. Later on, Ad went to uni, then i stepped in to play drums. A couple of years later, Ad came back and we wanted him to get involved again, so i stepped onto 2nd guitar and Ad went back on drums to make it a 5 piece. Dom left not so long ago, and then our good friend Chris stepped in on bass!
Who are the members of the band?
Lewis Blythe-Vocals, Joe Embrey-Guitar, Adam Blythe-Drums, Chris Davies-Bass & Sean Griffin-Guitar.
What are your main influences?
I never like answering this question, because people always assume that by saying 'influences', thats what were saying we sound like! which is not the case. If you listen to some of our earlier stuff, you'll hear alot of Donnybrook, SOIA, Madball and all that. And if you listen to out latest demo you'll hear some First Blood, Liferuiner, Knuckledust and all that! We all listen to the same music and totally different bands, and we listen to different music as well! There are us who bring in a bit of punk, and there is one who will chuck a bit of metal in there, so on and so on.
I read a hilarious quote from a review of one of your shows which says “Shaved heads, shorts, new-era hats and bullshit tougher than thou attitudes” and I gotta say it makes for a perfect advertisement of your music. Is this kind of feedback you would like to get?
No, it isnt at all. Its not the perfect advertisment for OSD, thats bullshit. That particular show... my hair was past my shoulders, lew only shaves his head because he's going grey. The dude who wrote that review was'nt reviewing, he wanted to be a critic. We dont mind critisism, but the dude was just being an arsehole. In that whole review he did not once mention on the performance or music. He seems to consider himself as a fashion guru.
So how do you feel about kids bitching about everything that’s not in line with their vision of hardcore like this band said this and that or that band is moshing too hard and shit like that?
Them kids are douchebags. They only think like that because some band have drummed it into their heads. Im getting really fed up with the kids at shows today. I think thats why alot of the older crowd dont get to shows anymore, they've realised its bullshit, and the younger kids are concentrating on being cool and tough. I have no problem with young kids coming to shows, but they need to drop the fucking attitude, some of the older kids are like that as well. The last 2 shows OSD have played, ive seen a number of kids getting violent and trying it on with other kids because they feel they need to prove themselves. Its so upsetting.
Do you think that hardcore got too soft, too nice lately?
No, i just think that some bands have wanted to mix up their love for softer and more expressive music with hardcore. And thats fine. I cant say im personally into it, but who said hardcore had to break bones and smash teeth? Its like saying... "Do you think rap music has got too soft, too nice lately... Because... artist have decided to rap about real things that happen. Its not all about weed, bitches and money". If you dont like it, its cool, stick to what you know. Let them get on with it.
On the other hand, how do you feel about the politics in hardcore? Do you think it’s possible to find a perfect balance between having fun and spreading the positive message to the kids?Politics... i would'nt bother. Politics in hardcore or any other music is just another way of getting people to listen to how you feel. Im not dissing it, nor am i supporting it. I just dont give a fuck. But spreading a positive message is different and important. You should'nt abuse your position and power of being able to get a group of 30, 50, 100 or even 1000's of people to listen to you. If you can do that, you can make a change, make if for the best!
What part of UK you guys are from and how the hardcore scene like over there?
We're for lully suffolk! Its the same as everywhere, it has its high points, and its low points. And at the moment i think were on a low. People have no money which means people cant afford to go to shows and promoters cant afford to pay bands. Its a vicious circle. But it would help if bands stopped trying to charge through the roof and promoters stop trying to make a living out of it, then we could charge L2 to get in and more people would be able to afford it!
You guys seem to be playing a lot of shows. What’s the most memorable gig you ever played?
Haha, the most memorable gigs are always the bad ones... and we've had alot of them. We always used to struggle with kids at shows. Its getting easier now, i dunno what we've done to change their minds! but, the most memorable gig for OSD would be... The Minerva, Southend-on-sea, 2007 w/ By My Hands, Your Demise & BWP. Everything went wrong. The sound guy said we were shit. One of our friends was walking around the venue giving away free CD's of us, and one dude even brought one back because he realised it was the last band who played, BEING US!
So what are the band’s plans for the future? When is the debut album coming out?
Well we dont like to make plans because things never go according to plan. But, we just wanna keep playing shows, more shows, new towns/city's, with new bands! The debut album will come out when we agree on a set of songs to put down, have the money to record it, and when someone wants to release it!
Ok, thanks for the interview. Anything else you would like to say to the kids out there?
Thankyou! Its been a pleasure. And there is actually... GO CHECK US OUT IF YOU HAVENT ALREADY!!! www.myspace.com/osdbsehc
