Halo Bite – Interview – Thanks for Asking!

Halo Bite – Interview – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

We found J and Angie from Halo Bite out in the wasteland. We brought them in to tell you a story. Enjoy.

RRX: Every comic book hero has an origin story. What is the origin story for the band? (points if you tell it like a comic book origin.)

J: In the Capital wasteland of an ever demolished and rebuilt landscape of sound and performance, both the likes of heroes and villains would surface and succumb. From the ashes of a pre-pandemic era, lost but not forgotten, arose warriors Russ and Jeremy, armed with sticks and strings. Comrades close enough to be kin found new strength in a new direction and sought out on their quest a harmony unlike the rest to bring to fruition the foretold prophecy of Halo Bite. An anti-hero would answer the call, and thus J would find their footing and voice amongst monsters and men. But alas, the fellowship was not complete! Through smoke signals and prayers  to the deities of the underworld, Halo Bite acquired their final forces: Chandler and Angie. Finally, with a rounded squad of underdogs and vigilantes, Halo Bite released their first sacrifice to the gods under the name ‘apathy!’ and set out to conquer, but never divide, as many new towns as they can reach. Their legacy has only begun.

RRX: Every band’s first song is a milestone. But so is the latest song. Describe the first song/album you recorded, and also the latest song/album you recorded; what are the differences?

J: When I was invited to “try out” for the band, Jeremy and Russ had some rough drafts of songs that they had been working on. I had just recently gotten a new journal from a Slaughter Beach, Dog show (worth mentioning for the juxtaposition of sound between Halo Bite and their music). The first real page of the notebook was a stream of consciousness that later became, truly almost word for word, the lyrics to Safety Net, which was our first song and first release. Barely anything needed to be tweaked- it was magic the way the words just found themselves perfectly amongst the instruments. The rest of Apathy! was written over the next couple of months between the original trio of Jeremy, Russ, and J. Some of the songs came quickly and some were a bit of a lyrical nuisance. I was never short of words but really had to learn a new skill with writing melodies for heavy music. It’s definitely something I still struggle with but find so much satisfaction in. Our most recent releases, the two song single ‘Real Guns, Fake Holsters’, really shows the direction we’re heading in and was written by the 5 of us as a whole. You can really hear and feel the pick up in quality, as musicians and for myself personally, I can hear the way my voice has grown and developed in less than a year. It really shows the work we’ve been putting in.

RRX: Like songs, every band has a unique feeling about their first show. What was your first show like? Was it your best show? If not, what was your best show like?

Angie: Our first show was definitely something to remember. It was held at a house venue called The Rat Den and it was hosted by the beloved Ben Rowe. It was so special seeing all of our friends coming out and supporting us and it is even more special that they all continue to do so. Personally, my favorite show we ever played was another house venue called Elephant Alley. I can’t put into words the energy that was in that packed room that day. I think it was the first time we all saw an abundance of people screaming lyrics back at J. We also had a show with Escuela Grind at NWR and there were like 200 people crammed into a loading dock. I think that show was the catalyst for where we are now.

RRX: Music genres are difficult for some bands. Some strictly adhere; others not so much. What is your perspective on the genre you play, or the genres you hover around?

Angie: Hardcore is a toss up. I want to believe when they say at the heart of it all, it is about inclusion and a safe space for LGBTQIA+ folks, people of color, girls/women, etc. However, in my opinion, hardcore is still very much laced with cis heteronormativity and J & I find ourselves often being turned off by a good chunk of the bands we play with because they’re your standard all white boy band that tries to sound like Madball. Hardcore, like any genre after a while, starts to look and sound the same and we want to change that rhetoric. The goal with Halo Bite is to not only renovate hardcore style writing but to also be the gateway band for those who feel that the hardcore scene isn’t inviting enough on its own.

RRX: It’s a lot of fun living in the present, but we all collect memories and give birth to dreams. We’re talking dreams here. Where do you see yourself next year? In the next five years?

Angie: It is always nice to talk about dreams but to be honest, I don’t think anyone has a clue on where we will land, if we ever do. We are all just riding on this high of playing live and writing songs together. Halo Bite is all about fun and we want to keep pushing that. As far as serious talk, we hope to keep gigging outside New York with the hopes to one day do a tour outside of the US. All we know when it comes to the future is to keep writing and putting out new material.

RRX: We all get a little support from those around us. And we also can be impressed by our fellow bands. Who do you admire in your community, and why?

J: We really wouldn’t be where we are without the community in the Albany music scene. From the bare bones of Halo Bite, we wouldn’t even know each other if it weren’t for attending DIY shows together over the years. We are forever in debt to the house venues who’ve hosted us over this year, to Tummy Rub Records for recording our first release in their basement studio, and for everyone who’s come out to a show, especially those who make an effort to come to every Halo Bite show they can. I like to joke that there’s a “Halo Bite army” – a crew of folks who will mic grab and throw down at almost every show. It seriously keeps me going and makes everything I do worthwhile when the crowd screams the words back to me. It’s therapy for all of us. We truly admire and appreciate our friends in Dog Pisser, Bad Impressions, Sunbloc, and Prize – just to name a few of many! It’s been amazing playing shows with them and seeing them grind and grow. Like plenty of bands in Albany, we owe a lot to our friend Ben: for booking our first show, booking one of our best shows, being a huge support before we even started playing shows, and for being a shining beacon of a leader and friend to us and to everyone he touched in the scene.

Angie: It is always nice to talk about dreams but to be honest, I don’t think anyone has a clue on where we will land, if we ever do. We are all just riding on this high of playing live and writing songs together. Halo Bite is all about fun and we want to keep pushing that. As far as serious talk, we hope to keep gigging outside New York with the hopes to one day do a tour outside of the US. All we know when it comes to the future is to keep writing and putting out new material.

RRX: We all get a little support from those around us. And we also can be impressed by our fellow bands. Who do you admire in your community, and why?

J: We really wouldn’t be where we are without the community in the Albany music scene. From the bare bones of Halo Bite, we wouldn’t even know each other if it weren’t for attending DIY shows together over the years. We are forever in debt to the house venues who’ve hosted us over this year, to Tummy Rub Records for recording our first release in their basement studio, and for everyone who’s come out to a show, especially those who make an effort to come to every Halo Bite show they can. I like to joke that there’s a “Halo Bite army” – a crew of folks who will mic grab and throw down at almost every show. It seriously keeps me going and makes everything I do worthwhile when the crowd screams the words back to me. It’s therapy for all of us. We truly admire and appreciate our friends in Dog Pisser, Bad Impressions, Sunbloc, and Prize – just to name a few of many! It’s been amazing playing shows with them and seeing them grind and grow. Like plenty of bands in Albany, we owe a lot to our friend Ben: for booking our first show, booking one of our best shows, being a huge support before we even started playing shows, and for being a shining beacon of a leader and friend to us and to everyone he touched in the scene.

-J and Angie of Halo Bite

Their Apathy EP and single “Real Guns, Fake Holsters” are available on streaming services and Bandcamp.

More from Liam Sweeny…