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Following the release of their debut EP in 2012, Hacktivist have been on a whirlwind journey that’s seen them perform at Download Festival, Reading Festival twice, tour with Korn, headline a Download Freezes Over tour, headline a stage at BIG69 Festival in Mumbai and much more. 2015 has been non-stop for the quintet, who performed at Hit The Deck, UK Tech-Fest, 2000 Trees, Y Not Festival, Hevy Fest, Butserfest, toured with both Enter Shikari and SikTh, and headlined a show at Community London. Hacktivist’s online presence is also impressive, with the Elevate video recently hit over 1 million views on YouTube.
Hacktivist recently headlined Exeter Cavern and our Siôn couldn’t resist the opportunity to grab a sit down with the band to discuss touring, albums and much more….
Welcome back to Exeter on what is your 3rd visit in three years?
“Haha yeah man, I think we’ve played here this year, maybe, not long ago anyway. I swear? I could have sworn, but time flies. We have been here a lot for sure.”
What do you like about Exeter?
“To be honest, we don’t tend to get much time to chill around and go about the place, the way we tour is in a van and driving throughout the day and getting to venues between 2 and 4 so we don’t get to see much. Its always a rowdy one though. A heavy one for sure. That’s definitely something that we enjoy.”
I guess the big question that most fans will be asking is, what stage are you at with the album?
” It’s being mixed and mastered at the moment, and were going to be announcing a release date in the next 3 or 4 weeks. Its been a long time coming but now it’s literally done. So were just doing all the behind the scenes stuff now and then we’ll be ready to pull the trigger. We’ll be announcing a release date very soon. Were playing a few new ones in the set tonight, a little taster.”
Is there anything different that we can expect from the album?
” Yeah. There are a couple of surprises in there. Its got heavier stuff, much heavier stuff. There’s also much, some sort of softer stuff on there. We’ve also branched out with like the electronic side of things and I’d say we have definitely go a few songs on there that are very different to what we have done before. Everything still has the Hacktivist sound but more developed and expansive. I think it’ll draw more people in that maybe didn’t like us before or haven’t heard us.”
Have you been able to take influences that maybe you haven’t used so much before?
“Yeah, I suppose so. I’d say there is a bit more weight on grime at times. As well as drawing on the lighter influences that we have, but then still incorporating a heavy level of syncopation. It feels lighter in a sense but it still has that heavy groove over the top of it.”
How do you go about writing tracks?
“Usually its by Tim, he takes the lead. Since its primarily riff based, and then that dictates to a certain extent what the drum and bass parts do and what the skeleton of those parts are going to be like. Then we also get together and do some lyric stuff. But that’s mainly after J and Ben have put some bars down. In terms of making songs, it can be like something will come together all at once, or these like one little bit that we’ve got and then tagging on a previous bit that never made it to the light of day. The beginning product is very different to the final track. We were listening to the original demos of the songs that we have released and they’re so far apart that its hard to distinguish that they are even the same song. So they go through a massive evolution, sometimes infuriating evolution, there are about ten takes of a song before we get to the final track. I think that’s also why the album has taken so long. Tim especially is a perfectionist and we never put anything out, we don’t want to put stuff out and wish that we had done it differently. So were 100% happy with it now and we are in a good place.”
2015 has been a huge year for Hacktivist. Have you got a highlight of the year?
“Russia was pretty awesome. It always is, Russia is always crazy. Its one of those places that we have time to explore. It’s not like a short trip to the next show. That was cool, India was this year? Or was that the year before? I think that was a year ago. It all crams into one. We went to some new countries this year, at the start of the year we went off with Enter Shikari in the more Eastern and Northern parts of Europe like Hungary. That was really interesting checking out some completely different countries. Its good to know that we have fans in places that we didn’t know we had them. Obviously when you go to new countries it’s a gamble. But there were quite a few fans there and stuff, so considering it wasn’t a headline tour or anything, it went really well.”
Going to places like Eastern Europe and Hungary, is that something you ever imagined you would be doing as a band?
“Its never one thing that you imagine doing. There would obviously be more general areas that you would think of going to, like Eastern Europe, but not specifically like I want to go to Hungary. But, at the same time, it’s amazing to be able to go there and do it. I think you don’t, you underestimate how many different countries listen to this sort of music. That’s what I’ve noticed the most, countries that you don’t hear in any respect, and then you go out there and there are a lot of people digging us. That’s the main thing. I mean, you get some idea from social media but until you actually go there and meet the people, it’s a big eye opener man.”
Europe seems to have a better attitude to bands, especially their hospitality. Is that something that you have experienced as a band?
“There is a noticeable difference, that’s one way to put it. In general, if you go to European countries you get treated amazingly. There also seems to be more funding from local places to make the gig scene massive. So you get good crowds, good venues, lots of good stuff. Obviously the hospitality thing, but going out and overall touring is a totally different experience. Over here its been budgeted out of the box. I cant remember what country we played, but the government actually funds projects for the youth so a gig that we played was completely paid for by the government. So like we had an amazing fee, all this rider, and that’s because they can afford to do so. Arts is certainly one of the first places to see cuts in this country. The councils already have to deal wit health and education so the arts go way down the bottom of the list.”
It seems there’s now no middle ground for bands with the closure of UK venues. What’s your take on venue closures?
“I mean, it’s becoming more and more like, comparable to rock music. You either make it or you don’t. There are so many levels that you can be in, in a band and venue closers and closing down those levels. There are very few medium sized venues, which leaves a big gap in capacities. We headline shows in these small venues but they’re packing out and they are fucking amazing. The only reason we are really doing them I because, we do enjoy the small gigs, but there are not many middle sort of venues. So it’s a matter of waiting till a bit until you can move up the ladder, which is annoying.”
Is the closure of venues something that you have witnessed a lot throughout your time in the industry?
“I think its noticeable, not vastly, but its noticeable if you look at it from the beginning to now. You can definitely see the difference. I can think of recently, how it started picking up with people talking about oh please save our venue, petition this, petition that. I mean yeah, I don’t really remember that say 3, 4 years ago. Nowhere near as much. Hopefully the actual music thing will evolve from the band side as well. If there is such a thing as those middle venues dying out, like we said, there will be, there will need to be a lot more growth at that lower lever. Hopefully, it might affect the business in those larger venues, but hopefully it will give some of those smaller bands a chance. I’d also say there are less people going to gigs as well. Just generally people are not going to lie music shows as much. Also, it’s such an easier bet, anywhere, not just live music venues, it’s so much easier to be like we have no sound limiter, we have no budgets, lets just get a DJ in. For some, that’s a wise move, but then you are just relegated to just DJ based music. Live music is so much better.”
Timfy has clearly been using Hacktivist to promote his view of war. Do you think more bands should be using their position to share their views?
“I don’t think bands should be sharing their view so much about war in particular, but I think they should be free to talk about what they want to. In general, a lot of bands stick to the same formula and sing songs about what people want to hear, or think what people want to hear. I wouldn’t say people need to sing more about war, but bands should make points that they want to.”
When Thy Art Is Murder released ‘Holy War,’ there were a lot of issues with them having to alter the artwork to be allowed onto shelves in shops. What are your opinions on that?
“There shouldn’t be any boundaries with art in any sense. Even if it is something that people disagree with. Art is a matter of perspective. If you start putting borders and controls on art then, it isn’t really art anymore because it cant be art in its true form I guess.”
Tech metal is heavily associated with Kempers and Axe Fx. Do you think your endorsement with Blackstar has enabled you to gain more traditional metal fans?
“There have been times that Blackstar have posted about my set up and people have been like, why the fuck would you use a Blackstar with and Axe Fx. People don’t get that all I use the Axe Fx for is for my affects. I’m gating and it means I can put the heads where I want. I didn’t do it because of the saturated scene. There was a meme the other day of a guy with a sleeve, an 8 string a snapback and it just said ‘djent starter pack’. But I guess people do that, its like saying a human and a human and a cigarette, ‘cancer starter pack’. I think I did it because I wanted to go back to valve and because I was getting a good sound from it. I don’t think its changed anyone, I’ve maybe just expanded people that maybe you can do both? People get an Axe Fx and go right, I’m sorted. People get lazy because they go and download Nolly’s presets and Bulb’s presets and then play it at a gig. Then you wonder why it sounds all the fucking same.”
Do you think especially in tech metal, that is why people are starting to sound the same?
“They always did, but yeah you are right. I’m probably one of the only people using it in that way. I’m certainly the only person on the Blackstar roster to do what I do with the type of style that I play.”
Going back to those Eastern Europe shows, what is the biggest difference that you have noticed between the shows over there and over here in the UK?
“People are more appreciative that you are there. It’s a rarity for bands to come over and play there, they go their but not as often. The enthusiasm level isn’t it, its more high concentrated. Sometimes you would find more on a UK tour with hit and miss dates, over there you find you have more of a following going on. Some countries we have never been to before and they would say they had been following us since the start, which is like the end of 2011. So they’ve been following us for 4 years, following us and wanting to see us and we finally get to play their country and again, hopefully not but it could be another 2/3 years before we go out there again. That, people are more enthusiastic about that moment. Yeah in the UK the crowds are sick but when you play in the UK, people you meet have seen you play 10 times so its still sick, but more like going to a gig than an amazing event.”
A lot of people complain about the internet and the lack of physical promotion going on in the music industry. Do you think having the internet has helped Hacktivist as a band? More so in regard to reaching those far out countries?
“Hell yeah. 100%. That point still stands though, cause not necessarily this side of the music scene, in all aspects, there’s so much taken away from venues and stuff that to have that promotional role, obviously there’s stuff like pay to play, you get the low first couple of gig fees to see if you can get a few people down. Its like, why isn’t that down to the venue to do more than just tweet about it.”
Do you think that is something that needs to come back in?
“It’s a real difficult one. Bars and venues have less money so if they are going to have to resort to getting their marketing team as well as doing all the stuff online, which of course is still really important, to then go and do 50% of their promotion on the street as well is a bit much. I think its a difficult one really.”
What is the strangest thing that has happened to you on tour/at a show?
“Its probably not like the strangest thing, but its always weird when you see someone tattooed with your logo on to them. I wouldn’t say that’s strange, I’d say that’s wicked and amazing, but that’s like out of this world. Someone who chooses to put your logo on their actual neck. Like some guy just got elevate on the side of his head really big, so that’s the thing that king of sticks out as being different or special.”
You seem to get a lot of gifts made for you. What gift stands out for you in particular?
“I think, the best one we got was from this guy in Hungary and he made us T Shirts. With the H on the front in the colours of the Hungarian flag. Then on the back it had Hacktivist written on the back. I think the funniest one that we had made for us was a support band made us band t shirts of theirs, with our name on the back. Haha. We got some chocolate in Russia and they had got photos of our faces and stuck them on the chocolate. The vodka and everything was pretty cool. We mainly get stuff like that in Russia; I think its like tradition that they give stuff to bands. But, a lot of people have been quite generous.”
You have done your fair share of UK and EU shows. What are your plans, if you have any, for the US and Australia?
“The US there are no immediate plans. We have a lot of fans that want us to go over, but that’s kind of a money thing It’s also quite a job to do that. To go, for the first trip, you cant just go for a bit and sod off to another area. You’ve got to go and do a fat tour. That’s gonna happen, no idea when, but not any time soon. Australia, I would, there’s a couple of things in motion, nothing set in stone but I would think we would be going out there next year. I’m crossing my fingers but I’m quite confident that it will happen.”
Hacktivist played Soundwave. How was that as your first trip to Australia?
“Soundwave was amazing. The gigs themselves were all amazing. I think that was one of the tours where we played consecutively really good shows. I think it helped that we were opening a stage so we got up, eat and then play a show. It was nice to be really looked after. We had 3/4 days in really nice hotels on the beach so we got to properly experience Australia. It was mad to feel like we were getting paid to go on holiday basically. That’s what it felt like to me. Everyone was just knocking around backstage as well. There was no, your confined to your area. There was like a communal backstage area where we were rubbing shoulders with like idols. Rolling around with Avenged Sevenfold and Korn, massive people from Deftones. Chilled with some Kangaroos, Koalas, Crocodiles. We went to this Koala sanctuary, and Soundwave like organize it every year for all the bands to go out there, and its incredible. You’ve just got the animals roaming around and you just wale about. Big difference to over here haha. I think Australia was my favorite experience that I’ve had in this band. I’ve got family out there as well so coincidentally it was the first and last dates of Soundwave was where we were where my family was as well. I had a couple of my cousins come to our shows which was great.”
If you could play any venue, with any band. Where would it be, and who with?
“Times Square with Rage Against The Machine. They’ve already done it though. They’d be like, again? I reckon it would be sick to play on a boat, just a massive ship in the Mediterranean with Deftones.”
What are your plans for 2016?
“Albums release, album tour, loads of festivals.”
Any in particular that you would like to return to?
“I’d love to do Reading and Download again. I’m sure we’ll be doing on of the two. And I would like to do Rock Am Ring again. That was incredible. I’d also like to go to a couple of new countries that we haven’t been to before. Australia again would be awesome. Glastonbury, Glastonbury we haven’t done before. Ive never even been to Glastonbury. But yeah, I think were just gonna be busy with festivals, album release, tours and then writing album 2. We’ve already started writing that and we know the time between album 1 and 2 will be much less that between the EP and album 1. We’ve been writing for a couple of months now which again, is in a whole other direction. Man, I wish people could hear it, I wish it didn’t take so long for them to hear what we are doing now.”
Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us.
Hacktivist recently confirmed that they will tour with Issues in May. The line-up will be completed by Astroid Boys.
Dates:
MAY 24 – CARDIFF – Y PLAS MAY 25 – LONDON – KOKO MAY 26 – MANCHESTER – RITZ MAY 27 – GLASGOW – GARAGE JUN 01 – ANTWERP – TRIX JUN 2 – AMSTERDAM – MELKWEG
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