http://www.myspace.com/kdcprhc
First off i want to thank Casper and all of KDC for taking the time out to do this interview with Worldwidetakeoverzine
How did the band come to be named KDC and is there any special meaning behind the band being named this also what does KDC stand for? Our original name, which was in spanish, was extremely long, so the kids started abbreviating it. KDC caught on way faster than our original name so we just stuck with it. It doesn’t really stand for anything.
who are some of the bands main musical influences? As far as influences go, I can only speak for myself. Anything that’s energetic, fast and catchy is what I tend to like. Bands like Reach the Sky and Bane are some of my favorites.
are any members in side projects other than KDC? Yes. Our drummer Victor also plays in For the Wounded and Hanamachi. I play bass in Bust a Move. The other members have no side projects.
i see that you have some upcoming shows with both Blood in Blood out and also First Blood and LOS are you excited to be able to share the stage with First Blood? Hell yeah!! When we started the band I remember that we where really stoked off First Blood’s material. We can’t wait to see them here on the island! And ever since we heard Blood in Blood out, we haven’t stopped listening to them. We haven’t heard much material form Line of Scrimmage, but the guys from Know the Score told us they where really good.
how long has the band been together? For about four years.
how many cds eps 7 inches split cds and demos has the band currently released? None. We’re about to release our full length CD some time during September or October.
for someone who has never visited Puerto Rico and is planning on spending a week there what sights and cities would you recommend for them to visit? Most of the bands that come to PR like to go to “El Yunque”, which is a rain forest. But if it was up to me I’d take them to the beaches on the southwest side of the island.
what do you base your lyrics on when writing new material? It depends on what bands are influencing us at the moment. Most of the bands we were into began when we were straight edge. And even though we’ve never been a straight edge band, our first songs were extremely positive. Most of the material we’ve written lately tends to be more narrative. Most of the stuff that’s been happening to us lately has been worth writing about.
is there a large and thriving scene in the Del Café area as well as throughout Puerto Rico? We’re actually from Yauco. We call it Del Café because most of the coffee produced in Puerto Rico is from Yauco. It’s a boring city on the southwestern side of the island that doesn’t offer much recreation when you’re a teenager. There are no hardcore bands that have come out of that place. But there are really good hardcore bands throughout the rest of the island. Every time bands come from the states and see that the island is legit they end up including Puerto Rico on their tour calendars.
how did the band come to be signed with Southground Records and how have they treated you so far? Christian Olmeda, the founder, is a good friend of Victor and was looking to record a band a bit different from his other bands. He wanted hardcore and we wanted a recording so we both saw it as a benefit. All in all, it’s been great being able to record for the first time. We didn’t think it would be such long and tedious process.
is this the original lineup and if not what is the current lineup? No it’s not the original lineup. Right now we have five members: Juanki, David, Dalbert, Victor and me (Casper).
if you could have anyone do guest vocals on your next recording who would it be and why?I’d definitely invite Aaron Bedard, from Bane, to do vocals. His voice is one of a kind. Any voice that’s unique and memorable is a voice that I’m into.
does the band have any plans to tour the USA in either 2009 or 2010? We’ve had plans to tour the USA since forever. We just haven’t had the opportunity. I wish we had more contacts. You can only play the island for so long before you start seeing the same faces. Hopefully in 2009 we’ll be able to hit the states.
in only one sentence describe your sound to someone who has never heard you before?If you mix bands like Champion and Set it Straight with Puerto Rican hardcore/punk bands you’ll have an idea of what KDC sounds like.
when the band is on tour in the van what is usually playing in the cd player? When Juanki is in the car we have to put up with all types of music. He always brings along these crazy mixes that include: Justin Timberlake, The Spice Girls, Ray Charles, etc.
how were you first exposed to the scene and what made you say I want to be in a band? I started going to shows when I was about 16 or 17. My sister’s boyfriend played in a local punk band. Every time I saw any hardcore band go on I was overwhelmed by the energy and how the kids would respond to these bands. From then on I knew that I would eventually form a hardcore band.
when on tour and driving from city to city what is some of the weirdest shit you have seen happen or pass by? One time this truck pulled up next to us and it was carrying a bunch rotten meat. It had a cow head hanging out. It was disgusting!
where do you see the band in 3 years from now? Still together, playing the music that we live for. One of our main priorities right now is to play outside of Puerto Rico. We want as much exposition as we can get. All the guys in KDC have great work ethic. Their all young kids that share the same passion.
who are some of the up and coming bands from the Del Café area as well as throughout Puerto Rico that we should be on the look out for? As I mentioned earlier, there aren’t any other hardcore bands from Yauco. But I’ll mention some of the bands I most like on the island: Bust a Move, With Open Force, Clear Convictions, Una Banda Mas and Tropiezo. That’s just off the top of my head.
the term hardcore has become so overused that any band putting a breakdown into a song is considered hardcore but explain to the readers what hardcore means to you? Hardcore has nothing to do with how many breakdowns are in a song. To me anything that has to do with playing loud, hard and getting your message across is hardcore.
How can the readers from around the world contact you about ordering merchandise? Hit us up on MySpace and we’ll do our best to send you anything you’d like. http://www.myspace.com/kdcprhc
What is your most memorable show and why? One of the most memorable shows we’ve ever played was in this town called San Sebastian. It’s on the west side of the island. Some kids decided to do a show outside of this big coliseum. When you mix awesome bands, free food, and skateboarding all together it makes for a memorable night. I’ll never forget that show.
what is your favorite city and country to play shows in and also your least favorite and why?Back then we really liked playing on the west side of the island; but hardcore is slowing dying out on that side. That’s why we haven’t been doing shows over there. Right now we love to play anywhere in the metropolitan area. It’s were the best shows are going down.
Who are some of the bands that you enjoy touring with?I personally like sharing the same venue with Una Banda Mas and With Open Force. And out of all the non local bands we’ve played with, Everything Falls Apart and Graf Orlock have been the funnest.
What advice can you give to some of the newer bands starting out that maybe having a tough time and thinking about giving up?It’s not easy to grow up in a scene where you usually put in more than what you get back. In the long run you’ll notice that most of the bands that played the venues with your band are gone. And that’s when you’ll know who’s really in it for the long haul. Just keep at it and don’t give in.
where do you think you would be right now had you not been exposed to the hxc metal scene?In some boring workspace, wanting to shoot myself.
what is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to the band when playing a set?I remember a show where I yanked too hard on the microphone and all of the P.A. system collapsed. The show was stopped and the sound guy was really pissed.
what is the worst injury that any of the band has had happen when playing show?We played a show called “The Last Hardcore Show of the Year” back in 2006 in a place called Blue Moon. The staged was really fucked up and a rusty nail was pointing out. When I jumped the nail went right through my right leg and tore it open. I couldn’t feel anything. All I can remember is seeing a big hole in my leg and white tissue hanging out. It was sick!
why do you think that people always associate violence with hardcore shows and it always gives hxc scenes and shows a bad reputation?There’s no doubt that hardcore is violent; but most kids go to shows just to have a good time. Only a few go to pick fights. And it’s because of those few morons that people have a misconception of what hardcore is. Its human nature to overlook the good and notice the bad. I don’t blame them.
Do you have any upcoming shows that you would like to tell the readers about?Yup! On September 27, 2008 we’ll be playing with 2 great bands from Buffalo, New York. They’re called Face the Panic and Able Danger. Be sure to give them a listen through MySpace. And of course, First Blood and Line of Scrimmage on November 2, 2008.
Is there anything else that you would like to add that i may have forgotten to ask that the readers should know about?If you’re looking to book a hardcore/punk from Puerto Rico then we might be your answer.
Contact us at: www.myspace.com/kdcprhc
i want to thank all of KDC for taking the time out to do this interview with Worldwidetakeoverzine
Thank you guys at Worldwidetakeoverzine for interviewing us. Not many people take notice of hardcore bands from Puerto Rico. You guys are awesome.
Thanks again
-casper
