Punch - Meghan

MEGHAN: I'm good! Really busy, both myself and the band. We've been writing for a new 7\" to come out this summer and recording various smaller projects. We're also getting ready for our summer tour, we're lucky enough to do Europe, U.S. and Canada this summer.

I'm excited for BLACK BREATH, NAILS, DEVOTION, NOT SORRY, OWEN HART, SOJOURNER, POWER, RUN WITH THE HUNTED, SHOOK ONES, and WEEKEND NACHOS. We'll only be there Sunday so hopefully I'll get to see some of those bands!

We have played quite a few festivals, both in the U.S. and in Japan and Europe. I think they are positive in that they bring people and ideas together from all over. I think it can add to that feeling that hardcore is a community through which we are all connected. However the bigger venues and crowds definitely set them apart from say a house or small show. There is a possibility for a fest to go either way really- as an example last year we played a 3000 person festival in the Czech Republic (Fluff Fest) which was very peaceful and positive only to have Sound and Fury erupt in a riot 2 days later.

What drew me to the punk scene besides music was the feeling of being more comfortable in my own skin, although that is a difficult thing to accomplish for any adolescent. I just felt like I didn't have to try to be something I wasn't in order to fit in and feel more relaxed. I give all credit to my brother for helping to turn me onto punk when we were younger. This summer he will actually be drumming for PUNCH on our European tour so that is very special for me!

I grew up in the east bay so I usually went to Gilman, the Danville Grange and the Lafayette community center. An early show memory is me and my brother Aaron (DEVOTION/ON) getting dropped off by our dad at Slim's in SF to see LESS THAN JAKE. It felt like such a big deal so it's funny that I now live literally around the corner.

I was never in a band before Punch. When Keith was starting the band I had gone on short tours with his previous band BEFOREAFTER and had recorded gang vocals with them. That plus singing along at shows made me think, hey maybe I could do this. I first went to practice to 'try out' in September 2006. Next I had to tackle writing lyrics and stage fright *laugh*.

Actually no. Besides going to shows and now the band for the last few years, going to school has kept me pretty busy. I got my RN last year, maybe when I'm done touring/breaking bones I'll actually start working as a nurse.

Luckily at shows, I haven't had to deal with too much direct sexism. I assume the type of people who perpetrate those attitudes wouldn't do so to my face. (That's why the worst of it is yes, on the internet) There was one show in Denton, Texas in 2009 where I felt there was a lot of sexism in the air and ended up where knocking the hat off of some kid because it took all my will power not to sock him. It's very frustrating to feel belittled for your gender in a scene that yes, we like to assume is more tolerating. Rejection of sexism, homophobia, and racism should be a part of what sets hardcore apart from mainstream culture, but we shouldn't assume that those attitudes don't exist and progress can't still be made.

I feel like it's mixed depending on what shows you go to or the people you encounter in the different subsets of hardcore. There are the extremes of people who are very apathetic and only care about music/records/shoes etc and then you have people who are very active politically. I can admit that I fall somewhere in the middle as a vegan/ feminist who feels like I could be more politically active. I feel like at the least we can all be aware of how our words and actions affect those around us direct or indirectly.

I just want to tour as much as possible and continue to write and record more records. As the band has gotten busier I feel like we all have in our personal lives as well so I just hope we can find a good balance. I have happily put tour ahead of everything else and will continue to do so.