?: How long ago was the band formed? Where from did such name appear?
Erik: Solitary Neglect formed in the June of 1999 but was not a serious project until November of 2001. The name is in reference to the period in the U.S. during the Navigation Acts (1750s) when Englandbecame preoccupied and could not enforce the Navigation Acts. Solitary neglect helped to influence the development of American society because it forced us into self-government
due to being neglected by England.
?: Did the staff of the band change for the period of its existence? What's the staff at the moment? Please tell us a little about every member of band (age, place of study or work etc.)
Erik:Yes, Solitary Neglect has had many line up changes, but we've had the same line up since November of 2001. Right now, we are Chris on drums, Dan on bass, Jeff on guitar, and myself (Erik) on vocals. Chris is 22 years old, he goes to college and works in a picture framing store. Dan is 19, goes to college to become an electrician, and works in a liquor store. Jeff is 20 and works at a golf course cutting grass. I am 21 and work at an elementary school after school with children.
?: With which bands…
a) … did you play?
b) … would you like to play?
c) … keep in touch?
Erik: a) We have been fortunate to play with some great bands like Municipal Waste, Dropdead, Out Cold, The Horror, Straight To Hell, and Diallo among others.
b) If i could play with any band, i guess i would probably choose The Varukers.
c) I'm not sure i understand the question, but we keep in touch with many local, domestic, and international bands that we are friends with. We want to support our friends.
?: How many albums/demos did SOLITARY NEGLECT record? Tell us about every of them.
Erik: We have released many demos so far including:
1. Long Lost 2 Song demo. Recorded on Erik's answering machine at Dan's house in summer 1999, possibly with our friend Justin (i can't remember). It was later recorded over when i needed a tape to conduct an interview. Oh well. Tracks: White Supremacist, Fleecing Of America.
2. Unnamed 4 song demo. Recorded on an answering machine in Chris's basement and released June 12,2001. Tracks: GG Allin, If You Weren't Dead, I'd Fucking Kill You, White
Surpemacist, Fleecing Of America, The Price Is Wrong.
3. Unnamed 1 song demo. Recorded on an answering machine in Chris's basement on December 17, 2001; added to prior demo in December, 2001 Track: Police.
4. "3 Track 4-Track" demo. Recorded on a four track in Chris's basement and released March 3, 2002 with other demo Tracks: Police, A Meat Based Environment, No Accountability.
5. "Distort '02" demo. Recorded on the Demo Master 5000 in Chris' basement in July, 2002; released in October, 2002 Tracks: Purchased Power, Police, Fleecing Of America, White Supremacist,
Always Restrictions (Discharge), The Price Is Wrong, untitled, A Meat BasedEnvironment, No Accountability, Sanctions And Bombing, Roll Call, Kill A Commie (Gang Green).
6. Split 7" EP with Blastonecrosis on Evil Robenchi Records. Recorded and mixed in Chris' den on his computer using Cakewalk program in August/September, 2002; released in March, 2003. Tracks: Purchased Power, No Accountabily, Police, Restricting Intellectual Freedom.
7. New 4 song 4-track demo. Recorded in April, 2003 on one track on a 4-track machine in Chris' basement. Tracks Patriotic Provisions, Stop Circumcision, The Role Of Mass Media, A Meat Based Environment.
Many of these recordings and demos have been combined together and released as split tapes with bands from other countries or tapes on labels including Impregnate Noise Laboratories (Czech Republic), Xerotica Release (Belarus), Tko Je Tvoj Neprijatelj? (Croatia), Where's Your Anger? Records (USA), and
Dratsab Records (Malaysia). We have also been featured on many international compilations.
?: What problems do you raise in your lyrics?
Erik: Some of the topics that my lyrics have addressed include animal rights, the destruction of the environment, US imperialism, political corruption, mass media, and the erosion of civil liberties in America.
?: How would you define your style of playing yourself?
Erik: I would definte Solitary Neglect as a political thrash band influenced by European thrash, American hardcore, and UK82 styles of punk rock.
?: Are punk-concerts often organized in the USA? Did SOLITARY NEGLECT have lots of gigs? It would be nice if tell us about the punk-scene in the USA.
Erik: In the New England area of the USA (northeastern region) where we are from, there are many shows. Sometimes we do not have a venue, so it is hard to set up shows, but something usually turns up so that there are more shows. Solitary Neglect has had a pretty good amount of shows so far i'd say, and we have a bunch more planned this summer.
The punk scene in the USA right now is pretty strong. There are many people dedicated to DIY ethics, and there are many great bands playing a variety of styles including hardcore, UK82, thrash, peace punk, crust, youth crew, and various other sub-genres. One complaint i have is that there is a severe lack of politics in the punk scene right now. I'm a firm believer in politics in punk. I think it is one of the main reasons that keeps us a counter culture and seperates us from mainstream society. My other big complaint is that not many people in the US are interested in international
hardcore punk other than just a few bands. I wish more people were into bands from Malaysia, Italy, Belarus, South America, or where ever. People need to support international hardcore. Other than that, the US scene is good right now.
?: Erik, tell us about the label Social Napalm. For how long does it exist? Who was the founder of it?
Erik: I started Social Napalm in 1998 as a distro. I have three releases out but only one in print which is the Proletariat "Soma Holiday" tape. The Proletariat were a bleak, angry, political hardcore/post punk band from Boston in the early '80s, and the tape is an official re-release of their
1983 LP. It is available for $5.00 ppd. world, or try checking distros in your own country for it. Trades are welcome but write first please. My other two releases are Melee/Cancer Kids split 7" (old school thrash/new fast thrash) and The Dirty 30s "This Is Sick!" 7" (crust punk).
?: What music do you listen to? Maybe any bands influenced your music?
Erik: I listen to different types of music from classic rock and hard rock like Guns 'N' Roses, AC/DC, Black Sabbath to some rap like Dr. Dre and NWA to all types of punk. Some of my favorite punk/hardcore bands of all time are Chaos UK, DRI, Mob 47, Mau Maus, Rudimentary Peni, and the F.U.'s, plus tons more. Many bands have influenced our music, but most notably mid-'80s European thrash bands like Ripcord, Heresy, The Stupids, B.G.K., etc. We are also influenced by American bands like Gang Green and Siege.
?: What's your attitude towards squats & squatters? Did you take part in squatting or would you like to?
Erik: I am a firm believer in squatter's rights, and i think that people having a home with electricity, running water, and heat are all very important. There is no reason why if people are willing to make a squat work and invest all that time and energy into it that they should have it taken away just because someone wants to make money off the building, sell it, or demolish
it. Ownership of property is just another way for those in power in the capitalist system to have control over you. Those who possess the most property and wealth possess the most control. People have a fundamental right to have homes with sanitary conditions under all terms.
Personally, i do not live in a squat, and i probably would never want to, but that's just me. My goal is to live alone in a house someday and have a dog.
?: What's your attitude towards fascism, Nazism and other forms of its display?
Erik: Fascism, Nazism, and extreme/militant right wing ideology are all fucked up. It is totally unjustifiable under any and all conditions and contexts. Fuck people that believe in that.
?: What's your attitude towards SxE?
Erik: Personally, i do not do drugs or drink alcohol, but i do not consider myself to be straight edge either. I think it's pretty stupid to be honest with you. There are much more important things in the world that people could devote themselves to to make a positive change. I think especially militant straight edge (hate edge as it's called) is a real problem and when people
start thinking like that. Drinking/doing drugs is a personal choice. There's no need to force your beliefs on someone else.
?: What do you know about Belarus? What associations do you have concerning Belarus?
Erik: I actually do not know very much about Belarus in terms of culture or the political climate there. I'm not very familiar with that part of the world in general. As for associations, i know your band (band Partiya) and also Green from Selfshit, Lamant, Xerotica Release, etc. I am very pleased to know both Green and you. I think you are both great people and highly dedicated to supporting and contributing to the punk network, and I'm always interested in meeting new people like you.
?: Do the members of SOLITARY NEGLECT consider themselves punks and/or anarchists?
Erik: Solitary Neglect is a punk band made up of punks without a doubt. I think i am the only one in the band who would consider themselves to be an anarchist though.
?: What do you think about the war in Iraq?
Erik: That's quite a large question, and obviously it would be possible to write volumes on the conflict. My feelings are that both sides are fucked up. The U.S. has broken international law before and gone against the U.N. before. The U.S. had no right to take matters into their own hands and police the world as they wish. There are procedures set in place for this that need to
be adhered to. So i am against the U.S. invasion of Iraq based on those grounds. However, it is a known fact though that Saddam and his top military officials have committed acts that can be considered war crimes against his own people. Hundreds of thousands people have died because of him (as well as due to U.S. enforced sanctions), and i personally would like to see Saddam and his regime removed from power. Genocide on any level is inexcusable and Saddam and his top officials need to be held accountable for that.
?: How do the members of SOLITARY NEGLECT spend their leisure?
Erik: Various members of Solitary Neglect spend their leisure time with their girlfriends, playing wiffleball, riding BMX bikes, playing video games and Magic Cards, and just hanging out with friends. We do many other things for fun also.
?: What are your plans for the future?
Erik: We will be recording seven songs for a new 7" or split 7" in May of 2003. We are not exactly sure what we are doing with the songs yet, but whatever we decide to put out will hopefully be out by the fall of 2003.
?: What would you like to wish to readers of oD.I.Y.sia! ? Maybe you want to add anything? How can our readers contact SOLITARY NEGLECT?
Erik: To all the readers, stay punk and support international hardcore punk. Keep punk an alternative to this fucked up capitalist system, and keep it an underground counter culture! I'd like to thank Sergei for the interview, the readers, and all the people that have helped out Solitary Neglect in anyway in the past. Solitary Neglect/Social Napalm can be reached through me at:
Erik
P.O. Box 4073
S. Chelmsford, MA 01824-0773
U.S.A.
P.S. Please tell us a pair of words about the romantic situation in the USA. How do you appreciate it?
Erik: Again, i'm not sure i completly understand the question. Personally, i'm not too into romance or any of that crap. I'm not a very erotic or romantic person; that's just not me. I have a girlfriend of two years who i care very much for, but i don't think i'd say that her and i have ever had "romance" before. Haha, sorry if i let you down...
