South Jersey hardcore band, Vespid, lets us into their world of hardcore, thrash, influence, and favorite press! Vespid has released 2 EPs and a plethora of singles, most recently Dead to Me/Drop Out. They are just off the heels of playing the Black N Blue Bowl at the Brooklyn Monarch with Suicidal Tendencies.
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VESPID
SS: What does success mean to you as artists?
V: Success, to us, means achieving your artistic or creative goals fully, without compromise, at as big or as small of a level as you want it. You can be the biggest and richest artist in the world, but if you’re not truly satisfied with your art as a means of expression, then you’re not successful as an artist – just wealthy as an artist. A lot of this line of thought is inspired by our hardcore and punk upbringing, but we do believe that a band playing to three people in a garage can be equally as successful as a stadium band as long as the art is completely meaningful to the artist.
SS: Who are your inspirations, and how did you hear about them?
V: Speaking for myself (Joe), Sean, and Bayan, I would say a lot of old school NYHC and Bay Area thrash was the bread and butter growing up when we started wanting to make a band. Finding this music through friends and older family members, it just blew all of our minds and felt so fresh, so unique, and relatable. Boston bands too – Slapshot, Blood for Blood, DYS, Rival Mob, SSD – these bands lyrics resonate with our own worldviews, and the riffs get us really riled up. I don’t think we’d be the band we are without bands like Leeway, the Crumbsuckers, Merauder, Bad Brains, Slayer, Madball, Exodus, Machine Head, and other bands in those realms. RJ and BGoldy have brought in way more modern sensibilities into the band, they listen to a lot of post-Y2K stuff that we otherwise don’t. When we’re on tour, they’re very likely to throw on Gojira, Beartooth, Counterparts, bands like that.
SS: Have you done any press in the pass? How was your experience?
V: We have actually done pretty much no press before! We did an interview for an issue of a friend’s Zine at one point, which was a nice experience, but we try to walk the walk more than talk the talk. That said, as we continue to grow and play to more people, we’d love to talk about our story, where we come from, and what the music means to us, and to do it whenever possible to anyone who’s willing to listen!
SS: Do you have a favorite music magazine, podcast, or interview? What stands out?
V: Nardwuar is and forever will be the king of music journalism. And I will always have love for the Lambgoat comments section and the B9 board.
SS: Do you believe PR plays a role in the success of an entertainer?
V: It definitely can help elevate a band to the next level by taking the rawness of the music or a live show and putting it into words. When you’re listening to music or stage diving at a show, you’re tapping into something that is completely understandable but hard to describe. PR can take that experience and make it digestible and understandable in a way that gets the point across on why this music is so important.
Vespid on stage at Black N Blue Bowl 2025
Keep up with Vespid!
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June 2nd, 2025