>1. please interoduce yourself and the rest of the band.

rahji: i scream. josh does too. chris kelly and george play guitar. kevin
plays drums and adam plays bass.

josh: Excuse me, I don't scream - I humm a pleasant melody, the source is
straight from the soul.



>2. when did civil defense start?

rahji: we started way back in 1998



>3. was there ever a line up change?

rahji: yeah, our friend chris casali used to play bass. adam was right there
to accept that duty when chris went on to other things.

Adam:   I was lucky enough to be able to join up after Casali left three
years ago. Before that I went to every show and lots of practices, Civil
Defense was and still is, my favorite new hardcore band.



>4. in which bands did you play before, or is someone of you playing now in a
>other bands?

rahji: i've never played in any real bands before civil defense. the rest of
the guys have a huge list. josh and george were in "intent to injure".
casali used to be in "corrin". george and kevin were in "roswell" and adam
was in "before i break" with them too. adam and kevin are in a band that's
doing real well right now.. "beyond the embrace". george also has a band
called "sayonara" and is probably doing some other bands knowing him. chris
kelly was in a band called "capture the flag". He and adam are also doing
"so automatic". damn! i'm sure i'm forgetting some stuff but i think i did
alright. haha.

chris:  I just did an ABBA tribute band.  (I'm serious!)

kevin:   Rahji pretty much covered it all. I've played in a few other bands
besides Roswell and Before I Break(Voices Forming Weapons..same band
different singer) and Emission, but i think thats it.

George: Kevin you forgot about Needles. Haha. Yeah Voices Forming Weapons
was the only one not really mentioned. (My favorite one besides Civil
Defense.) I was also in Blown Away and Down But Not Out. I think that's it
for me.

Josh: I'm also in The Bash Brothers. And lookout for Leadsled and Slag
Hammer.  



>5. what were the reasons that you guys started cd?

rahji: going to hardcore shows back when we started could be real
frustrating. there were kids calling themselves "gangs" at shows always
starting brawls and getting shit shut down. a lot of people seemed to be
more into the fashion and being cool than the music and the shows. a lot of
bands were doing "reunions" and charging ridiculous money. and a lot of
people were using hardcore as this get-rich-quick money making scheme.
anyway, some of that stuff is still around. some of it has gotten worse.
some of it has gotten better and there are some good shows again. in any
case, we had to be heard at the time and the "enough" songs are basically a
record of that anger and frustration with people trying to change hardcore
music into something it's not.

chris:  When we first started hardcore was not really anything like the
stuff I grew listening to.  There was a lot of crappy metal, or youth crew
retro, but very little honest and passionate music.

kevin:   You know..i never was really into going to hardcore shows...all the
"neolithic-swing your fist and see who you can hit the hardest dancing"
wasn't a turn on for me. When we got together we wanted to play shows where
people could come and dance, mosh, whatever and just have a good time.
Sometimes fist still fly...well who am i kidding...they always fly, but we
try to keep it friendly out there, no brawls and that kinda shit. The way a
true hardcore show should be.

Adam:   We are all friends united by hardcore, who were in bands together
for years. It was inevitable.  From my perspective, Civil Defense rekindles
the feelings that I had when I was a thirteen year old skateboarder starting
to listen to Gorilla Biscuits and Minor Threat. Its not about fashion, money
or whatever, its about playing music that we all love and having fun.

George: You said it Adam. We're just playing hardcore the way we think it
should sound.

Josh: Besides what everyone else said, I'm in it for the money, power and
women. 



>6. tell us something about your first cd and something about the name of it.

rahji: sorry, i think i just did that in the last question.

Josh: Yeah, basically we were fed up with a lot of the bullshit in hardcore
- it was really heading in a bad direction that was away from what it was all 
about. Not that there's something wrong with a genre of music evolving and 
changing, shit would be boring if it didn't; but when the basic principles 
are warped - something is wrong. Hardcore was something that I and the rest 
of us grew up with, it's something that I live and love and respect to the 
fullest. It brought me up and made me a better person.  When I see kids 
twisting and cheapening it - I'm gonna say something about it. Fuck 
scenesters and people that are in it because it's the cool thing to do. I 
remember when I used to have to get into fistfights because I was into this 
shit - now it amazes me that it's the cool and popular thing for kids.



>7. which idea you got when you write the lyriks?

rahji: well, "enough" was about the stuff i mentioned before and the lyrics
to those songs were written on that theme. there's still a lot of stuff to
be angry about and we'll be writing on a new theme next. we're living in
some pretty screwed up times right now and it's a chance to use hardcore
music as an outlet against what's fucked up - the kind of thing this music
was meant to do. we've had it easy for years and it's time for a wake up
call for the complacent. right now we're talking about an LP that does just
that.

Josh: Exactly. There's enough fluff and meaningless music out there that is
twisting people's heads and adding to the complacency out there. Everyone
needs an escape from time to time, but everyone needs a reality smack to
wake them up as well.



>8. do will come to europe on tour? and if yes, when?

rahji: i think everyone in the band would really be into going to europe.
we'll have to see what happens!

chris:  My bags are already packed!!!!

kevin:  George did ya get my laundry finished yet so we can leave for tour?

Adam:  We all know that Europe has an awesome hardcore scene. Just tell me
when.

George: book the flight and we're there. Yes Kevin the laundry is done.

Josh: Hey, I'm in Denmark right now - get your asses over here!



>9. could you explain something of your live action, just for someone who has
>never seen you before?

rahji: well, historically our shows have been pretty hectic. haha. the best
shows that we've had were ones where everyone is just going nuts. it makes
sense because the music that we do is about anger and frustration and when
kids have this sort of primal reaction to that, it feels like the music's
doing it's job. anyway, what we try to do have is just pure energy - from
us, the music, and the kids that come to see us. if everyone's having fun
and watching out for each other it's perfect.

chris:  A lot of fun, a lot of energy.  Maybe just a tad dangerous!

kevin:  well like i said before, lots of fun, dancing, just a bunch of
friends enjoying good music.

Adam:   Most likely you will see people flying across the room, including
us...but its all in fun,  there are a lot of smiling faces, stagedives, and
dancing. I think its safe to say that each one of us gives 100% at every
show.

Josh: There's a lot of people in the "hardcore" scene that get their panties
in a wrinkle when kids are dancing and having a good time at shows... what
the fuck is that!?! That's the whole essence of this thing, bands get up
there and put out energy, crowds put out energy, it's a crazy synergy - and
it's all about venting in a way that won't get you arrested. haha. But for
real, that's the foundation of hardcore - the release. You want hugs, go to
a Phish show.  At the same time, we're not a "tuff guy" band that supports
meatheads practicing kickboxing moves on little kids. It's all about unity
and fun. 



>10. what was the best show you ever had with cd? tell us please something
>about it.

rahji: i think my favorite show was a matinee we did with Think I Care,
Close Call, Out Cold, Last in Line, A Poor Excuse and the Strikers. it was
cool to me because it just felt like an old hardcore show - nobody was there
to look cool or whatever. it was just a bunch of kids who were into the
music and it was a fun time. a lot of people seem to like the last show we
did in our hometown of New Bedford best. that was definitely a great one
too. Good Clean Fun and Kill Your Idols played with us that day.

chris:  I remember our first show not knowing what people were going to
think, and the second we started playing the room exploded into absolute
chaos.  That was pretty fun.

kevin:  i will definitely say the New Bedford Fest was my best memory. The
place was packed, hot as fuck, and everyone went completely crazy. It was
amazing.

Adam:   Every show I have ever played with Civil Defense has been completely
fun, especially in our hometown of New Bedford...

George: All the hometown shows kinda meld together but all the shows at this
place called Reflections were great.

Josh: I like the show we did with Kill Your Idols and Good Clean Fun. The
crowd went beserk, we played well, and everyone had fun. Well, except the
kid that got slammed through GCF's merchandise table.



>11. which bands or people have influences on your music?

rahji: i hope what we do is original, but our music definitely comes from a
foundation that old hardcore bands laid down. personally, i like all the old
hardcore bands that were original and really made music with heart.

chris:  Black Flag, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, SSDecontrol, DYS, Circle
Jerks, 7Seconds, DK's, Husker Du, Negative Approach, Dicks, DRI, MDC,
whatever..

kevin:  You know, thats the odd thing. I never really listened to hardcore
much. Just some Gorilla Biscuits, some Bad Brains and Josh's old band Intent
To Injure. I'm a metalhead, but i always loved playing hardcore music.

Adam:   Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Black Flag, Articles of Faith, Swiz,
Husker Du....I also listen to a lot of thrash metal!   Ian MacKaye has had
the greatest influence on me.

George: Swiz, Verbal Assault, Sheer Terror, Dropdead. I love a lot of
different styles of hardcore. When it comes to writing for Civil Defense, I
just try to write songs that I would love listening to if I weren't in the
band.

Josh: My influences are anything that's powerful and sincere. Doesn't have
to just be music. Could be a book, or just the way someone lives. We all
listen to a lot of genre's of music. We definitely tap into that energy vein
that drove a lot of the original hardcore bands. But I do think we have a
pretty distinct sound. My favorites? - Cro-Mags, Motorhead, Black Flag,
Necros, Misfits, Negative Approach, Blast!, SSD , DYS, Slapshot, Minor
Threat, Blitz, and old YOT, Judge, Chain of Strength. Right now I'm
listening to a lot of Zeke and Johnny Cash.



>12. what do you think about that whole tough guy thing?

rahji: i think someone i heard from once accidentally thought that's what we
were about. if you read the lyrics, it's actually the opposite. that kind of
attitude is one of the things that "enough" is about.

chris:  If it wasn't so destructive to things I actually care about, it
would be pretty funny.  You know big guys with low self esteem with thier
silly dance moves and whatever.  Very difficult to take seriously.

kevin:  i enjoy watching it actually. It amuses me to go to a show and watch
people try to act tough and be something their really not. i mean what do
they do at home beforehand? Practice that act in a mirror? As Chris
said..."Very difficult to take seriously".

Adam:   I am the anti-tough guy. I hate the fact that some people try to
ruin things for everyone else.... Personally, I would rather see more girls
up front, rather than dudes with big muscles and bad attitudes!

George:  one thing I cannot stand is some fucking toughguy "ruling the pit"
and kicking the shit out of everyone.  Like I said I am not tough at all but
if I see this shit going down I will stop playing and put an end to it one
way or another.

Josh: I'm into Darwin and the whole "Survival of the Fittest" - so I'm into
people weeding out the weak. Haha... Actually, like I said above - you can
dance hard and crazy without being a tough guy. I left a lot of shows with
black eyes, split lips, and a big smile. If someone's in there purposely
trying to hurt people, then the crowd usually takes care of that guy.


>13. do you think that all kids should be united in this scene and not
>fighting on thereselfs?

chris:  yeah, the scene should be a place where people are free to be
themselves, and not one of the many pre-made labels that sadly exist, even
in a supposedly open-minded sub-culture.  We're all humans here, get over
all the other bullshit.

Adam:   I think that goes without saying. Life is too short to be concerned
with skin deep things. There are far greater problems in this world to fight
against than those limited to the hardcore scene.

George: When I first started going to show it was way more diversified,
there were punks, skins, straight edge kids, crustypunks and for the most
part everyone got alone because they were there for the music and not to be
cool. They weren't there to out-dress or out-dance anyone. They went to the
shows to see bands they liked and that's the way it should be. I am a firm
believer in unity. We all listen to hardcore or punk because one way or
another we don't fit into the "real world". I'm here to play music that
people will enjoy and hopefully I'll meet a lot of cool people along the
way.

Josh: Read the lyrics to "Dysfunction"



>14. do you have some last words?

rahji: thanks a lot for the interview!

chris:  thanks for hearing us.  Hope to see you soon.

kevin:  thanks a lot.

Adam:   Thank you. To anyone interested in Civil Defense, please write to
Striving for Togetherness on how we should tour Europe as soon as possible!
See you soon.

George: yeah harrass the label to get us to Europe.

Josh: You can reach Striving for Togetherness at: sftrecords@web.de  -- You
can check us out at: www.rahji.com/civildefense