OneWayMirror + Interview

Onewaymirror is a Kittencore Screamo band based in Los Angeles, California. Formed in 2022, they have posted several demos, one ep, and two splits. Their high pitched squeals and lofi recording quality of their music creates what I feel like is a mix of Flowers Taped to Pens with Gas Up Yr Hearse! with a dash of In Loving Memory. While these young kids haven't been around that long, they've already made a pretty decent sized catalog of music with over a dozen songs and will likely continue to make music. They are self described as "four on the floor hardcore" and from watching their live shows, they will definitely have you rolling around on the ground after exhausting yourself from their music.

This Monday, August 28th, I managed to get the band members to sit together for a quick amateur interview via the band's Insta DMs. The following is a nearly copy and paste transcript of it.

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Me -  Alright, to start off, tell me about onewaymirror and the band members.

The Band - Harris 14 (vocals) Milo 16 (Drums) Tate 15 (Guitar) Henry 16 (Bass)

Me - WOW, you guys are younger than I thought haha. I assumed yall would be older than 16 or so.

The Band - Haha everyone thinks that

Me - How did you guys meet up and come up with the idea of starting a screamo band with each other?

The Band - Me, Milo and Harris all were into screamo and we had wanted to start a band for awhile. We tried doing a band as a 3 piece for a whole but it became owm after we met Henry at a sleep away camp and asked him to play bass.

Me - What are/were some of your guys' inspirations to OWM's sound?

The Band - Definitely a lot of heavier 90s screamo stuff when we were starting like Orchid and Hassan I Sabbah. Now while writing our LP, we are more inspired by The Great Redneck Hope and early 2000’s metalcore/screamo stuff

Me - I was about to ask about plans for a new release/LP of yours tho but I guess that question has already been answered. I like the new direction you guys are heading towards, especially with the Burial Etiquette split and the BSDJ comp song (which by the way is awesome and I'm glad to have my solo project, Snail Trails, be next to you.) How do you feel about your music growing this much attraction in just a short amount of time?

The Band - Thank you that’s super nice we really have always wanted to play this style but annoyingly our demo, the first EP, got way bigger than we had hoped and we weren’t good enough at our instruments to play what we wanted yet lol. We think it’s super cool that it’s gained the attraction it has, we never thought in such a short amount of time that anyone would really care or take interest in what we do for fun, haha, but it’s nice to see that the things we do can have a positive impact on people!

Me - What are your guys' thoughts on the SoCal hardcore scene, bands like Knumears, Vs Self, Widowdusk, etc. and how larger and wide spread the scene has been getting?

The Band - I don’t think it’s the bands fault that they’ve gotten so big, it’s just the accessibility of their music and the type of places they’ve been playing. I think its great for screamo and bands as a whole, but sucks for the bands/people trying to keep it underground and rooted in hardcore values. Personally we don’t care at all about growing as a band and making decisions for other people, we're super grateful for the people that have found us and connected with the music but we only play to deal with shit in our lives and express emotions we can’t put into words

Me - alright then. Final question for the blog. Is there anything you guys would like to shout out or promote?

The Band - BSDJ and Jean Scene they’re doing super cool shit for screamo and DIY. And listen to gonewithyou

Me - Haven't heard of them but will def check em out!!

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Onewaymirror is definitely a unique band. they have been my latest obsession in the SoCal hardcore scene. With Harris' bird screeching screams and Milo's fast, yet complex drumming the way they all play makes them stand out as in kittencore screamo. They may be young and just having fun but they are hella talented for sure. If you're into the 90s hardcore sound of high pitched vocals with amateur mixing then these guys will definitely be the ones for you.

SoundCloud Demos

1. it feels like a change (demo)

2. You Call It Your Right, I Call It Your Weakness

Retrospect (Demo)

1. Retrospect (Demo)

but once the snow hits the ground, it hushes as still as my heart

1. But Once The Snow

2. For Those We Scream

3. you could try...

4. See You Soon

Split with Versera

1. Pirate Songs/Milo Joins The Military

2. Frontlines: And The Stories I'll Take To My Grave

3. Love Is All That Their Weary Hands Could Hold

4. (Bonus Track) Feels Like A Change

a tale of two cities (split with Burial Etiquette)

1. As I Lay Dying

2. Forever Fell Short

3. Burial Etiquette - Hyperviolent Ballet

4. Burial Etiquette - Safe Haven

Face the Sun and Refuse to Wilt

onewaymirror - I Froze! And Now I'm Dug Deeper Than Before

Self-Titled

1. Rock Bottom Has A Basement

2. Better Read Than Dead

3. Biting The Hand That Feeds Me

4. Letters Write The Stories, Paper Sets The Stage

5. The People, The Internet

6. No I'm Not A Thief, I'm A Goddamn Minister

7. If You're Me, Then Who's This Asshole?

8. There's Only Two Things Certain In Life, Death And Taxis?

Spotify

Apple Music

Soundcloud

Instagram

Last.fm

If you are an artist/apart of a band and want me to interview you or if there are any artists from the SouthWest US that you would like for write about then be sure to message me on my socials or leave a comment below the post!

Cry The Monarch + Update

 Before total liberation, before the conquest of crust, before social obsession, before Lagrimas, there was Cry The Monarch.

 Cry The Monarch was a 3-piece atmospheric screamo band from Pomona, California that probably lasted from 2014 to 2017. Overall, the band is very obscure with little to no online presence and is relatively unknown to the modern day diy socal scene but I feel as it is important to note for any fans of Lagrimas. Cry The Monarch's discography is relatively short, having only one official EP + 2 singles which are just the two songs featured in that EP. Their music is very fuzzy with an atmospheric touch which when listening to it, you can clearly hear how similar this is to what would later become Lagrimas' sound.

(Due to the band being REALLY obscure, I had to rely on their Facebook and memory from the Lagrimas instagram stories about it. Forgive me if I get anything wrong here.)

August 12th, 2023 Update: I dm'd the Lagrimas Insta page about Juice's old band (this one lol) and got some more information so this should be more accurate to their history (hopefully).

Cry The Monarch @ Riverside (10/6/2015)

Cry the Monarch formed in 2014, shortly after their (at the time) guitarist, Juice, had left High School in order to pursue music. During an event called "Growing Up is Dumb," they would throw an unofficial after party where they would ask bandmembers of Old Gray if they could perform at Juice's house to which they agreed. August 2nd, 2014 (I assume) would be the day where Cry the Monarch would do their first ever show. They wouldn't have an online presence until mid 2015 with the creation of their Facebook page. On June 28th, 2015, they would announce their first and only ever EP release titled, "If I Give Up" which would be released via cassette tapes through structures//agony records. These tapes would be sold with a limit of 25 in a blue grey tint. However, it wouldn't be until October 1st when their EP was officially released along with the tapes.

From there on, they would play shows in a variety of locations throughout southern California including multiple shows with All My Wishes Were Thrown Down A Well And Should Die There. These shows would range from the Che Cafe in San Diego to Bridgetown in La Puente.

Eventually, life would catch up to them and the band would slowly start drifting apart within the start of 2016. They would continue until May 24, 2016, where they would play their last show with New Berlin, Cheer Up Charlie, Andy's Room, and Nuance. Their page would hint at another show in December but that event never happened due to the band now being a thing of the past.

After the page had over 2 years of silence, in July 2018, the page announced that there would be something coming soon and by December, they would make their Facebook band profile set to black. It would be silent until the page would announce their new project, Lagrimas, which would bring the era of Cry The Monarch to an end.

August 12, 2023 Update: Back in June, I dm'd the Lagrimas instagram page where I asked Juice about his old band, Cry the Monarch, and this is what he responded with.

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"The band started in 2014 right after I graduated high school, I was really into screamo at the time and wanted to start a band like all the ones I was getting into. Our first show ever was at my house, with one of my favorite bands ever old gray. There was a big fest called growing up is dumb happening in Pomona, and I decided to throw an unofficial after party/show and randomly asked old gray to play, and they were down!! They’re still one of my favorite bands and biggest inspirations so that was a very special show for me! 

Eventually we all just kind of drifted apart and life started happening and eventually cry the monarch just slowly ended! I think around like 2016 we played our last show, I don’t remember exactly where it was honestly, I’ve been thinking about doing a reunion show for fun but idk if that’ll happen since one of the members doesn’t do music at all and the other one is a professional musician so he’s always too busy"

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The entire journey of Cry The Monarch would be a straight forward journey. There were humble beginning for the band but it wouldn't lead to a large following nor would they band go out with a bang. It started out small and overtime, simply but slowly dissolved. While Cry The Monarch may not have gotten big, it sure was the humble beginnings for the band that the SoCal DIY scene now knows and loves, Lagrimas.

 

Past Versions:

Version 1 - https://web.archive.org/web/20230811214105/https://southwestdiy.blogspot.com/2023/06/cry-monarch.html

If I Give Up (demo)

1. If I Give Up (demo)

Hollow

1. Hollow

If I Give Up

1. Winter

2. If I Give Up

3. I never thought the silence could be so loud

4. Dust

5. Hollow

Bandcamp

Facebook

Spotify

If you are an artist/apart of a band and want me to interview you or if there are any artists from the SouthWest US that you would like for write about then be sure to message me on my socials or leave a comment below the post!

Our Eyes Go Blank Tonight

 

Obligatory Deftones reference in the name, Our Eyes Go Blank Tonight is a post-hardcore/Math rock band from Houston, Texas. Members of OEGBT met and formed in early 2022 as a group of friends from their highschool where they decided that it would be cool to start a band and play some music. By December 2022 they released their single, Done Waiting, before releasing their debut EP, year of us, in March of 2023. Despite only one official EP (as of writing this anyway lol) it is DEFINITELY worth your time. Their music comprises melodic tapping, fast paced songs, along with punchy riffs that combine twinkly emo with insane djenting in some of their more heavier songs. I highly recommend listening to "Monster Reserve" as it is their most powerful, eargasming producing track that they have and I can't wait to see what the future holds for them.

Edit: In light of new information, I feel like that it should be necessary to acknowledge a former member by the name of Jacob Adikson. A few months ago, as of writing this, Jacob was outed as an abusive predator whom raped a 14 year old and assaulted several people in the scene. Mind you, he is no longer in the band and was confirmed to be kicked out when this information was brought to light. OEGBT is a wonderful band that makes amazing music but Jacob is a sick bastard whose actions should be known to the public and have those around the scene to be wary of him.

Done Waiting

1. Done Waiting

Year of Us

1. MATCHA BOMB !!!+¡!!+

2. Monster Reserve

3. Everybody knew about WW2

4. voes ne reoiz

5. Trueys

6. you stopped breathing

7. Done waiting (Bonus Track)

Spotify

Apple Music

Instagram

Read more about them in this newsletter I found, it goes more in depth with their history and how they formed. They're a more recent band so right now is the time to experience them while they're still fresh!

https://www.cchspress.com/features/2023/02/06/oegbt/

+ Video interview with them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5-CK5tkj0g

If you are an artist/apart of a band and want me to interview you or if there are any artists from the SouthWest US that you would like for write about then be sure to message me on my socials or leave a comment below the post!

JudgeMyHeart + Interview

A band forms, they release a few songs/demos, play a few shows, then break away or go on a hiatus, all within a short time span. There is no real way to prevent this sad yet common thing from happening so all that we can do is cherish their music and enjoy it while we still have them. That is how I learned to appreciate bands within my scene because bands like these are always a once in a lifetime experience. A small grain of sand on a beach. One of the most recent acts to join the "short-lived" category is none other than JudgeMyHeart.

JudgeMyHeart was a short-lived screamo band founded and based in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Since their formation in May 2022, they would proceed to record and upload a handful of demos on Youtube and Soundcloud before making their first official release for "Over" on all streaming platforms. Their original line up consisted of 4 members with one of them being a female vocalist but then reduced to being a trio towards their final few months. They played a show in Highland on June 3rd, 2023 before going on hiatus for about a month before they continued to play a few more shows. They would play their final show on August 7th and would break up due to personal drama surrounding the band. Members of the band would go on to play in So Concerned and No Bling.

JudgeMyHeart playing a show w/ their ex-vocalist

JudgeMyHeart 2022 - 2023 Demo Discography

1. 12-24-19

2. Calm

3. I had a dream that I was drowning as the sea froze over me

4. Untitled (it’s the closest I can get - three song demo)

5. Calm (it’s the closest I can get - three song demo)

6. I gave you all I had (it’s the closest I can get - three song demo)

7. long days, no end 

8. a letter you can no longer read

9. What's on your mind?

10. Over

11. Everyday

12. David's World

13. I watched you slip away

14. The church raised money in the memory of you

15. I gave you all I had

it’s the closest I can get - three song demo

1. Untitled

2. Calm

3. I gave you all I had

Over

1. Over

JMH demos+

1. Everyday

2. David's World

3. I watched you slip away

4. The church raised money in the memory of you

5. I gave you all I had

untitled #1

1. Untitled #1

We were all just fucking ants

1. We were all just fucking ants

(Note: This is not in chronological order tho I tried)

Spotify

Apple Music

Bandcamp

Instagram

SoundCloud

JudgeMyHeart @ The Haven, Pomona (5/19/2023)

During their final month, I managed to get to see them live at a venue called The Haven in Pomona during an event called "Fuzzriot Fest" along with 5 other bands that day. I got to meet and talk to other SoCal DIY acts (Aren't We Amphibians, Me+You, and Lagrimas) along with two other bands from Jersey (Bulletproof Backpack and Catalyst.) Although I never got a chance to speak to the members of JMH the day of, I did eventually get to interview one of the band members a mere day before their last show. Below is the interview I had with David via the band's Insta DMs.

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Me - May I know who I am speaking to?

David - This is David

Me - Tell me about JudgeMyHeart and how it started.

David - So in May 2022 I posted a demo on SoundCloud and Spencer slid up and he wanted to jam and one day super last minute he wanted to jam after school so we jammed in our ex singers garage and we clicked pretty quickly it felt very natural and it wasn’t till the next jam sesh that we added Xavier and that’s when the band really felt like complete at first.

It’s funny bc after the first jam, Spencer got us a spot on Liz’s bday show and we had a week to prepare for that as we literally just formed & it was so bad lol

Me - Lol, i mean it WAS your guys' first show so it obv wont be the best. What were some of your inspirations for your guys' sound?

David - For me Title Fight, iwrotehaikus and Blink-182. I’ll ask Spencer & Xavier though I know we all share title fight as an inspiration. (note: the next messages were later added) Xavier said youth novel, Blair & just the scene in general. Spencer said dag nasty, marginal man, and Elvis Costello.

Me - I remember a few months ago, you had your original main vocalist (i forgot her name tho) left the band then later saw a vague insta story about her. Idk if it is okay for me to ask about what happened behind the scenes but I am a bit curious. (you don't have to answer btw)

David - Yeah I’m sorry it’s just too much personal stuff to get into.

Me - that's alright, I understand that. Do you or anyone else plan to do anything after JMH? also I apologize for any uncomfortable vibes with that question.

David - Oh no you’re okay if I were you I’d wanna know too lol. But yeah I plan on starting a side project with some friends from Widowdusk, Spencer is in No Bling and Xavier plans on a side project with his homies as well.

Me - Oh cool! I'm pretty sure fans of JMH will be interested in hearing what the future holds for them. other than "Over" do you plan to post other JMH songs on streaming services?

David - Yes we do plan on releasing more after our haitus.

Me - are there any specific projects that you want to shout out or things to promote?

David - Nope, just thanks to everyone that cares about anything we do.

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This hiatus may take weeks, months, or even years, but however long it takes, JudgeMyHeart will once again return to the scene. When exactly? I guess we'll never know. While this certainly wont be the last we hear from them, the only thing that we can do now is wait until they decide that it's the right time to come back together.

August 10, 2023 Update: JudgeMyHeart later retured from their hiatus which lasted about a few weeks before playing another show on July 14th with other notable Socal bands within the scene including herlovebeheadsdaisies from Texas. They would play their final show on August 7th with So Concerned, letsmakenothinghappen, we'rethecurrency, OneWayMirror, and Widowdusk before announcing on their Instagram that they will be no longer performing as a band along with a new EP. (it will be here when released.)

Announcement Story

JudgeMyHeart was honestly the main inspiration for wanting to write this blog in the first place. Seeing local bands, documenting, and getting to actually talk to them in real time is nothing but a blessing to me. It gives you the joy of discovering something new and wanting to learn more about who they are/were, what they do, their inspirations, etc. I highly recommend them as, to me, they will always have a special place in my heart for the Socal Underground scene.

If you are an artist/apart of a band and want me to interview you or if there are any artists from the SouthWest US that you would like for write about then be sure to message me on my socials or leave a comment below the post!

Ispentsixhourswatchingshockvideosyesterday + Interview

For my first entry, I'd like to touch on one of the newest screamo projects out who have recently come out with a new release.

What isn't an esoteric lofi screamo project without a needlessly long name? Ispentsixhourswatchingshockvideosyesterday is a 2-person "lofi bedroom screamo" project from Utah and California, reminiscent of bands such as bright little stars, The Truth About Dreaming, Your Arms Are My Cocoon, and The Civil War in France. the duo recently released their demo on all streaming services making their way into the growing online space of lofi screamo. There is not really much to say about this band since they are relatively new, recently releasing their demo within the past month but if you are into a short 3 song demo EP filled with twinkly, fuzzy guitars and distorted, pixely screaming, then they might be the band for you.

2023 Demo

1. Time means nothing when it's all spent in the same place

2. Shock videos

3. It's not peer pressure, it's just your turn

Spotify

Apple Music

Instagram

Below is a quick interview that I had with Dispep, one of the members Ispentsixhourswatchingshockvideosyesterday, via the band's Instagram dms

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Me - Tell me a little bit about isshwsvy and what you're all about?

Dispep - Hmm well I’m Dispep and I’m from Utah, and my band member Nova is from SoCal, I do all the instruments and production and then half the vocals, and Nova does the rest of the vocals. Our demo is bedroom screamo, and we will continue being a screamo band but in the future we also want to incorporate other genres.

Me - What other genres have you considered dipping into?

Dispep - We definitely want to steer a little away from the bedroom side of skramz, and take it more in an emoviolence direction, but we also both have been wanting to incorporate shoegaze somehow.

Me - Well I'm sure the mini change might be a welcome for the fans (such as myself.) Speaking of bedroom music, the demo kinda reminds me of other projects such as bright little stars, The Truth About Dreaming, and The Civil War in France. Were any of these perhaps your inspirations or were there any other ones that made you and Nova want to collab to make isshwsvy?

Dispep - I love those bands, but I honestly didn’t take any inspo from them at all. My inspiration came mostly from bands like Midwest pen pals, your arms are my cocoon, Vs Self, and also Bands like saetia and orchid.

Me - I love those bands! I saw Vs Self back in January with Knumears, Just Let Me Go, and Back Before Streetlights in Ontario, CA. On the topic of shows, are there any plans to one day meet up and do an actual show or will this purely stay an online only thing?

Dispep - We definitely want to do shows in the future, but there are no guarantees yet.

Me - oh that sound cool, btw do you plan to make a bandcamp for any future releases?

Dispep - Yea definitely, just haven’t gotten around to it yet

Me - yeah haha, I get that. What are some of the songs in the demo about? any specific topics or just random things you two wrote down in order to come up with any lyrics for them?

Dispep - Every song has two different perspectives from each of us, but for my side it all of the songs were mostly about loneliness and just depression in general

Me - okay, final question, are there any specific projects that you want to shout out or things to promote?

Dispep - To anyone that likes shock videos, I have multiple other projects u can check out too, n I’d also like to shout out .interlink. And Maligna Muerte.

(You can check out Dispep's other projects, shotxthirtyxtimes and body decomposing in pepsi, on Insta.)

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Once again, I highly recommend checking out Ispentsixhourswatchingshockvideosyesterday if you are into bands that have a similar sound to Your Arms Are My Cocoon and Bright Little Stars or if you're just wanting to hear something new.

If you are an artist/apart of a band and want me to interview you or if there are any artists from the SouthWest US that you would like for write about then be sure to message me on my socials or leave a comment below the post!

First

After being inspired by blogs like Sophie's Floorboard and openmindsaturatedbrain, I decided "fuck it" and started my own blog for the DIY Hardcore Scene in SoCal and the general Southwest area of America. My goal is to interview, document, and/or archive as many diy bands in the region as I possibly can whether their music be twinkly or chaotic or whatever the hell it is, as long as it's diy and originates from the Southwest, then it's here.

This blog is fairly new as of May 30th 2023 so there wont be a lot of things here as of now but later on there will be more.