A389 Recordings has released nearly 100 vinyl records since 2004. On Jan. 21, the label is hosting the A389 Recordings Anniversary Bash VIII at the Sonar Compound in Baltimore, MD to celebrate their longevity—and to host a final show for Pulling Teeth.

To get everyone psyched up, Scene Point Blank talked with members of Triac, Weekend Nachos, Full of Hell, Young and In the Way, Low Places, Homewrecker, Gehenna, and Pulling Teeth—all whom will be playing the two stage, sixteen band event next week.

The interviews are broken down page by page. Scroll through the whole thing or use our handy drop-down menu to choose your own order of reading.

For more information and set times, head over to A389's site. 

TRIAC

Chadd Heath, bass/vocals

How excited are you guys to be playing the upcoming A389 showcase?

This will be our 1st local show as a three-piece with Kevin and I singing, so we're pretty stoked, let alone the fact that this is such a great line-up. Plus, it was just announced that this will be the last Pulling Teeth show ever, so I'm glad to see them go. 'Bout time.

Your newest 7", Always Meant To Hurt You, was recently released by the label. How is it working alongside Dom and A389 to release some of your material?

We've all known Dom for a pretty long time. Kevin records a bunch of A389's bands and he and Jake are both in Hatewangs. Actually, Dom asked me if "I wanted to play bass in his new hardcore band" when Pulling Teeth first started and I said I couldn't because Triac was writing songs for what would become The Blue Room EP and I didn't think I'd have time. Soon afterwards they got a monkey or something to play bass for them. Dom has been great about getting the 7 inch out there for reviews and to labels. Makes me almost wanna take back those things I said.

What bands are you most looking forward to seeing?

Pulling Teeth, Eyehategod are always amazing, Eddie Brock.

What can we expect from your set this year?

More noise, more hate, new songs, new vocals, more odd stares from the crowd.

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Photography: Hannah Rachel Tolker

WEEKEND NACHOS

John Hoffman, vocals

How excited is Weekend Nachos to be playing the A389 showcase?

Very. A389 is great...Dom puts his blood and sweat into that label and everybody supports him. It's one of those labels that is just backed by everybody. And why? There's no ego or hype involved; there's no sketchiness behind how it's run; there's no commercial aspect to it or any sort of desire to hold anything over anybody's head. There's no "cool guy" factor when it comes to who's on the label. It's just one of those entities that's on everybody's level and there's not a negative thing to say about it. People will come out to this thing because A389 has become its own animal in the hardcore scene. And, of course, I'm happy that my own band gets to be a part of something like that.

The label released the Black Earth EP as a teaser to the Relapse-released full-length Worthless. What prompted you guys to work with Dom on the EP?

Well, for the reasons I said before, Dom is just the dude to work with. He's one of the friendliest and warmest dudes I can think of in this usually rotten scene. I think he's Greek, too, but I'm always pretty bad at figuring out ethnicities.

Is there a different dynamic between Weekend Nachoes and A389 than there is between the other labels you guys work with? 

Hmm, honestly we've just put out the one record with A389, so the main difference there is experience. I'm in contact with Relapse and Deep Six daily because of all the shit we've released with them. But I know Dom better than I know any of the other dudes that put out our records. I suppose it's more laid back ‘cause I just feel like a friend of mine is supporting our band. It's like that with the other labels too, but more so with Dom. Honestly, I don't even know Dom that well. What the fuck am I even talking about?

What bands are you most excited to see at the showcase?

Eyehategod, Pulling Teeth, and Homewrecker are the bands I know I will enjoy due to the other great times that I've seen them play in the past. But there are some other greats that I'm gonna check out too. Full of Hell and Young and In the Way are two bands I've heard and liked but have still never seen live.

What can we expect from your set?

If all goes well, we will play some songs and I won't piss anybody off. That's really the main goal for a Weekend Nachos set. If the night ends without me getting smacked around, I'll be into it.

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Photography:  Reid Haithcock, http://bummercity.com

FULL OF HELL

Dylan Walker, vocals

 

How excited is Full of Hell to be playing the A389 showcase?

So excited. Dave Bland is shitting himself in anticipation.

Your first LP, Roots of Earth Are Consuming My Home, was released by the label recently to pretty favorable reviews. How is it working with A389 to release your music?

A389 is the only label we could see ourselves working with right now. Dom is one of the best individuals on the planet, and he really puts the effort in to make sure each band feels like part of a larger family. He's also got a vested interest in Dave Bland, I think he's trying to set up some kind of charity fund to get Dave back into school.

What bands are you guys most excited to see?

I won't be missing a single band, but I'm pretty excited to finally see Eyehategod. It's also Pulling Teeth's last show, so that as well.

What can we expect from your set?
 
Dave Bland wearing disgusting running shorts.

You've just wrapped up a full U.S. tour with Southern Lord heavyweights Heartless. What other new and exciting things are in store for Full of Hell?

We're going to be heading out on an East Coast tour following the A389 Bash. A bunch of those shows are with Weekend Nachos. After that, we'll be releasing our split 7" with Code Orange Kids and touring in April with them. It looks like Europe is on the horizon for May/June.

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Photography:  Alvin Carrillo, www.AlvinCarrillo.com

YOUNG AND IN THE WAY

Rick Contes (guitar) & Chris Nolen (bass)

 

Are you guys excited to be breaking in your addition to A389 with a performance at the showcase?

Obviously, it's quite a privilege to be asked to play this showcase. We are indeed very excited.

Two of your records, I Am Not What I Am and Amen, will be re-released by A389 in the new year, but Eternal Depression will not. What prompted the decision to release those?

We came to a verbal agreement with Antithetic Records for the V. Eternal Depression release back in spring of 2011 and weren't contacted by Dom until late summer when we were in the middle of recording. Knowing we would be busy with the new record, we made arrangements with A389 to reissue I Am Not What I Am (which we independently released ourselves on limited 12" out of 220 copies) and Amen (which has never been released on vinyl) on one double LP gatefold. Amen actually has never seen a proper release. We did small release of 60 hand-numbered CDs in 2009, but nothing large scale. We are definitely lucky to have good people like Antithetic and A389 in our corner.

What bands are you most excited to see at the showcase?

Definitely Seven Sisters of Sleep and Triac.

What can we expect from your set?

"The bones are going to weigh us down."

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Photography:  Reid Haithcock, http://bummercity.com

LOW PLACES

Vince Conriquez, vocals

 Are you guys excited to be playing the A389 Showcase this year?

We are beyond stoked to be playing this year’s showcase. With such an insane line-up and it now being Pulling Teeth's last show, I am sure this will be an experience not to be forgotten for all of us.

Your new album, Spiritual Treatment, was released via A389 earlier this year. How do you think it compares to your older material?

We have definitely gotten weirder and more experimental. There is a very obvious change in style between Spiritual Treatment and our earlier material, which I believe stems from experimentation with drugs, sounds, and essentially not giving a fuck. With this record, I strongly believe that we came into our sound based on the endless list of our musical influences, and really not holding back on any ideas. With the new material we have been writing there are absolutely no boundaries. You can expect something different within each release.

Do you enjoy working with Dom and A389?

Working with Dom and his label has been incredible. He has such a good ear for good music, which isn't limited to just heavy stuff. Take one of A389's most recent additions to their roster, Anne. They are an incredible shoegaze band out of Portland that are now labelmates with bands like Integrity and Gehenna.

It rules being on a label run by a dude that has an open-minded view and obvious love for good music and is willing to broaden his label’s roster with diverse bands. We have a split with our friends from Oakland, Twin Steps, that is going to be released next year that will more than likely take you for a spin. For a band like us, A389 is a perfect home.

As far as the showcase goes, what bands are you most excited to see?

Literally, I'm stoked on every band playing this year: Eyehategod, Gehenna, and Integrity, bands that we grew up listening to, are bands that I never thought I would be able to see in one night, let alone play a show with. Young and In The Way is a band that I am really excited to see live. Pulling Teeth is a band I have been a fan of from the start, so being a part of their final show is going to be an honor as well.

What can we expect from your set this year?

We are a band you should never expect anything from.

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Photography:  Dustin Rhodes, www.californiaviolence.com

HOMEWRECKER

Matt Barnum, guitar


How excited is Homewrecker to be playing the A389 showcase next month?

We are so excited! We couldn't believe it when we got asked to play. The line-up is absolutely amazing, Dom did such a good job. It's also bittersweet because we are now playing Pulling Teeth's last show. We are very sad to see them go, but also pumped that we have the opportunity to play with them.

You previously released a split with The Love Below earlier this year, and have a new record coming out in February. How do you guys feel about working alongside Dom and A389 to release your music?

Dom definitely knows what he's doing when it comes to putting out a record. He's very chill about everything and is always willing to answer any questions we have. As far as working alongside the A389 roster, it's awesome. So many awesome bands are working with this label right now, it's getting a lot of attention!

Speaking of your new record, how do you think it compares to your previous output?

It's faster, heavier ,and darker. We are really excited to hear/see everyone's reaction to it. We've played a couple new songs live and they seem to go over very well. It will feature 7 new songs, featuring guest vocals from Dylan from Full of Hell and Tony from Masakari. 

What bands are you guys most excited to see at the showcase?

We are stoked to see every single band, but most excited for Full of Hell, Weekend Nachos, Integrity, Hatewaves, Low Places.

Scene Point Blank: What can we expect from your set?

A broken neck from headbanging so hard. [Laughs.] But, really, it's going to be a fun set. Short and sweet, some surprises, and maybe an Infest/Crossed Out cover if everything goes correctly.

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Photography:  Ed Battes, www.settabphoto.com

GEHENNA

Mike Apocalypse, vocals

How excited is Gehenna to be playing the A389 showcase next month?

To be completely honest, there is a lot of anxiety that builds up around stuff like this. The live incarnation of Gehenna is volatile and unpredictable. There is always a lot of tension before we play. If there are no drugs it's worse. Last time we were in Baltimore there was a bit of a hiccup in the formula and things got a bit out of hand. Fortunately, there were a few folks who got things dialed in properly. Overall, though, I'm stoked to go play in Baltimore with some great bands and see a bunch of good friends who I haven't spent time with in many moons. That being said, I'm gonna need something to calm down before we play. Hopefully we'll get that sorted out.

You guys have released quite a bit of material through the label. How is it working alongside A389 for these releases?

Dom is a great guy and a person I trust. We've done a few releases together now and I know we'll work together in the future. His label is a product of his love and respect for music and the passion that drives people to step into uncharted waters and go out on a limb with their music. A good example is our side of the Gehenna/Blind to Faith split, the Penetration Panthers 7" or the Anne LP. Dom is great because we have full artistic and creative freedom to do anything we want. If Dom puts his name on it then you know he believes in it and that is something I respect.

What bands are you most excited to see at the showcase?

Eyehategod, Integrity, Pulling Teeth, Pick Your Side, Van Halen, Seven Sisters of Sleep. Wait, what? Van Halen isn't playing...Fuck. Well, I still really want to see Pick Your Side a lot.

What can we expect from your set?

I have no idea. We never know what a Gehenna set is going to be like. Sometimes it’s an argument between band members or a fight with the crowd. Other times its 35 minutes of torture and noise played faster and more cruel than ever. But the one thing about Gehenna is that we only play by our rules. For the last 17 years we've never answered to anyone but ourselves. That's how we've done it and that's how we will continue to do it: our way.

Are there any new recordings or additional touring coming from Gehenna?

We have a bunch of mixtapes coming out, a split 7" with Integrity, and we're working on a new album and a few other things that I'm going to keep under wraps for now. As far as touring, we're trying to figure out Europe, and maybe some East Coast dates for summer of 2012.

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Photography:  Dan Rawe

PULLING TEETH

Mike Riley, vocals

 I'm sure everyone will be asking why Pulling Teeth is calling it a day, but in my eyes the statement you guys made is pretty clear. With that said, are you guys excited to play Baltimore one last time as part of the A389 showcase?

Of course. I couldn't think of a better way to go out than to play with a bunch of amazing bands and friends in our hometown. It'll be bittersweet, for sure, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

With the release of Funerary, it seemed that Pulling Teeth’s overall sound reached a very well-crafted and mature level, especially in your lyrics. How do you guys think it turned out? 

Thanks a lot. I'm not sure we could do any better. It's certainly a culmination of years of playing together and getting comfortable with where we wanted to go musically from the very beginning. I think PD/PI was a good stepping stone to getting us there, but Funerary is where it all gelled and worked as a complete album.

Will that be the final Pulling Teeth release the world will see, or are there any plans for a posthumous release?

That will be the last release of new music. There is talk of a live EP and maybe another cassette version of Funerary for Southeast Asia, but I'm not sure if those will definitely happen.

Since Dom is putting the showcase together and I'm sure he's excited to see all the bands playing, who are the rest of you most excited to see?

Mike: Eyehategod, Weekend Nachos, Pick Your Side, Full of Hell
Alex: Integrity, Weekend Nachos, Triac, Full of Hell
Chris: Triac
Mitch: Hatewaves

What can we expect from the final Pulling Teeth set?

As much as we'd love to play a set of every song and every cover we've ever played, we're getting up there in age and just don't have the energy for that. It'll be 30-40 minutes of our best songs with a lot of ooey-gooey heartfelt thank-yous peppered in between, and hopefully a lot of people leaving with smiles on their faces.

What will the rest of 2012 see for all of you?

That's when the world ends, right? I didn't see the movie so I'm not sure if it's unavoidable or not.

If we're all still alive these things will be accomplished: Finishing college, more babies, more records from A389, Firestarter, and Toxic Pop. Alex is heading to Tupelo to play drums for Seraphim. Chris will have new music from Pala and Invitational. Hatewaves are also working on new songs. Mitch and I have talked about starting something, but as of yet we have not actually gotten together for it. Mitch also has a couple of other projects in the works that may or may not see the light of day. Charm City Art Space's 10 year anniversary!

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Photography:  Reid Haithcock, http://bummercity.com