"Inspired by those who choose hope over hate". Such reads the tagline accompanying the latest album THE HOPE DIVISION from Orange County, California's Stick To Your Guns. Take one look at the "Amber" video that Scott Hansen did with the band and you can tell these guys are trying to do a bit more than your average hardcore or "message" band. This is not posturing or having one token song on an otherwise listless or hate filled record about a social topic just to seem socially aware. THE HOPE DIVISION is not only one of the best things released on Sumerian Records (who are on a serious hot streak the last two years), but the best thing that Stick To Your Guns has ever done and a major moment for modern hardcore you shouldn't sleep on.

We all have certain really special moments where music played a crucial or uplifting role. Recently I was lightheaded with joy to see the reunited Faith No More encore with "Stripsearch" on an incredibly hot day to a slavering Brooklyn crowd, a great reminder of the power of music written with integrity having more staying power. Or just this past weekend I got inspired to see the funky ass Jacobi Wichita (who a startled friend described as "Bad Brains meets Matisyahu meets Pink Floyd") tear it up with congas and turntables and make it still work on a heavy bill with up and coming Upstate, NY metalcore and hardcore bands like Colony and Acentria. For one more example, heck, I know everyone out there has a song or two that reminds them of a certain someone or a meaningful time in their life (thinking of Joy Division right now for personal reasons involving a lovely lady who I miss). I just want to say that I think music probably serves us best when it enhances or uplifts our lives (much as I love a good song about wallowing in depression too. Phil Anselmo talking about sleeping in his own piss in Down's "Lysergik Funeral Procession" remains pretty darn bad ass).

But yeah, I have lately been realizing that I tend to have way more success in life when I stay positive even through the worst events, rather than caving in or heaping more depression on a bad scenario. Hearing Stick To Your Guns' THE HOPE DIVISION really got me gassed up, recently. It is a record chock full of passion, great searing riffs and powerful samples about the threads that bind humans of all beliefs and backgrounds. Basically, it totally jives with where my headspace is these days AND happens to be a complex and truly righteous hard core album that shows that the conviction alone isn't as powerful as conviction married to contemplation and compassion.

MORGAN Y. EVANS: “Where the Sun Never Sleeps” sets a great tone for THE HOPE DIVISION right off the bat, especially considering the album title. Can you talk
about the message of that song? It is so positive and anthemic. I think
that’s brave in music. You don’t flinch from ugly truths but try and have
hope to press onward. I interviewed Kevin from The Hope Conspiracy once or
twice and am a huge fan. They come off as very negative lyrically to some
people but the music is about trying to change things, even on their recent EP
called TRUE NIHILIST!…and then Kevin told me he loves stuff like 108, which
is incredibly earth moving and profound music. Stick To Your Guns really
uphold the mantle of positive, deep hardcore. The anger is focused.

JESSE BARNETT (vocals): Well, the song "Where The Sun Never Sleeps" to me is really our only song off of this album that doesn't really have an overall message as it does a
personal meaning to me. This song about me loving my home and loving where
I come from and being grateful for everything I have and all of the
opportunities I've had because of growing up in a place like Orange County,
California. So I guess that could be a message but it's more for me to
remember where I come from to not forget the people you love most and
those who supported you through it all. And yes of course STYG will always
be a band with a positive message because we are all people that believe
that having an attitude of an uplifting nature and not falling apart at
the first sign of trouble but instead looking for solutions, that this is how
the only true change can take place. Being forward thinking and not just
saying fuck the world when life gets hard. People like that bum me out.
Quit being pussies. But yes the driving force behind it all is anger.
Anger with a direction. It's powerful.

MYE: “Quit being pussies”,hahaha. I totally agree, man. You have to try and have a champion attitude like that. Did you know what you wanted to do ahead of time for this record to follow up your last album? You have a great old school emphasis on song writing and not just breakdowns. Then when there is a good slower part like in “Faith In The Untamed”, it’s way more effective since not abused!

JB: Well, we attained 2 new forces to be reckoned with since the last album, namely
George "Schmitty" Schmitz and Chris Rawson (Walls of Jericho). These dudes
are incredible. Chris flew out to my house for about 2 weeks and we wrote
this record and I feel like we had the attitude like we were writing the
first Styg album. Past releases have no relevance. This is the most honest
and by far most passionate album in our catalogue. I think the dynamic on
this album is great. It's not one of those records that sounds like it's on
repeat the entire time!

MYE: I love the lyric in “What Goes Around” that says “, We are the children
raised with the back of your hand.” It’s so true how people can be
products of their environment or how sometimes the only way to survive is
to try to defy the odds and run the gauntlet life throws at you. In my
high school all the one time heralded “gifted and talented” kids later
were the outcasts by the end of junior high who were hated by the top
faculty for questioning too much or being individuals! What does that
say!!!? Anyway, THE HOPE DIVISION is incredibly moving and motivating. I
think people could read the lyrics and just hear the samples and be moved
even if they don’t like hardcore music!

JB: The song "What Goes Around" was written about child abuse. A child’s mind
is like a sponge and it absorbs everything it hears, sees and feels. We all
know this. If you show your child that the only way to get what you want
and the only way to deal with problems is to strike someone, that's a one
way ticket to fuck your son or daughter for life. I know that children can
push their parents to the brink of fuck all. I know this, ask my mom… but
she, bless her heart, raised me with her iron trap mind and a gentle
heart. My father too. It still amazes me that I'm not buried in their
backyard.

MYE: To me the best punk is about chasing a spark of creativity and
consciousness (though I love some silly dumb punk songs too, of course).
THE HOPE DIVISION and Crime In Stereo’s I WAS TRYING TO DESCRIBE YOU TO SOMEONE are easily my favorite “punk” records of 2010. You took risks and it
can change lives and perspectives. My old band DIVEST worked briefly with
Dr Know of Bad Brains for his one time label FKM Records and I learned so
much in that sweet, short time. If it wasn’t for risk taking bands like
them or Minor Threat, there would’ve been no foundation! You seem a part
of that tradition to me. I hate when hardcore is just another security
blanket. Some dudes I know just hang out and have dick size contests over
who can name the most hardcore bands in a row and dress the same. They
even hate all other music, but that reeks of insecurity. Thoughts?

JB: Music is my life. Bottom line. All sorts. We love hardcore but we hate
hearing a record from a band that sounds like it was recorded in 1986 when
we all know it was recorded in 2010. All these bands need to chill on the
"keeping it true" shit. All they are doing is continuing a tradition that
is someone else’s vision and dream. When I was about 10 my older sister
gave me and my brother Black Flag, Minor Threat and Sepultura cassette
tapes. It was awesome and although I love bands like Minor Threat and Bad
Brains and Chain of Strength and M.d.c. and Judge and so on and so forth, I'm
not trying to mimic what they did. We aren't a cover band. We have our own
vision of direction and that's what's great about the freedom of
expression. We will always go with this band wherever the fuck we want to
go. To me that's more punk than these bands restricted by a rulebook.

MYE: Word. I hate when that becomes a limitation and ruins potential new cool movements. How is your ongoing relationship with Sumerian Records? That label has
just done so much amazing stuff lately. I love Stray From The Path…and now
you’re label mates with Bizzy Bone! That’s crazy awesome!!!

JB: Not much to say besides… they have always been more than good to us. We
love it there and we are happy and proud to call it our home.

MYE: “Life Through Western Eyes” brings up some astute points and got me
thinking so here’s a long topic. People are spoiled and don’t want their
comfort Wal Mart bubble burst. Your purchases are a $ vote. Target has
fucking Beatles ads in their commercials but just supported a candidate
who is Anti-gay. Where’s the consciousness expansion there? We are told to
be spoiled consumers and the dialogue breaks down between people of
different backgrounds (which is why I love the sample on your record where
the guy is talking about how people all over the world are afraid and
similar in many ways). Republicans have a point about low business taxes
helping create growth, but the poor can’t handle the entire burden. You
could have higher salary bases for the working class to compensate a tax
hike on the poor but then someone up high might abuse that in some loop
hole also. I’m not “anti-business” which is a buzz phrase used by the
radical right a lot to spread fear of liberals but there have to be some
regulations to prevent Enron type stuff. Hell, we stopped building things
to last and now build things to need to be replaced. There was the
cool Planned Obsolescence compilation on RRRecords that had Only Living
Witness on it. That term “Planned Obsolescence” means designing things to
break! Why don’t we have light bulbs that last a much longer time when we
could easily do so, for example? My friend Zac from the band Dead Unicorn
said on Facebook recently he thinks the education industry needs to
develop a free, accessible commons of teaching information and talent
using the same technology that major corporations use to keep the average
citizen distracted with bullshit. He thinks if we had 20% of the defense
budget it could happen and it'd be worth it.

JB: Haha, holy hell. I'm not sure how to answer that. "Life Through Western
Eyes" was written about life as a privileged American. And I use the word
privileged in the sense that if you go to sleep full, have a roof over your
head, have basic education and own something, you are privileged.

MYE: Many people earned those priveledges but I know what you mean.

JB: Anyways, this song stemmed from when we did our first headlining Mexico tour.
Everyone told us they thought we were crazy to go to such a dangerous and war torn
place. People were freaking us out. So we went and realized that all the
people that were saying this were just blinded but what Fox news tells
them. It was a beautiful place and the people were incredibly nice. “Oh, but
people are murdered there!!!!!” People are murdered everywhere. I live 45
minutes from Compton. Chris lives in Detroit for tits sake!!!

MYE: (laughing)

JB: Everyone needs to quit being afraid of everything. Turn off the news. Its only
purpose is to scare you.

MYE: Ok, I know that last one was a doozy. Here’s an easy question. Can you tell us about the “No Cover” guest appearance by Daniel from Bitter End?

JB: Well Daniel is a friend of mine and I feel fortunate to have such awesome
friends in such awesome bands. Bitter End is a band I look up to a lot so
we were all so happy that he did this for us. Great guy.

MYE: What was it like working at Blasting Room studios for THE HOPE DIVISION?

JB: To put it simply, we will NEVER record anywhere else ever again. Long live
Livermore and Berlin. Amazing studio that's done fucking earth shattering
things for punk hardcore music and we feel 1000 leagues beyond honored to
be apart of that list.

MYE: Ok. I know we are all punk rocky here and stuff and not mega Hollywood
but, did you guys see THE EXPENDABLES yet? I am gonna probably die if I
don’t see it soon, hahaha.

JB: Haha, haven't seen it yet but yeah… it looks insane. I'll for sure be attending
that one soon.

MYE: What is the most rewarding part of music and this lifestyle for you
that inspires you to literally stick to your guns and pursue your own
dreams?

JB: Traveling the world. I'm only 22 and I have seen places majority of this
world will never see and places that I'm sure a lot of people don't even
know exist. "My bike has taken me places a class room never could"