Not a band to waste time or attention spans, Outbreak play screamingly fast, short, and direct hardcore that sounds totally unhinged and genuine, like the best hardcore should. No trendy breakdowns are overused to sacrifice song and message on the altar of testosterone, but nonetheless you have to hold on for one white-knuckled ride when listening to this band. Like The Hope Conspiracy, 108, Dead Swans or This Is Hell, Outbreak has that extra something that defies the disingenuous and is fucking rewarding on repeat listens. Hardcore is supposed to stay with you, anthems interwoven into the lives of fans and people living the lifestyle. With their appearance on the Saw VI soundtrack (where they wiped the floor with many other established acts) and their new self-titled record (released on Ryan’s own killer Think Fast! Imprint), Outbreak have ensured that many people will be making these songs their own.

MORGAN Y. EVANS: Let's talk about Billy Bean's involvement with the band. How did he come to be on board? Is he still doing No Trigger also? I loved that first Nitro CD when it came out.

RYAN O’CONNOR: Yeah he is still doing No Trigger, but they're not very active anymore, so it's pretty easy for him and Erik (our drummer, who also plays in No Trig) to juggle both bands. Our previous guitarist was over being in Outbreak, so he quit. That was pretty much the beginning of the end for our drummer at the time, too. Both of them were becoming more and more busy with their other band, so I told our drummer that I didn't think it was going to be possible for both of our bands to exist at the same time if we continued to share members. He agreed, so he pursued his other band. The story gets a lot more complicated and stupid, but that's the gist of it and regardless, I'm sort of tired of explaining that whole falling out. It just makes it look like I'm still bitter of the situation. But it's pretty much brought up in every interview, so it's hard to avoid. It's inevitable I guess. Anyway, that's when Billy and Erik moved in on guitar and drums, and it's been smooth sailing ever since.

MYE: Can you talk about the development of Think Fast! Records and how it made sense for the band to self-release the disc on your own label? I love that Blackened record, by the way.

RO: With Think Fast!, I had previously re-released Outbreak's first EP, put out the vinyl version of our first full length, and put out two other 7"s (a split with Only Crime and the "Work To Death" single). Basically, I had done everything except a full-on album, so I wanted to take on the challenge. Over the years, the label has gotten to a point where I feel like I can do just as good of a job as many of our counterparts, so it seemed like a logical move. Don't get me wrong, we had some decent label help in the past, and a few decent offers on the table for the latest album, but nothing convincing enough to pass on doing it myself. Sure, it would have been nice to rely on someone else to put up the money to record, press the record, print posters, ship promos, and pay for ads, but this way I can be as much of a control freak as I desire. [laughing] I've always been very hands-on and self-sufficient.

MYE: 2010 is upon us and I am not sure if Arthur C. Clarke would be disappointed in our progress or not. I mean, we certainly advance fast with technology, but not as much on an interpersonal level. You guys have a song called "In The Digital World" and also the album cover made me think about human evolution sort of mired in traction by superstition and age-old quarrels. Care to comment on what you think we have to look forward to this next decade? And you guys better stick around as a band at least until 2020, if we make it past 2012.

RO: I can't imagine us being a band in 2020. I'll be 35 years old!

MYE: Watch it, dude. I’m almost 32 and still love heavy music. [laughing]

RO: I think our band will need to have "made it" in order for us to stick it out for 10 more years, not that we're only going now because we're holding out for some sort of "pay out", it's just that I don't want to be that old, jaded guy, playing some shitty club and talking about "the glory days". That would suck.

MYE: It does suck. [laughing]… but then you remember that it still is the “glory days” because there’s always something musically awesome out there somewhere and what you make of life isn’t limited.

RO: Outbreak is still going because I still enjoy writing and playing shows. When those things stop becoming fun, the band will end. Or when kids completely stop coming to our shows, which surprisingly hasn't happened yet. I guess when I'm 35 it will probably still be fun to write songs and play shows (I can't see either of them leaving my personality), but there would need to be some serious growth in order to not feel like a tool bag. The band would need to be a career. We can scrape by now, but that's because we're in our early to mid 20's with little to worry about. I hope I'm making sense here and not coming off arrogant.

MYE: No, it makes perfect sense, especially in this economy. Your songs are very short and to the point. All killer. Can you imagine being in one of those bands that can only play a few songs a night? I like Between the Buried and Me a lot, but you guys could fit about a hundred more songs into a set based on song duration!

RO: [laughing] Yeah, it's pretty funny to see set lists from bands that have "normal length" songs. It's rare that we put less than 15 on a set list, but we still probably play a shorter set than our peers. I have a short attention span, so I like to keep things moving quickly. Lately we've been going through our set with no stops.

MYE: Awesome. I don’t know how you do that with enough time left to breathe! When you were starting the band up, what did you maybe learn the most from other bands you toured with and what were some of the shows or accomplishments that meant a lot? You've toured with some great bands that pair well with you like Agnostic Front and Bane.

RO: We first went into touring knowing absolutely nothing, so for better or worse, every single bit of it was a hands-on learning experience. And like everything, we're still learning more as we go. Touring with more "professional" bands has taught us to take things more seriously. Yeah, at the end of the day we're a hardcore/punk band, but this is also our jobs, and we want to be good at what we do. Showing up late to every gig and not knowing if your van is going to make it home are a couple of the more simple things that you learn to take care of as you go along [laughing]… and as you grow up and become less of an idiot! As far as shows that meant a lot, doing some of the “bigger” shows is always fun. In the last year we did Groezrock Festival (Belgium) and Bamboozle at Giants Stadium. I like trying to work a giant stage and barrier, and trying to physically translate it into as much of a “punk atmosphere” as humanly possible. It makes the kids who “get it” more excited to be there, and makes your average concert-goer wonder why the fuck the singer is standing on top of the barrier, diving into the crowd, and giving the microphone to people who are singing along. Touring with bands we grew up listening to is something that means a lot, too. Being out with bands like the Cro-Mags is a pretty cool feeling.

MYE: How did “The Countdown Begins” end up on the Saw VI soundtrack? I thought it really stood out on the soundtrack amidst the other songs as a fast, straight hardcore song. Converge is on there too, but their song is pretty metal. Those were my two favorite tracks on that soundtrack.

RO: Ya know, I’ve never really been a big Converge fan, but that song on the Saw soundtrack is so sick. Maybe I’ve been missing out all along! Like, it’s hard to even comprehend the guitars and drums on that song, and I mean that in a good way. Anyway, our distributor was co-releasing the soundtrack, so on a whim, we submitted a song for it. Somehow it ended up working out. The song actually works pretty well for a horror movie. I mean, the song's about death, so the vibe is right. We were in good company on the soundtrack, too. There are actually quite a few cool bands on it.

MYE: How was it working with Jim Siegel at the Outpost on this self-titled record? What was the working relationship like as far as how he responded to what you brought to the table?

RO: Jim's a trip, so you know it's always going to be an experience when you go to do a record with him. I've worked with him before, so I pretty much knew what we were in for. He's always been willing to work with me financially, which is always a good thing. Other than a few mixing bumps, I think things went well. Overall, everyone in the band is happy with the final product. There are just always those inevitable hiccups that you can't help but pick out when you listen to your own record. If we were working with a bigger budget it would have left more time to get things where we wanted them (and maybe give Jim less headaches) but then again we're a hardcore/punk band, so it's not like we should break the bank to make an album. Jim and I got into it a couple of times during the mixing and haven't really spoken since, but I think we were both ready for the record to be over and done with at that point. [laughing] I'm sure we'll work together again.

MYE: You guys are from Maine. My sister Cambria used to live up in Bar Harbor and it was cool to go visit her and drink weird Blueberry beer. Everyone seemed pretty mellow, though. How did you guys get to be so wound up and involved in punk? Was it a reaction to all the rednecks and lobster-print tourism hoodies?

RO: [laughing] We actually get asked this quite a bit. In 2010, I’m the only member who actually grew up and still lives in Maine, but we’re still considered a Maine band. I think we always will be, and that’s fine with me. Growing up in a small town, I guess the band became my "release". Not being into the whole party scene also meant that I didn't have much in common with the average high school kid, so it was sort of natural to want to "rebel", and do something different and creative. Growing up, influences start to change, but I've still found reasons to be pissed off and justify screaming into a microphone. [laughing]

MYE: You're hitting the road with Forfeit and have some serious touring right off the bat for 2010. What are you most looking forward to?

RO: Just being out on the road and supporting a new album that represents where Outbreak is at in 2010. After our old guitarist and drummer pursued their other band, there was a bit of time where we were touring on all old material, with me being the only original member. I didn't want to be conceived as a cover band, so we were eager to get a new record out. I guess I stopped caring about that whole ordeal though, and am less self-conscious about it. When you take a look around and realize how few bands actually have more than 2 original members, it's pretty encouraging to continue on, especially if you’re stubborn! Artists are supposed to have wild personalities, so I guess it makes sense in a way. But yeah, it had been so long in between albums, that regardless, it was time for some new material - something fresh and exciting, instead of interchanging the same 20 songs on every single tour. So being out on the road, and supporting our new album, is what I'm most looking forward to. And a tour with Sick Of It All, if that ever happens!

MYE: This is an important but also meaningful record for you guys. Did you know ahead of time what you wanted some of the songs to be about or did that come last? Do you discuss song topics amongst the band and see if everyone agrees?

RO: The guys leave this up to me. They handle most of the music amongst themselves, and I handle the lyrical content and vocals by myself, and then we figure out ways to make sure everything meshes. Those guys are the real musicians, what am I really doing? Screaming on key? I feel like it's my responsibility to write the lyrics, and sort of the least I can do if I'm not contributing to the music writing. I never liked the idea of someone other than the singer writing lyrics anyway, I always thought that was weird. To answer the first part of your question, before we go into the studio, I always have an idea of where the songs are going lyrically...things end up changing as we get into the studio and I start getting more critical, but there's always the main themes and ideas in place.

MYE: Punk rock still has the power to change lives and motivate, despite often being co-opted by outside forces. What do you think of the current state of music? You guys are definitely part of the solution, not the problem.

RO: Thank you. I think there's a lot of garbage out there, but then again, there's always going to be a handful of bands that are honest, challenging, and speaking out and hopefully inspiring people to do the same.