Accuse the Villain: Behind the Music and Ink Festival Excitement

SPEAKER_00: What's up, Ohio? State Rides with for Stan here. And this episode, I talk with a few members from Accuse the Villain. We're gonna talk about their new single, Fall Out, that just came out delight. So join the accused, stand with us, and break the chaos and rides with the villains. This episode brought to you by Hamilton on Maine Pizza, Potatoes, and more. Feel your inner headbangers during this incarceration weekend with the fit potato, headbangers, hot potato, and metal mac and cheese coming at you.

SPEAKER_00: Let's get into it. What's up, Ohio? She Shreds with Rassanne here, and I am here with a couple cool guys who I am pleased to have on my show tonight. I have Kevin, who is the lead vocals and rhythm, and Jason, who is the drummer, and they are in the band Accused the Villain. So thank you so much for being on the show tonight, guys. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_04: Thank you for having us.

SPEAKER_00: You were nominated by Marcus Lehendro when I had him on not too long ago. We talked about his band X Factor One. And he definitely said I needed to reach out to you guys. And I'm so glad that he did because he was not familiar with Accuse the Villain before. So I was checking out some of your songs. And you're definitely the type of music I love to listen to. So I'm sure you've got lots of fans out there. And I'm pleased to have you on so that we can bring you in some more fans too. Spread the word.

SPEAKER_01: Perfect. Thank you so much. That's what we need.

SPEAKER_00: Absolutely. That's why I'm here.

SPEAKER_01: Perfect.

SPEAKER_00: So I know we've got a few members missing tonight who who all um is also part of Accuse the Villain that's not with us.

SPEAKER_03: Go ahead, Jason. So we got uh Brandon Oman on guitar, um, incredible guitar player, good guy, just like everybody else in the band, I want to say. Colt Graves, also guitar, killer, killer rhythms, really good lead writing. Um, the newest vocalist we have, Eric Stroud, who will be uh premiering a track with on the tenths, of course. Uh, and then Kevin G, we just call him Kevin Barovic. Sorry if I butchered that, Kevin. Uh incredible bass player, uh, very unique riffs, and um yeah, just a good group of guys.

SPEAKER_00: Awesome. And I'm super excited because you guys will be here in Mansfield come next weekend when uh the annual metal and tattoo festival comes to town in my backyard, incarceration. So we'll definitely talk about that too because I know you guys are excited. You're gonna be playing at the campgrounds, right?

SPEAKER_01: That's right. Yep. Super excited just to be involved in that that weekend at all. So it's a great opportunity. Definitely.

SPEAKER_00: Sweet. So I have to ask you, how did you come across uh forming the name Accuse the Villain? Was there an idea behind it?

SPEAKER_01: I guess so it started out as just like an idea. Like Jason and I used to be in another band, and on the tail end of it, I just started to wanted to like write stuff in my like in our own vision. And uh, I guess I came up with a name that just kind of represented like people holding themselves accountable. We're always, you know, pointing the finger at everybody else. So it's kind of just um just um my own representation of that, where like I'm not afraid to be the bad guy sometimes, but that's just how it works out.

SPEAKER_01: And then we originally started as a three-piece and nobody really had an argument against it, all liked it and just ran with it, so kind of just stuck.

SPEAKER_00: Okay, cool. I think it's a unique name. Which is kind of interesting to say because I mean, there's there's so many bands out there that, you know, continue to form. So to me, it's always interesting what goes into making a band name, especially if there's a story behind it or you know, something traditional or or something of that nature. Um, but accuse the villain, I guess it could mean so many different things. And especially like what you said, somebody's always trying to point the finger at somebody else, you know.

SPEAKER_04: Always.

SPEAKER_00: So mama always said, you point the finger, you've always got four pointing back at you. Well, actually, you only have three, but you know what I mean. But I guess today that that that doesn't stop anybody for sure.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, definitely not.

SPEAKER_00: Thanks to social media, but anyways, before we uh go off topic, let's talk about what you guys have coming out. So, here July 10th this week, you have a new single dropping called Fall Out. What can you tell us about that and what can we expect to hear?

SPEAKER_03: Go ahead, Jason. That uh that one started with Kevin. Kevin and I, as mentioned, you know, we started as a three-piece, and uh so it was primarily him and I throwing ideas back and forth, which is kind of still true to now, I guess, being that the other three are uh very reason to have joined, and as we're getting our footing um and whatnot. But yeah, Fallout uh started with Kevin, went into production, and it just um ever since we kind of started working with it and presented it to the guys, it just had a really good driving feel to it.

SPEAKER_03: Which is kind of what I think Kevin was going for, was something that was gonna really pump up a crowd. Maybe get us to uh, you know, the opportunity of being played on Octane or something cool like that. Yeah, the song, I mean, as it developed, it just um I think it really pulled together once uh Kevin finalized the vocals, I want to say. But yeah, but yeah, all the credit really goes to him for that one because it was his baby essentially.

SPEAKER_01: Nah. Really? No, it's a group effort. Everybody put their own touch to it. So just maybe starting the foundation and everybody chimed in on their parts and it just came together.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, the lead uh and the guitar work that I guess uh I should credit uh that came from you know the collaboration aspect uh I guess is another big part of what pulled it together on top of the vocal aspect. But it's it's definitely one I could see. I mean, if it was me outside of the group, you know, something I would hear and be like, okay, that's that's cool. I could get into that and then you know.

SPEAKER_01: I think it's just gonna surprise a lot of people. I mean a lot of aggression in this one a little bit.

SPEAKER_00: All right. So maybe we're gonna hear some hardcore.

SPEAKER_01: It's on the harder side of our music so far, so yeah.

SPEAKER_00: Okay. How would you describe your band as far as your sound?

SPEAKER_01: I like to when people ask me that, I like to kind of explain it but this way when you ask people what their favorite playlist is, it usually includes a variety of genres, right? And we are fans of music first, and all of us have various tastes in what music we listen to. So it's one of those things where our sound is just you know, per song basis, whatever we're feeling for that in that moment is what we're gonna do. So we have a lot of guess what?

SPEAKER_00: We have somebody else joining us.

SPEAKER_01: Oh boy, another tip, it's Kevin G. Dun dun dun. Hello, hello, good to hear you.

SPEAKER_02: Sorry about that. It's been quite a day.

SPEAKER_00: No, glad that you could join us. You missed all of the bad things that they said about you, so you you have joined at the perfect time.

SPEAKER_01: Perfect. We're actually just wrapping up, so see you later, Kevin.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah. Just hang in there for two more minutes, then you can go get dinner. So, Kevin K, welcome to welcome to the group.

SPEAKER_04: G. Kevin G go.

SPEAKER_00: Kevin G. Why do I keep saying Kevin K? Probably because there's two Kevins. Oh my god. Okay.

SPEAKER_02: What what I'm saying is good.

SPEAKER_00: Well, we already talked about what went in behind the name uh accused the villain, and we're talking about.

SPEAKER_02: I don't even know that. You don't? No, I'm kind of I'm kind of a newer, I'm a newer guy, so I didn't get like the backstory, I don't think. He froze.

SPEAKER_00: All right. Well, I guess you'll have to listen to the beginning when it when this gets.

SPEAKER_02: I will for sure, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: So that that will give you some more anticipation. But we were talking about July 10th. You guys have the new single that's gonna be released with Fallout, and uh, we were just talking about when into um creating that song and some of the content behind it.

SPEAKER_02: Nice.

SPEAKER_00: So are you super excited for this single to be released?

SPEAKER_02: I am like it took a little bit of took a little bit for the momentum to get going to get it recorded and sent out and good to go. But like it's I think it turned out really well. I'm looking forward to seeing the feedback we get from it for sure.

SPEAKER_00: Okay, and I hear that it's a little bit harder than what you've had in the past. So yeah, I was trying to get some information out of these guys. They're kind of keeping it under wraps until release, but uh it sounds like there's gonna be some uh something that fans aren't typically used to. Is that what you were kind of saying, Kevin? Or am I off?

SPEAKER_01: I mean, there's um by the time you post this, it'll probably already be out. And like there's an addition, there's a newest addition to uh to the vocal side of things. Uh, we have Eric coming in to help us with some vocals, and I mean, it I don't know, like I said, it's just different. There's a lot of aggression, there's there it's catchy, it's it's it's got a groove to it also. So I think it's gonna be fun for crowds.

SPEAKER_00: Okay, and is this something that fans are gonna be able to hear when you're here at the campsite?

SPEAKER_01: 100%.

SPEAKER_00: Awesome.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah. I think that's what about in the middle, early middle the set, somewhere.

SPEAKER_01: Early middle, yep. Yeah, so if you're not if you're not there from the start, you might miss it.

SPEAKER_00: Okay.

SPEAKER_01: Are you gonna be at the campground?

SPEAKER_04: No, I'm not.

SPEAKER_00: I know. Are you gonna be at the Inc. festival?

SPEAKER_01: Yes. Okay, be walking around. Me, I'll probably be walking around Friday and Sunday of the festival, but Saturday probably not so much.

SPEAKER_00: Okay. Yeah, I am planning on going all three days, although Saturday is a little iffy. I have a family event also, so I'm kind of, you know, considering which of the two I'll I'll go to. But I'm I'm definitely excited. Um, I go to Inc. every year. It's for me, it's in my backyard. I live here in Mansfield. So, you know, it's kind of fun to to go there. Uh, you know, after everything is torn down and and put back and back in normal. We like to drive by and I'm like, man, can you remember that stage was just right there?

SPEAKER_00: All those people, yeah. You know, it's just kind of weird to be able to go back and look at it from that perspective because I still can't believe how many people they pack in there on the the old prison grounds. It blows my mind.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it can get a little crowded in there. I've been going to the DWP festivals for like 15 years, Rock on the Range, a sonic temple to incarceration. And just sometimes, even though the incarceration is outside in that open field, like there are so many people in there that it still feels like it's just hard to maneuver sometimes.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it can be. It's definitely fun to be there though, and just the feeling, the vibe, everybody's there for the same reason.

SPEAKER_03: Absolutely. Yeah, oh yeah. Yeah, it's a good, it's a good crowd of people. The promoters are really cool. I know, I mean, even the friends of the promoters, I some of them, all good people. So it's uh it just says a good foundation.

SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03: Glad that it's not 10 hours.

SPEAKER_00: Excellent logistics, excellent.

SPEAKER_02: It feels like it gets a little bigger every year, too. Like, I don't know. I think over the years it went from what, like, two stages, now there's like four.

SPEAKER_00: Like it's just they're always packing more people, more bands, like just expands and gets bigger and definitely it's crazy too because well, the way they situate the stages, you know, depending on where you live in Mancefield, you can hear from miles away the music play all weekend. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: Well, most well, some means hey, they'll deal with the first three days and it'll be done. Right.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah. And the residents around here, in the beginning, some people, you know, would kind of bitch and complain about it. I mean, you're gonna always have that. But the longer that it's been here and they see that um, you know, what it's doing for the community, um, a lot of people have gotten on board with it. And so the neighborhood, especially like right across the street, these people, they they have their yards where you can park, they'll bring, they'll even have their own food trucks there, they'll make their own food and sell it.

SPEAKER_00: Uh, you can camp in their backyards. So, I mean, it's yeah, it's definitely it benefits a lot of people more than what you would realize.

SPEAKER_01: For sure.

SPEAKER_00: So, with you guys being a six-member band, what kind of musical influences um would you say that you guys grew up with? Yeah, we gotta start as babies and work we're go way up.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I was gonna say, how much time you get? I mean, when I was a kid, it was 80s hair metal, you know, early hip hop. I mean, I was all over the place.

SPEAKER_04: Okay.

SPEAKER_03: I think that kind of evolved as I think it probably does with most people. Um, you know, when I started really getting into, you know, more metal when, you know, being a drummer, all the best drummers were in metal bands. So naturally I gravitated towards that. Um a lot of Prague Metal Dream Theater, you know, Cynic. And then you know your technical death stuff really started coming in heavy, necrophagist. You know, they're it's just so expansive at that. I mean, then you got your really good pocket bands, you know, your Breaking Benjamins and uh I mean it could go over.

SPEAKER_00: Well, I was gonna say, thinking back to when you were young, was there a musician or a band that you told yourself you wanted to be like?

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, probably Mike Portnoy. Dream D. Okay.

SPEAKER_00: That comes up a lot.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, he I mean he's Mike's name comes up. He's the goat, man. He's the best. Best of the best. So yeah, that's it. It always gives you something to aspire towards. Um especially when you hit creative uh, you know, blocks and things like that. It just kind of that type of music, especially for me at least. It was uh it's always good to pick out pieces that yeah, you you definitely went for the goat.

SPEAKER_00: What about you, Kevin? Kevin G.

SPEAKER_02: I was just gonna say earlier that like you can definitely tell in our music to like there's like so many different influences and things like that. Like you can hear the grooves of just like like early metal core and new metal, and then like there's some solos in there that like our one of our lead guitar players, like you can tell it's like influenced from like like thrash metal and things like that. Like it's like for me personally though, it it I started learning on like classic rock kind of stuff, like like Skinnard and Zeppelin and Hendrix, like all that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_02: And then I I was a nine 80s and 90s kid, so then like Stone Touble Pilots became a huge influence, and yeah, it grew from there, and I started getting into like heavier stuff, and yeah, but I I'm like a sponge, like I'll I'll see a band of any genre and just like soak it in, and then a little bit of that will like influence my playing. So it's definitely evolved, just even in the past five years, like my playing's like definitely gotten pretty unique, I would say.

SPEAKER_04: And what about you, Kevin Hott?

SPEAKER_01: As early back, I believe KISS was actually the first CD I ever bought when I was a kid. But I suppose I grew up with a lot of country influence, actually. My dad was a c in a country band, and uh and then my mom was like really heavy into like you know, the basic Whitney Houston, Celine Dion on the radio. So that was a lot of the stuff that I listened to until about high school. Then big bands like Creed came out. I think Lincoln Park a few a few years later, Breaking Benjamin's either Disturbed and Godsmack was big at the time.

SPEAKER_01: And of course, Metallica was always a classic. So that's probably where it all began.

SPEAKER_00: All right, very cool. I always like to ask that because usually you end up hearing, you know, what some of the favorites are, but uh it's interesting to see the wide variety too that inspires musicians such as yourselves.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's definitely wild to see everybody's preference and just what their ride was like and what made them develop into, you know, how they play, what they like to play. It's uh that's I mean, that's cool though, because I mean some of the worlds just are just you know, they're they're they're no singular being. They're just all over the place with their influences.

SPEAKER_00: When I guess when did it occur to you that you wanted to be a musician?

SPEAKER_03: I mean, for me, I mean I don't know if I ever really considered myself wanting to be like a full-time musician. I mean, I gave it a go, you know, with fans throughout my entire life, did like mini gigs all over the place, that kind of thing. But seeing myself as like being like a touring, like huge musician. I don't know if I ever really envisioned myself being there. Kind of like an unattainable goal. I don't I don't know, maybe I just wasn't confident enough.

SPEAKER_00: But how old were you when you started playing drums?

SPEAKER_03: I mean, I I mean I had my first little kid drum kit when I was probably, you know, okay. And then I played on and off. I took a lot of long breaks. I want to say probably the the last long break was probably a good like eight to nine, ten years almost before I I met up with Kevin and we were in that other band, then really started putting forth some effort, learning you know, all the advances with the musical equipment and recording and just all that comes with that is uh it had come a long way.

SPEAKER_03: So still trying to grasp all that as we go.

SPEAKER_00: So after that, say eight to nine year break, you feel like there was a lot of changes that had occurred?

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, mostly just physically. I I used to, like I said, I used to like metal a lot, so I always like try to play fast metal. I never really got my legs back. I always complain to them about it because for some reason I said bold magic legs, but I don't like to work. But I mean a lot of the the rest, I mean, I don't think I lost necessarily. If anything, I've I've learned to evolve a little bit just because of these guys and just hearing how they played in different pockets of people.

SPEAKER_00: And I was thinking more too, like, you know, when you say advanced, like with the technology or, you know, new ways that equipment might be made or something that came out, you know, when you picked up after that eight to nine year break. Just wondering if you noticed a big difference in that aspect.

SPEAKER_03: In the gear?

SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03: Oh yeah. Yeah, things that advanced so much. And then now, of course, you have AI, which is wild to me that you can go online streaming services and actually listen to AI bands. It's just uh it's kind of sad, honestly.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that is. It's I feel like there's gonna be a very big uprising and it's gonna have to take musicians in those music industry who aren't haven't sold their souls to AI to, you know, to take a stand. Uh, because it's getting ridiculous.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah. A lot of it's I mean, to a lot of musicians, I feel like some of it's pretty noticeable anymore. You can tell, at least I feel like I should tell.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, like yeah, when I think tell me from from your standpoint, what what is what seems noticeable when you hear it in music?

SPEAKER_03: A lot of it just seems to follow like a similar pattern.

SPEAKER_04: Okay.

SPEAKER_03: Whereas when it's like a a real musician that's put his real original ideas into it. I just feel like it transcribes a little bit more with um emotion. Um kind of hard to explain, I guess, but yeah, it's just it's just it's when it sounds too fake, it sounds too fake, I guess. But a good way to Okay.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah. I see that through like a lot of postings and things like that that people use and you can tell when it's been I generated because it'll have a lot of the same keywords in there. And it's like, yeah, like a lot of these posts, you'll see if it starts out. I walked into the room, the room was astounded. Blah, blah, blah. And it's like it's the same kind of emotional tone that it tries to give, but it's using the same verbiage.

SPEAKER_00: So I mean, that's just what I can tell from, you know, just kind of like a text posting standpoint. Somebody wanting to tell their story or whatever. But for music, I'm always interested to hear from musicians, you know, I guess how would you explain it to a fan, somebody who doesn't play music, you know, those differences that you, your keen ear is able to point out. Because unfortunately, I mean, this music is happening because not everybody can decipher that. And that's that's the sad thing.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and people are always gonna like what they like. There's there's people that like mumble. And I just I mean, to each their own, but I just there's always gonna be something for somebody. And if you know if AI music is something that somebody gets into, I mean, and have added, I suppose. But I think originality will always come through though.

SPEAKER_00: The originality.

SPEAKER_03: I think that'll always kind of stand out.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah. Well, I there's just some things that you can try to imitate and reproduce. AI is doing a very close job doing that, but it's it's not 100%. Maybe we should just not talk about it because we're all being listened to. Our phones are picking up on it. So and saying what you can hear and what sounds AI, may you know, if we maybe the more we talk about it, the better they're gonna make it, and then it will just work against us.

SPEAKER_03: Yes.

SPEAKER_00: Isn't that crappy you have to think that way though?

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, Skynet realized.

SPEAKER_00: All right, but anyways, let's get back to accuse the villain. My goodness. Now, with your song Override, uh, I was listening to that and and checking that out, and I like some of the lyrics, especially uh the part where you say, Will I see you in another life? And um, I felt that that was is that more, I guess, talking about AI? Was that around that too?

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that song specifically is is a lot about how technology, AI, and just the way of the world is influencing everybody. Just don't know who you're talking to anymore. If anybody has an original thought, it just covers a lot of those bases.

SPEAKER_00: Well, and I thought that was that was kind of like thought-provoking too, where you know, you say, Will I see you in another life? Because if you're if you're applying that to, say, this AI, these tools and engines, you know, what happens when you pass this life? Do are they gonna be around still for you? You know, like, you know, some of our traditions and beliefs uh feel will happen. How does that apply to AI? So I thought I just thought that was um something interesting, uh, an interesting question that you have there in the song.

SPEAKER_00: What goes into your writing? Who who mainly uh writes the lyrics? Is it a group effort or I guess how does that work with you guys?

SPEAKER_01: Primarily, I have written uh majority of the lyrics. I do ask the guys all the time, like, how does this sound? How does that sound? If you guys have anything, you know, any input or anything like that. But so far, so good. Not not too many uh critiques, not too many adjustments from them. So just yeah, just going with it.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, he does a good job. At least I think it is. Thanks, man.

SPEAKER_00: And how long have you been um accused of villain? How long have you been a band?

SPEAKER_01: It's been probably a thing for around three years now. Like I said, we we started off as a three-piece Jason, myself, and our other buddy, who just happened to, you know, decide at some point that he just didn't have time for it anymore. And so we started looking around, and of course we got Kevin G and the the other fellas to hop on board. They liked what we were doing so far, and uh super thankful that we're here and they're here and got some exciting stuff coming up. But um, I think Hatred Paradise is our first one, and that's been about three years, so I would say around that.

SPEAKER_00: Okay. And do you uh actually record and produce your own music or do you have somebody that you work with?

SPEAKER_01: We primarily record our own stuff from home. We have a lot of home recording, but we do work with a producer, we do work with a mixing engineer just to make sure everything is, you know, crisp.

SPEAKER_00: So you mentioned that you do have a lot of things coming up. What are some things that you can share with us that you're excited about?

SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, we have the new single coming out this Friday, which we're super excited about. We have incarceration coming up in two weeks. I know Jason specifically is super excited about that. He's not nervous at all. No, no, never. And we're also in the process of trying to put together a a I guess call it a headliner show in the fall that we are still working out a few things. So a lot of a lot of eyes and ears saying, like, hey, we're gonna be watching and we'll see what happens. I mean, that's not why we're doing this, but it's nice to know that it's catching someone's attention.

SPEAKER_00: Definitely. So, where would you like to be in a year from now as a band?

SPEAKER_01: I mean, realistically, we I mean, everybody has, you know, lives they can't walk away from. So we all are under the impression, you know, we're just doing this for fun. We're gonna go play, you know, locals if we can, you know, hop on some mineups with some bigger bands, play some bucket list venues. That would be ideal. So in a year, that's at least for me, I'm hoping we're, you know, playing inside the festivals, we're playing in the bigger venues, stuff like that. Nice.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it would definitely be nice to get to the point where we're opening for some of the bands that we really gravitated towards and pulled some influence from uh throughout their lives. I mean, I know the one we were trying to hop on, or at least find somebody to talk to about it was uh 10 years. I think, you know, between us all, we've all really liked that band since we were, you know, teenagers and Jesse's a good dude. I mean, it's just yeah. So just just something like that, even at a local setting, but just opening for somebody like that would be super cool.

SPEAKER_03: Definitely bucket list stuff.

SPEAKER_00: Are all of you guys living in Cleveland?

SPEAKER_03: No, we're kind of spread out near, really?

SPEAKER_00: Okay.

SPEAKER_03: I think uh what I'm in Medina. You got Wadsworth, Worcester, Ravenna.

SPEAKER_00: Goodness.

SPEAKER_01: My goodness, you are I'm in Dalton, which is about forty, forty-five minutes uh east of Mansfield.

SPEAKER_00: Okay, and what's the name of the town?

SPEAKER_01: Dalton.

SPEAKER_00: Dalton, how do you spell that?

SPEAKER_01: D-A-L-T-O-N. It's just right on the other side of Worcester, basically, if you know where Worcester is. Between Worcester and and Maslin.

SPEAKER_00: Okay, all right, nice. Now, when you guys come here next weekend, uh are your plans just to stay here all weekend or are you going to drive back and forth?

SPEAKER_01: I know some of the guys were talking about camping and and sticking around, and I figured I I live close enough, I'll just drive, but um, I don't know. I don't know if what was decided amongst everybody, but I think some people are thinking about it.

SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think the two guys that live the farthest were planning on camping out. But I I think the three of us, since we live we live close enough to Mansfield that we're probably just gonna head home afterwards.

SPEAKER_04: Okay.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I'll probably after we play uh Saturday night, I'll probably just crash out and see if I'm gonna stick around in the morning for any of the other bands. Probably, but we'll see.

SPEAKER_00: Well, yeah, there's a whole day of bands for Sunday.

SPEAKER_03: It's it's hard to walk away from, but you know, just play it by ear. Just see how it feels, what the weather's like, you know, all the things.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, oh yeah, that's a good idea. I have not checked out the uh the weather recently. I'll need to do that.

SPEAKER_01: No rain. Just stay dry. Just stay dry. That's it.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah. Now last Saturday, no, last year on Saturday, it did rain. But we stayed, we stayed through Monday.

SPEAKER_04: Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we stayed until the end because Slipknot closed that that night. So if we stayed to watch them, it was worth it. And I know that on the grounds, they have put in, they had some more sidewalks put in because it usually ends up raining. And it's just a muddy mess. And then it right. Yeah. So, you know, since last year and this year, they've had some more sidewalk and pathways created because of that. Not to say it won't stop people from slipping and sliding in the mud that want to do it on purpose, you know.

SPEAKER_04: Right.

SPEAKER_00: But it definitely helps for walking around, especially where they locate the like all the food and the restrooms and stuff. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04: It'll be an adventure.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's it's always an adventure there. My God, were you there when oh goodness, now I can't think of the name of the band, Alex the Terrible, the singer, and he did the um the wall of death.

SPEAKER_04: The slaughter to prevail.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah. Were you there? Did you watch them when they did that?

SPEAKER_02: I was I don't remember the wall of death. I I just remember him beating his forehead with the microphone till he was like bleeding. Like that's what I've gotten from it. But yeah, that guy's gonna be.

SPEAKER_00: You know, it's not like limbs were hanging off or anything, but it was um it was definitely a rush for the medic tent at that time.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah. Good thing about those shows and most hard shows, really, that I've ever seen, experienced, heard about, everybody is really mindful and you know, pays attention and cares for people, especially if they fall. Right. So that's I know that's kind of those those type of things at a metal show are always kind of frowned upon by some. But I mean, it's it's just nice to see the positivity of people coming together and looking out for each other once they're gonna be able to do it.

SPEAKER_00: And it happens every year. I mean, people are watching out for each other, you know, for the kids that come. I mean, it's it's pretty astounding how the crowd pulls together to keep everyone safe because we're all there for the same reason.

SPEAKER_04: Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: So it's cool to be able to go and uh not feel judged.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah. It's a good place for sure. Love the metal. Foundation too. The guy's putting off a good guys.

SPEAKER_00: So what are some, I guess, what would you what would you say you want fans to take away when they hear accuse the villain?

SPEAKER_03: Do either of you fellas want to answer that? I'm gonna put I'm gonna put G on the spot on this one.

SPEAKER_00: All right, Kevin G.

SPEAKER_02: I don't know, like like the music in general is just like it's like oversaturated. Like anyone can go in their basement and get on a computer and throw songs on Spotify, you know. So like trying to separate yourself from the pack is getting more and more difficult. I I do what I do like about this band a lot is like Yeah, it's it's got feeling, it's got groove, but like the like lyrically, like if you really pay attention, like Kevin does a great job with his lyrics. You're gonna get something out of the song if you really pay attention to it.

SPEAKER_02: Like, I just think like there's bands like Hollywood Undead and Attila that have like great songs, but like lyrically it's just about like partying and drugs and chicks, and but like our songs they're they have a meaning to them, and like I think you can really get something out of it besides like moshing or banging your head, you know.

SPEAKER_00: So it seems to uh, you know, just looking through some of the lyrics, you definitely do support, you know, suicidal awareness. Um, mental health is important, and that seems to be something that you support. Is there anything, I guess, behind you making that part of your platform?

SPEAKER_01: Well, all of our music, oh well, I'll say all of the lyrics represent, you know, real events, real emotion, real things that have taken place. So using this platform, whatever we have for those topics is because, you know, I write the lyrics about a moment in time where that was my life, you know. So being um using the platform to talk about mental health and suicide awareness is super important uh because I think that's a topic that a lot of people resonate with that don't really talk about it a whole lot.

SPEAKER_01: And um it's kind of like therapy to me to just get it out on paper and turning it into something positive. So there's just a lot of layers to what's there. I I like to tell the guys that I even leave little I sprinkle little Easter eggs in my lyrics that have even more meaning than what you're listening to on the surface. So if you're talking about songs like The Choice, there's a lot more to that song than you probably realize because that at one point was a moment of my life.

SPEAKER_00: I was checking out a video that you had on YouTube. It was titled Origin Story. And uh this was uh something that was kind of like an eye-opener for me. And it said, in a world built of shadows, sometimes the only way out is through. And that can be so hard when you're in the moment or you know, when you're in the thick of it, whatever it is you're dealing, you're dealing with and hard to even we're always thinking of well, what what is going to be that through? What's going to get us through, you know, trying to solve the problem or know what it's what the solution is going to be.

SPEAKER_00: And sometimes you don't know that. You just have to, I feel like to me, it meant that you just have to see your way through.

SPEAKER_00: So I thought that was that was really cool.

SPEAKER_01: Well, so far everything that's being written about is about overcoming something. So because we all go through things, and that's the most important part is just to keep going.

SPEAKER_00: Absolutely. Well, thank you for putting that out there and you know, just speaking on that. Unfortunately, you know, sometimes it's hard, really hard for for people to talk about it. I feel like the the stigma is, you know, being broken up day by day at a quicker rate than what it was even 10 years ago. But it's really cool that, you know, guys such as yourselves are also, you know, talking about that and putting that out there that helps break the stigma. I spoke with a band not too long ago, another local Ohio band.

SPEAKER_00: And that is one thing that they put out there is, you know, just men's mental health awareness, because, you know, a lot of times, unfortunately, just in past generations, you know, we were raised that men toughen up, you don't talk about it, females sweat it all out. It's okay. So it's good to to see guys talking about that.

SPEAKER_01: Like I said, it's it's like therapy for us, you know. I mean, music. Oh, absolutely. That's we we do the music thing, and that's that's our you know, outlet, that's our expression. Maybe we don't talk about it as much as you know, people should, but just from us personally, um, I'm not gonna speak for everybody, but sure that is why we do what we do is because we live for those moments. We get lost in our instruments, we we let all of that play out through our instrument.

SPEAKER_00: So this just qu this question just came to mind. If you were not a musician right now, what do you think you would be doing? If if you were not in a band, if you weren't singing or creating lyrics or playing an instrument.

SPEAKER_01: I don't even know.

SPEAKER_02: That's really hard. Like I've been like music's been like my life since I was since as early as I can remember. Like I couldn't even Okay, like I was in band and choir all through school. Like I went to college right after for music education. Like I've like I couldn't even imagine my life without it. Like I don't even know where I'd be right now. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: About how old were you when you started playing? When you started playing bass?

SPEAKER_02: I think I was probably around like like maybe 14, something like that.

SPEAKER_04: Okay.

SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I would say like I I yeah, I I I've been doing music since I was way younger. Mostly like singing, and I was a trumpeter, but like Okay. Ba bass I didn't start till I yeah, I was like an early teenager, probably.

SPEAKER_00: Alright, my youngest plays trumpet right now for high school. Nice.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I played when I was uh a wee lad myself.

SPEAKER_04: You played trumpet?

SPEAKER_03: I used to, yeah, a long time ago. That's funny. I was a percussionist.

SPEAKER_01: Cool.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I actually started well aside from drums, my first real band, I was a bass player, believe it or not.

SPEAKER_00: Oh, okay. I yeah, that was I was gonna see if you guys play any other instrument.

SPEAKER_03: I attempt. I can drum a few chords on the guitar, palm a few melodies, but yeah, primarily I just stick to the drums best I can.

SPEAKER_00: Anyone play piano among you?

SPEAKER_02: That's something that I want to. When I was a music major in college, uh to be a music teacher, you have to pass a piano proficiency exam. It's like nothing crazy, but you have to like at least know how to do basic piano skills. And so like I would say like 20 years ago, I could fiddle around and be okay, but like now, like I don't think I could do it at all.

SPEAKER_00: But yeah, really at one point you'd probably surprise yourself.

SPEAKER_02: Yeah, maybe.

SPEAKER_00: So were you planning to become a music teacher?

SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that was the plan until like three years in, like, I realized that I'm way too like introverted to be like a teacher. Like I'm more of like a behind the scenes kind of person. I I like couldn't like see myself in front of like a glass and like doing it. Like, I don't know. I just I ended up getting like a liberal arts degree with music involved in it, but like, yeah, I ended up not doing the education part.

SPEAKER_00: That seems to happen a lot. Uh kids go off to college and end up changing their major.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah. Better to realize it during the course than after the course, I suppose.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, especially when you gotta start paying back student loans.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah. Yeah, that's that's not an easy thing.

SPEAKER_00: No. So did we talk about what all you have coming up for the rest of 2026? What are your plans?

SPEAKER_01: I think we uh we left it with we are attempting to put together a show, probably in like the Akron area, I think, with a couple of other Ohio bands. But I think we just have a lot on our plate, like we have so much music to get to that we want to release at some point, too.

SPEAKER_00: So all right.

SPEAKER_01: So are you thinking an album or probably not quite an album length of songs that we have at least at that point, but there's just a lot on the shelf that needs worked on, and um we only have so many that are released, but we're bringing a lot. Of new stuff to our live shows. Okay.

SPEAKER_03: Cool. I'd like to think by next year sometime we'll be at least be in the talks of releasing a full length. Like you said, we I mean we have quite a few songs like um almost in ready to go condition. Just that the foundation has been laid and we're just we just really have to spend the time to get into it with with the rest of the guys and have them put their or themselves onto it and yeah, just kind of collaborate from there. But yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_02: The material's there for a full length. I would I would I would hope within a year we would at least be maybe putting together a full length. I would hope.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, because I I just have to I have to say the reason being it's taking so long is I like to say that we're kind of taking the approach of quality over quantity. Like we are making sure we're taking our time with all of these songs and getting them to a point where we're super happy with them and they're not rushed and that something that we are proud to release. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: Wow, that's totally understandable. Do you feel that there is a do you think I guess how do I want to word this? It seems that more often than not, music is being released, you know, as a single or an EP compared to full-length albums. What do you what would you say some of the main reasons behind that where there's less full-length albums being released? If anyone does release any music at all.

SPEAKER_02: Is I I it's more like I think streaming has a lot to do with that now. Like to be able to keep your algorithm going and like your followers and like you're constantly having to put something out there. So like as a right. If you take a year off and then put out an album, you know, like you're you're that's killing your online presence. So like if you're like consistently throwing a song out like once a month, you're constantly being engaging and keeping your presence there. And I mean, at least that's my take on it.

SPEAKER_02: Like you're constantly having to be present.

SPEAKER_01: Yep.

SPEAKER_02: It's not like the days of tool where they're taking seven years to put out an album. Like that doesn't fly anymore, I don't think.

SPEAKER_03: Yeah. I mean, even I mean, big bands do it too. I mean, not so much, I would say. Big national bands. I mean, uh, Bring Me the Horizon was doing it. They might still be even doing it. I mean, they did a lot of collaboration stuff where they were just pumping out single tracks like a couple weeks apart, a couple months apart.

SPEAKER_01: I think Memphis May Fire just did that with their recent album. They were they released like three-quarters of it as singles every s ever so often. And then when it was time to release the full album, there was only like four or five tracks that hadn't been released yet. Yeah. It's just so you have to just keep keep releasing stuff.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah. Would you have ever guessed that, say, let's say when back in high school, before we had AI and all the apps, what would your thoughts be if somebody told you that when you start making music, you have to produce a single or an EP every so often compared to the mindset of putting out a full album? Would you thought that was crazy?

SPEAKER_01: Absolutely. Like back in the day, like time with full albums. That's what we were used to. So, of course, like it's hard to think about change like that.

SPEAKER_02: Like you waited for that album to drop. Like, I remember like the you know, the Tuesday the album would come out, I'd be at like FYE or wherever, like waiting for it. Like I couldn't imagine just like a song popping up on the radio like without like an album behind it, you know.

SPEAKER_04: It's I guess we we just weren't raised that way. That's not how we were raised. But no. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: Change. Inevitable. I know a lot of some bands are uh trying to go back the other direction and have uh physical media only because it's impossible to be on streaming alone. Yeah. Uh Adolito's Way specifically started doing that. Yeah. They pulled all their stuff.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they just started, they just did that last week, didn't they?

SPEAKER_01: Uh just recently, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, he's like actually mailing out CDs.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah. And and that's nice when you are already like known and popular, you can get away with that. But as like a brand new band who's a nobody, it is so hard to like like navigate through the abundance of music that's out there and be heard by new listeners. It's it's extremely difficult just to try to even be heard.

SPEAKER_03: That's where the quality thing comes in too. Like he was saying, like we I think we really pride ourselves in making sure that you know, when it comes out, you can tell the quality the time it was taken.

SPEAKER_00: Something that you can fully stand behind.

SPEAKER_03: You hear that with some bands. Um and it's a preference thing for a lot of people too. It's like recording geometry. It's like some people just like, yeah, that sounds good enough. But I mean I I notice things like that, and I think that just plays a big part in showing what your or your level of commitment towards the project or you know, the music itself.

SPEAKER_00: Do any of you guys ever get out on stage and maybe you're in your head too much and you have to do whatever you need to do to try and bring you back into the present where you're at? And if so, what do you do? How do you handle that? Like basically, do you get out on stage and you think, oh my god, I'm gonna lose my shit because you're overthinking something?

SPEAKER_01: I want to touch on that one because I I'll have to let you know that I've always been an instrumentalist. I started as a drummer, played guitar, played bass. So this is the first time that uh I'm doing any singing. I am not a singer, and I've told these guys numerous times, yeah, I am not a singer. How that happened, though, real quick, is when we were starting this, we couldn't find anybody who wanted to sing. And instead of shelving the idea, I was just like, well, I want to write lyrics. Let's see what happens.

SPEAKER_01: So I am also an introvert. So being in this position, getting on stage, uh, we just had a show here in Worcester in April. Yes, I was about to lose my shit, but it was one of those things where it was just like, it's go time. Just go out there and and do what you've been practicing, you know, just do it. So and just focus on what you're doing.

SPEAKER_00: Did it catch you off guard or were you surprised in yourself when that happened?

SPEAKER_01: Yes, yeah. I mean, it wasn't perfect by any means, but I was definitely uh content that I was able to just go do what we've been practicing, and we didn't, you know, get booted or anything, so it must have been okay.

SPEAKER_00: Out of the shows, well, out of the shows that you've played, is there anything, I guess, that you found to be really crazy or unexpected?

SPEAKER_03: Not unexpected. Me personally, I always kind of play in for the worst. Kind of like expect the worst, you'll never be disappointed, kind of thing. I think the worst is it is just the the feeling of something not working. Like you start plugging stuff in and like, oh, I don't hear anything in my ears. Like, what's going on? Then that's ears are always a mess.

SPEAKER_00: Lots of cords for yeah, for having so many things that are wireless these days, it sure doesn't apply to um a good gear setup.

SPEAKER_04: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: Which is not a bad thing as long as everything works, or at least as long as you have backup, if you know this wire or this doesn't work, this, that, or the other.

SPEAKER_01: Well, most of the time, in most cases, though, you're also in a time crunch to get set up and and get going. So when when something doesn't work, panic sets in, and then you have to troubleshoot it immediately. And sometimes that takes a minute to just all right, chill out, let's let's figure this out and not worry about anything else until this is figured out, kind of thing. Like our last show, we have uh a router that's in our rig for our ears that decided to disconnect, and we had to figure that out.

SPEAKER_01: So that's fun. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: Doesn't sound fun. For me, those would be moments where I would need a diaper.

SPEAKER_04: Yeah.

SPEAKER_03: Yep. It was close. It was close. For more reasons than one. I was a little under the weather.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, shout out to Jason. He was playing double duty for both bands that night that played, and he was sick as a dog, and he played really. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: So wow, kudos to you.

SPEAKER_03: It worked out. It just added to the stress, but no, it was good. It was uh a lot of good people came out and uh just did our thing, tried to enjoy it, and then slept 18 hours the next day.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you probably needed it. Well, before we head out of here, is there anything else that you would like us to know about accuse the filling?

SPEAKER_01: I did want to circle back and and answer a question you were asking before Kevin G arrived about our sound. And I started to ask Yeah, but how would you describe a lot of people say their favorite playlist that they've put together consists of like a variety of genres. You know, they might be thumping to some old school rap at some point, and then the next one you've got Justin Bieber and then Creed, you know, everybody has their favorite playlist. So as musicians, we are fans of a variety of music, so that is what we're implementing also in our music is whatever we feel in the moment.

SPEAKER_01: We're not really boxed into one thing. So everything you hear, like one song, is probably not gonna sound the same as the next or the next or the next kind of thing.

SPEAKER_00: Okay. However, you have been invited and you're playing at the campgrounds at Inc.

SPEAKER_04: Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00: And we know the ink circles around the hard rock, heavy metal, some emo in there. So that's gotta be a big part of your music.

SPEAKER_01: Sure. I mean, being a fan of music, you can always appreciate when you go to a metal show and and hear, you know, hip-hop come through the speakers. I've been to metal shows where in between bands, people are having a mosh pit to I want to dance with somebody, you know. So it's I I think there's something to appreciate in a variety. Yes, you're gonna have your distorted guitars, you're gonna have your double kicks and your screams, but there are elements in everything that are shades of different genres.

SPEAKER_00: So you guys definitely just you have an open mind and you go with what you know that you can put a song to.

SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00: That gives you inspiration.

SPEAKER_04: Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: And the difference in this band is we're no egos. We are all we are all open-minded. We're all bringing our own styles to this thing, and everybody's ideas always thrown in the pot. And so far, so good. It's it's been working. I mean, when you're building something that people want to be a part of, I think everybody puts in a lot more effort and love to get creative with what we're doing.

SPEAKER_00: Well, Mansfield, you heard it here first with Kevin G, Jason, and Kevin Hott with Accuse the Villain. We've got half the members of the band here. You can see them in full when they are here next Saturday playing at the Inc campgrounds. You're gonna be playing live. You guys are gonna be eaten up. They're gonna love you. It's gonna be a good time.

SPEAKER_01: And it's gonna be a late night, too.

SPEAKER_00: Yes, it will. It will, but just think, it's gonna be so worth it.

SPEAKER_04: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, just think of all the people that you're going to meet, all the memories you're going to make.

SPEAKER_01: Can't wait. Looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_00: Absolutely. And I hope that uh we can run into each other sometime during the festival, also.

SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00: Well, guys, thanks so much for being on the show. And again, Ohio, anybody who's listening, this is accused the villain on Feature Reds with her stand and keep it loud.

SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much.

Tonight's Episode