Behind the Scenes with Unsettled: Blood, Gooncore & More

speaker-0: Today's guest on Unsettled, a fan that's been parting out their own lane with the sound they call Boom 4, a chaotic blend of crutching riffs, raw emotion, dark humor, and pure energy. They've been building serious momentum, recently surpassing 2,000 Facebook followers, and dropping new music with turning heads and the heavy music scene. Check it out, She Shreds with the Sand with Unsettled. What's up, Ohio? She Shreds with rasan and I am here with some crazy ass dudes from the band Unsettled. We're gonna talk to them because they are be they're actually gonna be coming through Mansfield here in July at the pre-incarceration party that's gonna be downtown at the warehouse. So I saw that these guys were coming and I instantly reached out because I wanted to talk to them, hear their story, and welcome them to our tiny town of Mansfield when they come through. So I've got Alec. Alex, you wanna raise your hand for us? Hello. Alex who does vocals and we've got Trent. ⁓ and Trent plays guitar. So thanks for being on the show, you guys. And ⁓ pretty stoked that you're ⁓ gonna be coming to town for the pre-ink party. So tell me, how did you hear about that? Or I guess ⁓ who reached out to you to to get you to come down to the warehouse?

speaker-1: Our manager is actually the one that was able to help set it up. We've wanted to play Inc. since we started, but yeah, he's the one that actually kind of had the connection to be able to pull us to get in there.

speaker-0: Okay. All right. So you were just like, Yeah, that's a start. You guys ever played in Mansfield before?

speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah. No, no, we've pretty much played like Northeast Ohio, New York, New Jersey.

speaker-0: ⁓ okay. Yeah, 'cause you guys are based out of Cleveland, right? ⁓ okay. All right. So one thing that I usually do ask to kind of get the conversation started is ⁓ what went into the name for your band, Unsettled. Is there a story behind it or you just said, ⁓ we're all unsettled, we're all crazy ass people.

speaker-1: Yeah, pretty much. ⁓ Do you want to do it or do want me?

speaker-2: Yeah, sure. ⁓ sure. It it w it was ⁓ suggestion. It was we we had another name and it was dumb. We had our our studio we work with was like, Hey, that's dumb, use this instead. We're like, Yeah, we like that better.

speaker-0: All right. So you went with a name that wasn't dumb.

speaker-1: Yes. After spending money on getting logos made and everything, were like, Hey, we actually don't like this. is really dumb.

speaker-2: Actually,

speaker-0: Really sucks. Didn't did anybody get any tattoos made of the Okay. All right. But you still sp dropped some money on. What was the what was the name that you were going to go with?

speaker-1: Yeah.

speaker-2: Friendly for me.

speaker-1: Yeah, friendly fire.

speaker-0: friendly fire. Okay. I like unsettled better. Yeah. I mean, if if you're asking my opinion. You d I know you didn't ask, but no.

speaker-1: We do too. There you go. told the studio what we wanted to do and we wanted friendly fire and they told us that's dumb. You shouldn't do that. And we didn't listen. We went through with it. And then afterwards we were like, you guys are right. We should definitely not do this.

speaker-0: Right. Well, yeah, I ⁓ I like like I said, I like the name unsettled, so I think it fits well. So we're missing a couple of members today who couldn't join us. So you've got Mike, is it Marciella who plays bass? And then Dean Santos who plays drums. So okay. Well, hopefully that they'll catch up ⁓ eventually and maybe next time that they can come on. ⁓ Yeah. I am not gonna tell ⁓ that you said that. I promise. I will.

speaker-1: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So.

speaker-2: They suck. Whatever.

speaker-1: That's okay.

speaker-0: It's just gonna show up on this episode. That's okay. It's gonna be in the transcript. Totally fly.

speaker-2: Make it the first clip. Let ⁓ know I said that they suck.

speaker-0: Alex, are you familiar with Marcus Lehandro?

speaker-1: Yeah, yeah, okay super cool

speaker-0: Yeah. I so I had him on last week and I wish I would have ⁓ wrote down he told me to raz you about something, now I completely forget what it was. ⁓

speaker-1: He gave us an iPad, that's all he ever, that's all, I don't know. Okay. He probably ate it, yeah.

speaker-0: All right. So I was checking out the video that you have. You've got a ⁓ new single that's out called Blood Runs and ⁓ I like the opening in Is It Unhealthy While Unhinged? Is that who did the opening for that? The news desk guy?

speaker-1: Yeah, so the song is featuring on Healthy While Unhinged and he's the vocalist for that one of the two.

speaker-0: Okay, okay. Yeah, and I saw him in that yeah with you too. But ⁓ I was gonna ask like is he okay now? Because I know he kinda lost his shit at the beginning of the video.

speaker-1: No, he is not okay. is far okay.

speaker-0: Alright, well, okay. I I kind of expected that, but no, it was a pretty cool video. I like the production and I was li listening to the lyrics and ⁓ looking at them. I mean those are pretty hardcore. You guys aren't playing around. I mean, my god, who the hell was pissed? It was you?

speaker-1: That would be me. That would be But yeah, mean for the most part. It keeps the same vibe, but I just suck if they don't. Yeah.

speaker-2: Can't confirm.

speaker-0: Well, the yeah, like I said, the lyrics are pretty hardcore and talking about, you know, standing on the outside of the world and I it they could make my assumptions on maybe where the lyrics came from, but instead of me assuming, let's not make an ass out of me, you tell me what is the song about? No. Well, instantly I almost wondered, I mean, are they talking about Catholicism? No?

speaker-1: Let's see. What do you think it what do you? good guess. No, it's just more of just a lot of our songs lately or like the first couple we released were very like politically charged, politically motivated. Okay. State of everything going on, kind of like a like power dynamic between like the upper class, like the 1 % and like everybody else and then pushing everything down. And so that's pretty much where like the first kind of three singles have come from.

speaker-0: Okay. I c I could get that too. So when you did the video, like how who did the production for that? So

speaker-1: So it's the same. So it's, is Unhealthy Wall & Hinge that did the production, but they have their own production company as well called Unhenge Studios. So they're the ones that are, that are tagged and labeled as the production studio, but it's the same guys.

speaker-0: Okay. And how long did it take for you guys to shoot that in entirety? ⁓

speaker-1: I think it was just two days total. One day for all the, for just like the band shots and everything. And then ⁓ one day for like the, or no, was technically three days, technically. One day for the, for like all like the band shots. One day for all the story. And then ⁓ one day for the like opening credits.

speaker-0: All right, sweet. And ⁓ you know, once it came together and you saw it for the first time, what'd you think of it? And seeing your own work. You were stoked. Yeah, I think the production I mean it's pretty cool. It's it's it's killer. So you've got it on all streaming platforms right now, don't you? We do, yes. At least on YouTube. I saw it on YouTube, but Okay. The music is.

speaker-1: be everywhere. music is yeah the video I think is on Spotify or if it's not we're trying to figure out how because I think you can do that now put like the music video on Spotify.

speaker-0: I heard about that. Yeah, I haven't figured that out either.

speaker-1: Yeah, we're trying to figure that out and we're supposed to look into that, he's bald, so he probably didn't.

speaker-0: ⁓ my god. I was ⁓ let me see if I can pull up a clip too of something that I ⁓ some stuff I was looking through when I was looking at you guys earlier. And ⁓ yeah, it was it was pretty funny. Just the shit that you post on Facebook. And that's well that's one thing that Marcos was telling me. He's saying, Yeah, they post all kinds of things, make fun of each other on ⁓ Facebook all the time. I was like, ⁓ really? I'll have to check ⁓ out. Yeah. Yeah, I was look here it is. Can you see my screen?

speaker-1: We do not like each other at all. I cannot now.

speaker-0: ⁓ okay. So I found a post that says we had a we have a lot of love and support for us on Facebook, but we aren't seeing it on Instagram. If you already follow Unsettled on Instagram, drop a react. If you don't follow Unsettled on Instagram, what are you doing with your life? Yep. Drive people to your Instagram?

speaker-1: Can't ⁓ I'm gonna see probably not

speaker-2: Definitely not really that fuck these guys.

speaker-0: No, it's it's tough out there. There's there's so many platforms these days. I mean, you know, you've got Facebook, Instagram, who are you guys on TikTok? Okay. ⁓ and then yeah, you've got your streaming platforms for your music. So I mean it's yeah, it can get confusing.

speaker-1: We are on TikTok, yeah. Looks like it drove a total of 30 people.

speaker-0: Thirty ⁓ hey, hey. There's some people, so you gotta start somewhere, I guess.

speaker-1: Hey, that's dirty. Yeah, Instagram is kind of, I've noticed has been like the, like the, like the slowest of the platforms pretty much. They just, I don't know if we just kind of suck at Instagram, very well could, but yeah, that, that one just kind of seems like it does like the, like the least for us.

speaker-0: Which one do you feel brings in more viewers for you?

speaker-1: I'd say Facebook is probably better for retention and interaction, but YouTube actually does pretty well.

speaker-0: Okay. All right. Well, we might have to talk after this because that is one platform that I ⁓ am sucking at. ⁓ reels. I just do reels and shorts. Okay. Do you do them every day?

speaker-1: In shorts, not long. That does really well. Yeah. Yep, consistency is key. Our manager gets on us about that.

speaker-0: Okay. That's what I've got to do better at then.

speaker-1: Yep. have a schedule. So I post three times a day on all Facebook and then two times a day on like the real sharing platform song. And it just, I just keep to the schedule and it does pretty well.

speaker-0: Okay. I will definitely look into that. So what else do you guys have going on in twenty twenty six? I mean, I know the pre ink show isn't the the only thing you have coming up. And you guys were just recently at the foundry too, weren't you?

speaker-1: Yes. Okay. They played without me because I didn't have a voice last week at all. So Unhealthy Wall and Hinge actually stepped in to be able to help us out.

speaker-2: Fell in was way better, by the way.

speaker-1: Probably way better. I suck.

speaker-2: Can't confirm.

speaker-0: So yeah, what else do you have coming up for this year?

speaker-1: Our next thing is next month, we're supporting our friends in a sense of purpose and execution day in Cleveland to Winchester. Other than that, we have things planned, but nothing is announced yet.

speaker-0: Okay. And then are we talking, you know, just something in Ohio, outside of Ohio, you're not sure, you can't say? Can ⁓

speaker-1: We do have out of Ohio in the works. ⁓ we're just figuring out the details for that. ⁓ and then we do have, I think one other festival, ⁓ that just hasn't been announced yet for, for later this year.

speaker-0: Okay. All right. Another festival. So that's cool. ⁓ did any of you guys recently go to Sonic Temple? Yeah.

speaker-1: ⁓ no, I could not.

speaker-0: Yeah. I wasn't able to go either. So I just kind of lived through everybody else's posts. I know. I would have been really stoked to go and see Suicidal Tendencies. They're one of my favorites. Okay. And ⁓ my God. I'm I'm drawing a blank. There are there is a lot of other bands. I believe Static X played there. I would have liked to have heard them with their new front man. I'm not sure how that went, but they were there this weekend and then I just read that they just canceled their tour.

speaker-1: ⁓ looked like a great time. Yes, I saw I saw the cancel. What's up? What happened with it? There was something I don't remember exactly what it was. Did you read that at all, No, you didn't see it. Yeah, there was something going on. can't. was a sudden logistical, I think that happened where they couldn't do it. Yeah, I don't.

speaker-0: With that, did you read into it? Well hope they're okay. ⁓ static acts. I thought Wayne was ⁓ was pretty killer.

speaker-1: Yeah, I, I, I saw a couple of the videos from, from this weekend that sound, it seemed like they sounded pretty good.

speaker-0: Well who would you have seen if you went?

speaker-1: I would have liked to see motionless. I would have liked to see, ⁓ Lauren and sure.

speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah, for sure.

speaker-1: There's a lot of

speaker-0: people. There were so many. I know. It's why I'm I'm like drawing a blank. Let me see if I can go on Facebook real quick.

speaker-1: ⁓ Sarah Temple 2026 lineup.

speaker-0: ⁓ okay.

speaker-1: My chemical romance would have liked to see the offspring was there. would have liked to see them. Electric call by would have been cool.

speaker-0: What about you, Trent?

speaker-1: sure.

speaker-2: Lawyers was there, I would have liked to have seen them.

speaker-1: They were, they are like your favorite band right now.

speaker-0: Who is that? I'm not familiar with them.

speaker-2: Yeah, it's a you s that yeah. You should go listen to them. They're modern metal core. And there's like very good. I would like to see him bring new horizon. That would've been cool.

speaker-1: Very much, but they're very good. out of ensuing.

speaker-0: Yeah, that's a good pick. Yeah. Yeah, I can't ⁓ toll was there.

speaker-1: ⁓ I would have seen good Charlotte. I haven't seen them in a long time.

speaker-0: ⁓ yeah. Yeah, for sure. Somewhere I don't know if it's at Sonic Temple or if it's gonna be at Louder Than Life, but the band with ice tea.

speaker-1: ⁓ I don't know. I think that's a lot of them like I don't think

speaker-0: Is it louder than life? Yeah. And I should know who I'm talking about because I love their their song that goes to neighborhood. But ⁓ that's one band I would really like to hear. ⁓ I just did think too about asking you what the hell is Gooncor when you guys.

speaker-2: ⁓ huh.

speaker-0: Yeah. Tell me. Yeah. Tell me. Just explain it to me like I'm a kid.

speaker-2: Well, I'm not gonna do that.

speaker-1: That would be unfortunate.

speaker-0: They would be what?

speaker-1: That would get us put on a list if you were a kid and we were explaining that.

speaker-0: Okay. Well tell me like I like yeah, just tell me like I've never even heard of the word goon before.

speaker-2: Alright, well basically I decided to fucking put a skit in a song about jerkin off and that's that's what trigger's all about.

speaker-0: Okay. All right.

speaker-2: Writing the song and I was just trying to figure out what the next part is and then that popped into my brain and how you hear it is the original thought.

speaker-1: Yeah, he's on that.

speaker-0: And it just took off from there. Yeah.

speaker-1: Yeah, yeah, pretty much. were watching hardcore Keem reacted to the video and labeled it GoonCore and we just kind of ran with it.

speaker-0: That is hilarious. Well now I know. What would you say? What's that?

speaker-1: Yes.

speaker-0: I asked, you know? So it's it's all open on this. So what would you say inspires you when you guys are, you know, coming up with your new material?

speaker-2: So whatever I'm listening to at the moment is kinda like what kind of mood I get put in when I'm writing. So that's to be a bunch of

speaker-0: You're in a really bad mood. What if s you know, you've just had it, you've just you can't take it anymore and everything's fucked up on the outside world, the news is horrible.

speaker-2: Then I probably write a song about Dirganov.

speaker-0: Yeah. And then would you call it like goon times three then? Super goon.

speaker-1: I like

speaker-2: Yeah, that's cool.

speaker-1: given times three.

speaker-0: ⁓ my goodness. So are you the main one that ⁓ you know, contributes to the lyrics or do you and Alex kind of do it or is it kind of just between the all four of you guys? How does that work?

speaker-2: the lyrics it's mostly Alex. I mean I'll sit down if I have ideas but I kinda Okay. Write the rest of the song Yeah, yeah, I figure out where that's gotta go in the song.

speaker-0: You need to insert some goons somewhere. Okay.

speaker-1: If there was like a skit or anything kind of like that, ⁓ and he thought of it, you know, when he was writing it, he does that part, the, the lyrical content normally is me unless, you know, I'll throw it out like, does anybody have any ideas for, for anything? But if they say yes, you know, we'll sit down and write it. If not, it sucks because I just have to sit down and write by myself. Hey, I have to do my job. ⁓ no.

speaker-0: Yeah, so hard to be a lyrical genius some days, I guess. What about your trigger music video? I was checking that out too. When was that recorded? When did you come out with that single?

speaker-1: That released last March. couldn't tell you when I recorded it, but we sat on it for a while. But it released last March is when we, as the band, officially debuted.

speaker-0: Okay. All right. Was there anything specific that you would say triggered you to ⁓ write the song? Just be I'm just asking 'cause it has the word trigger in it. I could be totally off.

speaker-2: No, I I just went in a completely different style of writing and then I wrote that and then I wrote the skit and then our producer's like, Hey, you can't do that and we're like, Watch me.

speaker-0: ⁓ we can only had to tell you that once, right?

speaker-1: Well, we were in the studio and we were recording it and Trent did it one time and Colin, the producer there, was like, don't know this is really going to work guys. Like if we're going to do it, like it has to hit. So Trent's like, all right, all right. And then he goes in and does it. Cause initially he did it with like all the same voice, but then the second time he went and he did it with like his normal voice and then he did like the mom voice. And that's what made it click. And Colin was like, okay, okay, we can keep it.

speaker-2: One thing. I would that would be one thing. Yep. I'm just that good at talking apparently.

speaker-1: You

speaker-0: So what is it that you want ⁓ your fans to take away from your music?

speaker-2: Probably don't listen to it. Your ears will bleed and

speaker-0: Okay. Well, yeah, I mean there was kind of that big warning in the beginning of ⁓ Blood Runs, but I mean I still listen to it. I mean I still have all my limbs.

speaker-2: Yeah, I'm sorry about that.

speaker-1: Yeah, let them know that basically if they listen to our music they probably should change their life or

speaker-2: Yeah, probably. Okay.

speaker-0: Okay. Because it's just why would you want them to change your life around? Is it because it's gonna make them worse?

speaker-1: Don't make them just feel better and not have to listen to this crappy music.

speaker-2: Yeah. We produce garbage and all my garbage, so

speaker-0: Okay. All right. So are you like are you looking to produce like landfills full of garbage? Yeah.

speaker-1: Yeah, that a bunch of f***ing tires. If we can get our own landfill named after us, you know, we've made it.

speaker-2: But

speaker-0: Would you want it to be named unsettled or would you want it to be with your names, like your first names? Like over here is Trent, over here's Alex, here's Mike, ⁓ and there's Dan all the way down the hill.

speaker-1: I know if they can make a landfill big enough for me, so I might just have to say.

speaker-2: The rest of us can share one, but he needs it.

speaker-0: ⁓ okay. All right. So Alex would have to get his own. Okay. Well, I will not tell him that you said that. Boy, trying to you're being really mean on this podcast.

speaker-1: Yeah, yes.

speaker-2: I hate this guy.

speaker-1: I

speaker-0: ⁓ are you familiar with any of the other bands that are gonna be at the ⁓ pre ink party?

speaker-1: Yeah, I think all of them except for... I don't think I've heard of one. We've played with Kings of Thieves before, we've played with victims. I've heard of Young Mosh, obviously I've heard of Saving Vice. Aimpoint's the only one I haven't heard of.

speaker-0: Okay. Aimpointer from they're here from my hometown, Mansfield. Okay. So those guys go hard too. I haven't seen them play live. They have a couple shows every now and then. out at the ⁓ there's like a ⁓ skateboard brass house boardroom, they call it. Yeah. And they'll they'll do some shows out there too. They'll they'll do them ⁓ I think they're free. Sick. Maybe no, maybe they're like just ten bucks to get in. But anyways, it's pretty cool. You know, it's good for community support and for the the skateboard community too. So I think it's awesome they're doing that.

speaker-1: Hell yeah.

speaker-0: Yeah. So it's definitely gonna be a good time. It'll be crazy. ⁓ I didn't go last year when they did the pre ink party at warehouse, but I think that was the first year that they set it up. And I think that they like ⁓ they'll block part of the street off ⁓ where it's at downtown.

speaker-1: I wasn't I was out of town that weekend. Okay, know, but yeah, I I saw the photos it looked packed

speaker-0: It will be. Because usually, you know, during the summer if they'll have events downtown, it'll get really packed there too, you know, and everybody starts coming in later on and sometimes they'll block the street off. So it's gonna be a good time. Yeah. So what all do you I guess for a new fan, somebody who's just listened to Unsettled for the first time?

speaker-1: Unfortunate.

speaker-2: Bom.

speaker-0: What would you want them to take away other than being utterly, completely disappointed?

speaker-1: That would be it.

speaker-0: Bleeding from their ears.

speaker-1: That is the goal.

speaker-0: Okay. So you want them to be complete would you say you want them to be completely disappointed or disgusted? You can only you can only choose one of the other.

speaker-1: I mean, it's probably disappointing how disgusted they'll be. Yeah.

speaker-2: They kinda just go hand in hand to be honest with you. You can't really pick one. Any form of disdain you'll feel it when you listen to our music. Okay. You'll hate it and probably hate it the next time you hear it and then a little more after the

speaker-1: We found about the sixth or seventh time is where people started to go, you know, maybe this isn't so bad.

speaker-2: And that's when we call him dump.

speaker-0: Okay. All right. Well, you know, at least as long as I guess they keep coming back for more, then maybe you just screw on them. You'll screw on them inch by inch. So maybe like the more you goon, the more they'll like kinda grow.

speaker-1: You heard it right. More skits. You ain't got no inches left buddy.

speaker-2: Inch by inch. Got it. Wild inch.

speaker-0: So is there anything else that you would want ⁓ the audience to know before we head out of here? Before your show with us in ⁓ July?

speaker-1: They should definitely come out and then throw things at me. I'm really big. They can't miss. Okay.

speaker-2: So it's like hard and like a grenade suitcase.

speaker-0: What would what are some good things to throw at you?

speaker-1: Aces Anvil Hammer

speaker-2: Another battle.

speaker-1: Can I really fuck me up?

speaker-0: Hurt ⁓ Are you gonna take any of those home as trophies with whatever they throw you?

speaker-1: Yeah, mean, ⁓ I'm technically I'm just gonna eat them all. But

speaker-2: Ay, making it off the stake.

speaker-1: Yeah, but it'll go home in my belly, I guess.

speaker-0: Okay. So I guess I don't need to ask then if you have a collection of things that have been thrown at you 'cause if you're eating it.

speaker-1: Yeah, no, all just just vacuumed.

speaker-0: Don't have like a yeah, you don't have like

speaker-2: Well he puts things in his belly button for later, so probably can

speaker-0: ⁓ okay. Well that's not that's not so bad. That's a good way of being able yeah, that's a good way to remember that you ⁓ took something home with you. You know, you just look down there later on, you're like, ⁓ there it is. ⁓ All right, guys. Well, it has been a pleasure having you on my show and getting to talk to you for a few minutes. I'm super excited to get to see you when you're here and that's gonna be on yes, July the sixteenth here in Mansfield at the Warehouse Tavern. ⁓ the doors open at five, music starts at six.

speaker-1: No, no.

speaker-0: And anybody who wants to come hear you will get free admission with their ink wristband on.

speaker-1: And if you don't have the ink, wristband or anything, it's just $20 at the door. ⁓

speaker-0: Okay. All right. I thought you were gonna say it was like they'd have to pull something out of their belly button.

speaker-1: If they do that, pay for their ticket for them if they pull something out of their belly button for me.

speaker-0: All right, guys. Well, like I said, it has been a pleasure talking to you. Thanks for being on my show. And Mansfield, you heard it here from Alex and Trent with Unsettled. You'll have to catch them out on ⁓ the pre-ink party that is downtown Mansfield, July 16th. And until then, keep it loud.