IE: Sean you’ve been going to shows since 1986. What got you into it then? How different is it today compared to then? Do you see the same passion in the bands today?

Sean: Me and my friends from the neighborhood had all been into metal, and although I liked the music I never really felt like I fit into the whole metal scene. Then my friend Sal started telling me about this “NYHC” thing and I started to check it out more and more, and the hardcore records and tapes started replacing the metal stuff little by little. Then I heard the intro to “We Gotta Know” (by the Cro-Mags) for the first time and I flipped out, I knew I found my place. I’d jump on the train on Sunday afternoons and head down to CB’s. At first I didn’t really know anyone, but as time went on, I started meeting and making friends, and that sense of brotherhood was like nothing I had experienced. There were no rock stars or over inflated egos. When bands got done playing they hung out front and talked to everyone. Bands were real, and the stuff they wrote about was real, it was stuff that I was going through, and that everyone else was going through and everyone bonded together over it. I would go into school, and people would say stuff like “ I don’t understand why you like that music”…it’s simple, if you don’t understand it ,then it wasn’t meant for you…the few of us that do understand it…it’s for us. Now, it’s kind of like the same vibe amongst those people who get what NYHC is all about, both old school and new school. You can tell right away when you meet someone if they are real, or they are just imitating what they saw on You Tube. It’s not just a type of music, it’s a way of living. And the passion is still there…it’s gotta be. There is no money or fame in hardcore music. Even the biggest and the best gotta break their balls out there to make ends meet, it’s all about passion.

IE: Also having been involved for so long you’ve seen the good and bad in the scene. What are some things that you’d like to see fixed or improved within the hardcore scene?

Sean: I think it would be good if all the splinter scenes started to mix it up a little more. There are great bands on Long Island, Brooklyn etc that you seldom here about here in Queens, and there are great bands here they don’t hear about there. And I think it would be cool if people that are quick to rep NYHC, get out and support it a little more. It’s great to go see the bands of our youth that are still out there doing what they do, but it doesn’t hurt every once in a while to go hit a free show that’s 2 blocks from where you live just to check out some of the newer bands.

IE: If I’ve heard correctly On The Offense came out of the ashes of a band called About To Break. Who was in that band and what happened for that band to end and On The Offense to begin?

Shonen: About To Break consisted of me (drums) 6 Pack Jon (guitar), Larry (bass), Rich (guitar), and Mike (vocals). We were a melodic hardcore band and we wrote some great music together. Unfortunately there was some drama within the band and things didn't work out. One minor issue we had was that Mike and Rich were straight edge and they wanted to write straight edge lyrics. That doesn't work so well when your guitar players name is 6 Pack John haha. So the three other members (including me) are not straight edge and this was not going to fly with us. I tried to explain to the other guys that you can still write positive music without it being straight edge. They didn't agree. There were also bigger issues than this that I don't want to get into. Anyway, 6 Pack, Larry and I really enjoyed playing together so we started a new project together "On The Offense." I recruited my close friend Rob Subs on guitar and he's been a great fit musically and personally. We then had a few singers try out and Sean nailed it. Larry wasn't able to commit to the band due to his busy work schedule. We now have Mike from Olde York playing with us. He kills it.

IE: On the Offense has a long list of bands the members were in or are currently in so you all obviously love the music. After all these years and previous bands what keeps you guys going? Why do it?

Sean: For me personally I do it because it’s me, it’s who I am. Hardcore is my outlet and always has been since I was a teenager. It gave me more than just music…it gave me a way of living, a set of values and codes that have carried me through life.

Shonen: I feel that everyone needs something in life that they enjoy and makes them happy, whether it's sports, cooking, movies, exercise or whatever. Why live if you can't enjoy life? I love hardcore and punk rock, the music, the message and the lifestyle (the family I have made over the years means so much to me). I also love playing the drums and making the music that I have loved for so many years. That is why I have been doing this for 17 years now. That is what keeps me going. That is why I will continue to do this until I'm too old to hold a drum stick.

IE: What bands are member currently in now? Does it interfere with On The Offense?

Sean: I play guitar for Keep Coming Back with Jamie and Shuffles from Abject! and Kenny from KWE. 6 Pack plays bass for Caught In A Trap, Rob plays guitar for SpEd, and Mike plays bass for Olde York and Sainam. And amazingly enough we seem to have been able to work all the schedules out with practicing and shows. And you’ll see us double up sometimes and have a couple of the bands on bills.

IE: Now for someone that hasn’t heard On The Offense how would you describe your sound?

Sean: It’s straight up NYHC, that’s it. Nothing technical or overdone about it.

IE: I think that today’s definition of hardcore is much different than it used to be. There is a lot more of a metal and rap/hip hop influence in a lot of bands but not in your sound. Do you guys try to steer away from that?  What influences your music and your lyrics?

Sean: We don’t steer away from it on purpose. I think that metal and rap are very closely related to hardcore and to me it’s easy to see how they would intertwine. But as far as it goes with us, we get together and write, and what comes out comes out. It’s all us. One of the reasons I love these guys and this band is that collectively we span 20 plus years of growing up in hardcore. So there is a lot of creative influence to draw from without boxing ourselves into any particular “We gotta do this” or “We gotta do that” type of writing. Musically, it amazes me to watch how these guys put riffs together. I just sit back and watch, and they constantly out do themselves. Lyrically, I just write about what’s goes on with me and my life. Living life day to day, ideas will pop up in my mind and I take it from there.

IE: How is it playing NYC now? Where are some of the places that have shows on a regular basis?  Do you feel that a particular place has taken the spot of say CBGB’s as the place you can count on for regular shows?

Sean: Yeah, it’s a really good time for shows in the city. A lot of people are going full throttle with DIY, booking and promoting shows themselves and looking out for friend’s bands and newer bands. And even the bigger shows, like the Black N Blue shows are putting a lot of newer bands on the bills, reaching out and opening the door for the up and coming. It’s nice to see that the scene as a whole can rely on our own people for shows instead of some scumbag promoter and their bullshit scams. And if you check out shows like the shows at The Hilltap or The Shop in Queens, you get the kind of feel you got at CB’s. I went to the Stigma record release show at the Bowery Electric a few weeks back, our boys in Abject!, No Dice, and No Redeeming Social Value were on the bill…..and I swear it was like I stepped into a time machine…Bowery on a Sunday afternoon hanging out with awesome friends and awesome bands…that would be a stellar spot for more hardcore shows.

IE: You guys seem to do extremely well in Queens and Brooklyn when you play there. Is that the new stronghold for the NYHC scene?

Sean: I don’t think it’s a stronghold as much as that’s our backyard, so people will come out more when we play there.  That’s where I think the whole “Plenty Of Shows To Go Around” thing becomes kind of a double edged sword. I think people are less likely to travel out of their zone to see a show if they know one will be coming to them soon enough.

IE: Here in NYC you guys are part of a pack of bands that the average hardcore fan outside of this area may not have heard of. There is a sense that the next wave of NYHC bands are right under our noses sorta speak. Can you tell us a little about some of these bands?

Sean:  It’s the old school mentality of real recognizing real and I’m glad that that has survived. You know where you stand as a band, and you tend to gravitate towards other bands that have the same mentality. Our first show out was when I met the guys in Abject!. We became friends, our bands are on the same mission, they started hooking us up and we returned the favor when we could, and not out of sense of  “What can we get out of this?” but out of a sense of loyalty and friendship. Same for the other bands we’re cool with, Caught In A Trap, No Dice, Olde York, Straphangers, Live Fast Die Fast, Vexed, Yo!$cunt, Zombie Fight, Bomb Scare and punk bands like The Krays, Suspect Device and The Autistics and many many others. No two of any of these bands sound identical, but they are all doing what they do for the same reason we are. There are no over inflated egos, no sense of entitlement, no “rock star”-ism’s. I’ve been around a long time, and if I’m plugging a band, then you know they’re the real deal.

IE:  In 2011 you released a 4 song demo. How was the response to the demo? Are any of the songs on the demo on the new CD? Has your sound changed between the demo and the CD?  Do you see the sound of the band changing in the future?

Sean:  The response to the demo was off the hook, and much appreciated. We re-recorded the four songs from the demo for the CD and including them on “Frontline”. I don’t think the sound changed too much from the demo to the CD because most of the songs were written around the same time as the four from the demo with only a couple being written in between. And as far as the future sound, all the pieces kind of fell in place and everything is jelling really well. I think that’s definitely gonna bring a new dimension to our sound as far as tightness and execution, and as always I’m amped up to hear the new stuff the fellas come up with. We’ve been working on new songs already, “Things Change”, “Do Not Hesitate, Show No Mercy”, “ World Is Yours”  that we’ve been putting in the set and they seem to go over pretty well.

IE: In regards to the new album what was the time frame when these songs were written in regards to the oldest song on the CD and the newest one?

Shonen: “Missed Something" and "We're All Good" were written in 2009 when 6 Pack and I played with About To Break. Sean later put his own lyrics to those songs. The band was out of commission for a while after I shattered my wrist and I had shoulder and wrist surgery, and rehab. The rest of the songs were written between January 2011 and the summer of 2012.

IE: Your new CD “Frontline” was recorded with Johnny Kray of The Krays. How was it working with Johnny?

Sean: First off I gotta say Johnny has the patience of a saint. It was a lot of fun working with Johnny. Shonen and Rob knew Johnny for awhile so it was a very relaxed atmosphere. I got to know Johnny well during the many, many sessions we had with him and he’s an ace. Much respect.

IE: The CD versions of “Frontline” were put out by you guys but the digital version was released by John Franko’s Dead City Records label. How did you guys hook up with John and Dead City?

Sean: Shonen had known Franko for awhile from playing in Awkward Thought and they’re actually good friends. So when we got done with the CD, we kept bugging Shonen to talk to Franko and get some advice on getting it out there and maybe giving us a little push. I don’t think any of us had any idea that Franko was gonna do everything he’s done for us already. The guy is smart, hard working and genuine. It's guys like him that keep NYHC alive and well, and we’re all very appreciative of getting the Dead City hook up.

IE: After the CD release do you guys have any tour plans?

Sean: No touring plans as of right now. But who knows?? Gotta see what opportunities lay ahead of us.

IE: Do you guys play outside of NYC at all? Where have you gone/played?

Sean: We’ve played in NJ and PA. Looking forward to hooking up some more out of state shows after the CD circulates.

IE: Your drummer is a paramedic. Is it nice knowing that if you collapsed on stage that there is someone there who can possibly save your life?

Sean: I don’t know about that one, I’ve seen the way that guy destroys drum kits…not the most delicate of individuals. You might start off with a toothache and somehow end up with a shattered rib cage lol.

IE: Which band member would you prefer to give you mouth to mouth and why?

Sean: You’re a sick guy Scoot, it’s always the quiet ones.

Shonen: Myself, I have the most experience and how crazy would that be?

IE: Five albums you can’t live without?

Sean:  Cro-Mags “Age Of Quarrel”, Agnostic Front  “Live At CBGB’s” (first one), Sick Of It All  “Live From A Dive”, Breakdown-Demo, and DMIZE-Demo.

Shonen: Warzone “Lower East Side Crew”, Cause For Alarm split EP, Beyond “Birth And Death”, The Pist “Ideas Are Bulletproof”. Champion “Promises Kept”, Blood For Blood  “Livin’ In Exile”. and I'm going for 6 because an EP isn't a full album (I'm cheating haha) Cocksparrer  “Shock Troops”.

IE: How can people get your CD and info about On The Offense?

Sean: You can pick up the CD from Dead City Records and the digital download version is on Amazon, I-Tunes etc. Or you can come down to one of our shows and pick up merch. And you can hit up our Facebook page On The Offense- N.Y.H.C., check out our website “ON THE OFFENSE-NYC.COM”, or just shoot us at an email at “ON THE OFFENSE NYC@GMAIL.COM”

IE: Is there anything you’d like to add? Just want to say thanks to you and In Effect, we appreciate the support. And for those that doubt and say otherwise…NYHC is FAR from dead, and it’s far from over. Love and respect…NYHC for life!!!! 

ON THE OFFENSE LIVE

Watch a few tracks from On The Offense's St Patrick's Day show 2013 at the Trash Bar in Brooklyn, NY courtesy of M.I.M.P. Videos by clicking the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXll2ruBuNg