I'm lost, my gas gauge is dangerously low and I'm half an hour late for an interview that I have already rescheduled twice. Ben Bock, the bassist for the band I am on the way to interview calls, patiently directs me over the phone and greets me in the driveway of the “band house” when I finally arrive. Cavities is Andy Lanni, Eric Rodrigo and Ben Bock, a freshman hardcore band hailing from West Chester, recently home from their first tour. It’s cold, the brittle brown leaves shuffle loudly across the porch as the band takes their respective seats in the antique school desks precariously placed around an ashtray. They are dressed in analogous skinny jeans, dark hoodies but Eric has a sweet vintage leather jacket. They aren’t your typical hardcore band, almost soft spoken and reserved at first, which makes sense because their music stands out as melodic hardcore, a tongue in cheek gesture to the genre.
The interview starts slowly, I almost have to pose the question and extract and answer but after a few cigarettes the band speaks, not only do they speak they speak as a cohesive unit; one member initiates a thought and the other two chime in to add depth to the idea. Bock points out that unlike other hardcore bands they release the lyrics “because otherwise what’s the point” We talk a little of their recently released EP, 64 Years, and there is a general consensus that Flora, Fauna is the favorite song to perform. It is almost a shock to listen to the track as the three musicians are so polite and almost shy even, that these three could produce pieces so powerful, growling vocals with haunting lyrics, the furious drumming and thought provoking lyrics (“though in meaning there is nothing but a kid watching a history absorbed by the tack marks in the wall”) with more melody than I ever expected. The compositions are strong, in a genre with such an emphasis on a strong technical aspect, the group's aesthetic stands out. As with any new band there is obviously still room for the band to come into their own, time for tightening up a few riffs or improving the quality of their sound, but the talent is obvious.
Cavities puts out their own music and records at Brian J Anthony studios. It’s a working relationship but Anthony has been influential in mentoring the musicians for the last five years, giving them appreciated pointers and shepherding them in a sense throughout the recording process. Cavities also is at the stage where they are handling the distribution and promotional aspects of their music as well as working full time jobs or finishing up grad school in Bock’s case. They’re serious about eventually transitioning into just being a full time touring band and have plans to release a full length album sometime this year. The unique artwork that graces their EP and website was conjured up by the artist Cannon Dill out of Oakland CA, who is also doing the artwork for the 10" split with Pastime,(a band Cavities has collaborated with on previous endeavors to be released Summer 2013 by Hungry Ghost Collective.
At the close of the interview Eric pulls out two vintage suitcases full of merchandise the band has put together and distributes independently of a label, thrusting a handful of stickers and patches in my hand along with a few CDs before sizing me up for an extra small t-shirt. I am giving a pale green extra small with the haunting wolf stretched out across the front and am struck by the effort the band is putting into producing their sound and distributing it to the public. They are hungry and it’s obvious they are excited coming off their first tour, singing praises to the fans of a city notoriously known for its tough critics, fans who have absolutely no qualms booing their own team. They talk about the large basement show scene in Philadelphia many hardcore bands frequent, how it’s a “big party” and how “generous” the fans have been and how pleasantly surprised they were at the warm reception they have received. I imagine booze soaked basements crawling with hipsters with these three polite musicians morphing into aggressive unit, and I anticipate watching a history that contradicts and exceeds expectations, dictated by three musicians determined to carve out their own niche on their own terms.
http://cavities.bandcamp.com/
