CaliAlive.com

CaliAlive.com: It has been over a decade since you guys last recorded an album? Why the long lay-off and what were you simply trying to establish with this recording?

108: Well the band broke up in 1996 because we all had things going on in our personal lives which made being in 108 no longer make sense and we got back together because things had evolved in our lives where playing together made sense.

There wasn't a goal to establish anything, per say, other than continue creating songs that spoke to our soul. We were never a band to establish goals and over think what we do. We simply want to create and communicate what we feel.

CaliAlive.com: I feel as a huge fan of 108 that this record is a real step up from previous efforts, do you guys feel satisfied with how the record turned out?

108: We are all stoked on the record. We don't get the opportunity to write and practice like most bands with us all living in different parts of the US so a lot of the time we are just writing individually and
bringing ideas to the few practice opportunities we get and just jam out the ideas until they take shape which is much different than past 108 records. Now that we have  4 different members writing songs I think the sound is a bit more diverse and as we don't have the opportunity to really overthink or over develop the songs they have a more raw sound.

CaliAlive.com: Your music has always stood out from the rest with your spiritual, political, and powerful lyrics that play right into your heavy style. Do you think the new record solidifies your diversity from the prototypical hardcore out now?

108: I think we have always stood out musically and lyrically just because of who we are. A lot of that has to do with the fact that our influences are so diverse with most of those influences not being hardcore bands and with each of us writing with such diverse interests it keeps us somewhat different than most hardcore bands musically.
Lyrically I think it is much the same.

CaliAlive.com: What do you think of the current state of hardcore and what current bands really impress you? Do you think bands from overseas get overlooked since there not out here in the states?

108: I really like Rise & Fall, Look Back & Laugh, Never Healed, Lighthouse Project, COA, Blacklisted, Soul Control and I Rise. I don't think bands from over sea's get overlooked as much as people don't know who they are. With the internet playing such a large roll in peoples lives we are over run with bands so unless you do something to really catch someones attention you will be overlooked. One way to get attention is to play in as many places as possible to build interest. Rise & Fall is an awesome band but they didn't get notice here until they played here a few times and forced people to take notice.

CaliAlive.com: With Equal Vision releasing the 36 song discography that includes the emotionally diverse "Songs of Separation," the epic "Threefold Misery," and the final ep, "Curse of Instinct" plus the unreleased Panic tracks, what made you choose to work with Tre/Jake of Deathwish Inc for a "A New Beat From A Dead Heart."

108: Well for the discography it made sense to do it with EVR as they were our primary label during that period. Moving forward we wanted to work with a label that was more interested in what would come verse our
history. This isn't about a reunion and there is no interest in just sparking nostalgia in people. This is about the here and now and Deathwish got that which is why it is such a great fit.

CaliAlive.com: We Walk Through Walls, My Redemption Song, and The Sad Truth all grasped my attention vastly when I heard and read the lyrics. The Sad Truth has such a powerful message to the song. Can you explain how you come up with something so powerful and unique like that? Or are you just all super talented song writers?

108: I wrote The Sad Truth after rolling out of bed one morning. It was a stream of thoughts that I wrote out and later we wrote music to lay the lyrics over. My Redemption Song was a song I had in my head and after learning Garage Band I just put down the drums, guitars and vocals and that was that. It is a simple song with simple emotions. Vic wrote all of We Walk Through Walls and I loved the song as soon as I heard it. I don't know that we captured it well on the record but I really like the song.

CaliAlive.com: What are some of your favorite songs off of "A New Beat, From A Dead Heart." And Why? Collectively.

108: Angel Strike Man, Bibles+Guns=The American Dream, Three Hundred Liars, My Redemption Song, Declarations on a Grave and Guilt. Ultimately they are all fun songs to play and I think the music and meanings mean a
lot to us and those feelings translate easily for us in a live setting.

CaliAlive.com: What kind of future do you see for 108 now that you are back recording and playing shows again? Does 108 plan to tour and play shows throughout the country, or Europe to finish out 2007?

108: Well we are writing a new record as we speak. In October and November we will play 10 shows on both the West and East Coast which will allow us to work on 5 new songs we have as well as some other material we  haven't shared with one another yet. By the end of the year we will probably get together again to demo some more songs. Next year we will do 24-28 shows through the US as well as do a 10 day/3 country tour of South America and then a 12-14 show tour in Europe. In between it all we will finish writing the new LP and record the new record.

CaliAlive.com: Can we maybe get a hint of who you are going to be taking out on the road with you guys in the near future?

108: We will be doing dates with Converge, Internal Affairs, Soul Control, COA, Meltdown around the US in 2007. In 2008 we will play with a bunch of the same bands as well as a lot of dates with Rise & Fall.

CaliAlive.com: Just want to say it's been a pleasure doing this interview with you guys and the enjoyment I get out of this record is unexplainable. Congratulations on the record and can't wait to see you guys in October out here on the West Coast. Any last words, shout outs?

108: Thanks for the interview. Check out the new record, come to a show and
do something to challenge others perceptions.

Photos Credited to Cari Veach.