Marty is the singer of Agitator.
Agitator has been a band for about a year and a half. People from all over have started to pay attention and really care about the band. How does it feel to be fairly successful after being a band for like a year and half?
It’s definitely not something I’m used to because nobody has ever really cared about a band that I’ve been in before. When we started, I never really expected agitator to be good, let alone liked by people that aren't my friends. It’s cool to be able to see the rewards for the time we've put into writing the songs and going out and playing shows.
The thing that seems to draw people to your band is your lyrics and how straightforward they are. At the same time, this seems to turn people away. First, how do you decide what to write about and how you write about it? And second, do you worry at all about alienating anyone when you are writing?
I decide what to write about by thinking about who or what pisses me off. Most of our songs are about specific people that I don't like. I try to make it somewhat general so that other people may be able to relate, but specific enough that if the person it's about heard the song they would know it's about them. I guess I write straight forward lyrics because that's what I would want to see from a band if I was listening to them. I want it to be clear what I think and not have a bunch of flowery bullshit and have hidden meanings.
I don't care if I alienate anyone with my lyrics. I think that the lyrics to "Sheltered" alienate almost everyone and I would actually be offended if someone was singing along. That’s why we never play it live. If someone doesn't like Agitator because of the things that I say, I don't care because clearly we are not the band for them.
Some of the lyrics are pretty personal, yet from judging from reactions I've seen live, these are some of the songs that people seem to relate to most. Is this overwhelming at all?
It’s definitely pretty weird seeing a bunch of people singing along to a song about my dad shooting himself in the head, but obviously I’m not the only person who has been through stuff like that. Even if your dad didn't commit suicide, maybe he's just been an absent father and you can relate to that anger. When we played in Massachusetts someone came up to me after we played and told me how a good friend of his was killed by a drunk driver, so the song “Natural Selection” really hit home for him. I think that even though most of what I’m saying is personal, there is still some stuff in there that people can relate to their own lives.
Agitator is a straight edge band. That is a pretty major part of the overall aesthetic of the band. Other bands who have had similar ideals have come and gone and, shortly afterwards, abandoned those principles. Do you ever worry that maybe you focus too much on it?
No. I know that I’m never going to break edge so I’m not worried about people looking back on Agitator once it's all over and thinking I was full of shit. I’ve known since I was 8 years old that alcohol was something I never wanted anything to do with. It’s responsible for ruining my father's life and I won't let the same happen to me. I think it's important that I’m up front with the fact that Agitator is an edge band. I’ve seen plenty of bands that are edge and you could never tell by seeing them.
You grew up in Boyertown, PA. For people who don't know the area, describe it and how it affected you growing up.
Boyertown is really only known for two things: baseball and racism. When I was a kid the KKK would parade the streets in full costume handing out flyers. About six years ago, they burned a cross in a black family's yard. It’s not like that anymore, but it really showed me how racism is not ok. I went to a high school where there really weren't any minorities and I didn't make my first black friend until I was in college. I think that's pretty sad and I hope that eventually people will realize that they are wasting their time with their pointless hate.
Boyertown is also in the middle of nowhere. How did this affect you getting into the scene and what was it like being separate from other scenes?
There were probably one or two older guys from Boyertown that were into hardcore but they were significantly older than me so I never knew them. I grew up listening to musicals because that's what my mom listened to. In 9th grade I saw someone wearing an operation ivy shirt and I thought the ska man looked really cool so I bought their cd having no idea what they sounded like. I didn't like it at first but I spent like $18 on the cd so I just listened to it over and over and forced myself to like it. I started listening to some other bands like Rancid then.
After that a bunch of friends I made in high school were into metalcore, so I started going to local metalcore shows in reading. Before that it had never even occurred to me that there could be such a thing as a local band. Then after a few years of going to those shows the scene died out. I started hearing about shows in Doylestown so I started making the hour drive almost every weekend to go to shows. Everyone hated me at first cause I was the lame metalcore kid, but I really got into hardcore by seeing bands like Let Down all the time. Over the years, it's started to feel like home.
Off the top of your head, top 5 favorite hardcore records and why?
In no particular order:
1. Let Down-Crossed Off. This is the band that helped shape my idea of what a straight edge band should be. These are all their best songs.
2. Blacklisted-Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God. I guess this album was sort of the in between of their old style and their new style. I think this album is perfect front to back.
3. Floorpunch- Fast Times at the Jersey Shore. Their reunion for Robby Redcheeks was one of the first hardcore shows I went to in Philly by myself and I've never moshed harder in my life.
4. Cro-Mags- Age of Quarrel. Every song is good. For the longest time I thought the Cro-Mags were terrible because when I first heard of them the only album I could find was Revenge. Luckily, I eventually got my hands on this album.
5. One Life Crew- Crime Ridden Society. Great heavy straight edge. I could mosh to “Murdario Stomp” all day long.
Favorite wrestler of all time and why?
I never liked wrestling, but I can respect a good flair chop.
Ha, it is obviously a big part of my zine so I'm asking everyone that question.
I only know one person who likes wrestling more than you and that is Ty Dawson from Pittsburgh. He has us play in his basement and when we pulled up to his house he was wearing a Wrestlemania 2000 jersey.
That sounds like a cool jersey. Wrestlemania 2000 was alright but not one of the better ones.
Back to Agitator, what is up next?
We’re writing songs for a 7" that is being put out by Six Feet Under Records. I’m really excited for that because Six Feet Under is such a good label. Some of the best currents bands have records put out by SFU. I have about 10 songs worth of lyrics written so whenever we can all get together and finish the songs I can work on deciding what lyrics I like the best.
We also have a two week tour we're doing after Christmas which is our first tour. People have been really great about helping us get shows
That tour is with Wrong Answer right?
Yes.
Cool. You mentioned having a lot of lyrics done. Are they in the same direction as the ones from the demo and 7"?
I tried to branch into different things, but I’ve found that oftentimes, it's the same shit that keeps pissing me off. There are more songs about hating myself instead of other people because I’ve been pretty down lately. The only song I know for sure that I’m using is about Force Fed because that is a bunch of bullshit.
What are some new bands that people should check out?
Don't Break just played their first show and I’m really excited about them. They’re a bunch of 15 year olds who are way too good for their age. I wish I was doing something that cool when I was that young. We played with Another Mistake in Louisville and they were awesome. Check out Lifeless from New Jersey if you're into really heavy shit. Stick Together is one of my favorite new bands. Check out Expire too. That’s all I can think off the top of my head.
Alright, thanks Marty. Anything else you want to address/plug/shout out?
Yeah. It goes out to any younger kids who are thinking about claiming edge. Members of Force Fed breaking edge has made me think about this a lot cause they were role models to a lot of younger edge kids from the area. If you think you might want to claim edge but aren't sure, just don't do it. Don’t do it just cause your friends did or just because you think it will make you cool or included. Wait and make sure it's right for you because if you claim now and then break you end up looking like a fucking idiot.
Where can people check out Agitator online?
myspace.com/agitatorpa or search our name on facebook. I don't know the url. If you haven't already downloaded our demo and 7" then search our name on http://toxicbreedsfunhouse.blogspot.com and download it.
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