I spoke with Matt Henderson – one of the founding members of California hardcore-punk band – The Eulogy. As well as former member of Madball, Agnostic Front, Blind Approach and S.O.S. Matt talks about The Eulogy, and band’s recent releases, about the very first influence and NY-hardcore scene, and his engineering work.
Punk Globe: On November the 29th Indecision Records released “Not The One” –the new single by your current project- The Eulogy. In one of your interviews, talking about S.O.S. you said that it was mainly interpersonal interest. But with The Eulogy – is how everything came about with this band ?
Matt: Going back to S.O.S. as a reference…It was made up of myself plus two members of Terror, a member of Trapped Under Ice and a member of Hatebreed. So aside of me, everybody else had full-time bands. I, myself, I have a full-time job that keeps me from being in a full-time band ( laughs ). The point is nobody have time to make S.O.S. a full-time band. It was a decision to be a project we came together to do. We enjoyed it and then everyone would focus on what they do regularly, after that. The Eulogy is a little different. Because, is nobody else is…Well, one of the guitar-players – Adam [Blevins]in San Diego band – Get Punch. We consider ourselves being a full-time members of The Eulogy. But The Eulogy is not full time band because we all work. We’re fathers, we’re working men. So we do it when we can do it. And move a little slower than an average band, I’d say.
Punk Globe: You just completed two EP’s that will come out soon. Tell a little bit about these records and your plans ?
Matt: The song “Not That One” was our most recently written song, at a time. And the other track – “Kings And Thieves” was probably one of the very first songs the band had worked through. But we just finally got a chance to record it. And it came our really well, I think. That recording as a whole is one of the best recordings I’ve done! I think the sounds are amazing! I give a lot of credit to our engineer – Paul Minor, who runs the studio called Buzzbomb, here in Orange. And just did the recent Agnostic Front record – “Get Loud!”. He’s recorded a lot of bands in his studio. H2O, Terror, Death By Stereo, another friend of mine’s band –Shiner’s Club. Great engineer! Great guy! But not the one that was recorded with the original intent of being released on a split EP with Sick of it All, on Pitchfork label. So my friends, who run this Pitchfork New York hardware released the records for promotion and we’d agreed to release a song under that with Sick Of It All. That’s actually came out the last year. Then we took the song back and indecision was gracious enough to put it out on their label.
Punk Globe: At what age did you take an interest in playing the guitar ?
Matt: My initial desire to play an instrument was the drums. At a very early age. Probably around six. I had an uncle who played the drums. And I used to mess around of his drum-kit. I was listening to The Beatles first and then – KISS. Since I’ve started listening to KISS I didn’t want to play drums. That’s kind of got me started. Then Van Halen came out and I heard the way Van Halen played the guitar and I just…That was something I wanted to see If I could re-create. It was around 1980 when I started playing guitar. And I’ve always have such a big love of music, as a whole. I still love to play the guitar for my own pleasure. Although it’s more difficult finding the time these days. I’m baseball coach, sucker coach, I’m helping my kids with homework. I got a very demanding job. But I still force to get on the guitar every so often. And I’m lucky enough to have a lot of friends around me who also like to play music. My good friend Kevin Norton who’s the bass-player for The Eulogy…We’re good friends. And it was actually Kevin’s idea. He said: “Here we are so let’s play some music!” and I said: “Let’s do this!”. He pretty much did the rest by finding the other guys and what’s how we are where we are today.
Punk Globe: You credit Vinnie Stigma as one of your main sources of inspiration. Alongside with classic-rock players. When you first got into hardcore was it all a constant learning process for you or you felt yourself or was it already there waiting to explode?
Matt: ( laughs )Well, I think each style of music has its own sort of language, if you will. Classic rock has a certain language to it. Punk-rock has a certain language to it. And hardcore, specifically New York Hardcore…I first heard Agnostic Front in 1984 when “Victim In Pain” was released. And it wasn’t the first punk-rock record I heard. But certainly - one of my favorites immediately. It was just another example of me hearing a band with the real raw energetic attitude that I knew was less about “Look what I can do on my guitar!”and more about delivering that intensity, anger and chaos. That’s absolutely appeal to me. So even at that time I may have been a technically better guitar-player then a lot of guys playing punk-rock and hardcore. I had the huge appreciation of the language they’ve been speaking and delivery. It’s like the language of speaking. Sometimes it’s relevant to say: “Hi! Hello! How are you?” or to say: “Yo! What’s up ?” – they mean the same thing but it’s a different delivery with a different type of attitude.
Punk Globe: It would not be unfair to not to mention Blind Approach. With this band you, released only a few 7' inch records. Tell us more about Blind Approach?
Matt: I’m very proud of Blind Approach. We were kids! Our first 7-inch was the recording done at high school with the recording studio in our high school. And that would have been 1986. That was after a couple of years of us playing punk-rock. And then, started to embrace the metal-genre that was starting to embrace hardcore. So we were right at the beginning of that stage of crossover period. When you had a bands like Metallica, not only delivering a great records and great music. But confirming their influence and inspiration from bands like Discharge and GBH and The Misfits. Suddenly, it was like: “Oh, wow! We’re much more the same as we were…”. Metallica was A HUGE influence of Blind Approach. As was Cro-Mags, as was Agnostic Front – all the contemporary bands of that time. I’ve said it was a Straight Edge for a lot of the times – I was very influenced by the bands like Youth of Today. At least lyrically. It was very exciting time musically. And exciting time to be a young kid being involved in that music. We were doing it right when it was happening!
Punk Globe: After joining Agnostic Front you started writing songs for band’s new album at – “One Voice”. what do you remember about recording it and how important was this release for you ?
Matt: Very important! First and foremost, recognizing the fact that I’m a member of Agnostic Front and being a fan as long as the band existed, I wanted to make sure that I was doing something special. I didn’t want to just write songs and be satisfied. I realized that I was now a part of New York Hardcore family. And was waiving that flag. So I wanted to treat that with the highest level of respect and commitment as I could. It was a honor to be included in that. Working with musicians like Craig Setari, Will Shepler who to this day, in my opinion are key players in their own field. Name another hardcore bass-player besides Craig Setari ? There’s plenty out there! And plenty great ones! No question! But Craig stands out quite a bit. The same is with Will Shepler on drums. I appreciate being considered by primary composer. And I’d say – yes, that’s true! But it was band’s project. Band collaborated as a whole. And I learnt A LOT! Craig Setari for sure, is very good at song arrangements. He’s very good in analyzing and putting things together. As guitar-player I started as, as a songwriter I started as and I’ve finished as songwriter and guitar-player. But I learnt SO MUCH! It’s such a great deal on through my other projects.
Punk Globe: Playing live now, with The Eulogy, after years of numerous projects – do you still have the same kind of feelings ?
Matt: Well, when I’m on stage playing – yes! All the other things around it…And I’ve talked about this a few times. When I was young and first started to play clubs. Or even basemen parties and backyard parties – every piece of it was exciting. Getting my rear, rapping all my cables up and loading them into my car, driving to the show, getting to the show, finding where we’re gonna set up, loading my gear out of the car, setting up, waiting backstage to show to start. That’s all very exciting. Forty years later I’m not as excited about those things…(laughs). But performing on stage, playing the type of music I love with good friends and having a crowd that also appreciates it. And whom I, essentially the same as. I play this music because I’m a fan of this music. And anyone else who’s there is also a fan of this music. And in that regard, I still feel myself as teenager.
Punk Globe: When you’re composing something what are the important factors for you within the process itself ? Is it an interaction with your colleagues or a certain distance ?
Matt: It varies. What I’d say and I guarantee that everybody you’d discuss the things that work with me would agree: I have a very strong opinions of what I think should sound like. Just because I do hear something in my head. And I try to get to a point when what I’m playing sounds like what I’m hearing in my head. A lot of times that require me to not only talk about what I’m playing but also talk to my drummers. “Hey! Try this beat! Play that kick-drum here! Don’t hit it here – hit it there!” on that level. I’m saying this because I’m been playing drums for many years. And I think for this type of music drums are very important. In some ways it would be easier for me if I’d just set in a room and put it’s all together and then show everything to the band saying: “Hey! This is how everything has to be played!” But in such case I’d start sound repetitive. I appreciate the other guys in my band offering feedback and throwing suggestions. I might not agree with every suggestion. But they don’t always agree with any suggestion I take either. So I enjoy the collaboration piece of it, for sure.
Punk Globe: It’s very interesting to finally ask you about “For The Cause” and the recent Agnostic Front albums – “Another Voice”, “The American Dream Died” - which is mainly a studio work for you. But from a creative point of view how different was it compared to being a full-time-band-member ?
Matt: I can say about myself as “a very fortunate” because, I was a full-time member of both of these bands, at one point. I made decision to do other things for purpose of starting family and my priorities had to shift to focus on being a family man. All respect to both of these bands and the members of these bands that also are family man. They found the way it works! It wasn’t working for me at that time, but it wasn’t because I didn’t love the music – I just had to spend time working on some other things. For period. Now, when I kind of goy my life situated with the other things, having the opportunity to come and play music every so often is amazing! And I’m very happy for them! I’m happy that my brothers in both bands think to include me, every so often. And on some level it can a challenging, because I do have a little bit of a control if I was a full-time member. But, they give me an opportunity to kind of take control here and there. For example the song I played on Agnostic Front record – “A Wise Man”. The previous Nuclear Blast release. Roger told me: “Hey! The song is recorded! But all guitar parts are up to you! So go ahead and do it how you want to do it!” – I was appreciated it. Luckily, we both agree and it came out very well. And both happy with it. With “For The Cause”- Hoya [Jorge “Hoya Roc” Guerra] had a very specific idea of what he wanted to be done. And I wanted to make sure that I provided that for him. But once we started working together – I guarantee that there would be situations where he would say: “Do what you feel right there!”. And the end result was pretty similar to what him and had would have done if we’d start together at the beginning of it. It’s all good! They’re my family so working with them is very easy!
Punk Globe: With Madball they used different influences in their music. Was it hard for you to find your sound and balance between influences of your band mates ?
Matt: No. Again, that’s what I really do in terms of collaboration. My collaboration with Hoya is critical to Madball’s sound. He has a certain style that I really look up to. And he can write a riff I wouldn’t think of. He’s got a natural rhythm and delivery that I admire quite a bit. And I didn’t know exactly what that was when we firstly started working together setting it off. It doesn’t mean that I was worried – I just didn’t what he was capable of. The minute he shared with me – the song “Set It Off” was the second song he wrote. In a minute I heard that – I was blown away. I said: “This is it!”. Once I heard that – I was very excited to work with him cause I thought we’re gonna be able to do something pretty special. And it certainly was special for me. Thankfully it was special for other people as well.
Punk Globe: While recording on “Look My Way” you took a role of producer. In what way was the work and your approaches different ?
Matt: At the time “Look My Way” was done I was still a student of Berklee College of Music – I was focusing on audio-engineering and digital audio. I had made friends with Dean Baltulonis who owned Salad Days Studio in Boston at that time. Him and I got together. The decision was made to record it with him at that studio. And it took a lot of planning and coordination. I usually say that whatever reason naturally, I feel like I have a neck to direct a band through a recording. “Ok! We’re starting this song here. Let’s put the drums down! That take was ok but I think it could be faster in a fast part. Of the breakdown isn’t quite grooving right. I’d like to take that again.”- for whatever reason I have a strength in that area. And thankfully, the band also felt the same way. It’s good to have a one guy kind of having hands on. It doesn’t mean that I’m the only one making the decisions. I still, absolutely had a band participating and contributing. So it wasn’t just my show. But it just had to have one guy you could bring and say: “Ok! He’s kind of directing this!”. And a lot of this was me, staying late at night and then being able to go home ( laughs ). I had a personal aspiration to get more involved in a studio side of things. And also – the band to agree and help me with that. But the one thing I’d say: I’m a much better producer of the performances then the vibe of delivery of the songs with the arrangements. I’m not very strong engineer. So when it comes time to work with equipment and getting in the sound – I can help you. I can say: “I like to hear more low-end. Less high-end.” – whatever the case may be to my ear. But I can’t dial it in. I need a strong engineer to do that. And thankfully Dean was one of these people. Paul Minor is one that I’m partner with now.
Punk Globe: Since leaving the band you continued working with Dean [Baltulonis] as co-enginner. Together you worked on the records by Bottom Line NYC, Vietnam, Modern Life is War.. Are you currently engineering?
Matt: It’s still an interest of mine. But I don’t peruse it. I have a day-job – Information technology. And I got into that field from my learning digital audio and working with computers, digital media etc. But I don’t have time to develop the skills good engineer has. It always would be an interest of mine. But it’s nothing I’m doing…
Punk Globe: What does hardcore means for you ?
Matt: It’s been the one constant in my life since I first made aware of it at the age of 12. It’s spoke to me from day one…Not only did the music appeal to me. But the message, the attitude become a brotherhood and sisterhood. It just was something I consciously show to become a part of. Especially at the early age. Making that choice you was making a statement to the rest of the world: “Hey! I’m into something here that’s not mainstream! We’re a subculture!” It was a very exciting thing at the time. And now, 38 years later I still love the music. I have such close friends that I actually refer as a family. And I mean that in literal sense. But I’m talking friendships, deep friendships that’s three decades long. Hardcore means A LOT to me ( laughs ). A lot.
The Eulogy at FB: https://www.facebook.com/eulogyhc/
You can check out recent release by The Eulogy - "Not The One" on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/not-the-one-single/1490489414
