The pandemic period was a wierd time, one the place all of us had much more free time than we had been used to, and little or no with which to occupy it. The interval was a devastating one for working musicians, nonetheless, who immediately discovered themselves unable to do most of the issues that musicians do with the intention to survive. Fairly asides from the monetary points, nonetheless, had been the artistic ones – rapidly individuals who had spent their working lives creating stuff out of the blue discovered themselves with out an outlet.

It’s maybe because of this that the lockdown interval turned one thing of a fertile one for brand spanking new bands to type – as many musicians channelled their downtime into creating new stuff, whether or not solo or teaming up with mates and roommates to go the lengthy weeks of sheltering in place.

Most of these bands and initiatives didn’t get wherever after all, however some did greater than that – for Militarie Gun, it lit the touchpaper on what would change into an explosion. What turned Militarie Gun was initially a pandemic solo mission for frontman Ian Shelton, however shortly after releasing the band’s first EP in 2020 he realised that it wanted to change into a correct band.

The Proof

MG’s music has typically been described as melodic hardcore, however in a really 2024 sense there’s loads of different influences there too, not least Modest Mouse in Shelton’s frantic supply. What maybe units the band other than others, nonetheless, is their work ethic – nearly as quickly as they had been ready the band began taking part in exhibits and touring relentlessly throughout the US, Europe and Canada. The band shortly earned a rep as energetic and compelling reside performers, and established themselves as probably the most thrilling new guitar bands of current years.

The proof of this was present in final 12 months’s debut album, Life Beneath the Gun, a hook-laden burst of effervescent rock that straddled many genres and, crucially, was the gestalt work of the complete band and the music they’d created over two years of arduous touring.

“I’m actually proud to have written these riffs,” says guitarist William Acuña of one of many album’s tracks, the blistering standout monitor Do It Quicker. “It appears to get a very good crowd response once we play it reside.”

Do It Quicker is a standout monitor on Life Beneath the Gun, and even earlier than it arrived on the planet the band had been anticipating it to attach with their viewers – although they most likely didn’t anticipate it to get picked up by, of all issues, a Taco Bell business.

“I don’t suppose it’s that shocking, however I feel it’s very cool,” says bassist Waylon Trim, who joined shortly after the report was accomplished, of the track’s reception. “I feel we form of anticipated that to be the larger single on the album. It’s a fairly easy track however from the primary time I heard it, I knew it might catch individuals’s consideration.”

Altering Locations

The presence of Trim does point out that issues haven’t all the time been easy crusing for Militarie Gun – the band has skilled a number of line-up adjustments on this interval, most notably the departure of guitarist/bassist Nick Cogan. Cogan left shortly after the album was accomplished to focus his consideration on his main band, Albany post-hardcore band Drug Church.

The departure of a key member is clearly going to affect the entire, however Acuña is certain that the addition of Trim hasn’t modified the power or sound of the band.

“I don’t suppose a lot has modified,” he admits. “I really feel just like the groove remains to be there and the sound remains to be there.” The band has been having different guitar gamers fill in when taking part in reside, however the objective is for a substitute to be discovered and for the band to take care of a constant lineup. “We clearly love Nick and want we might have him on a regular basis, however sadly, he performs in an unimaginable band known as Drug Church.”

Unsurprisingly, the band’s 2024 touring slate has been usually unrelenting – beginning within the US, then Australia, then again to the US, then to Europe after which lastly again to the US once more. It’s sufficient to provide you jetlag simply writing it, however remarkably the band are decided to squeeze in a while to work on their sophomore album alongside the best way.

“I feel we’re going to do much more writing and recording, attempting to complete the subsequent album,” explains Acuña. “Fortunately, we’ll have Waylon this time. So, we’re enthusiastic about that!”

For a band that began as a solo mission, you’d anticipate the writing to be led by Shelton, and for probably the most half it’s, although it’s for a very good motive.

“Normally one individual brings in an concept for a track and for probably the most half, that’s Ian [Shelton] as a result of he’ll simply by no means cease writing songs,” Acuña chuckles. “The remainder of us, we attempt to give you as a lot as we are able to, however we’ll by no means be capable of match his tempo and output. Then normally, it’s one or two of us placing a demo collectively. Writing and recording whereas on the highway is one thing that many bands have discovered to be a frightening process because the journey is commonly exhausting, however the band all the time retains an acoustic guitar on tour for when inspiration strikes.”

It’s fascinating to consider these high-energy hardcore songs beginning out on a humble acoustic guitar, however the actuality of being a band on the highway as a lot as Militarie Gun are means there’s little alternative within the matter. “We’re not capable of go to the observe house and hook up all our gear each time we need to write one thing,” Acuña explains.

Regardless of the formulation is, it’s working – Militarie Gun proceed to tour like they’re making up for misplaced time, taking part in larger venues and phases every time they go by means of, with increasingly more followers discovering their critically lauded debut album.

The subsequent step would be the trickiest one but, however as you’d anticipate from a band with such self-belief and willpower, Acuña isn’t leaving something to probability.

“Anytime we’ve been dwelling this 12 months, we’ve been engaged on demos,” he explains. “And now we have a fairly large batch of demos already that we’re enthusiastic about.” If previous proof is something to go by, when Militarie Gun get enthusiastic about their music, you need to too.