Interview with Transcending The Mundane

Talking with . . . Hostile Groove

Interview with vocalist and guitarist Shawn Mc Pherson.
Hollywood’s Hostile Groove is a cutting edge modern rock/ metal trio whose member come as far away as Massachusetts and Texas. They have released their debut full length, Unleash the Massattack, and are now touring all over America. They incorporate a range of styles to come up with an original and energetic sound. We caught up with them during their trek in the Mid West during 4th of July weekend.

Tell me about the origins of Hostile Groove.
Hostile Groove originated in Uxbridge Massachusetts. Dan Welby [drums] and I [Shawn Mc Pherson, vocals/guitar] moved to Hollywood, California in 1999 where we met bassist Aric Wright from San Antonio, Texas.

What vision did you initially have for the band?
We plan to bring new life to the underground scene with our new independent label Massattack Records. Massattack Records is a record company/ promotional company that supports all genres of metal music using realistic and streetwise tactics opposed to the number crunching statistics that set the trends for our youth today.

How is your current tour going?
The support has been tremendous. The fans have been very responsive and the van is still moving, at least as we speak.

What have been some interesting sights on your way around the country?
We literally played a barn forty eight hours ago in cornfield, Cass City, Michigan. Dave Walls Productions literally built a stage on the hay loft in their barn, mowed acres of grass for the cars to park and invited local bands Judas Cliché and Synthasis along with Hollywood based band Trigger Point and ourselves to play for the locals in Cass City. It was a shocking turn out. Other than that we drove through Vegas, the Rockies, and spent a little time in the Chicago area. We always drive at night and through the morning so unfortunately we don’t get to check out everything.

Why do you think Hostile Groove is relevant in today's music scene?
Hold on one sec. It would suck if Dan crashed while we were doing this interview. Cops are driving by and it’s raining crazy. [Waiting for cops to drive by] Alright, Hostile Groove is relative to the music scene today because of the styles of music we choose to incorporate and the positive messages that we choose to relay.

What goals do you hope to achieve with this debut full length?
To create a foundation for our careers as a band to build upon, and show our fans friends and family our capability as independent musicians.

You are also concentrating on the visual aspect of the band, why did you decide to include d.v.d./ video material?
We are creating this DVD home video not only to document what we love to do as a band but to prove to other independent bands that they can accomplish anything through dedication and hard work.

How do you plan on celebrating the 4th of July?
We hung out with our most dedicated Michigan fans, lit some fireworks and kicked back waiting for our next two shows in Michigan.

What do you fear?
Dan falling asleep at the wheel while we’re trying to do this interview [joking], NOTHING.

What is the key to your diversity?
Maintaining an open mind to all styles of music, not letting press or any other people opinions interfere with our own.

What plans do you have for the rest of this year?
A couple more mini tours, finish up the DVD/ Home Video, and continue writing for the next c.d.

Final comments?
We’d like to thank Transcending the Mundane for doing this interview, as well check out www.hostilegroove.com, and www.massattackrecords.com for more information about the band and the label. Support your local music scene or die.
-Brett VanPut