MORTAR
1. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions! Before we dive in, if you wouldn’t mind introducing yourself and what you do in the band, that would be great!
My name is Noah, and I do vocals in Mortar. Thank you for having us on this interview.
2. Could you give us a little backstory on the band: when you formed, how you knew each other, what the vision was for the band, etc.?
In the briefest way I can explain. Mortar began with Lucas and Maya (our guitarists) and myself. I’ve known Lucas for a long time, and got to meet Maya through him. We went to shows together and started talking about doing a project. We wanted a band with the main goal being aggressive as fuck music and get people moshing. Along the way we picked up Shakes, our drummer and Aidan, our bassist, and it’s been full steam ahead ever since.
3. Who are some of the band’s primary influences?
We all have semi different influences and backgrounds, but the big ones we always go back to are definitely bands like On Broken Wings, Black My Heart, and Shattered Realm. Just aggressive, pissed off, moshy bands. We covered “All Will Suffer” by Shattered Realm for a while if that tells the influence.
4. What about you personally—what got you into and drew you to heavy music in the first place? Take us down the iceberg.
For me personally, what drove me in was the rawness and sheer force of it all. There’s so much power behind the music, and I love the way it just compels you to move. It’s so engaging and I’ve never heard something that has made me feel the same way. I also love the community aspect of it, we’re just a bunch of outcasts and weirdos that love the same thing.
I first really started listening to heavy stuff when I was in high school, bands like Slipknot, Bring Me The Horizon and Suicide Silence, all bands I still love to this day. Eventually, it lead me to the more hardcore realm of it all, first hearing bands like Suburban Scum, Knocked Loose, and Counterparts. I was hooked instantly.
5. Who are the bands, people, venues in Maine (and beyond if you like) who are really doing it right? Who should we be paying attention to and supporting?
The first thing I’ll tell anyone who wants to get into this stuff in the current day is follow SVU. I love what Ethan and Trevor have created and the space they have at Rumors is just truly incredible. It means the world to be able to personally work with them and help book shows and build up the scene more by their side. Cheap Life and Rulers of The Spear in the Portland area at places like Geno’s, The Apohadian, Blue, Live at Madrid’s, so many spots in the city. Up in central Maine, Ballistic and Really Chaotic are holding it down at the Old Town Theater.
For bands, there’s just so many but the big ones I’d say are Satiate, Infernal Diatribe, Floor 13, Bad Move, Stab, Half Step, Bite The Bullet, Last Embrace, End Your Life (not exactly out yet but keep an eye out), JEEZ. and Endure are just a few I can name. The scene is popping right now. So much stuff happening, so many people I didn’t name, so many more. [Ed. note: the names of aforementioned bands I’ve previously interviewed are hyperlinked; you can read my interview with Ethan of SVU here]
6. What have been the major Mortar highlights thus far?
Any time we ever play at Rumors feels like a highlight. Every time we finish a set there, I’m always like, “this is the best fucking set we’ve played.” The energy is always peak and everyone is always moving. Other ones are definitely having the opportunity to play with massive bands like Bodysnatcher, No Cure and Death Before Dishonor. That shit is just insane. One of the coolest things we ever played was the Middle East corner bar for Uponbrokenapologies’ last show. It was a fucking madhouse, people jumping off shit, busted noses, crazy moshing. It was fucked up.
7. Talk to us about the importance of not just seeking out and going to shows at smaller venues but, to the best of your ability, becoming an active participant in your local scene.
The #1 thing that hardcore is all about is the community. Going to shows is so important cause you are supporting everyone. The bands, the venues, the bookers. It’s also the main way to make connections and friends with people. If I didn’t go to shows on the weekly I would never have made all the friends I have or even probably gotten Mortar started, cause I wouldn’t have been around Lucas or Maya. I wouldn’t have met our bass player, Aidan, who has become one of my best friends, all cause he saw me wearing a xNomadx shirt, and thought it was dope. I wouldn’t have met Ethan or Trevor and gotten to work with SVU or met all the incredible people I have in my life today, all because of going to hardcore shows.
8. What have you got lined up for the summer show-wise?
Right now we got a few shows lined up, some announced like our gig with Psycho-Frame on June 11th, a show down in Manchester on the 19th, and Balmora on the 26th. Plenty more after just nothing announced yet. We’re working on some music at the moment that’ll hopefully be out by sometime mid-late summer. Lot of the early stages of it, but we got some good frameworks to play with.
9. Is there anything you’d like to accomplish with the band that you haven’t yet?
The biggest thing I’d like to do is doing some weekend runs or mini tours to spread out through more of and outside of New England. Maybe one day put out a full length record. Feel like most bands do demos or EP’s nowadays. Wanna make something big.
10. Okay, last question: if you were stranded on a desert island by yourself and could only have five albums with you to listen to, what would they be?
That’s so tough. Think I’d have to pick:
Theories of Despair - Renounced
Jhazmyne’s Lullaby - 7 Angels 7 Plagues
Peripheral Vision - Turnover
Nectar - Joji
Count Your Blessings - Bring Me The Horizon