Ignite: This Day For New Beginnings

Orange County hardcore legends IGNITE have just stormed back with their new self-titled album and while it has been a while since their last album (2016’s A War Against You), it feels as if no time has passed when it comes to the hard hitting and urgent nature of the music of IGNITE. We caught up with the band’s guitar player Nik Hill who talks to us about the new record and in turn, a new beginning for the band who come with a new lineup and a reenergised vision for their music.

With the album, IGNITE sound reinvigorated and while the response to the first few tracks that they released from the record had been great, Nik tells us that they were even happier to get the full album out there for fans to immerse themselves in. “We’ve been so happy with outcome and the response to the first few singles we released but it is meant to be listened to as a whole. I’m not going to say it’s a concept record but there’s a flow and an energy that feels like a live set from the band when listening top to bottom.”

As has been central to so much material from Ignite throughout their career, the nature of the lyrics on the songs on the self-titled album are hard hitting and effective but this time they also delve a bit deeper and Nik explains further about the issues that the songs on the album deal with. “There are a lot of interpersonal subjects that are addressed on the record, many times we have personal issues but as musicians in a hardcore band known for sticking to political and global issues we shy away from the minutiae of our personal experience, but I think it can be viewed as a microcosm of the world’s biggest problems. We make up the entirety of the population and its geo-political problems, why not then too, look at our little lives as significant?”

The powerful This Day was one of the tracks first released before the album came out and is a rousing call to arms and classic IGNITE sounding track that not only will become an anthem for them but it ushers in a new beginning for the band. “This Day is an important track in multiple ways; firstly it hits the ears in an aggressive and familiar way, channelling the classic hardcore pace and approach, secondly it’s subject is one that needs to be screamed into the face of so many in a position of power so that they can hear that we see their actions and policies and we will not let it go until there’s change and lastly it is a track that was written completely by our newest member Eli. This should be a testament to the old school fans and listeners that IGNITE is in good hands with this guy.”

Eli Santana is the band’s new vocalist, who makes his debut after joining the group last year, replacing former singer Zoli Téglás. Nik is very happy with this new addition to the band and explains how he fits right in. “Eli was a surprise to us all, he’s been a friend of ours for years now and his name came up when he sent us a song with his voice on an IGNITE song and we were shocked to find that not only is this guy an insane talent on guitar, see Holy Grail and Huntress but he has a powerhouse of a voice, a voice that’s right in line with the IGNITE sound.”

With this new lineup in place, it is a fresh start for IGNITE but things will wholeheartedly stay the same when it come to their ethos as the subject of the importance for hardcore and punk bands to use their voice to bring light to social situations and injustices comes up. “Speaking only for IGNITE, if we are socially and politically conscious it’s out of necessity to express a real frustration and emotion at the things that affect our lives. We find expression healing and enlightening. Everything from the complexity of the US/Mexico border issue to the state of mental health services in our underprivileged communities. It’s important to us to say something but even more important to really mean it.”

Alongside their strong stance on tackling important issues, the importance of punk and hardcore culture is still extremely important for Ignite and something that goes hand in hand with this is skateboarding and the band’s love for it is evident in the the video for This Day which features IGNITE playing in a skate shop and is interspersed with skateboarding footage.

Nik tell us about the bands love for skateboarding and how it all began, mentioning 7 SECONDS, TOKEN ENTRY and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES as his favourite bands who combine punk and hardcore with skateboarding culture. “Kevin and I, our other guitarist, grew up in the skate/punk hardcore world and used to listen to IGNITE to get fired up or to put over our little homemade skate videos. It’s a natural fit to go alongside each other. We have great relationships with a lot of people in the skateboard community so it’s only right that we keep each other motivated and help each other out. Any music and skateboarding go together but there will always be something kind of special between punk rock and skateboarding, don’t ask me why but it just fits.”

With the new album out, IGNITE are looking forward to hitting the road with Nik telling us about the band stirring plans for the rest of the year “We are touring the US, Europe and Canada within the next few months and there are a few other countries in the works too, we are so stoked to get out there and play our music finally.”

With this new album and new lineup now completing the resurgence of IGNITE, the uncertainty of a couple of years ago actually acted as a catalyst for the band to make that fresh start and actually worked out in their favour when it came to the future of the band as Nik explains. “We saw the world essentially shutting down completely and thought, here’s our chance to make it happen. There was no touring for any bands really and for us coming off the loss of our singer Zoli it was a big change already. It was time to get to work and we had the energy and drive to do it. I’m actually very thankful strangely for that time of stillness. We got a lot done.”

Next year marks 30 years since the band formed and there may be things that celebrate that milestone and Nik is so happy with where IGNITE are right now “It’s so incredible to me that this band has spanned three decades nearly. The work is never done of course but we have reached a new high-water mark here as individuals and as collaborators. I’m proud to be a part of this legacy and I’m excited to keep it going.”

When asks if  it feels like that much time has passed since the band got together Nik considers and tells us proudly, “let’s see, I joined the band when I was 17, I’m now 40 years old and have a family of my own, if that doesn’t illustrate the length of time, I don’t know what will. Honestly though it’s a whirlwind of amazing memories and struggles and lifelong friends.”

For being in IGNITE for so long, the highlights for Nik are plentiful and this album marks the start of a new chapter for a band for whom friendship means so much and he tells us just how he and the band have grown throughout their career.  “The bond with the guys in this band, our crew our creative camp, our producer Cameron Webb. I’ve grown from a teenager into a father in this time, I’ve learned how to stand up for myself and how to listen to others when they’re right. It’s been an incredible learning experience and now with this new record, this lineup, it honestly feels like it’s just beginning…”

Ignite is out now via Century Media Records.

Like IGNITE on Facebook.