INTRODUCING: Crashface
Starting a music project during a tough time can often be therapeutic as a creative outlet during a tough time. The pandemic has been a hazard on the music industry, as live shows haven’t happened since March last year. It’s a double edged sword, but the members of London’s CRASHFACE were not deterred by this as they created music.
Kicking things off with System At It back in 2020, the duo, consisting of Charlie Hinton and Otto Balfour, have since released more singles through Spotify, created an EP, Heavy Infectious. “It’s really cool to finally sort of be out there in all the magazines I was reading religiously weekly when I was a kid,” Otto states, commenting on the reaction to the EP’s release.
“It’s a weird feeling,” Charlie adds. “But like, what else do you expect when you’re putting out a body of work in this scene. This is the kind of thing you should expect to happen, but it always feels weird when it does, and it’s like, ‘Why are they bothering?’ Then you’re like, ‘Oh wait, the songs are amazing!’ That bit of imposter syndrome lands and then you forget about it and you’re just like ‘yeah, I really like our music’. I’m really happy that it’s made this way and that was really cool.”
The duo’s sound mixes together punk and hardcore rock/metal, with influences from bands like NINE INCH NAILS and BRING ME THE HORIZON. As well as those two bands, CRASHFACE are also inspired by acts like DAVID BOWIE, DEFTONES, and especially MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, as Charlie gushes about. “They were the first and only band I’ve been obsessed with,” he states. “It’s just their complete range as well, they pretty much cover everything. I love the fucking metal tinge like dark emotions, and then the Japanese pop dance party like Danger Days, they have such a scope. I think they’re amazing!””
Like their peers, CRASHFACE‘s music comments on the state of the world and the frustration that people face with the changes and injustice set by the leaders of the world, especially within the UK. ultraplasticplanetkiller expresses this specifically, kicking off the EP with this bombastic outlet of anger. Loading Screen Infinity also deals with this, specifically with leaders like Boris Johnson and Donal Trump.
Otto expanded on this and what to do to change the current state. “It’s super weird like the whole creepy nature of politics globally. The older you get, the more you kind of realise it is all about who you know. None of these people are qualified to be in their positions. I could go on for hours about how much this irritates me. Politics in general is just in a abhorrent state right now and we the people are who hold most of the power, so we need to tell them to fuck off. And in reality, protest. Do everything you can to make your voice heard and vote. There are so many ways, so many other avenues of seeking justice. I think we just scream our lungs out in a really angry song.”
Even so, the prospect of live shows returning to scream those angry songs in venues across the country, including the band’s own headline shows in November, with stops in Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, and London. CRASHFACE shared their excitement at being able to perform again after so long. “I’m not sure I can do another 18 months lockdown. I went to my first socially distanced gig to support a mate of mine the other night, and it was really great to see live music again but it’s just not the same,” explains Charlie. “I’m forever happy that I managed to hold off for that amount of time but in terms of actually jumping on stage and playing, it’s such an alien feeling. It’s been so long. I can’t wait. It’s just that, you know, tangible evidence of what we’ve done over the past year and a half. It’s real, it’s not a dream or whatever.”
“It’s gonna be nice to meet people as well.” Otto adds. “It’s so crazy, the fact that we started doing all this shit as the world got locked down, you know, that’s the main crux of bands. The main thing is like seeing the live show, hearing music live and all that, and no one has been able to do that with us yet. But they’re still like sticking with us, and they’re still listening to our show. And it’s like, they’re still doing all that, minus the one thing which pretty much gets you there in the first place. If anything, it is just gonna be like a massive thank you as well. I just can’t wait.”
Heavy Infectious is out now via self-release.
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