Pop Evil: Embracing The Versatile
Society is ever evolving. What was considered taboo 30 years ago is widely acceptable now. Whereas ideologies that were the norm three decades ago may now be ignorant, stagnant, or plain offensive. Since its inception, music has always served as a vessel for social commentary and what a time it’s been of late. American politics, Black Lives Matter, and trans rights, among other topics, have opened so many doors to progression. “Some people are getting freaked out about how intense all these conversations are but they need to happen.” explains POP EVIL drummer, Hayley Cramer.
There has been a lot of introspection over the last year or so. We’ve all been presented with an opportunity to really look at our lives. Do we like what we see? Are we happy where we are? Do we even like ourselves? As a result, we’ve all had to embrace the versatile. Joining us from their home in Hackney, Hayley tells us the process they went through before coming out as non-binary. The Instagram story posted a few days prior to our conversation came as a result of a lot of lockdown soul searching. “I’ve had some counselling for it because I just really didn’t know what to make of it,” they confess. Though short and sweet, the story saw Hayley accepting themselves for who they truly are. While personally cathartic, the intention behind it was more selfless. Citing similar struggles they’ve seen drum students and members of POP EVIL’s fanbase face as the main driving force, Hayley wanted to reach out to those in need. “I wanted them to know that there were people that understood” they continue. “It’s not black and white. It’s not ‘gay, straight, bisexual’ any more, there is something more,” Hayley proclaims.
POP EVIL’s slice of social commentary in latest album Versatile came by happy circumstance. As the band’s next era took shape in a time of worldwide turmoil, it was only natural for their music to reflect these vital conversations. “We’re in a world where we’re all progressing,” Hayley comments. As we’ve seen through various protests and other methods of civil unrest, society finds itself within a much needed vortex. In order for society to progress, the core of the issues must be exposed. “That’s where the world is at right now and I hope when people find their voices, we get it right this time,” Hayley continues, noting songs such as Same Blood and Human Nature were POP EVIL’s way of grappling with the issues they’d picked up via osmosis.
As is the norm with POP EVIL, Versatile has more than one strand to its genetic make up. White knuckle riffage accompanies the message of having the strength to personally overcome. Over the years, the stigma surrounding mental health has slowly ebbed away. POP EVIL has always been a big contributor to the conversation. Talking about the band’s mainstays Footsteps and Waking Lions, Hayley projects their own philosophy towards life onto them; “The big songs of POP EVIL, I call them their sports anthems, because it’s this kind of positivity in a strong setting.” There is no song more true of that on Versatile than Breathe Again. An anthem of triumphing over that which ails you, it is sure to be an enlightening moment when that chorus hits a room full of people. “The whole room’s just gonna elevate. I can’t wait to see people transform and become strong to that,” they add with a distinct crack of the voice.
Though Versatile had been recorded before the world went into lockdown, POP EVIL is feeling the weight of the pandemic in other ways. Due to embark on a US tour late next month, anxiety bubbles under the excitement of getting back on the road. Send a band on tour and you will see how adaptable they are. “Touring in the US is sometimes brutal,” Hayley states. “Just from the climate and the sheer amount of miles you cover.” Add COVID-19 related hesitancies from both band and audience, POP EVIL has a chance to prove whether they can practice the versatility they preach. “I’m having anxiety dreams,” Hayley laughs, “my drum kit falling apart, the kit falling off the riser, not being able to play. All that stuff.”
The live industry is slowly but surely opening up with less and less restrictions. However, as people have been functioning on less due to furlough or losing their jobs altogether, concert tickets may be a luxury to some. Yet there is another face to the coin. Going from long periods of isolation to standing in an enclosed space with hundreds of other people may prove too monumental a task for some. It’s clear Hayley has put a lot of thought into this as they present other avenues to save bands from obscurity. “If you can’t make it to shows, if you can’t afford tickets; don’t just like a [social media] post. Put a comment or share it. Help the artist get up in the algorithms. If you can’t physically be there, you can still help them continue.”
As Hayley opens up about their life, a weight lifts from their shoulders. In conjunction with the acknowledgement of their identity and anxiety comes a realisation about the society they live in. An analogy they gave us earlier proves itself to be true; “A leopard can change its spots”. Humans change as they age. Not just physically. Opinions, aspirations, everything changes. Wisdom drives some of that but people need to have all the information available to them. Societal barriers make it much harder. “We’ve got to set everybody free to find all the sides of themselves.” The pontification comes with a fiddle of the drumsticks. The pigeon holes which define us don’t only apply to humans. Since the invention of genres, gatekeepers have wanted to keep bands in their “rightful place”. “Why do we have to box ourselves in every area of our lives? Can we all just be versatile?” Luckily for bands like POP EVIL, gatekeepers seem to be a rare breed in this day and age. As for those who label us as people? That will take some further time to rectify.
Versatile is out now via eOne Heavy.
Like POP EVIL on Facebook.