INTERVIEW BY JOE FITZPATRICK
PHOTOS AND VIDEO BY ACCIDENT PRONE AND FIRE AT WILL PHOTOGRAPHY
Formed in late 2011, ACCIDENT PRONE of Norfolk combines elements of punk, hardcore, and thrash. Their band consists of guitarist James Detterman, vocalist David Paine, bassist Mark Gilchrist, drummer David Shaddows, and guitarist James Brown. Though they have all played in other bands, they have found their niche with their unque blend of genres and raw energy and “in your face” music on stage. Detterman and Paine took the time to talk with us about the band’s progress on their upcoming full length, which they plan to self-release on Detterman’s record label Radio Pressed Records, their accomplishments as a band, as well as their goal to tour in Japan.
I watched your music video earlier, and the film quality is so raw but goes well with your song, which is named after your band. Was that your original intent when you made the video?
David: I edited it, and we shot it with my camera. It wasn’t our original intent to make it like that. I think it goes well with the punk vibe of the song, but I have no regrets about it.
James: We used just one camera, and the footage was from a few different shows. Personally, I think all the shots we got were great, and it came out just as I imagined it.
Why did you choose to name your band ACCIDENT PRONE?
James: I chose it just because I thought it was pretty catchy. It’s a song from JAWBREAKER, but they aren’t really an influence on us in any way. We tried a bunch of other names, but that one just stuck.
James, I know that you are the owner of Radio Pressed Records. Can you tell us how and why you decided to start a record label?
James: Me, our co-owner Ryan, who goes by RYAN KILLA, and my brother Thomas started the label. Our goal was to put out real music, and currently our artists are a mix of hip hop, hardcore/punk, and some acoustic stuff. We just released a compilation on Bandcamp. We started it to be against the mainstream and to self-release our music. Our first release was our split with CONQUERING ROME.
Are you a strong supporter of DIY in music?
David: Definitely! We DIY pretty much everything that we do. We self-release our music on Radio Pressed. We filmed and edited our own music video. We write our own songs, and we book our own tours. The only thing we have not done ourselves was recording. We try to have a punk rock approach with everything that we do.
How much progress have you made on your upcoming full length record Give Us the Bad News First?
James: We started writing these songs when we started the band two years ago, and we just started recording in August of last year. It should be released in the next couple months.
David: We released three of the songs on a demo in December as a preview of the quality of our full length and where we are at. Most of the instrumentals are done, and we are focusing on knocking out the vocal parts and chugging along as we go.
James: We have a great relationship with our producer James, who runs Double O Recording Studio in Hampton. I have been there enough times to count it on both of my hands with PUSHING ON, MACROCRUST, and an older band, and he tells me every time that we keep getting better and better. We have developed strong communication, which has really helped in the recording process.
Is there a particular reason why you decided on that album title?
David: I chose it because it implies that even though there may be bad news, there is also some good news, and the songs on the record have double meanings that can be good and bad.
Can you give us an example of that?
David: Our song “McLove”, which is also featured on our demo, is a cynical, pessimistic love song, but it also challenges people to question what love is rather than following what mainstream society tells us to believe.
What is your proudest accomplishment with your band and your record label?
James: Our record will be, but this past summer, we did a 10-day tour with CONQUERING ROME. James Brown booked all of the dates, and he worked really hard to get it done for us. It was a blast, and it was the biggest thing that we have done musically. We even played Iowa (laughs).
David: Iowa was awkward for me because the people there weren’t really used to in your face music, but we gave Iowa a great time. We received overwhelming positive feedback. It was very uplifting for us.
James: A lot came out of it too. We met Danny Adams of the band ALL BECAME NOW, and he is helping us book our next tour. We also met GIVE AND TAKE, and they have played a few shows with us.
On your label’s Facebook page, it says that you are also based in Yokosuka, Japan. Is that true?
James: We were for a few months. Ryan was living there for a few months, but he is back in Virginia now. We hope to get more of a foothold there and tour Japan.
That same page also says, “Radio Pressed Records is about making real music for the masses,” but then it ends with “music for higher level minds.” So I was wondering which group you are trying to appeal to with ACCIDENT PRONE?
David: The goal of ACCIDENT PRONE is definitely to get the masses to a higher level through our tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Some of our songs are definitely more metaphorical and paradoxical. We hope our songs will make people think and feel enlightened, but we are not out to shove anything down people’s throats. If you just come out to mosh and have fun, that’s cool too.
Do you have any final thoughts?
James: Check out our three song demo on Bandcamp, our new record, and our Radio Pressed compilation. We will also be releasing a new BLACKIRISH mixtape and CONQUERING ROME’s new record soon on Radio Pressed.
David: I would just like to give a shout out to RECKONER, BOTTOMFEEDER, local hardcore bands including PAPER TRAIL, PUSHING ON, and other local musicians out there holdin’ it down.
