1. Tell us about yourselves - what instrument does everyone play and where is everyone from?
MasonI play guitar and do vocals and I'm from Chaska Minnesota.
JacksonI play drums, and I'm from Chaska, Minnesota
SkylarI play bass in fishing with explosives, I’m from Chaska Minnesota
MichaelI do vocals for fishing with explosives and I'm from Chaska, MN.
2. How did you all get introduced to heavier music - and more specifically screamo?
MasonMy uncle got me into it, mostly grindcore and death metal first. Then I got into screamo when I accidentally discovered I Wrote Haikus About Cannibalism in Your Yearbook and Me And Him Call It Us on YouTube.
JacksonMy brother and my uncle both got me into heavier music, mostly thrash and grindcore. I first heard screamo from my brother and it took a while to get into it, that's probably because I mostly listen to alot of Slam and beat down hardcore and wasn't super interested in the genre until I heard I Have Dreams and that changed my opinion a little bit.
SkylarHow I got introduced to heavy music is from Jackson. He kinda threw me into the inner circle/friend group and after getting to know people I just started listening to some of their music that they listened to and I really liked it! So I continued to listen to it and they all have many band recommendations or I just listen to what they’re all talking about and search up the band later to check em out. I usually do some deep dives to find different music on Spotify and just came across some screamo, I happened to really like it so I continued to listen to it and do some more deep diving into it specifically Screamo music.
MichaelI was really big into brutal death metal a while ago after being exposed to it by a friend and then we just went from there. Started to explore different genres and I ended up being very hooked on grindcore, goregrind, still big on brutal death metal, a lot of powerviolence stuff and folk punk. And Mason was the one who got me into screamo.
3. How did you guys meet and end up forming the band?
MasonOur drummer Jackson's my brother, Micheal and I have been friends from school for awhile and I met Skylar through Jackson. The band actually started out as just Jackson and I for awhile and we recorded some stuff but never really put it out then Micheal started getting into screamo so we asked him if he wanted to do vocals for it, and then we decided we should find a bassist and Jackson knew Skylar from school so we asked her to join too.
JacksonAt first, it was just me and my brother starting a new band. I liked the drumming style, so we kept making screamo. Micheal joined the band after a while. I don't quite remember when. After a couple of weeks, Mason was wondering if I knew a bassist, so I asked my friend Skylar if she wanted to join. That's where we're at right now.
SkylarHow I met everyone is through Jackson. I knew of Mike and I knew Mason from stories and sometimes just hanging out with everyone. Jackson and Mason originally formed the band, I was called one night from Jackson and he asked me if I wanted to play bass in a band that he was in with Mason and Mike and I was hella down, so then we did this audition like thing and they would play some originals and I would come up with a bass line. They liked what I was making/playing so then they asked me to come to another practice and that’s how I joined the band essentially.
MichaelI know Mason from school and I know Jackson also through Mason as they are brothers and as for Skylar I know her because she's Jackson's friend. I'd really like to thank Mason for getting me more into Screamo so if it weren't for him I'd still be left an unsophisticated individual hahaa. But the band originally started out as a two piece between Mason and Jack and when I got more into screamo they asked me if I wanted to be a part of the band and everything just kinda went from there.
4. You guys just put out a 4-song demo on tape and youtube, can you tell us a little about the writing and recording process for those songs?
MasonWe recorded the demo a couple times actually, we recorded it like a week before Skylar ended up joining the band and we decided we should re-record it with bass. And as for how we recorded it we just wrapped Micheal’s phone in a towel and played the songs.
JacksonWe recorded a demo three times. When it was just me and my brother, we made a demo, I don't think any of those songs made it onto the final version. When Micheal joined, we made our new demo, but we knew we could make it better, so when Skylar joined, we recorded it a final time.
SkylarThe writing process was really fun in my opinion! Someone would start off with a rift, drum beat, or bass line then we would all build off of it. The one I was most worried about was the bass intro one because I didn’t know what to play but I was tinkering around with my bass beforehand and I played and altered what I was playing and it came out great!
MichaelYeah we recorded the demo a few times, it was all a process but in the end I'm very pleased with how it turned out.
5. It sounds like there are a variety of influences on your music. Are there any specific genres/artists/records that have had an impact on the way you write or play live?
MasonFor me my biggest influences are I Wrote Haikus About Cannibalism in Your Yearbook, In loving memory, allegory of the cave and definitely I have dreams.
JacksonWhen it comes to my drum style, I'm very influenced by slam and grindcore. For this band I dimmed down the slam elements quite a bit and tried to make things as annoying and complicated as I could for me to play, in the end it definitely helped me become a better drummer. I don't know if I could choose any specific bands that helped me with this style, It's definitely a combination of a lot of things.
SkylarI would say a bit of genre on my end would influence what I play and albums as well including the artist themselves. Some bands that would influence my writing a bit would be Jack off Jill, type O negative, geronimostilton, burial etiquette, casket cassette, Versera, To be gentle, and selofan. And Impending Ghosts album by geronimostilton. But I do listen to a lot of different genres so some others might be incorporated in as well but I wouldn’t be aware but quite possibly. Playing live, I gotta start by moving around more, other than moving around I don’t think a band or album influences my stage presence and performance in any way.
MichaelI really like a lot of Hassan I Sabbah, I Have Dreams and Make me. I'd say I'm very influenced by their sound and specifically how insanely amazing sounding their high vocals are.
6. Do you have any short-term or long-term goals for Fishing With Explosives? Shows, tours, new music, shirts, tapes, etc.
MasonRight now we're working on our split with Valeska Suratt and after that we want to put out an EP or something.
JacksonI definitely want to do more shows and possibly tours in the future, but wherever the band goes, I'll be fine with it.
SkylarI’m hoping we can play some more shows! I love performing and playing shows with these guys, so that would be my long term goal is to make music with them and hopefully tour sometime as well but not right now. We have shirts, tapes, and some cassettes. Funny story about the cassettes though, I was painting them so they’d have this sick design on em but the seller we got them from was a bit iffy in a way so after they were all done only some or none worked unfortunately but hey memories. Oh! We are also working on a split with Valeska Surrat and after we are gonna try to put out an EP or something of the sort.
MichaelAs of now we are working to put out a split with Valeska Suratt and after that we'll just go from there. I'm very excited for the future of this band and I'm so grateful for the opportunities we had with these last few shows.
7. Give us some of your favorite screamo records and non-screamo records.
MasonSome of my favorite screamo records are the allegory of the cave/sectors split, I Wrote Haikus’ 5 song demo and three days till Christmas by I have dreams. Some of my favorite non screamo records would be blue by capsule, Dahmerized by Dahmer, and The Shitlickers self-titled
JacksonI'm gonna be honest I'm not a huge screamo fan. I like the genre but not much of it really pushes me enough to listen to it, it's not really my thing but I do really like Three Days 'Till Christmas by I Have Dreams. Lately, I've been listening to Not Through Blood by Pain Of Truth and lots of Dehydrated Goat and Cattle Decapitation.
SkylarMy favorite Screamo records/albums would have to be hands down probably Self-Titled by …and it’s name was Epyon, A self named album by Love Lost But Not Forgotten, Disinformation fix by Usurp Synapse, Impending ghosts by geronimostilton. And for non screamo records/albums I’d have to say, pussy whipped by bikini kill, greatest hits by the cure, Little joey and the psychophallic sex brain by Harley Poe, Demonstration by Sunami, Recipe for hate by bad religion, Night & Love by Këkht Aräkh and a lot more but I feel like I’ve said quite a few.
MichaelSome of my favorite Screamo releases: Three days til Christmas by I Have Dreams, Hassan I Sabbah, self titled by Hassan I Sabbah, carving initials by herlovebeheadsdasies. And as for my favorite Non screamo releases: World Extermination by Insect Warfare, Retaliatory Measures by Deterioration, Operation Ivy, self titled by Op Ivy, Harsh Reality by Death Toll 80k - just to name a few.
8. Outside of music, what are some other hobbies or interests you have?
MasonI like to skateboard and sew.
JacksonI like to make art, mostly drawing
SkylarOutside of music I really like to do art! I paint a lot and I like to make a lot of my own things or make old stuff unique in my way. I like to sew, I’m currently working on a patch hoodie and a ballgown. I like to cosplay sometimes with my friend but usually only go to 2D with them. I also like to longboard and skateboard but mainly longboard. I play Pokémon the card game and a little of Pokémon go. I’m also starting to get into warhammer as well. I game a bit too. Roaming, I love to just find new places in my area that I haven’t found or seen before.
MichaelOutside of music I just like to chill about with friends and such, I like to go on walks and bike around, I like to sew and play video games too
4 song demo (2023)
