The latest episode of the BrooklynVegan podcast is an interview with Walter Schreifels, who’s busy as ever. His beloved early 2000s-era band Rival Schools just gave their classic debut LP United by Fate an expanded 20th anniversary reissue, and the band is reuniting for some shows in 2023. On top of that, Quicksand continue to tour and put out new music, Youth of Today just wrapped up some shows, and Gorilla Biscuits just announced some upcoming dates.
I recorded the conversation with Walter before the YOT shows happened and before the GB announcement, which he sort of teased during the episode, and we spoke about just about everything he’s got going on lately. We focused a lot on United by Fate; Walter reflected on making the album, working on it with Bon Jovi producer Luke Ebbin, and the impact the album’s left over time. We talked about how, with Rival Schools coming at the start of the emo boom and taking bands like Thursday and Taking Back Sunday on tour, Walter was simultaneously a “not-so-elder statesman” of that world and also a contemporary/peer and kindred spirit. He also talked about meeting and being won over by Cave In in those days, and how now Cave In’s Stephen Brodsky and Candiria’s John LaMacchia have both played as Quicksand’s touring guitarists this year.
The conversation also spiraled into other topics, like the parallels between the rising tides of Nirvana in the early ’90s and Turnstile today, comparisons between hardcore in the ’80s and hardcore now, and much more. We wrapped up with Walter talking about his love for Hüsker Dü, who he was going to play a tribute show to at Brooklyn’s Union Pool on December 10 (but he dropped off after GB announced a California show for the same day).
Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Walter will also be in NYC to take part a post-screening Q&A of At the Matinée, a documentary on ’80s hardcore matinees, on December 7 at Nitehawk.
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Pick up the new United by Fate reissue on red vinyl in our store, and also browse our collection of Quicksand, Youth of Today, and Gorilla Biscuits records and merch.
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