Ninety Six = New Face of New Jersey Hardcore!

It amazes us to see/hear people in the Heavy Music scene completely misunderstand what Hardcore music is all about. First of all, Hardcore music has nothing to do with gangs or organized crime. While there might be a few lowlifes (just like in any other music scene), Hardcore music is about unity and respect. We have personally been to hundreds of Hardcore shows and the only time that anyone has gotten hurt is inside the pit, just like in any Heavy Music show right? Aside from this, when and if a fight breaks out is because someone was disrespectful.

Ninety Six is here to change the face of Hardcore music forever, and to represent New Jersey Hardcore. After playing a banger of a show recently, opening for hardcore legends Sick of it All and Suicidal Tenedencies, the band released their sophmore EP entitled "D.O.T.D" for free! The band will be performing this Thursday, October 27, with the Cro-Mags at Dingbatz in Clifton NJ. They have also started working on their first full length.

Recently, we had the chance to interview vocalist Corey Donohue, guitarist Patrick Defrancisci, and bassist Giovanni Escamilla, about the present and the future of Ninety Six, here is what went down.

- Horns Up Rocks: First of all, tell us about the formation of 96? Take us into a time-line from the day the band was formed, until present time.

Pat: Basically me, Corey (vocals) and Marc (guitar) went to go see Terror play with Foundation and Gravemaker at our favorite bar/venue Dingbatz here in jersey and not even 5 minutes after Terror finished destroying the place Corey came up to me and Marc and said: "I want to start a hardcore band called 96 you down?"

Corey: The idea really came to me when I was selling merch on tour with our friends band Trees Above Mandalay... me and our original bassist Austen (bass player of Trees Above Mandalay) were just driving late at night listening to Hardcore bands and bullshitting about starting some kind of project. Seeing how much fun touring is like and what went into playing shows every night of the week, made me want to make music of my own.

- HUR: How did growing up in New Jersey influence the band as a whole?

Pat: In High School we used to go to local shows all the time. Back then the Hardcore scene still seemed to be flourishing... kids went to shows to go see the bands rather then just hang out. We would go see Folly, and The Banner whenever they played around our area, we usually traveled a little bit to catch E. Town Concrete and Ensign. The Mongoloids were starting out around my senior year in High School so I tried to catch them whenever possible.

G: Well Jersey is a crazy place, you can drive 20 minutes in any direction and end up in the hood. What that influences I don't know, it probably affects something. Kids from Jersey are just a different breed. With that being said a lot of my favorite bands are from Jersey: Saves The Day, Thursday, Bouncing Souls, Faction Zero and The Misfits.

- HUR: What do you think sets apart your NEW EP "Dogs Of The Day"?

G: I joined the band at the end of the recording process... bass tracks were already laid down by our friend Austen Howell. However, I did get to do some gang vocals. So from an outside perspective I think the new EP has more of a Punk Rock vibe to it.

Corey: Definitely a lot more straight forward. The riffs are faster and we weren't very concerned with making the songs Heavy, but more-so keeping a constant groove.

Pat: Its another step in the right direction to where we want to take our sound.

- HUR: Tell us about the production process of your NEW EP.

Corey: I got a little bit more comfortable with my vocal style, the first EP I was kind of just experimenting and straining my voice to the max. In this record and in the new songs I figured out that less is more and that I wanted to keep the vocals as far away from a scream as I can, but still maintain a Hardcore style.

Pat: The guitar sounds are tighter, and the songwriting was much smoother. It has been about 4 or 5 years since i recorded my last album with one of my older bands, and Corey and Marcs first time ever, so this time it felt a lot easier, things clicked better.

- HUR: Which artists influenced the overall sound of 96?

Corey: Watching skateboard and aggressive skating videos growing up, the soundtracks were always filled with amazing punk bands like Bad Religion, Pennywise, NOFX, Goldfinger and early tracks from The Offspring, that became my first taste of Hardcore and Punk. Also Hip-Hop artists from the early 90's inspired how I write my vocal patterns and some of the subject matter for the songs.

Pat: Mostly New York Hardcore bands like H20, Sick of It All and the more punk driven bands in that category. I was also into the driving intensity of bands like early Metallica and Slayer. Even though our sound isn't Metal I try and encompass that intensity whenever I write.

- HUR: What is the mission statement of 96?

Pat: Stagedives and high fives!

G: Big screen TV's, blunts, 40s and bitches!

Corey: Born to lose, forever going to fail! [Laughter]

- HUR: Any touring plans?

Pat: Not as of right now. We're currently pinching our pennies so we can get a full length recorded and distributed by the spring, then after that hopefully we can buy ourselves a van and hit the road. So if anybody would like to donate a van feel free to donate it to the "96 is broke as fuck" fund.

- HUR: What message do you have for the present and future fans of 96?

Pat: Hope you guys like circle pits!

Corey: Our best songs haven't even been written yet.

G: Just wait!

Related links:
Click here to download Ninety Six's NEW EP "Dogs Of The Day" for FREE