Derek Kitagawa (Violation, IA)

1- Violation, Devoured was hard as fuck and a great record and you guys fucking killed it when i saw you, but you guys dont tour all that much do you? Is it that you dont want to or are some dudes siked and others got other shit on? What are your future plans?

I'm glad you liked the record! I'd like to say that if it were up to me, Violation would be a full time touring band, but unfortunately I too am guilty of being held down along with the other members of Violation. Four of us are full time undergraduate students at different universities around California, and the only one who is not happens to work full time. Thus, our touring capabilities are rather limited to summer and school breaks. However, hopefully this coming summer we'll be able to hit it hard. We're hoping to do a full Europe tour and possibly a full US tour immediately following. Whether it be with Violation or not, I'm trying to make it work so that I will be gone all summer this year. Book us an Australian tour!!!


2- You guys alone with a bunch of newer bands(TUI, Alpha & Omega, Bad Seed, etc) are really coming through as the next generation of younger American hardcore bands. What do you think of the whole american scene at the moment and hows your local scene right now?

American hardcore is awesome. I continue to get excited about up and coming bands and new releases all the time. The new Bad Seed EP on 6131 is great, I love it. I also just got the new Iron Age LP (sorry!) and I must admit, I must have listened to it about 20 times in the last 3 days. I can't wait to hear that new TUI record as well. Locally speaking, Southern California has a lot of good bands coming out right now as well. Alpha & Omega as you mentioned will have a new record out by summer hopefully. My favorite local has to go to Downpresser from Santa Barbara. They have a new EP coming out on Triple B records that blows away all their previous material, check that band out! My other Cali favorite would have to be Take Offense, great band and awesome dudes from Chula Vista.


3- The last IA show was last weekend, it sounded and from the vids i have seen looked pretty fucking crazy, all the bands on the bill were great, NTB last minute set, Terror playing 'Lowest Of The Low" from start to finish, etc. How wild was it?

The last IA show was wild indeed. Sold out at Chain Reaction. Every band that played that night killed it. My highlight from the pit was definitely the Terror "Lowest of the Low" set. So much fun, it went off hard. I was dead at the end of the night though man, I had to play back to back with Vio and IA. I hopped off the kit for the breakdown of "Casualty of the Core" to get my IA mosh on 1 last time while Andy played drums, and in the 30 seconds of me being off the kit I managed to roll my ankle pretty bad. I then hobbled back onto the stage and finished the set. It was appropriate though I guess, I became a casualty of the core.


4- You and Chris took me surfing (even though it was tiny) when i was there which was great to get away from the super fest with 1825378253461 bands playing each day. Do you know of many other dudes in bands that surf over there? and why is it do you think that 99% of core kids nowadays look like if they tried to play any sport, let alone go surfing they would have a fucking heart attack?

Yeah! Good times. Fests can get to be way too overwhelming sometimes, so it was great to take a break from the madness and go paddle around for awhile. As far as other "band surfers" go, I'm pretty sure a few other locals from Downpresser surf. I know Dennis IA likes to sponge it up with his boogie board up north. Weakness is plaguing California hardcore haha. I'm trying to rise above and step up my gym game actually. But for example, Madball recently came through, and at most of their CA shows, there was hardly any mosh going on. I had to pit of course, but come on, I'm not that big of a guy at all. When myself and other friends that are my size are holding it down in the pit, that shit is weak. You know you're in a mosh to survive situation when you're actually afraid of the pit situation. Not to say there are no hard moshers on the west coast, but I see what you're saying. There are a few notably hard west coast moshers in my book though... First example, Corey Williams. Haha, I feel like he is this unpredictable force in the pit that has absolutely no regard for anyone in his immediate area. Smash and Destroy.



5- Ok, i gotta ask this, cause your guilty of this yourself, whats up with kids in so-cal wearing beanies all the fucking time?
Its like a thousand degrees, there just wearing shorts but they have a fucking beanie on. Please, whats the deal? haha

Haha fuck. No comment. I started that shit, all these lames are just biting my style. I'll switch it up for you though :)