We caught up with Ben Marvin and Jay Hurley, the vocalists from Hacktivist before their headline show at Liverpool’s The Kazimier. Here’s what they had to say:
Today begins the 2nd week of your tour, how has it been so far?
Ben: Yeah, it’s been pretty sick! All the shows have been pretty crazy, had a lot of chats with the fans and they’re all happy were back on the road, plus its sick touring with the boys in The One Hundred and Dead Harts, they’re all good fun.
You recently dropped the new single and video “Deceive and Defy” featuring Charlie Holmes from Heart In Hand. That’s your first proper collaboration, is it something you enjoyed?
Ben: Yeah, it was sick! We’ve wanted to do a collaboration for a while but never really got round to it and he was definitely a good choice. He’s a good mate of ours and we love the Heart In Hand boys as well and it kind of brought a different style, a different element into the mix. It was a good day in the studio and it was fun doing the video as well with him.
On the subject of new music, the question on everybody’s lips is when can we expect the album?
Jay: Early next year.
Ben: There’s no release date yet, it’s basically written, we just need to get down to recording it once we’ve finished all the gigs so, early next year!
So you all come from a musical background with Jay being with Hizrec and Ben and Tim in Heart Of A Coward, how did Hacktivist come about?
Ben: I was mates with Jay and when me and Tim parted from Heart Of A Coward, Jay started recording at the studio. We reeled him into the metal scene and he liked it, he jumped on a metal tune and that was it.
Jay: I recorded something at Tim’s studio, first before that and after that, that’s when started working together. Just tried a few different things to see how it sounded in the studio. In fact, I did that dubstep track didn’t I?
Ben: Oh yeah, before we did Hacktivist, me, Jay and Tim collaborated on a dubstep remix of a Heart Of A Coward track and that’s when we first did anything musically together. We performed at Properstock which was a local festival, which was the first time we shared a stage. After that it was “Do you want to try something on a metal beat?” and that’s how Hacktivist started as it is now.
You’ve played all over the world on the festival scene and on your own tours, what’s the most memorable place you’ve played?
Jay: I really liked Russia.
Ben: For me it would be Australia, Soundwave Festival, because it was just sick to be in Australia and touring with loads of bands from all over the world. The beaches were sick, the crowds were amazing, we played at 11:15 in the morning and there was a good 4/5,000 people watching us which was sick, so Australia for me.
Jay: For me it was definitely Russia, Australia as well but Russia, the people there are really passionate about the music and there were some crazy mosh pits.
Ben: Yeah, the best fans were in Russia, definitely.
You’ve played Liverpool several times now, which has been your favourite venue to play?
Ben: The o2 academy with Enter Shikari. We were a lot smaller then so I think to be playing a venue like that with a band like that was sick, and Marmozets played as well and they’re amazing.
Jay: Yeah, probably the same as you on that one. We haven’t played that many venues in Liverpool have we?
There was the show in New Brighton on the Wirral as well…
Jay: Oh is that Liverpool Is it?
It’s kind of Fake Liverpool…
Jay: Yeah that was a sick venue we played there as well!
Ben: It’s where we went to the beach and drunk all that vodka after. Remember, under that little bridge thing?
Jay: Oh yeah!
What would you say is your favourite part about Liverpool?
Ben: I think the people and the place. I know that’s kind of everything but I think Liverpool for me seems like its own world condensed into a small city. It’s different to every other place in England and it’s got a lot more culture. That plus the people are really friendly and the accent’s pretty cool.
What was the best band you’ve toured with and why?
Jay: For me it’s probably Enter Shikari because that was like our first big tour and those guys took us under their wing. That’s probably like the best time or one of the best times I’ve had really.
Ben: The first time we went out on the road with them that was a big step up for us and we’d never played any of the venues we were playing. But also, Korn was insane because they’re a band I’ve grown up listening to for a long time. I’d be excited even just to go to a Korn show so to be on tour with them was sick!
You’ve all got some pretty cool tattoo’s, which is your favourite and why?
Ben: My favourite is the H logo because that means the most to me out of all of them. It resembles the best part of my life.
Jay: Probably the same for me, the H is probably my favourite tattoo.
Ben: Stop copying my answers man!
There’s been a lot of debate going round at the moment about people spending the entire show on their phone, what’s your view on this?
Ben: I think we should just kill off all the young people, just start fresh with no technology. Yeah… genocide. In all seriousness, I think it’s cool to use your phone, and it’s cool to get pictures and videos to reminisce, but I think it’s kind of gone too far and it’s like people would rather do that than even experience it properly but a few of us are a bit guilty of some of that anyway.
Yeah definitely, well we’ve got a few quick fire questions just as that seemed like a bit of a downer question to end on.
Ben: Yeah, ending on genocide…
SO, Festival show or sweaty club gig?
Jay: Sweaty Club Gigs
Whiskey or Rum?
Jay & Ben: Rum
Tattoo’s or Piercings?
Ben: Tattoo’s
Breaking Bad or Walking Dead?
Jay: I don’t watch either but Ben loves both of them.
Ben: Breaking Bad, but that’s hard that one.
Stage Dive or Mosh Pit?
Jay & Ben: Stage dive
Family Guy or American Dad?
Jay: Family Guy
Ben: American Dad
Pizza or Burger?
Jay & Ben: Pizza
CD or Vinyl?
Jay: CD
Ben: Vinyl