This is from 1998:
http://friendslikeyou.tripod.com/subsist.htmlF.L.Y.-Who is in the band? what is their age and what do they do?
Subsist-Tim does vocals and he is 19. Brian plays guitar and is 25. Craig is 18 and plays drums.
Jamie is 21 and plays bass and Chris plays the other guitar and is 22.
F.L.Y.-How did Subsist form?
Subsist-Well Brian and I (Chris) where in a band called Headstrong. That was about 2-3 years ago.
Then Jamie joined up with us, but we never played any shows with him. Then from there we just
went through a lot of line-up changes. Jamie at one point was doing vocals with Brian and me on
guitars and Craig on drums. Then we got a new singer who didn’t work out so we got Tim to do
vocals. Tim was a good friend and he knew our stuff so he just seemed like a good choice. The
line-up has been that way since July.
F.L.Y.-Describe your sound?
Subsist-A Huge Pit mine truck running over a city over and over again.
F.L.Y.-Who would you say your major influences are?
Subsist-Chokehold, Unbroken, and Conviction. Besides that, I don’t really know. We listen to so
much different stuff
F.L.Y.-How often do you guys get to play out?
Subsist-Pretty much every other week. But we would like to be playing more. We will play at every
chance we get. Whether that is for 500 kids or 5. It doesn’t matter to us.
F.L.Y.-Where are you based?
Subsist-Peoria, IL
F.L.Y.-What kind of reaction do you like to see from the crowd?
Subsist-Dancing! Arms flailing participation. Hardcore is about change, anger and emotion. That
is basically what we like to see.
F.L.Y.-Do you guys have a band that you have played with a lot?
Subsist-We’ve played with XSummationX a couple times. They are a new band from around here.
F.L.Y.-Name some of the bands that you’ve played with?
Subsist- We’ve played with Zao, Disciple, Withhold, Strongarm, Seasons in the Field and a few
others.
F.L.Y.-Do you have any shows coming up soon?
Subsist-We have a show in Huntington, IN. with Zao. And we have some other stuff lined up for
Michigan, and Iowa City.
F.L.Y.-What was the favorite show that you’ve played?
Subsist-Any show in Indiana. The kids there are great.
F.L.Y.-Where do you see Subsist in the future?
Subsist-Well we really want to get on a label. We tried doing it ourselves, but just can’t
afford it. We need help. And we still want to be in the band playing years down the road. We
would preferably like to be on a Non-Christian label. We think it would be much more effective.
I mean Jesus didn’t just sit with Christians. He hung around prostitutes and tax-collectors also.
F.L.Y.-I here you have just released a demo? How is that going?
Subsist-Well we are very happy with it. We recorded it three weeks ago, and already have
one-hundred and fifty sold.
F.L.Y.-Why do you say your sXe. I mean doesn’t that go a long with being Christian?
Subsist-Well sXe for us has been a long term thing. I mean sXe is no different from being Democrat
or Republican. Now if you say that sXe is all about pride and looking down on others. That is your
opinion, and that is fine. But for us, we have no more pride about sXe than anything else. (Chris
and Tim talking now.) Tim and I both went through a period of rebellion in our walk with the lord.
You know drinking and such. And through sXe God brought us back closer to him. I mean sXe has been
a very positive thing for us. It kind of holds us responsible. So many Christians in the scene want
Separatism and Elitism. But that does nothing. But that just makes Christians look close minded. And
that is no good. We are called to serve. And we want to serve the Hardcore scene. We are told to
love God first and then serve our neighbors. Our neighbors are the Hardcore kids.
(At this point we started talking about Veganism and not Eating meat and All that Jazz. I can’t
remember the whole conversation. And couldn’t move my pen fast enough to write it all down. But they
had three main points to why they are Vegan or vegetarian. 1) Before the fall we didn’t eat meat,
and when Jesus comes again the Lion will lie down with the sheep and we will not eat meat, neither
will animals eat meat.2) Taking a life, is taking a life. Whether it is abortion or Killing a cow
for meat. It is a life. And the last point was that in todays society it is completely unnecessary
for us to eat meat.) By the way, Subsist is not a Vegan band. Two of the members are not Vegan.
F.L.Y.-Are people receptive to your message at shows?
Subsist-We don’t really know. But what we do know is that people Demean us because we are Christian
and from the other end of things we are talked down Because we are sXe. Who cares about sXe, veganism
and all that. It is Hardcore. Talk to people, not about them. I mean I use to skate before I was
into Hardcore. And if I saw someone Skating or who looked like they did, I walked up and talked to
them. And I expected the same from them. Hardcore used to be that way. But now it is so impersonal.
Hardcore is about Fun and Fiends. But it just doesn’t seem that way nowadays. What we are kind of
trying to say is in the lyrics of one of our songs. They go like this. "Petty differences Divide and
fall, ignite the passion that started it all."
F.L.Y.-How do you look at Christian Hardcore? Do you see it and the secular scene as one or do you
think there should be separation?
Subsist-Well as a whole, the reality is that they are separate, but it should not be that way. That
is one of the things we are working towards.
F.L.Y.-What would you say to someone who said you can’t be Christian and sXe?
Subsist-That is what our song "Determinant" is all about. Read it.
F.L.Y.-What Role does your Faith have in your life. How are you different because of it?
Subsist-Faith plays a huge part in our lives. We have faith every day that God will provide. I mean
Tim and Jamie both dropped out of college for this, having complete faith and trusting that God will
take care of us. We believe Subsist is Gods will for us. We trust God in all we do.
F.L.Y.-So what happens when Subsist breaks up.
Subsist-Well, Right now we are serving God. Now is our opportunity to serve him. Later when this is
over we can go to school. There is time for other stuff later on.
F.L.Y.-Do you get much support from your community? (Specifically parents and Church)
Subsist-We don’t get support from any churches, But we all get support from our parents except for me.
(Jamie) My parents are very upset I left school.
F.L.Y.-What would you like to see Change in the Hardcore Scene today?
Subsist-Well more unity for one! Also we would like to be able to play a show, present our message,
and show what Christianity is. So many people think it is just another religion. Religion destroys
Christianity. Also I don’t want Hardcore Kids just to go to shows and go home and think. Well, that
was entertaining. We want them to Act up, and think. And discuss what they may have learned.
F.L.Y.-Well guys that is about it. Do you have any last comments before we end this?
Subsist-Well I (Chris) would just like to say that I’m so sick of seeing bands just sit and play.
Hardcore is about Emotion. Show me it. Show me your emotion. Play Hardcore because you love it.
Subsist has a demo for sale that is 3 dollars. They also have shirts for sale which are 9$ and they
have Stickers, which I think are free. Pick it all up. It is worth it.
And this is what they sound like:
Poll
