What's up everyone while I just finish another school year at work. I got this awesome interview I got from someone that is in these killer bands. here is the interview enjoy
State your name and what band do you play for??
A: Hello my name is Gregg Paiva aka: Greggdeadface. I play in XHostageX / Your Enemy / Choke & AK//47. I also co-run Enemy Of The Goat Records, and have been booking diy underground punk shows & fests in Oakland, Ca since 2011.
How are you doing???
A: Doing fuking epic homie. Truly blessed and stoked to be alive and grinding. I can not thank you enough for your support and this amazing opportunity.
How did you get into Punk???
A: Well like most of us back in the day, skateboarding. I grew up in Providence, Rhode Island and there wasn't much for diy underground culture,music & art. Especially when you are like ten years old. So I would see these people in Thrasher Magazine wearing these band shirts and such and would look them up. There also used to be interviews with bands as well. With those interviews, the bands would drop info on their up and coming homies bands or bands that were an influence on their music and ethics.
Also my Cousin Henry is ten years older than I and was a local skater,musician and artist and was always turning me onto underground music and local diy punk culture. He was the first to show me Motorhead!!!
So you were In xHostagex, Your Enemy, how did you get into those bands????
A: I'm still active and playing with XHostageX & Your Enemy. Both bands were started years ago out of the ashes of the first grindcore band I was in when I moved to California called Thousandswilldie. XHostageX is myself & the og guitarist of Thousandwilldie Yong-Son Leal. We have a musical connection unlike that of anyone I have ever played with before or will again. Plus he is one of the most solid,dependable,supportive, beautiful humans in this world. Your Enemy has always been myself as the one consistent member. Once Thousandswilldie was done I was bandless and wanted to get back to playing a very traditional style of grindcore in the vein of bands like: Excruciating Terror,Disrupt,Bloody Phoenix. Your Enemy has had more line ups then people change socks hahaha. Currently looking for yet another new line up.
After that you started Choke. Which is one of the sickest grindviolence bands from Cal.
How did you get Choke started???
A: Oh thank you so much for the kind words and support homie, much appreciated. Choke was started a few years ago out of my frustration,aggravation,
How did you get the name Choke and what are the influences???
A: I wanted the name of the band to represent how I felt when I was thinking about all of these worldly issues and how it made me feel mentaly and physically.
Musically the band is rooted in 90's harcorepunk & power violence. The main bands that have influenced my writing have been: Apartment 213,Integrity,Sheer Terror & Ringworm.
Lyrically my main and only influences are Bob Otis from Dropdead and Mike Judge from Judge NYHC
What's the line up???
Choke are the homies Fedge on guitar (Fedge also plays bass for a sludgeviolence band in Oakland called Merked) and Devan on bass ( Devan also plays bass for bay area hardcore/pv band Obsolete Man) & myself on drums and vokills.
You are also in Ak 47?? another sick band that Culpa had an honor to play with in Oxnard before you joined..
Any shows you guys played that were really good shows???
A: I just joined AK//47 about a year ago. The home Garna moved to Oakland in 2016 got a lineup together and did some crazy ass three month tour of the states. That line up faded out and now after a year of grinding hard as fuck we are ready to be a live active band again. We just added our new bass player Mike to the mix, & now the band is complete and fully rooted in Oakland. We just played our first show in March up in Sacramento. It was truly a magical moment for all of us. Looking forward to seeing what is in store.
Any projects in the works or releases you have going on?
A: Just grinding with all the bands I am currently in. Your Enemy and XHostageX both have Lp's coming out on RSR Records. Choke will also have a new LP and Discography out on RSR Records. AK//47 is working on our demo tape,out soon on Enemy Of The Goat Records. EOTG is a new diy record label that Fedge and I have started. We joined our old individual labels XEnemyX & Goat Power Records and now have this new project moving forward. We will mostly be releasing our own band's material as well as helping out homies with getting their music/art out.
Also I have gotten active again with booking diy shows again in Oakland. We have this awesome new venue called Stay Gold Deli. Best Bbq & Vegan Bbq in town. truly supportive of touring bands and the local punk scene. This year is also my first 510 Fest ( April 8th & 9th 2022) Two days. Twenty bands each day. Complete grinding madness!!!
I saw that you have the xGrifox and Dopemess split coming out. How did that split happen???
A: They are both homies. We asked. They said yes. Both of those splits will also be on EOTG Records. We also released a split with Impulse Noise (Washington) earlier this year and still have a few more splits to write for and record. I'm very slow when it comes to writing lyrics. It's my first time ever being a vokillist and lyricist for a band. Not my strength,but I try haha.
Any shout out you want to give???
A:Yes,first and foremost if it wasn't for the love,support,respect and appreciation that my wife Tamara Paiva gives me each and every day I do not know where I would have been these past few years. They are truly my soulmate,ride or die,lover & best friend. Big love and hugs to all my bandmates: Garna,Yong-Son,Fedge,Mike,
Love yourself & Support the Homies!!!
