Straight To Our Enemies is something of a Frankensteinian musical-mish-mash. With the goal of creating life these doctors of hardcore have selected irregular elements to assemble their creature. Selecting such random viles as those labeled “pop-punk background” and “folk vocalist”, combining and neutralizing them with a few other compounds [members]. There comes that moment just before the electricity strikes, before the lights flicker for the reveal, the moment when you don’t know if there will even be life once the dust settles. Yet, in this laboratory, somewhere within the heart of Spokane, Washington, the haze is gone and the beast has risen. As Dr. F set out to create life and ended up with a monster like creature larger and stronger than the average man, the composition of STOE has brought about a brutality which may tear the scene (locally and nationally) to shreds. Beware that creature thrashing from the hallows of I-90, beware.

Music is at its best when it taps into the intrinsic value of creating a shared experience with artist and fan, when the artist seems to express with lyric, music and instrumentation what a fan himself is feeling. In that vein, you song “Dreamer” boasts a chorus chant stating, “I am a dreamer, it’s not all I’ll ever be.” Is this lyric written with a specific circumstance in mind or more of a declaration for where STOE is headed?
STOE Dreamer was written with a specific circumstance correlating to the story of David in the bible. David was a man after God’s own heart and this song was written (by Andy) to be about his dream to follow God in David’s path and about how that specific road is not an easy one to journey.

Who have been some of the key figures who have supported STOE and helped to get you to this place?
STOE All of our families, friends, girlfriend, Managers (Noah Zweruhweriodorfin and Rabananda Bennett) fans, and venue owners/promoters have all had a big part in who we are and who we are becoming both as musicians and as people.

You are heading into the studio, when are you hoping to release the album and where will fans be able to pick up a copy?
Our album will be recorded in Iowa in March and we are hoping to have it done sometime mid-summer. We are hoping to get the album into some bigger stores such as Hasting, Best-buy and possibly Target.

January 27, 2010 you have a slot for a speaking engagement at Post Falls (Idaho) Middle School, what were you speaking on? Is this a regular thing for you to speak at schools/events or how did this come about? STOE We were asked by Andy’s mother to go and speak to the fifth and sixth period classes of their newly formed guitar 1 class. We mainly just showed the students what being in a band is all about and how to get where we are and what it takes to be in a band and all the sacrifice necessary to attain your goals. Its not really something we have put a lot of thought into but after doing it we would love to speak at schools again!

You all are from Spokane, Washington but have decided to record in Iowa. What drew you there to record and will this be your first time recording together?
STOE Our main reason for recording in Iowa is the person who will be engineering/producing the record. He is a friend of our manager and we have listened to all the amazing work he has done and all agree that he is the best bet for us to further our music and careers. We recording the tracks “Dreamer” and “We Make Guns” last October in LA with Jeremy Conrad. It was the first time that all of us had recorded track together and it was a very gratifying experience for everyone.



As you prepared to record are you going in with a pretty clear picture of what you want to track and how you want to lay it out or do you anticipate the process being very experimental?
STOE We are finishing up our writing as we speak for the album and we are going in with a very clear idea of how things will sound. Not to say there wont be some amount of experimentation involved in the recording process but we are 80% sure of how we want things to turn out.

2009 just ended, what are some of your fondest memories as a band of the year that was? What are you looking forward to in 2010?
STOE 2009 was a great year for us. It brought us Rob as a bass player and Noah as a Manager. Along with that it was our first time playing the all amazing Tomfest where we shared the stage with great bands such as For today and Oh Sleeper. Our main focus for 2010 is the album getting recorded and our first US tour.

Currently your Myspace is a baseball theme, was that primarily for effect or has baseball played a significant role in your lives?
STOE The baseball theme is mainly that. A baseball theme. Its sole purpose is to create a catchy and attractive idea that will hold peoples interest until they listen to our music and hear the every increasing complexity of our songs.

In your current playlist for Myspace there are two songs with guns in the title “We Make Guns” and “Hold A Gun”, is there any particular significance or meaning behind the title or are you just fascinated with guns?
STOE Guns are a subject of interest for our vocalist Andy. He just loves them and everything pertaining to them.

Hold A Gun starts off incredibly heavy and as of this date is your most played song, what do you perceive or hear from fans that makes this song special.
STOE The song “Hold A Gun” is so popular i believe because of its catchy chants and heavy breakdowns. Kids can just have fun listening, dancing, and watching things transpire before them during the song.

You mention that your vocalist Andy is a former folk artist which isn’t typically a breeding ground for hardcore frontmen, how did Andy come to don this role with STOE? How has your irregular background contributed to the development of STOE’s current sound?
STOE Andy came to be with us via our old bass player Corey Kuheana. They were good friends in high school and when we were looking for a new vocalist Corey introduced us to Andy. Andy, never having done anything like this, surprised us at his tryout practice when he let loose some yells and screams the quality of which we hadn’t heard in recent vocalists. His being from a different music scene doesn’t really have much of an effect on the sound of our music but more on the lyrics he writes.

You’ve mentioned that Cory and Kramer as the founding members have been playing together since 2004, how different is STOE’s sound now from where you were 6 years ago? Is there any significance to the name STOE?
STOE Me (Kramer) and Cody were playing pop punk/rock when we first started and the heavier music didn’t come until our last year of high school and the years that have followed. The name Straight To Our Enemies is a title that Andy brought with him when he joined in March of ‘08.

For STOE is there a particular philosophy or core value that fuels your pursuits in music? Would you consider yourselves a religious band?
STOE We have often had this talk related to if we consider ourselves a Christian band and our best summary of those conversations would be that, while we are all Christian and have our own code of morals and beliefs we do not claim that STOE is a Christian band but instead a band of Christians supporting positive living and good fun.



How would you describe STOE’s sound?
STOE STOE’s sound is a conglomerate of all the members inspirations and influences with our own personalities combined with them. Our music sounds like everything but at the same time sounds like nothing else you’ve heard.

What has been your favorite show to date?
STOE For me my favorite show has been either Tomfest ‘09 or our last Moses Lake show in which we played at a completely gutted old Spanish Restaurant in front of 75 kids.

What is one of the coolest things a fan has ever said to/about STOE?
STOE A few things that people have said to us are:
“You guys sound like Underoath but better”
“Your sound is really full for having just one guitarist”
“You guys are my favorite band and i’ve seen BMTH and A Day to Remember and i still like your shows better”

Interview Question Blitz:
Any song that gives you the most trouble live? We Make Guns first riff haha. If I had an extra $1000, the first piece of equipment that I would purchase for the band is? Robs new bass. Trend that you have noticed that you will never join? Chains on pants. Currently reading The Lucifer Effect, listening to Rogues and watching House. Best book you’ve ever read, why? TOOO many. Any crazy pre-performance rituals? Not crazy but praying. When you are a diva/rockstar the three things that you will demand be in your dressing room are? Chicken N’ Biscuit crackers, Red Bull, and Buck and Opies Rootbeer. Band you have shared the stage with that blew you away? In the Midst of Lions, See the Light, For Today, Plea for Purging….. Top 5 songs in your personal ipod right now? Tusk and Temper-ETID, Big Wiggly Style- TDWP, Chelsea Smile, BMTH, Secrets-OneRepublic, Wanderlust-ETID. Best and worst experience at a show? Best- getting 20 or more kids dancing at every show. Worst- falling on the drum riser at tomfest and messing up a song. haha no one noticed though!

*Special thanks [kudos] to Emmett Photography who shot the picks of STOE which we borrowed from their myspace



For more information, interviews and updates for live local music. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, alternative, indie, organic, progressive, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook



More...