Could you introduce yourself to anyone who doesn’t already know you?

My name is Eddie and I am the person behind Brainfloss records. – I moved to Seattle with my wife in 2011 from Delaware, and we have 3 kids, and now reside in Bremerton. In addition to hardcore stuff I run a chess club out here, train BJJ when the time allows and have recently started running as another way to keep moving. I have a one eyed dog named Honey and 4 cats. I work for the railroad and have for the last ~13ish years

What was your introduction to punk and hardcore?

My first introduction to punk and hardcore came from listening to my dad’s copy of the Metallica garage days tape where they covered Last Caress and Green Hell by the Misfits in 1998 when I was 10 or 11. I became hooked on the Misfits and anything Danzig related. Sometime after I was downloading music on Kazaa or Limewire and I accidentally downloaded the AFI cover of Last Caress and became obsessed with AFI as a 13 year old in 2000. I bought the punk-o-Rama 5 comp that same year (shoutout to those CDs always being 7.99) and it had Vision, Rancid, Madball and AF on it (along with Zeke, Bouncing Souls, Nofx) and so I was 13 and 14 years old hooked on epitaph records and whatever I could get my hands on from these bands.

You are originally from the east coast. Tell me about growing up going to shows out there, some of your favorite memories before your move.

I am from Delaware, south of Philadelphia, north of Baltimore, right in between it all. While Delaware has a thriving scene now (YOTK, Foreign Hands, Simulakra, Scarab et al) it didn’t when we were young so we always traveled. 

The church (in Philly) is probably the best hardcore venue in the world, I look fondly on seeing Bane, Ceremony, Blacklisted, Cold World, Title Fight there a hundred times. Seeing the “last” Floorpunch shows were great. We would drive all over SE Pennsylvania/Maryland, up to NJ/NY to whatever show was happening. I’m grateful I was there then.

What are your thoughts on the scene from your time out here? What are some memories from the scene since you moved here? How does it compare to the east coast?

The big cities on the west coast (compared to the east coast) are geographically very spread apart so it’s a bit harder that way to see a bunch of shows/have a weekender or whatever. That same trait makes it very self sufficient with NW bands supporting each other and propping each other up as much as possible and I love that about it, because that feels like the spirit of hardcore. 

Seeing Cro-Mags at Vera with Zero Boys was super memorable. Of course the Rainfests. Seeing TUI here (and the reaction that they got) was amazing.

You recently started Brainfloss records and have put out some local bands releases (Cujo, Blind Solution, Chopping Block, Cherub Chains). What made you want to start a label and get involved locally within the nwhc scene?  

When I was a kid the idea of someone else putting out your music was unfathomable to me, so when someone else put out my shitty bands 7” it changed my world/outlook on everything. Suddenly anything was possible and it felt really cool.(shoutout Lansdale, PA based Get This Right records who helped a lot of us – they did the first Jesus Piece 7”, a Full of Hell split, a Let Down CD if I remember correctly)

I wanted to pay it forward in a way, and I’ve always been a fan of ‘regional’ labels (B9 in Boston, A389 in Baltimore etc.) and I was surprised that there wasn’t one that was putting kids on in the Northwest (not including Iron Lung, but I always felt like that was a different thing). I always dreamt of touring my whole life like everyone does but with work and kids it just didn’t happen that way, so I wanted a way to stay involved/connected and support a thing that really helped me as a young human. Hopefully hardcore can be a springboard for everyone involved and I can be a small part of facilitating that.As far as getting started, I’ve been in a fantasy football league with Klump for the better part of a decade, and him and I have become good friends. When he told me that he and Jay Sidetracked had an entire 7” recorded and no plans to do anything with it I asked if it could be my first release. I’m still figuring things out and learning a lot, but I’m grateful for those guys for allowing me to do that and get my foot in the door in a way.

How have the responses been to the local records youve put out so far? You have a pretty wide range as far of types of hardcore from the releases to date.

The response has been great – I think I’m filling a cool void and I’m stoked to see what comes next.

What are some of your favorite show memories?

Playing TIH 2010 was a big one. Seeing that Blacklisted/Ceremony/Have Heart tour in Philly at the Church was one of my favorites. Seeing Trash Talk/War Hungry/Mongos and TUI at an elks lodge somewhere in New Jersey in 2008ish was a good one. We played a show on the campus at the University of Delaware with Ruiner that felt like a harbinger for more cool things to come from that area. The A389 anniversary shows in Baltimore always stood out as well.

Since you lived on both the east and west coast, ill ask this a little differently than normal, who are some of your favorite local bands from both sides of the country?

 From the Delaware area the band Discontent is cool. I haven’t lived out there in a little while, so I know there’s a bunch that I need to check out. From this area, I love Cujo because that’s my favorite kind of hardcore. I love Chopping Block because it reminds me of React records in 2009 and I love Spurr because its kids doing whatever they want and doing it well. The new EOD record is in constant rotation, love that band too. Land Lost, Apex, the list goes on. The NW has a cool thing happening 

Who are your favorite current local bands you think people are sleeping on?

Cujo has been a band for like 7 years and only just now had a physical release and that band rips. Most bands in the NW I feel could pop off at anytime.

What would you like to see from the scene currently?

New faces, more tours that don’t skip the NW altogether,

Is there anything you’d like to leave people with?

The best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago, the second besttime is now. Get involved while you’re still able, support the kids and give back to hardcore what it has given you, whatever that may be.