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

Hi! My name is Emma Grace Boster. Vocalist of Portland metalcore / hc band Dying Wish. Co-owner of brightside social club in Portland. I’ve been booking shows in Portland for about 8+ years now. Before the pandemic I worked in the industry a production manager and talent buyer for The Hawthorne Theatre in Portland. Besides music I am a diehard Trail Blazers fan and NBA enjoyer. I also love being outdoors and connecting with the earth. Touching grass as the kids say.

What was your introduction to punk, hardcore?

I was 16 years old when I went to my first DIY show in Portland at Laughing Horse Books in August of 2011. Punch was the headliner. I was brought along by an old friend named Brian Porter who I met on MySpace and attended other HC adjacent shows with prior. The first HC bands I remember listening to and loving were Have Heart, Down To Nothing and Ceremony.

I used to come down to Portland pretty often for shows. The Satyricon and house shows were a monthly stop for me it seemed like. I haven't been down there in a long time, what's the vibe been like the last few years (covid aside)? 

The shows have never been better. My friend and co-owner, Jeff Neuman, at Brightside has opened Mano Oculta in the last year. It’s a 150 cap all ages space with a bar, which is very hard to find in the NW due to our insanely strict liquor laws. Since the pandemic I’ve been gone on tour most of the year, but when I do get the chance to attend a show I hardly recognize the crowd. I think 90% of kids who are at the shows have recently discovered HC and I think that’s so exciting. We also have handfuls of good bands coming from Portland which hasn’t always been the case. I have traveled to seattle and Tacoma for shows since I was a teen and was always inspired by how thriving the scene was there. I never saw it as competition but I can confidently say that the portland scene is popping just like our friends up north have been for decades.

What are some of your favorite memories and shows?

My first rainfest in 2012 was the experience that really solidified my love for HC music. Division of Mind at UB 2018. Minority Unit at sound and fury 2012. The Knocked Loose ADSOB headliner at The Hawthorne Theatre in 2019.

One of my favorite Dying Wish memories has to be Furnace Fest 2022 or LDB 2023.

Dying Wish has done some crazy big tours recently. How have those gone and how's the reception been? How would you compare shows in the northwest to other parts of the country?

It’s been a trip. I never expected this band to reach the heights we’re at now and now I can imagine we’re going to fly so much higher. When we started this band we just wanted to play alongside bands that we love by means of local support. There’s always been the dream of being a real band but I’m not sure it was the original intention before we played our first show. Pretty quickly it started to catch on and from there we’ve given it everything we’ve got.

I love this band for so many reasons, but one is that we’re just an incredibly versatile band that can fit on almost any bill. From code orange to limp Bizkit to the devil wears Prada to Terror to counterparts, last year we really did it all. It’s rare these days that we aren’t blown away by the reception we receive, especially in the states. The last show we played in PDX was one of my favorite shows we’ve ever played. There’s just something so special about representing your city all over the world and coming home to faces that are familiar and those that are not. I never seek the recognition but I can tell how proud they are of us and that’s among the most important to me.

Whats going on next for Dying WIsh? What are you wanting to have the band do in the next year or so?

Next for Dying Wish is a bucket list for us - sound and fury. Followed by another - Australia. We finished our LP2 earlier this year and you can expect much more detail on that and our plans included very soon.

What does this scene mean to you?

Simple - everything. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for hardcore.

Who are some of your all time favorite nwhc bands?

Power, From Ashes Rise, Cast Out, Wreck, Mortality Rate, Ingrown

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

SLIME, Misery Whip, Unto Others, Glacier Veins and Growing Pains

What would you like to see from the scene currently?

You can never have too many people involved. Whatever that means. Hardcore is an eco system. From people who book shows, venues, moshers, people who buy tickets, documenters, screen printers, zine makers, audio engineers, band members, etc. It’s all important and I encourage everyone to find their place within their scene no matter what they may be.

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

Be true to yourself. Take care of your friends. Challenge authority. Don’t chase clout. Do everything with intent to love. Go vegan.

PS - I’ve recently moved to Nashville after 28 years in the PNW. I left a piece of my heart with NWHC but I’ll always feel welcome and like I belong since I did day one. I love you all and I miss it everyday. <3