Could you introduce yourself to anyone that might not already know you?

Thanks so much for asking me to be a part of this, I really appreciate you thinking of me and taking the time to put all this together! My name is Hanna and I live in Tacoma WA. I run the PNW Hardcore twitter. I am a therapist and I’ve worked in mental health all together for about 10 years now. I typically spend my time reading, doing puzzles, watching sports, hanging with my dog Ava (aka Chunky), and I’m currently learning Irish on duolingo so that’s been taking up a lot of my time. 

What was your introduction to punk and hardcore?

I’d say my first introduction to any kind of music even slightly related to hardcore was when I was in middle school around 2006ish, I was living in Illinois and my friend's older sister and her friends showed us different bands they listened to and it just kind of went from there. Myspace was big at the time so I would go and sit and listen and find bands there. My first show was Underoath, Armor For Sleep, and Taking Back Sunday. My first actual hardcore show was Throwdown and Eighteen Visions. I’d say some of the first bands I remember listening to that really solidified my love for hardcore were Terror, Down To Nothing, Killing Time, No Warning, Buried Alive, Merauder. 

What was your first experience in hardcore at a show? I know you moved here from Chicago, what brought you to the northwest and how does this scene differ from the midwest?

I remember being in awe of hardcore. I loved it. I loved how loud it was, I loved the small spaces. I loved the chaos. I lived in Illinois till my sophomore year of highschool when I moved to California at the end of the summer of 2008. When I moved to California I really started going to shows consistently. When I moved to the NW for school I was living in Corvallis so I mostly went to shows in Portland but would try to make it up to shows in WA when I could, and now I’ve been living in Tacoma since 2016. I think the biggest thing I noticed when I first moved in 2011 was everyone at shows in the Northwest felt like they knew one another and felt extremely close even if you were from Bend, Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, Vancouver BC, Boise, or wherever in the Northwest, everyone seemed to know everyone and would travel a fairly long way for shows. It seemed a lot easier to make connections up here than it was in other places, I’d say that’s the main difference I remember noticing.  

You took over the PNW twitter page from Chris Williams about a year ago and have been super active with it and keeping everything up to date. I love it and appreciate that there’s a always a constant feed of shows, new demos and what not on there. How’s that been for you running it so far? 

I’d be lying if I said I felt like I have any idea what I’m doing running a Twitter account. I really appreciate Chris trusting me with it and letting me take it over. I think I’m just trying my best to continue to do justice to what he built. He’s done so much for the Northwest and for hardcore that I just want to continue to build on what he’s done and contribute anyway I can to keeping NWHC alive and well. I think it’s been fun so far, there were times where at first it felt fairly overwhelming and that I couldn’t miss something or forget to post about something but once I got over that initial anxiety, I’ve just really been enjoying it. 

What are some of your favorite memories and shows from your time out here?

Not to take the easy way out of this question but I think it makes the most sense to say my favorite memories  are Rainfest. Rainfest was special and anyone who ever got to go to Rainfest, they know just how special it was. If you didn’t get to go to Rainfest, I’m sure you’ve heard someone talk about how special the fest is no matter where that person is from. Portland hardcore also has a special place in my heart and I absolutely loved going to shows at Laughing Horse Books in Portland and have very fond memories of that. 

What does this scene mean to you?

The Northwest Hardcore scene means the world to me. I think trying to describe what the scene means to me feels like it comes across as corny but it really does mean a lot to me. My relationship with the Northwest and a lot of my relationships with people in the Northwest is rooted in the hardcore scene and being a part of NWHC. It’s been an integral part of my life and one that I truly don’t know where I would be or who I would be without. I’m forever grateful for NWHC. 

You’ve been hosting house shows at Hammerhead now for a while. Its rad to have a consistent house to have shows at again. How have those shows been so far and what are some of your favorites that have happened?

I think its been really cool being able to have house shows. House shows were a huge part of my growing up in hardcore so its kind of wild to bring that full circle back into my life but in a different way. It can be difficult to find venues that work well for “smaller” shows. I never thought I’d ever have house shows and it really all started from joking about having one and now here we are. There’s definitely been some bumps in the road with people being disrespectful or getting upset they’re not allowed in the upstairs part of my house but overall I’ve enjoyed it and its rad to not have to leave my house to watch cool bands. Some of my favorites have been Militarie Gun/Spiritual Cramp/Supercrush/TV Star, Gel/Denial Of Life, Gates of Hell/Constraint and the Halloween ones.

Who are some of your all time favorite nwhc bands?

Wreck, Power, Nothing To Prove, Cowardice, Seaweed, Ill Intent, Undertow, Brotherhood.

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

There are a ton to pick from and we have so many good bands right now I know I’m going to accidentally leave people out. I’d say Denial of Life, World of Pleasure, Ingrown, Punitive Damage, and Dying Wish are on the list of my favorites. Some of my favorites and bands that I think are slept on are A Mourning Star, Ego Death, Video Prick, End of Dayz, and Witness Chamber. 

What would you like to see from the scene currently?

It feels like NWHC right now is thriving and it’s wonderful to see and I hope it keeps growing. I think the thing that shows how healthy a scene is, is the amount of people at local shows, people starting bands, and people finding a way to bring new people into the scene so that it stays alive and continues to grow. So keep starting bands and keep showing hardcore to your friends that may not listen to it yet. I think with every scene, it would always be nice to see people showing up to shows that don’t have big names on the bill or to show up to shows that don’t just have your friends bands or your band on it. 

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

I think it’s important to remember there are a ton of ways to support your scene. If starting a band isn’t for you that’s okay, there are a ton of other things that can be done that are equally as important as being in a band. No one can be expected to make it to every show and to be able to afford to buy merch from every band or a ticket to every show. There’s always something someone can do to be an active part in their local scene. Posting show flyers, posting about bands, starting a zine, designing merch, designing flyers, booking shows, helping make connections with businesses in the community that may let shows happen there, etc. all are important contributions anyone can make to their local scene. There are so many different talents and skills that contribute to building and maintaining a healthy hardcore scene and no contribution is too small.