Ned Russin

This interview was conducted via email on 28/7..

Photo by Alvin Carrillo

Yo Ned, whats up?

Nothing too much. Going to see the Fury, Freedom, Intent tour two days in a row starting tomorrow and I just ate a sandwich.

Disengage just played TIH fest this weekend, yeah?

Yeah, we played Sunday of the fest. It was our first official time playing. We played a "pre-show" before at the FU Church with Underdog, but this was our first time playing the big stage. 

Highlights?

Unfortunately I had some previous obligations the same weekend so I didn't get to catch any bands really, but I got to see some people that I like and played a good set, so that's about all I can ask for.

I heard recently that you were in a band pre TF? The Gnarlies, was it?

The Gnarlies weren't before Title Fight. Title Fight started around 2002, and The Gnarlies were probably 2004-2005; Title Fight was somewhat of an established local act by that point already.  

Was any music ever recorded?

Yeah we did two demos and broke up shortly after. We were just a local band is all. 

Ok, so how did you discover hardcore and what was it like growing up in Wilkes Barre?

I discovered hardcore simply through checking out what my older brother was already into. He is seven years older than me and got into hardcore as a teen so I had a pretty good framework laid out for me by the time I got to be of age where I expressed my own interest in the genre. Wilkes-Barre is a pretty typical, boring suburban American town. There is nothing to do outside of normal mundane shit, but fortunately for us that kind of led our local music scene to be what it was. I caught the tail-end of a great era of hardcore in a city that played host to a lot of great shows and the greatest fest.

Assuming your brother Alex had a big influence on you?

Yeah of course. He was into some really ill shit, but it was cool because he never forced it on me. I really think the only things he ever recommended that I listened to were Youth of Today and Straight Ahead, everything else I just would steal form his enormous CD book or download and he would comment on it. I felt like I was finding my own way through it, but obviously I had a good head start and was always pointed in a good direction.

Were Magnus the biggest local band around at the time?

Magnus was broken up by the time I really started going to show, although I did get to see them once in 1997 but I was a little too young to remember all the details of that. I don't think I'd say that they were the biggest band of that era though. They definitely established themselves by having a 7" out and played out a little bit, but there were some other bands that I think were slightly bigger. I could be wrong on that though. To me they were important because they were the first band influenced by YOT from the area; a lot of the stuff from the area was more on the metal side of the things. 

A lot of great bands have come out of WB over the last few years. Why do you think that is?

I think there is just a good understanding of hardcore. We are not in an area where there is any motive besides self expression and fun, and I think when you put that above all else, bands are able to focus more on doing what they want to do. Wilkes-Barre was a good place because we had good role models who gave my generation a bunch of good records to listen to, and we tried to do the same for the next generation. 

Besides TF and Disengage you also play in Stick Together and 3D. Anything I've missed?

Yeah I play in a couple of other bands -- Big Contest, Noise Pet, and Independence.

Disengage released a 7" recently through Youngblood Records. Any plans to tour on the back of it?

Unfortunately we are tied up in a lot of other things as well as being split across the country now, but we will try and play more than we have in the last year or two. 

You wrote all the music for the first Disengage 7" yes? Are you still the main contributor?

Yeah I am the song writer for Disengage. Ben wrote a drum beat that turned into the song "Care," but everything else is my creation. I'm not the dictator or anything, either. I just happened to have a specific vision and ideas.

Disengage is obviously an edge band, how important is the straight edge to you?

Here's the thing with this sort of question -- I take it most seriously but it is extremely hard to answer this without some sort of self-awareness. Of course it's the most important thing in my life: it has not only influenced by day-to-day life, but it has influenced my mindset and overall person on a much deeper level.. but when you get into that you run the risk of sounding cliché or naïve. I understand that there is not one way to live, but to me this is the most sensical and the most rebellious, which are two things that I am interested into. As I get older, I find new ways to understand and adapt straight edge, but it has been a much welcomed constant in my life that will continue to be a part of me as I grow older.

Alright to wrap it up; Favourite hardcore shirt and pair of sneakers of all time

YOT "Break Down The Walls" 4 sided shirt, Jordan 1. 

And any final words..

Thanks for taking the time to ask me some questions. 

Ned

*Side Question for my own personal enjoyment

Also one other thing I'd like to ask, was how you guys got the opportunity to play Coachella last year? Being on the same bill as Outkast / Nas / Pharrell etc is wild. 

Any crazy stories you'd like to share / did you attend both weekends?

There's not really anything interesting about how we got on the fest, just typical protocol. Our booking agent was contacted and we agreed to play. Very flattering nonetheless. I don't really have any "crazy" stories from the fest. We played Friday so I flew back and didn't catch the second weekend, but I saw some good sets. I guess the craziest thing that happened was I was shoved by Busta Rhymes personal security guard.