The Barbarians of California – Educating Gnarlycore

Combining the skills of AWOLNATION’s Aaron Bruno and outstanding producer Eric Stenman, The Barbarians of California got here into the scene in 2024 with a slurry of influences from steel, punk, and hardcore on their debut, And Now I’m Just Gnashing My Teeth. Two years in the past, we are actually seeing the discharge of their second album, MEGATONS, and it’s filled with all the things that made their debut a little bit of smirky enjoyable. We caught up with Stenman to speak concerning the method to this second launch, the band’s mentality for injecting enjoyable, and what he has taken from his work with quite a lot of artists and the way it led to The Barbarians of California. 

Dead Rhetoric: You have a longtime title within the music trade. You type a brand new band and make a debut full-length. What was your mindset in approaching MEGATONS as your second album?

Eric Stenman: So one recurring theme is that nothing’s assured. We began the primary album after we didn’t comprehend it was an album. We began with only a music that become two songs, which become three songs. I feel at three songs, Aaron stated, “Hey man, this is a band now, right?” So it by no means type of stopped feeling that method so far as we really feel fortunate to get to have this chance to make this music. So going right into a second album felt actually pure, but in addition, the one expectations got here from ourselves. We needed to do one thing pretty much as good or higher as what we now have carried out up so far. It’s virtually like borrowed time and borrowed alternatives. If they preserve coming, we’re going to preserve reaching for them and attempt to make it work.

Dead Rhetoric: Was there any reflection on what you probably did with And Now I’m Just Gnashing My Teeth by way of what you needed to do that time round?

Stenman: It’s simply type of, ‘next song up.’ One factor I discovered fascinating with the primary album and this album, was the newer method that the music trade works and having the ability to launch music as you go. You do study from a earlier launch primarily based on reactions and whatnot. You are getting suggestions in constructing as much as say, a full-length album. I’m certain that each one factored in going in the direction of the second album. But all of it simply actually feels enjoyable. As lengthy because it’s enjoyable, then we’re simply letting these concepts come from wherever they arrive from, capturing them, and shifting ahead. There was no large realizations, turning factors, or declarations of “this is gonna happen” this time or ‘we need to do this different.’ It was actually only a pure course of.

Dead Rhetoric: How do you method the collaboration between the 2 of you [Eric and Aaron] on this group?

Stenman: One factor that I suppose could be a departure for this second batch of songs, is that when it got here all the way down to the primary album, we had a leaping off level. The genesis of this undertaking got here from me stowing away a bunch of musical components and concepts that I didn’t suppose would actually ever see the sunshine of the day, or perhaps I’d do a self-released factor for a number of songs that perhaps 500 individuals would take heed to. So we had this financial institution of musical beginning factors for the primary album. For this album, there have been a number of straggler riffs that didn’t get used, however one large distinction is that Aaron got here in to this second album ‘hot’ musically. Not solely lyrically, however he was bringing lots of riffs and musical beginning factors.

I positively felt the strain to match as much as what he was bringing. I feel he had a lot enjoyable on the primary album that he needed to capitalize much more on simply actually diving headfirst into the following batch of songs. It was a enjoyable technique of him having some beginning factors and maintaining with him. Zach [Irons], our different guitar participant, he’s such a tremendous participant. The issues that he creates are a lot totally different than what I create. I’m way more of a nuts and bolts guitar participant. I can play what I need to play to create music, however Zach is the kind of man that may bend to any scenario and be higher than anybody that’s in a band or undertaking you can drop into.

Dead Rhetoric: So as you proceed forward, do you’re feeling there’s a core id that you’ve established for The Barbarians of California?

Stenman: I’d say that the id is what Aaron and I make collectively. That is one factor, inside the band, that the enter that the opposite guys will give – Aaron or I’ll bend or break it to make it match the core id. Whatever we need to label it as, I’m undecided. We aren’t a hardcore band, however that could be the closest style kind that you can put us in. I suppose we all know when it seems like a Barbarians music, and I suppose followers are beginning to seize and seize onto that label as nicely.

Dead Rhetoric: Something like this doesn’t appear to have inflexible style boundaries. Was that vital to you?

Stenman: Yeah, who has time for that proper? I feel that music followers as a complete care much less about genres usually. The gatekeepers, for essentially the most half, have been solid apart and folks take heed to what they need to take heed to. What comes with that, is brief consideration spans. People could hear extra concerning the singles that they take heed to perhaps 1,000 occasions a month after which throw it away and transfer onto one thing new. The problem is to make one thing considerably timeless however it matches nicely with what’s present. Who has time for labels although, I don’t suppose music followers do and so why ought to we?

Dead Rhetoric: What do you’re feeling is your method to injecting humor/playfulness and virtually sarcasm into music with out it feeling like a gimmick?

Stenman: I suppose that’s within the eye of the beholder. We don’t take ourselves too significantly, and we now have cherished heavy music, whether or not it’s steel, hardcore, or punk, and most of it is extremely critical. Aaron runs level on the lyrics, so I’ll simply run level on this although he could be the one to essentially reply this query. Once once more, why do one thing that has been carried out so many occasions and carried out so nicely? I’ve listened to Slayer lots of and hundreds of occasions, Sepultura albums hundreds of occasions. I don’t need to change these guys. Their lyrics are darkish they usually stay in a really particular lyrical realm.

Why not take this in a brand new method? If we’re having enjoyable with the music, why not have enjoyable with the lyrics as nicely? It carries over into our movies, that are fairly foolish. We are very fortunate to have a man, Justin Warren, our videographer, who’s principally the sixth member of the band. He simply brings the visible aspect. The repetitive nature of staying darkish and presenting torment, why not additionally come at it from extra of a enjoyable aspect. You talked about the phrase sarcasm. There are positively are components which might be sarcastic and have a comedic aspect, however there’s a message in there as nicely. Sometimes you may get issues throughout in a not so apparent method. What is fascinating is that individuals take it in their very own method. It may very well be very totally different than from the place the music is coming from, but when individuals make it their very own, it’s enjoyable to see that occur.

Dead Rhetoric: You did point out the movies – what’s your method to creating music movies? Does it must have that sense of enjoyable to it, to accompany the music?

Stenman: I’d say that certainly one of my favourite issues, and I feel certainly one of Aaron’s as nicely, is that when he will get to drop a brand new lyric that I haven’t heard but. There have been occasions after I liken it to pulling again a slingshot. He has been enthusiastic about one thing and he’s going to whack me within the face with it. He drops a ridiculous line and we each find yourself laughing collectively within the studio. Carrying that into the visible aspect simply appears applicable. All of those movies are made in 2-3 hours earlier than the modifying course of. They are gentle and enjoyable and we don’t take an excessive amount of time on them. But if we now have the chance to create a visible with nonetheless many songs we will, we’re going to preserve doing it and preserve getting a kick out of it, in order that hopefully you get fun or a shock out of a lyric and the identical from a video or visible.

Dead Rhetoric: That type of goes together with what you had been saying with grabbing individuals with a single. The extra movies you make, that works the identical method.

Stenman: Yeah, and as soon as once more, you could as nicely…some individuals attempt to battle the streaming world and the mannequin of streaming relatively than bodily gross sales. You can battle it, and god bless anybody who needs to solely have their music on Bandcamp or promote bodily copies however given the instruments of the music streaming and video streaming, if you can also make content material that you’re proud of, why not make as a lot as you possibly can and get it on the market?

Dead Rhetoric: What do you’re feeling you might have taken out of your experiences with the music trade and different genres that you’ve been in a position to combine into The Barbarians of California?

Stenman: Every twist and switch in life takes you to the place you’re at present. So I positively have been being attentive to what has labored and what hasn’t for each myself and the bands/artists that I’ve been fortunate sufficient to work with over the past 30 years now. With this band, I’ve touched on this, however from my private standpoint, it’s a second likelihood at creation that I didn’t see coming.

Everything I’ve carried out has led as much as this, however if you happen to would have advised me ten years in the past that I’d write a batch of songs that will permit me to go on tour with Deftones or opening up membership exhibits with Converge and Poison the Well, I’d have advised you that I feel you bought the mistaken man. But the expectations are totally different now. I feel I’m doing it to present again to the music. I don’t have lofty ambitions of it changing into a profession transfer. When you’re 22, you begin a band and also you signal to a giant label, you suppose that one factor results in one other. For this, nonetheless lengthy this lasts, I simply need to take in and revel in each minute of it and take each alternative.

Dead Rhetoric: Given the style blur you might have with the music, what do you see as a crossover level between punk and steel?

Stenman: It’s all in there, for certain. One factor I got here up with on the primary batch of songs, as a comparability, could be ‘what if Slayer started a punk band?’ so it’s all in there. I don’t know what involves the forefront. Generally we now have been labeled as a hardcore band, and I don’t know what goes exterior of that. But usually, hardcore was a mix of punk and steel. It’s all in there and I’m undecided the place to make the label stick.

Dead Rhetoric: As you had been saying, you’ve bought like 30 years of expertise within the trade. What do you hope for heavy music sooner or later?

Stenman: I feel with any music, the large problem is all the time to create one thing that feels acquainted, however you haven’t heard earlier than. I feel it’s a good time, in some ways, for heavy music now. I don’t declare to have my finger fully on the heartbeat and know each upstart that’s price trying out, however it feels as if there’s a little bit of a resurgence. To see a band like Knocked Loose get so large. Turnstile got here out of the hardcore world and created their very own world. It appears like a enjoyable time to be in heavy music. The concept is that a lot of it sounds the identical, so that you need to insert your self into these worlds however make your personal mark and discover a new solution to method all of it.

Dead Rhetoric: On the enjoyable aspect of issues, what’s gnarlycore? How would you method instructing a category on it?

Stenman: [Laughs] Oh boy. Gnarlycore, we joked through the creation of that music that perhaps a part of that time period got here out of individuals making an attempt to power you right into a style label, so why not make your personal. Gnarlycore is California, it’s browsing and skateboarding. It’s no matter music we’re placing collectively. As far as the category, I don’t know. It’s a playful piece of images, and the video performs into that. Whether or not it comes throughout, Aaron is giving us a tutorial on headbanging. That’s the fundamental storyline of the video is. There you go. The Gnarlycore class is simply studying tips on how to be a California skate punk. Along with some heavy steel headbanging.

Dead Rhetoric: What are your plans for the remainder of 2026 following the discharge of MEGATONS?

Stenman: The album comes out on August 21, and two days earlier than that we’re lucky sufficient to play one other opening slot for Guns N’ Roses in Kansas City. So launch week we may have a Kansas City present. Just after launch week, we’re going to do a number of festivals. We are doing Rocklahoma, Louder Than Life, one other Guns N’ Roses present, and a bunch of headline exhibits the place we now have both not performed or by no means headlined earlier than. It’ll be enjoyable to have a second album out and hit the bottom working taking part in. We simply came upon Chicago offered out. It’s cool to sit down right here in California and listening to a present in Chicago offered out a month and a half early. It’s enjoyable and we recognize each second of this trip we’re on. I can’t wait for everybody to listen to this album as a complete physique of labor after which go play a bunch of exhibits.

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