Sharptooth, a melodic hardcore band mixed with slightly pop punk vibes, is definitely a band worth checking out. Read a short interview with vocalist Lauren Kashan after the jump!
Sharptooth is from Maryland and consist of Lauren Kashan on vocals, Keith Higgins on guitar / vocals, Lance Donati on guitar / vocals, Phil Rasinski on bass / vocals, and Josh Hursey on drums.
Their 2014 EP, “Below The Docks”, is full of powerful and catchy tracks. They also have “Single Standard” and “Give Em’ Hell Kid”, both singles from 2015 available for listening online. I recently got to chat with Lauren Kashan about the band, touring plans, and more.
Q: Does your band name have any significant meaning?
A: The name Sharptooth is a reference to the movie The Land Before Time. Sharptooth is what the dinos in the movie call the big scary T-Rexes. Our guitarist and the founding father of the band, Lance, came up with the name; he used to be in a band called Little Foot, which is another character in The Land Before Time. I absolutely love the name because I love anything relating to dinosaurs, and The Land Before Time was one of my favorite movies growing up. Plus I feel like the name says a lot about our sound nowadays: heavy, with a lot of bite.
Q: What message do you hope that people take away from your music?
A: All of our songs tend to have very specific messages in and of themselves, and we tackle a lot of socio-political issues, particularly stuff concerning human rights, equality, and feminism. I guess what I hope people take away from our music is just to not be afraid to stand up for what is right, for yourself, and for your fellow human beings. We live in a society that, for many of us, is constantly trying to define, confine, and control us. I hope our music inspires people to fight back against all forms of oppression, great and small, be that in society at large, in our government, or in our day to day lives.
Q: What artist(s) do you get your inspiration from when writing?
A: Jesse Barnett from Stick To Your Guns and Drew Dijorio from Stray From The Path are probably my two biggest influences when I’m writing. I’m particularly drawn to the way each of them attack societal and political issues head on, while also drawing connections to their personal experiences, which is something I strive to do with every song. Vocalists like Scott Vogel (Terror) and Toby Morse (H2O) inspire me to keep it simple when I’m structuring verses; you don’t need a billion words to make a point, and repetition can drive a point home. And the vocal stylings of artists like Keith Buckley (Every Time I Die) and Jason Butler (letlive.) have been hugely influential in how I experiment with different types of vocal delivery and stage presence.
Q: Have you ever been treated differently in the local scene because you’re a female fronted band?
A: My band itself hasn’t really been treated any differently. But I personally have had a few weird things happen to me as a female vocalist. One particular instance that ticked me off was when, after playing a show, a guy from one of the other bands on the lineup said that I was “Really good, even though you’re…”. And I was like “Even though I’m a girl?”. He said yes, and I let him know that I was VERY glad my vagina didn’t inhibit my performance. It was like, the most sexist, backhanded compliment ever. I think my response threw him for a loop. I’ve also had drunk dudes come up to me after the show and act way too familiar with me in the name of telling me our set was good. One dude put his hands on my shoulders and was trying to make me dance or something, and then stroked my hair in the most massively creepy way possible. Like… I don’t know you, and just because I was in one of the bands doesn’t mean it’s okay to touch me. I guess I’m actually fairly fortunate in that the fact that I apparently look really angry a lot (it’s just my face!). Perhaps this scares off about half of the people who might make dumb sexist comments. And I think screaming at everyone for 30 minutes at a time tends to scare off the rest of the dumbasses from saying anything.
Q: Do you have any plans to tour in the near future?
A: We’re currently booking a 10 day East Coast tour for this coming July, during which we’ll also be playing 814 Fest up in Johnstown, PA! Super stoked!
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