Lindy: Where are you from? How did you all meet? And what’s your band?

Zach: I’m Zach. I met John in high school, pretty much for a good portion of high school, I was trying to start a band. And it didn’t really ever work out. A lot of people, a revolving door of people. And then John met Aiden through a flyer, I think, and then I met Micah, because he’s in Hyperviolet. Shout out, Hyperviolet. 

L: So you kind of explained how a few of you met. But how did you decide to all come together and form your band? How did that origin story begin, and how long have you guys been playing together?

Aidan: We just really like music, I would say we’ve been playing since March of this year together. That’s really about it, yeah, kind of just came together, the universe brought us together. 

L: How often are you guys practicing? And do you write your own songs? 

A: Yeah, we write a lot of our songs. We don’t play any covers. Once or twice a week practice. 

L: When you are practicing. Are you practicing at someone’s house? Do you have a studio space? 

Z: Yeah, we’re practicing in Micah Mansion. Going back to practice stuff, there was a space between like two or three shows where we practiced once and it was before the show, and those were our best shows. So, yeah, there’s a method there. 

L: Less is more, maybe. So, how often are you guys playing gigs? And where have you played around this area? 

Z: We mostly play like Seattle-ish areas. Sea-Tac area. We got two shows coming up this weekend, the 24th and the 25th. The 24th one is at Black Lodge. And then the 25th is at Spider House in Redmond, Washington. 

L: What is the meaning behind your band name? How did you come up with that? What does it signify?

A: It’s really just a graffiti term. A lot of us do graffiti in the band. He doesn’t get up anymore, but I still get up occasionally. But it just means a hard to get place. 

L: So you are an artist in another way besides music. 

A: Yeah, I guess in a way, yeah. 

L: And did you come up with that, or was that a collaborative effort? 

A: No, I came up with it, and it just stuck. 

Z: It was the one name we just all thought was okay, and it stuck.

L: Did you come up with other names? 

A: I don’t really remember. I think we were like, throwing some around, but I don’t remember what those were. 

Z: I think one of the names I thought of was Chelsea Hotel, or some stupid thing like that. I mean, that wouldn’t be bad, honestly. I thought about it a few times after saying it, I was, like, it sounds good in my head, but saying it out loud wasn’t the greatest.

L: So are you all from this area? 

Z: He’s from Gig Harbor. We’re from Tacoma. 

L: Do you feel like where you are all from at all impacts your music, or the type of music that you feel inspired to make? 

A: Yeah. I really want to get out of Tacoma. So a lot of my lyrics and just what I say is, like, trying to get out of Tacoma. 

Jon: Yeah, I would say, a lot of things start here, mostly in Washington, or just Tacoma or Seattle, really. And I think that it’s finally time to try to bring more energy actually back here, instead of everybody spreading out.

L: What do you feel is so special about the music community here? 

A: Everybody checks up on each other and if you go to the shows, especially screamo shows —  I’ve only seen it at screamo shows — where people actually make sure you’re okay.

I feel like SCRAMS screamo is going to be the next big thing that comes out of Washington. Just want to say that. 

Z: I feel like there’s so many good bands from the area that start out, and I feel like there’s a bit of thing where it’s like some bands will start, and then there will be a sharpening iron type of moment, where one band will do something, and then other bands will take inspiration from that and kind of use that to make the music more unique to the area. I feel like there’s a specific kind of sound in this kind of scene with a lot of the bigger bands that you can’t really find with some other bands from specifically other scenes like Southern California. 

L: What type of shows do you feel like you thrive at? Do you like a big space? Do you like a small crowd? Where are you frequently feeling your best? 

Z: Any show where anyone stage dives. Please. Please stage dive.

A: Like, what Zach said, just any show that stage dives. I would say any venues, like Real Art, Black Lodge, hopefully this Black Lodge show will be good. We kind of stopped playing DIY shows, just because of what goes on when you play those types of shows. Really, just house shows and venues, is where we thrive.

L: I noticed you said you’ve only been playing together since March of this year. How would you describe your band dynamic?

A: I’d say we mesh together. We can write something and just jam off of it. 

Z: One thing I will add to this is that I feel like our band dynamic works a lot, because we’re all very oriented towards the progression of the band. We’ve all sat down and had talks about, like, “We want this band to work and be a good band.” I feel like there’s a lot of smaller bands that will be just friends first. I’ve been in situations with bands where it’s friends first, music later, which is a great band dynamic, but it’s kind of doomed to fail. But I like Heaven Spot, because we all want to make good music. We all want to be here. We all want to do this. We’re just kind of locked the frick in.

L: When you’re writing your own music, is that a collaborative process? Are you guys all getting together and doing that?

A: I come in with the riffs, and then I know John, he comes in with riffs too. We just like “Oh, we’re gonna do this song,” and then that’s how our songs are made, really.

L: When you come in with a song, are you guys always on board? 

A: We do cut some songs, or we just shelve it and then we pull it back later on if we didn’t like it.

L: Who inspired you all to make music of your own, or who inspires you also in your music now if that’s changed? 

A: I feel like I’ve always had a love for screamo music. I would say bands like Little Dusk, Catalyst is a huge inspiration for me. This one band called Noragami. They’re really good, they’re out of California. A lot of local bands too, My Better Half, they really inspired me to pursue writing music. Circa 42, those two bands are the greatest bands in my life right now.

J: I can’t really exactly pinpoint a certain person, but I’d say for right now, what’s inspiring me?

I listen to a lot of just random stuff. So, Jamiroquai, lately. I’m trying to really stop listening to something that’s in four-four or regular time signatures and stuff. So I’m just trying to expand my mind more on progression and everything like that. So I would say right now, Jamiroquai, Black Star.

Micah: There’s this old band director I had freshman year of high school. From when I was in elementary school, and even most of my middle school, the type of music I played was a lot more classical oriented, because my old band directors were military, ex-military, and so it was very “by the book.” You didn’t really have much creative leeway. And then going to high school, I was expecting the same thing. But my band director my freshman year was a lot more into jazz and just like avant garde stuff like that. And he really opened my mind and perspective that music is more than what’s on the page and more than what you hear, you can have some creativity. You can have fun with it. You can have fun with your music and just let it flow and then collaborate with other people. He taught me a lot about collaboration and just how big it is to share ideas and music ideas with other people and just let that grow from there. So I really appreciate him for that.

Z: I’d say my biggest music interest right now, I’m a big hardcore guy. I listen to a lot of hardcore, and I feel like that kind of rubs off on the way I play bass, mainly with those fast parts. I’m pretty much just doing my best, like Harley Flanagan impression, or my best impression of the bass player for the Bad Brains, that’s just where I get that fast playing style. I like a lot of the bass tones mainly I get from hardcore where it’s super, super, big and glassy too, and a lot of treble, a lot of bass, decent mid scoop, the tone is what’s up. 

L: What would you all say you’re most proud of in your music career so far? And that could be before you all came together this year, or in your own band now.

Z: I just say that the band is my greatest musical accomplishment, just because it’s my first real band type of experience. One of my biggest goals for the band is touring. I really, really want us to tour. I feel like we could all agree, but that’s just what I think for myself.

M: Yeah, I have to agree with Zach on that. Touring the West Coast around Washington, Oregon, California, has been a big dream that we’ve been talking about for the last couple weeks. We actually have some plans to go down to Eugene, so if that goes through, then that would be fantastic. But a dream of mine, at least, personally, I’m really proud of this band. First off, for what we’ve been able to accomplish these last couple of months is just something that I really appreciate, you guys all rock, and it’s just been an honor playing for Heaven Spot and playing for Zach Aiden, John. It’s really cool. But then another dream of mine would just be playing music outside the country. I feel like that’d be really cool. One place I’ve been looking at is just Europe, specifically, like Spain or Germany or something. 

J: My proudest moment with everything would be the band. So far, I’m just happy everything is still sticking around and we’re still together, doing things that’s about it. 

A: Like, what Zach was saying, going on a tour. I really want to release something that we’ve all come together and like, “this is one of the best things we’ve recorded” and just released that. 

Z: Maybe a split or something. 

A: But yeah, that’s really my goal is just to go on a tour with this band, and just hopefully we get semi-viral, you know what I mean? Like, semi big, and then we just go on an indefinite hiatus or something. 

L: Earlier you mentioned that you feel like you’re all kind of on the same page about where you want to go with this. Was that something that you directly talked about, or was that just natural? You came together and you all were in?

A: I would say it’s like a mixture of all that. I know Zach and I, we talk about what we see in this band, what our main goals are, going on tour and releasing music, but really, it’s just like a mix, we collaborate together well, but also, like, we do have our mixed matches. It’s just like a relationship honestly.

L: You mentioned that you’re in another band too, Hyperviolet, which performed here a few weeks ago. I was wondering how it’s been to manage that, and how you spend your time between both bands?

M: How I manage my band times is just communication. Communication is huge. I told these guys ahead, like, “Hey, I’ll probably be out for this amount of days, but I can practice here, here, you guys can come these days, at these times,” and then vice versa, with my other bands. So just communication, keeping it honest, and just showing up. 

Z: I have a couple of hardcore side projects going on right now, one of them with Micah, and it’s the same thing with him. Literally, just telling the guys what I’m doing and just be like, “Hey, I’m busy.” Just communication. Communication is key. 

L: I know you also mentioned earlier your shows that are coming up, but maybe one last shout out to where people can see you or listen to your music.

Z: Follow us on Instagram. We have a Bandcamp. You can find it in the link on our Instagram.

There’s a demo on there. The mix isn’t the best, but the songs are fire. They’re from the heart and from my old, sweaty, damp basement. We should have things coming up within the next few months, so stay tuned, and more music should be out. 

L: And what’s your Instagram handle? 

Z: @heavenspotband, all one word, all lowercase.

L: Anything else you guys want to add? Shout outs, plugs?

A: Shout out When It Feels Quiet, Anywhere But Here, Suture And So, Medic, which are signed by Dead Mother Collective, which is freaking awesome because Journal is on there. I have a couple more. I just want to shout out Depiction Of Man, and then shout out My Better Half too, you guys really inspired me.

Z: Hi, Mom. Hello, Ari Duvall, that’s it. That’s all I wanted to shout out. 

M: First off, shout out to all the people that have supported us so far, your contribution means a lot. Thank you for sticking around and showing up to our shows, listening to our music, it’s very cool. Means a lot to all of us. Shout out to my friends. Shout out to Mr. Lawyer, shout out to Mr. Biggs. Shout out to just everyone who’s helped me in music so far to get me to this point and potentially further, you guys rock. 

J: I don’t really know what to shout out right now, so I’ll just say, shout out to my band because they’re the best.

Z: What band is that?

A: Uh, I think it’s called Heaven Spot.