Gridiron: Matt Karl On Intro to PAHC, Loyalty, and Showing Out For Your Scene
Photographed by: @irishstfu 2023
Forming out of boredom during the 2020 Pandemic, with an overwhelming response from a fastly grown fanbase, Philly hardcore band Gridiron stands for much more than pedestrian fun: loyalty, hardcore fundamentals, and the pursuit of a bonded community.
What was your first hardcore show experience like? And how did this discovery of hardcore draw you to want to produce that style of music?
Matt: I had a select group of friends in high school who would go to shows, and eventually I started tagging along. The first show that I ever went to was at my friend’s barn and there was a band from Detroit that played, and a couple other local bands– but the first big one that I remember going to was Have Heart, Let Down, Ceremony, and that was like maybe 08’ or 09’.. that was the first one where I, you know.. I felt it. [...] It was one of those things that you go to once. You know, there’s a lot of people who go to their first show. There’s a lot of people who go to their second, and even less people that go to their third. And there’s less people six months from their first show that are still coming around, but I kind of just knew right away that it was something that I wanted to be a part of for a long time. Something like this can’t survive without people participating. So it’s big for people to start bands, book shows, start a label, do a zine, whatever it is. If that doesn’t happen, then nothing happens.
Being drawn into the scene with cult classics like Have Heart, known for balancing both the progression of hardcore while maintaining its traditions (musically and morally), Gridiron and its members have seemingly embedded themselves and their music in its East Coast inspiration.
What is the inspiration for Gridiron either musical or nonmusical?
Matt: I take a lot of my thoughts about the Eagles and try to put them into words sometimes, which helps a lot with lyrics. But yeah, I grew up loving hip-hop, and hip-hop has always been the number one thing for me, ever since I was really little. I had two older brothers who kind of put me onto stuff at a really young age, and I obviously later in life, discovered hardcore. I’ve always wanted to do a band where you could kind of mesh the two together, and that was kind of what I envisioned with Gridiron. So obviously, bands like E-Town Concrete are a huge inspiration for us. And older Pennsylvania bands like Krutch and stuff like that.
Outwardly pushing the boundaries of hardcore musically, drawing on the influence of hip-hop and hardcore fusion bands like E.Town Concrete, Gridiron is able to balance the integrity of 2000s-style hardcore, with flair that brings a new energy to the scene. Tracks off their 2022 album, No Good At Goodbyes, like “25-8,” or “Trench,” are prime examples of this approach.
What’s the current state of Philadelphia hardcore, and how has the scene changed since your initial involvement in it?
Matt: I’ve grown up going to shows here, so this is definitely home for me, so I may be a little biased in saying that Philly hardcore is the best. I mean even being an hour and a half from Baltimore, an hour and a half from New York City, everything is within driving distance for the most part. You know, [with] Philly hardcore tons of kids come out to shows, a lot of bands from the area keep popping up, so there’s a lot of young kids doing stuff in the scene, doing zines, and stuff like that which is really, really sick. So yeah, it’s in a really good spot right now.
What morals/beliefs/ethos are important to the band as a whole?
Matt: Brotherhood, you know just looking out for one another and there’s a lot of coach-talk with Gridiron, kind of football related, like persevering and things of that nature.
Philadelphia, being just an hour away from major cities like Detroit or New York, has the advantage of serving as a hub for music fans and aspiring bands to connect and participate in their local scene. This idea of ‘showing out for your scene,’ is simply getting involved. Create a zine, take pictures, write for a mag, get down for your favorite bands, show up and support local musicians, buy merch– do something, anything productive. Ideologies often explored in hardcore, considered fundamentals, extend to creating a subculture with substance. Opposing mainstream ethics/ideals, while musically not straying too far from tradition/walking the fine line of acceptable progression; Gridiron is a four-piece that’s got it down.
Rooted in beliefs surrounding brotherhood and loyalty, the foundation of hardcore along with ideals of not expecting anything you didn’t earn, not having space for weaponized betrayal, hard truths of no longer compromising, and giving respect when it’s due etc.– are all morals and ethos found between the lines of Gridiron tracks. It’s obvious the spirit and culture of the hardcore scene is being preserved.
Hardcore being almost a push for aggression/violence, what’s it like performing to that kind of audience? What motivates you to put that energy out to a crowd?
Matt: It’s just one of those things where I think that stuff like that is very reciprocated. When you see people giving it to you, you want to give it back. That’s one of the things that makes hardcore what it is, and unlike other types of music that exist, it’s you know, the energy that’s in the room.
Seemingly, the draw of the scene is its strength in violence. Coming from affliction and fully needing community in a place that feels like you can belong, it ultimately becomes a place where you want to be; the hardcore scene promoting rising above and inner strength in the midst of life beating you down… you turn your pain into power, in a space that conquers the breeding of torment and hate.
What are upcoming plans for Gridiron? Are there any goals you hope to accomplish with Gridiron over the next year?
Matt: Couple weeks we have FYA Fest in Florida, which my friend Bob does and that’s one of my favorite fests of the year– the vibes are always just impeccable. After that, then we’re doing LDB, and after LDB we’re doing a couple dates with Code Orange, towards the end of Winter. So that’ll be cool, we’re writing a new record right now, so I’m looking to record that around Spring, and we have some cool shit lined up for Summer.
Any final thoughts, advice for people in the scene, or shout outs etc.?
Matt: Shoutout Triple B Records, Philly hardcore, Pennsylvania hardcore, Detroit hardcore, all our friends and that’s pretty much it. Go Birds!
Gridiron HC tackled For The Children Fest in Los Angeles, up next FYA. Don’t be benched in 2024— get your tickets now!
Written by: Allison Payne (@allieepayne)
Published: 28 December 2023