Rejoicing in the Reverie–Interview with Jared from State Faults on upcoming album, religious symbolism and personal growth.
State Faults from Santa Rosa, Calif., (ex-Brother Bear) on tour for the release of their upcoming (now available) album Children Of The Moon delivered a righteously evocative performance at 1720 Warehouse just a few months ago. SF showcased an all-consuming energy that remains consistent with their esoteric approach to modern day post-hardcore, highlighting their previously released singles and sharing songs (at the timed) unheard off the COTM album. Anticipating the release of a full-length after five years of seemingly passive silence, we needed an insider look into what would turn out to be a most ambitious, viscerally immersive listening experience and massively infectious album. We met up with drummer Jared Wallace, after their set for a reflection on the past that brought SF to the heights they’re at now, and exclusives on the album, Children Of The Moon.
Allie: If you would like to start off with introductions and tell us your name and maybe a fact about you or something people don’t know that you’d like them to.
Sure, I'm Jared, and I play drums in the band. Johnny and I started this journey together back in 2010, and we've been rocking ever since.
India: I have been listening to you guys for a while now, and it seems like even since your first release, your music has always been so distinctively “State Faults.” What would you consider some of the strongest elements that make up your sound?
That's a tough question. We like a lot of different styles of music. When we started, Johnny was into a lot of Midwestern emo, which influenced us early on. We were inspired by bands like Pianos Become the Teeth and Suis La Lune. We've always been big fans of Underøath and Thrice, and our sound is a mix of those influences. We try to create music that evokes the same emotions we feel when we listen to our favorite bands.
Allie: So at least on Spotify and with releases there’s a pretty noticeable gap from 2015-2019. I wanted to know what was going on during that time–personally, relationally as a band, etc.
In 2015, we had most of our record Clairvoyant written, but we decided to take a break. We needed some time away from State Faults to explore new ideas, so we started another band called Slow Bloom. We released an EP titled Hex Hex Hex with No Sleep and Dog Knights, the same label we worked with on Clairvoyant. We were focused on Slow Bloom from 2015 to 2018, but then we felt the itch to get back to State Faults. We wrote some new songs, which eventually became Clairvoyant. Timmy, our other bandmate who also records our music videos (he plays in another band called Bite the Hand), was in Slow Bloom with us, but we ended on good terms. We might revisit Slow Bloom in the future, but for now, we're focused on State Faults.
Clairvoyant is such a great album, truly no skips.
I appreciate that. We sat on those songs for so long that I practically got burnt out on them. But when I listened to the album again recently, it felt fresh. We didn’t change much from the original recordings, but if I could, I’d definitely tweak some of my drum parts. [...]
Allie: So you guys started in 2010, and have wildly grown since then even being listed as No. 16 out of 50 on a list of Best American Hardcore Bands right now. What’s next for State Faults? Are there any notable plans for the foreseeable future?
We are? Damn. Yeah, we have a new record coming out on July 26, and we just released a new song. We're excited about our upcoming tour from July 6 through the 14th with Frail Body. We just played a couple of shows with them, and it's been great. We're also working on some East Coast dates for October. Lots of exciting stuff coming up!
India: How has it been balancing your personal lives while maintaining musical careers? Have you found pursuing music to be all or nothing?
We used to have an all-or-nothing mindset, which didn’t work well for us. That’s part of why we took a break in 2015. We’ve learned a lot over the years. During the pandemic in 2020, we recorded our latest record and took time to refine it. It took four years to slowly craft it, teaching us to work smarter, not harder. We all have jobs and families, so we do what we can within our means, making sure not to stretch ourselves too thin. Burnout doesn’t help anyone, especially when you're on tour with no money and 15 more shows to go.
Was it hard to shift away from that mindset, especially as you gained more listeners?
The traction hasn’t affected us as much as you might think. Last year, we played a show in San Francisco that was almost our last (we were at a breakup point), but it reignited our momentum. We realized we needed to change how we operated, and getting support from other bands helped. It's about working smarter and making sustainable choices.
Has the support you've received helped you get out of that grind mindset?
Definitely. We’re not great at gauging our support, but that show was eye-opening. We met people who wanted to help us, like James from Rolo Tomassi, who’s helping us with European dates. That kind of support has been encouraging and helped us move forward. We realized we can’t do it all alone, and having people who care makes a huge difference.
It must be nice to see personal connections making such an impact.
It really is. When we released the new song, we were surprised by how much people still care. I’m not great with compliments, but it’s cool to see that people are interested in our music.
Allie: How have you progressed individually with your own instruments and your own musical background, in making music that’s so intricate while also being cohesive with the other members?
I always feel like I can be better, but I’m lucky to have bandmates that I gel with. Johnny and I started the band together, and we have a great chemistry. He brings ideas, and I help piece them together. Jeff and Michael add so much during practice. We speak the same musical language, which is rare. Personal growth comes from working with these guys and trusting each other’s instincts. It’s about putting egos aside and trusting that everyone has great ideas. So sometimes you think you might know what the answer is, but you just trust that they have an idea, and they know what they're doing, so I should listen to them. Then it winds up working out. You know, and you get surprised, so learning to trust each other, I think that's been my biggest takeaway, with my personal growth as a musician.
India: I notice a lot of spirituality prevalent in album cover art like the horoscope featured on your album Clairvoyant, or other mentions of spirituality with dream catcher and incantation references, the song “Moon Sign Gemini,” or even with your upcoming single “Paulo Santo” and album Children Of The Moon. Do you have any ties to spirituality or religion that may explain why it’s seemingly prevalent in your musical atmosphere?
Definitely. Johnny grew up in a Mormon family, and I grew up Christian. While neither of us are religious now, those backgrounds influence our work. Johnny’s lyrics and my art often reflect those themes. We leaned into it a bit with Clairvoyant, drawing from witchcraft and the Satanic Panic of the ‘70s, which was big for me at least visually with my art. It’s about exploring that conflict of having religious roots but not Music is an outlet for expressing that journey.
Allie: Just to wrap things up, do you want to take a moment to promote the album and the new single? Maybe share some inspirations or themes behind them to get people excited?
Yeah! Our new album drops on July 26, and we just released a single from it. We’re excited for everyone to hear it. We have a tour in July and are planning East Coast dates for October. The upcoming album, Children Of The Moon, was recorded in 2020. We went out to Burlington, Connecticut, to work with Chris Teti from The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die. It was a lot of fun collaborating with him. Although we finished recording in late 2020, we made some tweaks along the way and officially wrapped up the album late last year. We re-recorded some parts, had it remastered, and sent it out for pressing. It’s finally coming out in July.
I wish Johnny were here to talk more about the lyrics, but I can say there are some religious themes. Johnny was going through a lot of personal stuff at the time. I won't go into too much detail, but the lyrics reflect the personal turmoil he was experiencing. Many of the songs on the album serve as an outlet for his feelings during that difficult period. Despite the themes of dread, Johnny always makes sure to include hopeful messages in his music. He uses it as a way to process negative emotions while promoting hope and positivity to the listeners.
That's really powerful. It's always refreshing when music can convey hope despite adversity.
Absolutely. We want people to walk away with something positive from our music. When fans tell us they found hope and positivity in our songs, it feels incredible. That's the big message for us—positive vibes all around.
India: Alright, the last question we have for you is: what advice would you have to offer new-comers in the scene or those wanting to start a band?
Play music any way you can. If you want to learn an instrument, borrow gear or save up to buy your own. I've wanted to play drums since I was a kid. I first started playing in my church band, which was an unexpected opportunity. Even though my views on church and religion have evolved, I wouldn't be here without that experience. You never know where life might take you. Music can be a rescue, even if you can't afford an instrument right away.
Also, support your local music scene. Go to shows, connect with people who love music, and support local venues and bands. Music scenes ebb and flow, and in our hometown of Santa Rosa, we’ve seen lots of ups and downs. Sometimes you have to carry the torch and put in the effort to keep the scene alive. It might mean stepping out of your comfort zone—I know I can be a hermit, but I make the effort to go out, bring friends, and enjoy live music. It’s all about being part of the community.
Biggest thanks to Jared from State Faults for hanging out with Out of Spite & Rambler Magazine at the 1720 show back in May. This interview was partially summarized for print formatting and a comprehensible read!
Children Of The Moon is out now, click here to stream!