Straight Edge and Strong: A Counterculture in Hardcore—Interview with No Right

Shot by Phoenix Miller @phoenixmillerphoto Oct. 18, 2024 at Lady Luck Printing Co.

“Hardcore is all about the energy and the community. It’s the only genre where there’s no separation between the band and the audience—it’s all about involvement. There’s no pedestal, anyone can start a hardcore band, and that’s what’s so cool about it.”

Sierra Stark, vocalist of the Bay area’s hardcore band, No Right, speaks on Straight Edge within the scene and the importance of authenticity and community in hardcore as the band gears up for their new album.

Last Friday night, commemorating ‘Edge Day’ in 2024, bands: Start Today, Death Whispers, Adherence, Invocation and Berthold City played with No Right on the first day of their three part California run at Lady Luck Printing Co. With a lineup dedicated to emphasizing empowerment through a Straight Edge lifestyle and fans X-ing up and showing out, it’s no surprise the event embodied the unity and intense energy No Right’s shows are renowned for.

“I think hardcore in general is all about the energy. It’s what separates the genre—there's no barrier between the band and the audience. So many people at our shows are also in bands. It’s all about community involvement,” Stark said. “We obviously want to sound good, but the energy is so important, especially when the crowd is into it. It really feeds back into our performance.”

In carving out a space in the hardcore scene through their unwavering commitment to Straight Edge values, Sierra Stark (vox) and Charles Toshio (guitar) shared insights on all things No Right after their headlining set on Oct. 18.

No Right released a three-track promo, “2024 Promo,” earlier this year, and one of the songs was a cover. What drew you to cover ‘Suffer’ by Vision of Disorder? Is there a personal connection to the song or the band that inspired you to choose it?

As for Visions of Disorder, we've always been fans. Their self-titled album really stuck out to us. I’ve always loved vocalists with higher-pitched voices because it sounds raw and real—no distortions or trying to be different. It just feels pure to me. Yeah, covering that song was cool. We’ve never recorded a cover before, but it was fun. We’ve only played a few live.

As No Right records and produces your own music, looking back at previous releases, how do you think the sound of the new tracks reflects your growth as both musicians and producers?

Sierra: For me, I can definitely hear the growth in my vocal abilities. This is my first band, so when I started, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t have any technique; I was just going for it. Now, after years of learning and developing, I feel proud of myself. This last tour in Japan was the first time I was warming up and cooling down properly, and it made a huge difference. I’m much more confident in my voice and our writing now, too. 

Toshio: Yeah, I feel like the Bay Area hardcore scene has exploded since COVID, with so many amazing bands. Watching friends' bands grow has been super inspiring for us, and musically, I think we’ve always just done our own thing. We’ve never tried to be anything other than ourselves. Every album, Sierra’s voice grows along with the music, which is really cool.

No Right’s live shows are known for their intensity and energy. How important is that live experience to the essence of No Right, and how do you approach creating that same energy when recording?

Sierra: I think hardcore in general is all about the energy. It’s what separates the genre—there's no barrier between the band and the audience. So many people at our shows are also in bands. It’s all about community involvement. We obviously want to sound good, but the energy is so important, especially when the crowd is into it. It really feeds back into our performance.

Toshio: As for capturing that live energy in recordings, we spend a lot of time recording. We put everything under a microscope to make sure it sounds great. But our goal is for the live show to always be better than the recording.

Seemingly a big part of No Right is your commitment to Straight Edge, and we’re here tonight for Edge Day, how do you see the current state of the Straight Edge community within the hardcore scene, and how do you think it's changed since you first got involved?

Sierra: When I first got into it, there were only two types of Straight Edge people: the militant type or the vegan punks. Now, there's such a wide variety of people who identify as Straight Edge. There are no stereotypes, and it's really cool to see how people live it in different ways. Yeah, people are a lot more individualistic about it now. Historically,Straight Edge was associated with a certain aggressive, hyper-masculine image, but now it's just more genuine. Everyone lives it in their own way.

With some of your songs like “'Til It Hurts” exploring themes of shame, suffering, and healing, do you feel being Straight Edge offers a kind of clarity or strength that fuels your music? How does it influence your songwriting?

Definitely. "Till It Hurts" is about my journey to a Straight Edge lifestyle. I wasn’t always Straight Edge—I did a lot of stuff when I was younger because of the environment I grew up in. My home life was difficult, and it affected my mental health. Finding Straight Edge and the hardcore community was life-changing for me. It gave me a sense of control. The band became an outlet to work through my personal struggles. It’s very personal—every song is. Playing shows has been really healing for me.

With the promo dropping, this three-day California run and hinting at a full-length album in the works, what can fans expect from No Right moving forward? 

Sierra: We’re at the end stage of demoing the new songs. We played one today at the show. The new material has higher energy but still reflects the core elements of our older music. We’re continuing to explore personal topics in our lyrics. 

Toshio: Higher energy, personal lyrics, and a more comfortable sound. We've spent two and a half albums figuring out how we like to express ourselves, and we’ve really settled into our chemistry as a band. We've got a solid lineup, and we’re also taking more risks musically. We’re just having fun with it.

Sierra: Yeah, it’s been a lot of fun playing the new songs live, and I think that energy will definitely come through on the album.

Shoutout to No Right for participating in this interview and be sure to check their music out on all platforms.