BLOOD SHED RAIN ZINE

A few questions with Outright singer and all around great human Jelena Goluza aka Yells

How did you get into hardcore?

Like many of us, I got involved in hardcore through my roots in punk rock. I grew up with a lot of my older sister’s music around the house so I was hooked on tunes and riffs instantly, and was lucky enough to be taken to my first punk show when I was 10.  While there is still a mountain of punk classics I love, I found myself left wanting sometimes. When the punk I was exposed to became more about self-annihilation and destruction I found hardcore as a complement which offered a much more proactive and constructive outlook to the world with an even more energetic and diverse soundtrack behind it. I couldn’t see how causing chaos and fucking myself up was actually going to contribute to any real solutions, and was inspired by bands, people, zine writers and other artists to look beyond the dogma and focus on progressive thought, action and community in my own life.

Thankfully, some enthusiastic scene kids and the local youth centre in the town I grew up in booked regular all ages shows with various mixed bills and I was able to constantly hear new bands, make friends, and share tapes and zines to enjoy a wider range of all the hardcore/punk happening around me. I spent almost the entirety of my teen years working in an independent record store so this just pushed my passion further and, since I got to spend every shift researching bands and labels and sharing it with others, it made this music so much more accessible and alive to me. I don’t think it would have been as rewarding and exciting if it wasn’t driven by our desperate DIY approach.

I know you were trying to start a band for a long time, how did outright come together?

Outright as it now stands resulted from a chat between friends lamenting what was the upcoming closure of the Arthouse in Melbourne. I got bummed that I will have never had the opportunity to play that stage (beyond the occasional guest vocal spot). Aaron got totally awesome about it and killed that idea by offering to pull out his drum kit, write some riffs and meet up again a week later. Legend! The rest was more of the same – make noise with mates, have some laughs and find what felt right for all of us as a group. Thankfully, we played the Arty not once, but twice, and have already been so lucky as to do more of that around the country with fantastic friends, inspiring local bands and great internationals! WORTH THE WAIT.

I think just being involved in a sincere hardcore scene in the first place makes me want to encourage and enjoy critical thought and motivated, empowered action. In fact, often the insincere people make me want to do so even harder! It just so happens that I tend to have a lot thoughts I’d like to share, and consider in return, so writing lyrics and expressing them on stage to energetic and cathartic music created with people I care about always felt like the most natural, fun and satisfying way to do this – especially when other elements in the scene felt restrictive. Plus, ya know, I can’t play any instruments and don’t know how to sit still haha. 

Have you ever come across any adversity for being a female so involved in hardcore?

That’s never anything I’ve experienced amongst friends and respectful peers. They appreciate my genuine passion, accept me for who I am and encourage all I want to be.

I’d be lying though if I said that I never felt threatened, ignored, dominated or degraded by others over the years because I didn’t live up to the bullshit stereotypes and expectations they imposed onto me or because I fought back and didn’t let their insecurities stop me from getting everything I wanted out of hardcore. Luckily, I had amazing role models to show me the alternative, believe in my intentions, and prove that such disgusting behaviour was the antithesis to why we were all involved in the first place. I wasn’t drawn to a counter culture, a refuge, a rebellion, just to be treated the same way the mainstream tried to – by other punks no less! I think sometimes those of us who feel rejected by the scene for being who we are, happen to be the exact few who deserve this sanctuary even more - the ones who maintain it’s fighting spirit and embody its resilience despite the struggles all around. Everything that hardcore offers me and all I gain from participating in it can never be taken away by those that lose sight of why it exists in the first place.

What does outright have planned for 2012?

Right now we’re trying to take a small break from shows to get some writing done and hopefully record some tracks for a 7” in the next few months. It’s a bit hard while each of us have big commitments with work or other bands (or both!) so we’re just going to give ourselves a better chance to create something we can be stoked on. At this stage, we can only look ahead a few months at a time so I’m just guessing and hoping for more fun shows and new friends for the remainder of the year after that!

You and Brett are two of the most legitimately nice and positive people ive ever met, how do stay so posi and nice?

Aw that’s a nice thing to say mate, but a bit of an exaggeration! We’re nothing special – Brett’s just a goofball that happens to care and I’m a bit of a control freak that can’t handle the thought of wasting time or opportunities on bullshit and bad times!

I just try to treat others like I would expect and prefer to be treated myself, that’s all. I like to think of myself as a mirror in that respect and, after many years of growing and learning (and this won’t stop!) I’ve just been lucky and dedicated enough to make sure the right people are on the other side of the glass.

I think trying to stay positive is a decision we each have to make every day to make sure we get through it. All our anger, frustration and fear is welcome because those real instincts identify the challenges in our life. It’s just that sometimes you need the right kind of energy to make sure it’s not all in vain, and the right perspective to rise above and make it over onto the other side. When I feel hopeless or lacking in confidence I try to surround myself with reminders of all the things I CAN do and am grateful for. I don’t always succeed but I owe it to myself to give it the best shot I’ve got. Live deliberately or admit that you’re not living at all, I reckon – and that’s no one else’s responsibility but your own