We chat with bands on MySpace all the time but Bury Our Own was a little different - they live in Hungary! A punk band in a country that's known more for goulash than rock and roll? We had to check them out!!!
1.
Please introduce the current lineup of the band: Name, age, and instrument
Stephen Murray
- 17, Vocals
Roland Varga - 17, Lead Guitar
Ali Lalji - 17, Drums
Alex
Davis - 17, Bass
Tony Derby - 17, Second
Guitar
2. I have so many questions
about Hungary! First, do kids there listen to a lot of American bands? Who are
some of the most popular?
Yeah, everyone
listens to American bands over here, it's kind of hard not to. When big bands
come through here from the states, the concerts usually have a lot of people there.
Bleeding Through had a very successful show here, but Darkest Hour is by far the
most popular here.
3. Is there
a good local scene of Hungarian bands that play shows? Give us some names and
websites if you can of bands we should check out!
The Hungarian scene
is really cool, and it's growing. There are a few decent bands here; the best
is Bridge to Solace, www.bridgetosolace.com.
4.
Does Bury Our Own sing in English or Hungarian? Why? Do kids understand songs
sung in English?
We sing only in English,
and any band that wants to be successful here does the same. Singing in the local
language restricts your listeners (unless you are Rammstein) to locals. A lot
of the kids in the hardcore scene speak English (better than other scenes like
rap/hip hop or techno) BECAUSE of music. They sing along to the songs.
5. I have heard that emo is not as big a trend
in Europe as it is in America. Is metal and hardcore still really big there? How
about punk and pop-punk?
The hardcore scene
is strong here, as well as the metal scene. Punk also has a very big underground
here, but I'm not involved with that (there are problems between hardcore kids
and punks here). There isn't really an underground pop-punk scene here, however,
Greenday was here recently with a huge show.
6.
What kind of places do you play? I hear there are a lot of government buildings
that put on all ages shows in Eastern Europe for the kids. Do you play squats?
Theaters and rock clubs?
We pretty much only
play at clubs. It's easier to control the money flow that way, and a lot more
stable. We've only heard bad stories of when people play at those weird types
of venues. The clubs are nice here, so it's fine for us. Almost always have a
nice backstage, the bar gives us some free drinks, etc.
7. What are the kids like at shows? Are mosh pits really
popular? Are the shows violent? Are there a lot of girls at shows or is it mostly
a male scene?
The hardcore dancing
has gotten a little better here over the last year, but it is still nothing like
the shows I've been to in the states. People think they are too cool to go in
the pit, and stand there with their arms crossed (cause that is considered the
"hardcore" thing to do). Sometimes the pits can get violent, but not
often. There are tons of girls at shows, so it isn't a big old sausage fest (like
some places I've been).
8. Describe
Bury Our Own's sound and tell us what some of your lyrics are about. Do you consider
BOO being a political band with a message?
We are basically a
mix of deathcore with a melodic post-hardcore side to us in some songs. The lyrics
are basically the story of my own life, some of the failures I've been through,
and some of the convictions I have. Fault of Man is a political song, and it is
basically a criticism of the human race, given the fact that we kill each other
off. "I noticed the fault of man, is that we sentence each other to a premature
burial.. we bury our own." The song uses a lot of graphic 
imagery
to convey my message. I also talk a lot in metaphors, so songs can be interpreted
in different ways depending how you think. One of the things I'm trying to do
with my lyrics and the way i sing/scream is to make it more like real life. People
are never sad 100% of the time, or happy 100%, so I don't need to scream or sing
100% of the time. Like, a new song I just wrote is about my girlfriend who lives
far away from me, so the singing parts are about what it's like to be with her,
and when I scream, it's the time we're apart. That type of thing.
9. Tell us about some of your shows. What
is the biggest show you ever played? What was the hottest sweatiest most crowded
show ever? What is your all time favorite show you've played and why?
Our biggest show
was when we opened for Bleeding Through. There were over 300 people there. We
sucked back then, and didn't put on a very good show, but it was still amazing
for us. Our best show was probably our last show, it was the first time with Roland,
and I think we blew the crowd away.
10.
Tell us where to find you on the Internet and what merch you have available.
We really only use our Myspace right now, so check us out at
and look at my own personal page at www.myspace.com/stephenm.
We have shirts and
pins right now, but we'll have demos and stickers soon. Get in touch with me (preferably
through Myspace) if you're interested.