To some, hardcore, particularly New York City hardcore from the eighties was the source of great music, but also divisive and often violent competing factions. Many New York City bands got a reputation (some deserved, some not) for valuing the pit above the scene, and violence above unity. It’s true that a lot of bands in the “salad days” would preach unity while picking fights, but other members of the scene were more concerned not only for the ferocity of hardcore’s reputation, but for the music, and even the message.
If there is one thing that New York City hardcore fans can agree on is how much everyone loved H20. For those of you not around during their heyday in the mid to late nineties, H20 was one of the best positive hardcore bands ever to come out of the Lower East Side of New York City. Led by lead vocalist Toby Morse, one of the nicest guys in the business, as well as a compelling vocalist somewhat akin to Kevin Seconds or Milo Auckerman, H20 went through a run of three great records, a slight misstep on a major label, and then relative silence. For seven years fans wondered if H20 would ever return, and if they could, could they match early records such as H20 or Thicker Than Water? After seven years the wait is over, H20 is back with a record, Nothing to Prove, which is one of the best melodic hardcore records of the year. Punknews.org’s Brian Cogan caught up with Toby in between a record release party and a sold out show at the Blender Theater in New York City (where everyone from John Joseph to members of Madball wanted to talk about what a great band H20 was) for an interview about staying true to punk values, while acknowledging jobs, fatherhood, responsibility and what it means to be a punk today.
