Andrew Vacante is the lead singer of Combust from NYC. Their new album “Belly Of The Beast” just came out on Triple B Records and it is by far their best music to date. Andrew has been involved in the hardcore scene for quite a while now and always gives good answers to interview questions so I was excited to get these replies back from him recently. Follow the links at the end of this interview to find out more about this band and their new album! Lead photo by: Danielle Dombrowski, Graphics by: Mike McAuley.
1: Hey Andrew, where exactly are you right now and what would you usually be doing at this time if you weren’t answering these questions?
Andrew: Chillin’ on the couch right now watching South Park… just finished making breakfast. Essentially a perfect morning I’d say. This is my usual morning so nothing different happening right now.
2: The new Combust that just dropped is the 11 song album “Belly Of The Beast”. The title track leads things off with lyrics that paint a grim picture of modern day life. How did the lyrics come together for this one and are you the type that puts notes in your phone? Jots things on a piece of paper or just have a good memory?
Andrew: I was listening to a lot of Cro-Mags and older hip-hop and rock shit to be honest. Rolling Stones and Grandmaster Caz… other shit like that. I wanted to make a song that kinda portrayed how I felt emotionally from the history of my family and the things I would see day to day living in NYC and even the things we still see now all over the news and social media. What it’s like to try and survive in a time where almost everything is a struggle ya know? The world is basically imploding and we’re all just tryna hold on to some little sliver of hope to get by I feel. Also RIP Carl The Mosher. Justice Tripp actually helped me out with some of the lyrics and rhythms on this track for sure. We went back and forth on this one for a good amount of time. I’m more of a notepad guy. I’d like to hand write the shit but it’s just more convenient when I’m getting any random idea and can just put it down in the phone.
3: Where do you usually come up with ideas/inspiration for what you write? Do you run into writers block or does it all coming spilling out once you start the process?
Andrew: I think since I been writing lyrics so long now and that I’m very hard on myself and aim for shit to be perfect I definitely put myself in a writer’s block sometimes and slow down the process. The inspiration always comes from within and my emotions and how strongly I feel about something but then I’ll look to my favorite lyricists or material for lines that inspires me even more to maybe create the words in a way that aren’t so plain and obvious. I like a more poetic style of writing sometimes you know? In hardcore a lot of people have seen the same words written the same way a million times. I think it’s cool to strive for something a little different.
COMBUST @ THE BROOKLYN MONARCH, NOVEMBER 17, 2022. PHOTO BY: DANIELLE DOMBROWSKI
4: Three songs off the new album that you are most excited about playing live?
Andrew: We have been playing a good grip of them live for a minute now actually just cause we been playing the first LP stuff for so long. I love playing the first track live. I can’t wait to play “Tiger Style II” and “Swallowing Swords”.
5: The new album has guest vocals from Ezec, Mindforce, Dmize, Terror, Imposter and rapper Rome Streetz. When your band writes a song with a guest spot planned are these instances where the guest is just taking a spot that you would have sung or are these songs tailored to each guest spot?
Andrew: Honestly I didn’t write any songs with any specific guest spots in mind. There’s just some tracks where we finish ‘em and I’m like “oh this part would be perfect for so and so to sing on” you know? The only song I think we went into doing that on was “Crossed Off” because I knew I wanted Chiqui on a track for this record. At first it wasn’t gonna make the record but I was like Chiqui would make this dope. Shout out to everyone who did a spot on this record tho for real. I’m honored to call them all homies who inspire me.
6: A large portion of the hardcore releases we receive here at In Effect are short EPs or demos usually under 10 minutes in length. Can you explain to people how much more time and effort there is in writing, rehearsing and recording an 11 song, almost 30 minute album?
Andrew: Damnnnnn. It’s rough dude…Especially when you aren’t a highly musically inclined person. I mean at the end of the day we’re all just hardcore kids you know? I think making an LP when you’re older and you really are striving to make something you are proud of and is considered “good” song writing it’s tough on a hardcore band you know? The writing is the hardest part. I don’t wanna write the same shit everyone’s heard but I wanna keep the spirit of the shit we love in there. It’s funny to think about but some of our favorite bands don’t even have a dope record past the first LP you know? So there’s definitely pressure. To try to break down to the process into words wouldn’t even do it justice to how stressed out it makes me…but it’s dope when you have the finished product and I love the journey to get there realistically. I’m seriously proud of what we’ve done with this record.
7: Who are the other members of Combust and can you tell us an interesting fact about each one of them?
Andrew: There’s Peter Martingano and Alex Basovskiy on the six strings. Dave Sarnes on the drums and Eric Hoyt on the bass. Here’s an interesting fact about Alex. He’s really good at getting on my fuckin nerves. Dave and I have played in almost every single band we ever been in together. Eric holds the Guinness world record for largest moustache. Peter is the most interesting man alive and should be studied by top scientists.
8: What is the most dangerous situation you have found yourself in while on tour with this band or any of your previous bands?
Andrew: That’s an easy one. Our third tour in Europe with Spy we had a driver who never drove a van before apparently and multiple times on that tour he came dangerously close to killing us. He didn’t know how to merge lanes. We were getting run off the road. Couldn’t park in a storm. He hit a deer and started screaming. Totalled the engine. Almost got us hit by a train. It was a fuckin mess. We had to fire him halfway through and had a homie takeover the rest of the tour. Dangerous situations in other bands tho…that’s for a whole other interview.
9: Worst hardcore related injury you ever had?
Andrew: Luckily nothing crazy. Knock on wood. I been knocked out a couple times but the one that’s really stuck with me is the lower back pain from I guess just generally diving, dancing, jumping and shit.
10: When packing for any tour what are 3 items that you absolutely, positively cannot forget?
Andrew: Air-Pods. Mad underwear and socks. Deodorant.
11: What is the worst job you have ever had in your life?
Andrew: My last job I had was driving dump trucks for 5 years or so. I wanna say that was the worst only based off how shitty my boss would be…either that or Party City when I had to work in the back room in a sea of roaches.
12: What cities or countries have you not been to yet that you are dying to get to with Combust and what are some things that make them appealing?
Andrew: We wanna get to Australia really bad. And South America. I’d also love to play parts of southern Italy no one really plays. I mean they just all are beautiful places that seem like a dope place to play a show honestly.
COMBUST @ THE STATE HOUSE, NEW HAVEN, CT MARCH 18, 2023. PHOTO BY: DANIELLE DOMBROWSKI
13: If you had to pick one place you have been to on tour to move to where would it be and what about it makes it appealing?
Andrew: If all goes well in my life, I will die on Staten Island. But if I HAD to… maybe Texas or Chicago? Poker in Texas is incredible. Chicago feels like home a little bit you know.
14: From your travels over the years name a sleeper city that people might not expect but always seems to give a great response when you play there?
Andrew: Damn…we played Omaha on our full US tour a couple years ago and it was sick as hell. Shout out. I wanna get back there.
15: Three things that scare the shit out of you?
Andrew: Heights, the ocean and death?
16: Three singers that you looked up to when you first were finding out about hardcore that made you want to become a singer?
Andrew: I feel like ever since I got into music I wanted to be a frontman to be honest. I got into music really young and even when I started my first “band” when I was a kid I just naturally gravitated to be the front man. As far as hardcore tho…I always looked up to Freddy Madball for the energy, Paul Bearer for the banter, and Carl The Mosher for the swag. Also honorable mention Lee Spielman from Trash Talk for the absolute unhinged insanity. That kinda energy blew my mind when I was in high school.
17: First hardcore record you remember buying and first hardcore show you remember going to?
Andrew: I actually don’t know if I can remember the very first hardcore record I bought…I was luckily given all the best hardcore records on CD so it would be a minute before I bought a first record… I’ll get back to you on that. Maybe an Earth Crisis record at the Super Bowl of Hardcore 2008? My first show was Avail at the Knitting Factory in 2007.
18: Three favorite movies of all time?
Andrew: Three favorite movies is really hard. But if I had to pick. “Casino”. “Rounders”. “Boogie Nights”.
19: Can you run down the list of fanzines you have worked on in the past and also tell us about what’s inside the new limited edition zine you put out with the first 250 copies of the new Combust album?
Andrew: Myself… I’ve only done one zine and that was Core Clientele…hopefully we’ll make another issue soon. I used to make my own hand drawn ones when I was really young and just make a couple and pass them out among my friends haha. I’m mad excited for the Combust LP zine. It’s got a bunch of awesome photos from tours and shows, show flyers, a Staten Island HC history section, write ups from a lot of homies. Reviews from homies about the record, information about the songs and the members of the band. Just cool fun shit you know? I think zines are an important part of the culture of hardcore and always have been. I think it’s dope that they still are a large part of the community even with the internet being as big as it is. It’s a big preservation of the spirit of it in my opinion. For the kids by the kids type shit.
20: What other things besides Combust are you working on these days? It seems like you always have a second band, a zine coming out, shows at Gold Sounds in Brooklyn and Core Clientele…
Andrew: I play bass in a band called Steamroll, drums in a band called Beg To Differ, I’m playing bass for my homies alt-rock band now too haha. Core Clientele started off as a zine at first but then me and Harry wanted to do shows in NYC as well since all the shows were being booked by business suits and not hardcore kids. We wanted to bring the power back to our scene you know? We love hip-hop too and I think those cultures just always had so much in common. It’s more than natural that they meet you know? I love what we been doin with the zine and the shows and I hope we keep it goin.
COMBUST @ THE BROOKLYN MONARCH, NOVEMBER 17, 2022. PHOTO BY: DANIELLE DOMBROWSKI
BONUS QUESTIONS:
21: Does mom/dad or other relatives show any interest towards what you do musically and if so is it negative or positive?
Andrew: I wouldn’t say they necessarily show INTEREST. I know my mother is in my corner and is proud of what we’ve done but heavier music ain’t really her bag hahaha. On the other hand, my cousin Chris is one of my biggest inspirations and the one who got me involved in hardcore and showed me everything and he’s probably one of my biggest supporters and I’m thankful for him every day.
22: Who drew the cover to “Belly Of The Beast” and what kind of input did you have into creating it?
Andrew: The cover was done by Aaron Chavez (Vile Sore). From what I remember I think I just gave him the record name, the track listing, some broad references of what we liked for an idea and then kinda just let him go off from there. I never have a solidified vision of what I want for artwork cause honestly that’s too much pressure. I just love hand drawn crazy shit to be honest. I love what he came up with and couldn’t be happier about it. He did an incredible job.
23: Bucket list hardcore bands you have not played with yet that you would love to share a stage with?
Andrew: We’ve been lucky enough to play with basically all of our favorite bands…I think the only one left would be Sick Of It All?
CRUCIAL LINKS:
COMBUST INSTAGRAM
COMBUST YOU TUBE
COMBUST TRIPLE B MERCH
LISTEN TO COMBUST ON BANDCAMP
LISTEN TO COMBUST ON SPOTIFY
COMBUST PHOTO BY: CHRISTOPHER YOUNG