On April 16th at Rock N Roll Hotel in Washington DC, myself and 3 of the 4 members of Cloak/Dagger crammed ourselves into the smallest room possible jam packed with drum sets and amps from all the bands playing that night. They were forced to answer my questions while every now and again someone awkwardly squeezed through us to use the bathroom that was also located in this tiny closet. The interview was still a whole lot of fun and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Maybe it’s just my personal opinion, but I’m real sick of reading the same old interviews with bands that make me want to rip my eyes out about halfway through because there doesn’t seem to be any fun involved. In the end, isn’t that what it’s supposed to be about, having fun!?! Well, we gave it our best, so read up!

All photos by: Jesse Neal

OOPM: Being on Jade Tree, they are an iconic hardcore/punk label with bands like Lifetime and Kid Dynamite, how did that come about, because you started out on Grave Mistake Records, right?

Collin B: Dave Wagenschutz liked our band…
Colin K: He was working for Jade Tree at the time
Jason: We did our first weekend of shows with Paint it Black, and Dave Wagenschutz and Dan Yemin, who sings for Paint it Black, liked our band and were pushing us hard to Jade Tree. We were talking to Revelation Records…
Colin K: For a minute…it was a hot minute
Jason: While Dan Yemin was pushing us to Jade Tree and they said they wanted to do something with us, which was cool, but in all honesty, it’s been just as cool doing stuff with Alex (Grave Mistake Records). When we signed to Jade Tree I think I had this idea of how things were going to be, and in the long run having your friend put out the record is just as efficient these days when anyone can do a lot of web promotion. Not to say that Jade Tree is not a good label, because they are a good label.
Colin K: They definitely are.
Jason: But with Alex, it’s kinda cool having your friend put out your record.
Colin K: And he’s definitely been on point with all of his releases that he’s put out.
Jason: But I guess Jade Tree also has, people who wouldn’t normally check you out will check you out because you’re on Jade Tree and they like some of the stuff they’ve done.
Collin B: I think 5 years from now, the way we’re talking about Jade Tree, people will be talking about Grave Mistake.

OOPM: You guys have all been in other bands that were probably labeled as more “hardcore” before Cloak/Dagger, do you guys find that most of those fans still support what you’re doing now, or is it a whole different crowd?

Colin K: I would say it’s a little different. But some of the older kids do still come out because of the old bands we used to play in, but it’s a lot different now. I mean, we’re a lot older too and a lot of those other kids don’t even go to shows anymore. There are some older kids that still come out though, and we do appreciate that, them giving their support.
Jason: Here’s the weird thing though…first of all there are the hardcore kids that are open minded and are like, “I’m into what you are doing now”, and that’s always cool to see. But also, the weird thing is, you go to core shows now and sometimes people look at you like, “what the fuck is this dude doing here?” Then I’m thinking to myself, “what the fuck am I doing here?” [laughs] You know what I mean, because I don’t really belong here, I guess, because you’re acting like I don’t, so I’m thinking that, well, I must not. It’s just hard to think that I used to have so much in common with people that I don’t really have that much in common with now…
OOPM: Is that because they are younger?
Jason: Maybe it’s younger, but I always felt like Count Me Out was off that beaten path anyway, like we didn’t really fit in with….
Colin K: The bigger bands at the time, we were behind all those bands, I think we got big by default because everyone broke up. Count Me Out rose up because there was nothing else left [laughs].
Jason: What I mean is like Count Me Out would play shows and there would be a dude with a straight edge varsity jacket going crazy and I would be like, cool, but at the same time I didn’t 100% relate to that dude like I can with you guys just hanging out and our little crew.

OOPM: Who’s the worst driving on tour?

Jason: ME!
Colin K: J Mazzo! This fucker will text, then slide into other lanes and Collin and I will just watch and be like, “what the fuck, we’re going to crash”. He’s spilling coffee all over his feet, everything, all over in the other lane, oh man, it’s bad! [laughs]
Jason: And rock that Sonic Youth non-stop son!
Colin K: He’s the worst DJ too

OOPM: You’ve toured both the US and Europe, what are the biggest differences between the two?

Collin B: Comfort and money In Europe. Free beer everywhere, free food everywhere, nice places to stay
Jason: Bearable places to stay.
Collin B: Yeah, bearable places to stay, but always knowing you have a place to stay.
OOPM: Is that because of the money for the arts available over there?
Collin B: Well, yeah, there is a lot of state money for the arts, but you know, that doesn’t really apply to everything. There is just sort of a different mentality about it. There is an expectation that you’re going to put a band up, and there’s an expectation that even if you do take a loss on the show, you made that up on another show that you did make money on.
Colin K: Yeah, they looked out for us.
Jason: In the U.S. you drive fucking 300 miles and get paid 30 bucks, and they’re like, “what, you got 30 bucks.” Then you’re like, “well is there a place we can stay?” And they’re like, “nah, we all live in the dorms, do you can’t stay here.” It’s like, ok, well I guess I’ll take this 30 bucks and get maybe a little piece of a hotel room.

OOPM: So outside of the band, I know you (Colin K), are in school right now, Collin (B) is a bike messenger in DC, Jason, what do you do? [laughs]

Jason: I’m a fuck up. I sell shit on Ebay, I drink coffee, I do some graphic design work every now and again, and I temp a a law firm. Temp Life!
OOPM: Collin B, how long have you been a bike messenger in DC?
Collin B: I’ve been a messenger since ’98. I did a year in new york, then DC, so I guess 12 years.
OOPM: So, do you love being a messenger, or is it like, yeah, I do it because I can?
Collin B: Yeah, it’s like that. I wouldn’t say I love it, but the thought of having a job where I have to work inside and have a boss, it’s just a drag.

What’s one of your favorite tours you’ve gotten to be a part of and why?

Jason: Strike Anywhere
Colin K: But that’s because they are our friends, and Paint it Black was fun.
Jason: Yeah, Paint it Black, we did a weekend with them, and Strike Anywhere took us out for like 5 days .
OOPM: Are those your favorites because you guys are closer with them?
Colin K: Yeah, it’s because we’ve known those guys for a long time and I think that’s why. Whenever we get to tour with any of our friends, it’s always awesome.
Jason: Like Government Warning, we did tour with them down to Florida.
Colin K: We did tour with Government Warning for a little bit, it was like a few shows, but I mean those dudes are awesome too.
Jason: The tours are always awesome, but it’s not always like tonight. Tonight we’re psyched because I like Pissed Jeans a lot, I listen to them, you know.

OOPM: Do you guys get tired of Jason always dragging you into stores to look at shoes?

Collin B: I think we’ve worked out a nice compromise.
Jason: Dude, you know what, we pass so many fucking Nike Outlets and I never go in that shit. We have never gone to one Nike Outlet, we went into a Vans Outlet in California, and I picked up like 5 pairs of shoes and then realized, we don’t have room for those mother fuckers in the van. [laughs]
Colin K: I forgot about that one! That is true
Jason: I had picked up some Circle Jerks Vans, some navy Sk8-Hi’s, I don’t know what else, but it got to the point where I was like, man I did fuck up because there’s no room for this shit anywhere.
OOPM: So you’re just not allowed to stop anymore?
Jason: Yeah, we don’t stop anymore, but they will stop at record stores A LOT, and when they stop at record stores that’s when the bear goes wild. I will just go and roam around the city and load up. [laughs] But lately I haven’t been hitting up shoe stores as much as just like vintage stores in different cities and trying to find weird cool stuff.
OOPM: Just fashion in general?
Jason: Yeah, but in England, that’s my shit because in England they have a lot of weird Fred Perry and Burberry and that nonsense, which is expensive as shit and over there it’s cheaper.

OOPM: Who’s the biggest record dork in the band?

Jason: Ohh, that’s a hard one dude
Colin K:: I’d say Collin (B) and I are pretty close on that.
OOPM: So you guys are the ones that will scavenge the record store for hours?
Colin K: I’ll be honest, Collin (B) will buy more records than I normally buy at the record store, but that’s because he has a higher pallet I guess. [laughs]

OOPM: Who are some bands kids should be checking out right now?

Jason: The Ladies, of course, The Ladies, Mass Hysteria, their new record is really good…Kid Cudi
Colin K: Nah, see I don’t like Kid Cudi, I think he’s wack, he’s wack [laughs]
Jason: Kid Cudi is pretty good. Pissed Jeans

OOPM: We heard that Collin (B) housed 2 Chipotle burritos before the rest of the band could eat 1, true or false?

Jason: Gotta be truth man
Colin K: True, that man can eat! I can back that up
OOPM: I head about Chipotle and The Grease Truck
Jason: Oh, The Grease Truck
Colin K: You double up at The Grease Truck? I can’t remember
Collin B: I probably did. At Bourbon on 18th St., I WAS, I was not available to defend my title, I was the Kentucky Hot Round Eating Champion.
Colin K: How many did you eat again?
Collin B: 5 in 24 minutes.

OOPM: Jason, I’ve seen some of your paintings, is your art something that you still work on these days?

Jason: Not as much as I used to, I did a record cover for us for a 7″ that Alex put out. Then I’ve been doing design stuff, I did the Strike Anywhere layout for their last LP, and then I did some design work for them. I did a poster for them, and did a tour poster with Bane. That band Police and Thieves, I did something that they’re going to put out in Europe. I’ve been kinda busy doing that, more design, like computer stuff but in September I’m going to have an art show in Richmond. That, “Don’t Need A”, is the name of the 7″ that Alex (Grave Mistake Records) put out, which is like the drawings from that on display for like an art show where bands put on display the original art and you can buy the record at the gallery, Gallery 5.
OOPM: So are you trying to do more freelance stuff like that?
Jason: Yeah, I’m trying to, that’s what I’d really like to do instead of working at a law firm but the work is hard to come by and no one appreciates you when you put the time and effort into doing shit. I mean, all the bands I’ve worked with have, but I feel like it’s really hard. You do it for free, you do it because you want to do it.

OOPM: Favorite city to play?

Jason: I like Philly honestly. I like Philly and New York.
Collin B: We’ve had some really good shows in New York.
Colin K: Yeah, I’ll back that up

OOPM: Shout outs?

Collin B: Jason, make this shout out count, you only get one
Jason: Let me give a shout out to uh….RICHMOND SON!!!!!!