“Challenging societal standards is integral within subculture, and I think being in a hardcore band is about using the platform to speak about whatever is on your mind. Anyone can pick up a mic and let out their emotions about whatever is affecting them.”
A quote echoing the ethos of Kat Moss on challenging patriarchy and the societal standards placed upon women. Moss serves as the frontwoman of Santa Cruz hardcore band Scowl, who recently signed to Flatspot Records.
Hardcore has always been a subculture with open arms and a spirit not to be reckoned with. More often than not, we are treated with the delicacy of a woman’s presence giving a fresh perspective on life. This is precisely what Scowl is doing. After stumbling across their Bandcamp during one of the summer’s hottest days during quarantine, I became immersed in the rugged coast of Santa Cruz, California.
Scowl started with Malachi Greene on guitar, Cole Gilbert on drums, and Moss on vocals. The story goes that Moss told bandmate Greene how she “wanted to front a hardcore band with punk influences,” and it’s been history ever since.
2019 was a big year for Scowl as they wrote and recorded their self-titled demo “in two months” in spring. During the recording of their demo, they were also testing some fill-ins for a bassist, until Bailey Lupo joined permanently in late summer. Shortly after, the band released their first EP, Reality After Reality…, that built on their already sturdy foundation.
When the pandemic hit, it “gave Scowl the opportunity to write a full-length record,” according to Moss.
“[The new album] feels heavier hitting than anything we’ve previously released,” she says. Check!
“I speak a lot on personal growth and painful realization throughout the record,” Moss continues. Double-check!
Fans will also get to hear a song with a saxophone part, a noteworthy twist on the genre.
Like most of us, Moss is a fan at heart. She says took up vocal duties because she “wanted to be a part of the hardcore scene more than just taking photos and attending shows.” Moss notes that hardcore punk bands like Negative Approach, Black Flag, and Ceremony formed the framework to her ferocious vocal range, and that Santa Cruz and its lively community also played a pivotal role in her creativity.
“Santa Cruz is a zoo,” says Moss. “Being engulfed with high rent prices, tourism, and so many different walks of life have motivated me to follow my own path and be true to my passions. Santa Cruz allowed me to be around like-minded individuals, artists, and musicians.”
But, like everywhere else in the world, Santa Cruz does have its dark side.
“Scraping by just to make rent is such a common experience for anyone living here,” says Moss. Nearly one in four renters pay more than three-quarters of their income for housing in Santa Cruz.
Scowl make it a point that they want to give back to the community and try to create a sustainable life in paradise. It’s something that their guitarist, Greene, does daily.
“[He] has the opportunity through his day job to work directly with the homeless community and provide aid,” says Moss. “The rest of us have done our diligence to simply make ends meet. I am a working-class hero myself!”
Notable tracks on the new album, such as “False Virtue,” “Petty Selfish Cretin,” “Choke,” or “Retail Hell,” shed light on Moss’ psyche and her day-to-day life. Themes of insecurity, identity, class, and challenging the status quo are all explored in Scowl’s discography.
Living a world of hypocrisy, Scowl make a point to go against the grain— to be who you want to be.
“Growing up, I struggled to find my footing socially, and experienced an onslaught of insecurities and identity crises, as most young people do,” Moss says. “In ‘Choke,’ I challenge those who feel the need to fake their interests and feelings to climb a social ladder. I do this because I understand how scary it may be to feel insecure— but pushing yourself beyond those fears is an extremely powerful experience.”
Moss has also faced tribulations being a woman in the scene, saying that she has “definitely received some of the standard sexist comments.”
“[I try] not to indulge in the negatives,” she says. “Because I truly cannot see how there’s a correlation to the music I play and what’s in between my legs.”
There is more to Moss than simply being a woman. Yes, it adds to her repertoire, but Scowl are about challenging your everyday life, no matter what path you come from.
And in any case, the positives outweighed the negatives.
“My realization that, ‘I could do this too,’ was the first time I saw a hardcore band with a girl on vocals or playing an instrument.” Moss says. “[I hope that] with my position, I can help give other femme-bodied individuals that same experience.”
Moss embodies the inspiration for women of all ages that they too can occupy and dominate the same space as men.
“I just want anyone reading this to know grateful I am for them taking the time to listen to us, come to hardcore shows, read articles, support the bands, etc. Thank you, x1000!” Moss concludes.
Be sure to check out Scowl this summer on their Southwest Round-Up tour with Zulu and Sweet Soul, starting in August. Also, be on the lookout for their debut album that will be dropping courtesy of Flatspot Records later this year.
Get a taste of Scowl and check out this live set from March’s CVLT Nation X Anniversary Fest here:
For more from Scowl, find them on Bandcamp.
Photos courtesy of Scowl, Nate Zoller, and Gabe Beccera
