On first viewing, the music video for “Not That Nice,” by Sydney, Australia’s Speed might seem like paint-by-numbers, tough-guy hardcore fare. We see a mob of heavily tattooed and muscle- bound men roaming the streets chanting, hardcore dancing, spin kicking and flipping off the camera while showing off their iced-out grills.
But dig a layer beyond the surface and you’ll find the lyrics accompanying this crossover-thrash-influenced, in-your-face anthem tell a highly personal story of identity, community, and fighting racism. As 29-year-old vocalist Jem describes, the song was inspired by seeing the increase in anti-Asian hate crimes during the peak of the pandemic, coupled with stereotypes of people in his community being seen as “nice” and meek.
“I was thinking that could be one of my grandparents or one of my parents on the street,” Jem, who along with two of the other four members of Speed is a first generation Australian of Southeast Asian descent, explains. “I’m a nice guy, but I also have to allow myself to recognize there are some things I cannot accept. So… not that nice.”
The band’s name, Speed, is fitting considering they have just three years under their collective belt while a mountain of underground hype surrounded their newest release on Flatspot Records, A Gang Called Speed.
“For me, I wanted to get everything done as quick as possible,” Jem explains. “I was done with waiting around for things to happen. All of the goals and the vision that we had, we just wanted to just check it off.”
This six-song EP is sure to claw its way to the top of year-end lists, as it is equal parts crushing, catchy and groovy. Somehow Speed has managed to craft an album that hits all the right tried and true breakdown-centric hardcore notes while oozing personality and what Jem calls “swag.”
The explosion in popularity for Speed has brought along what Siow describes as a renaissance for Australian hardcore. Instead of the typical local hardcore show attracting 40-to-50 show goers, as it has within the last 5 years or so, Siow explains that coming out of their almost two-year lockdown, the energy is palpable, with the highlight being Speed headlining an all-Australian hardcore festival, the first of its kind, to a sold out 800-person audience.
“It was truly a life changing weekend,” Jem recalls as he looks back at the history-making hardcore fest. “Can’t really put words to it.”
Along with the re-ignition of the Australian scene, the rise of Speed has done the same for Jem’s passion for hardcore altogether.
“It’s a beautiful thing when you’re passionate about something so abstract and you share that same collective passion with other people and you’re growing older with each other,” Jem says. “I used to be ashamed about talking to hardcore with other people. Now I’m getting older and I’m just more proud of it.”
Watch the video for “Not That Nice” here:
For more from Speed, find them on Instagram and Twitter.
Photo courtesy of Jack Rudder
