JACK GOTTSEGEN

“Veganism will always be for the animals, but I almost never see the side of veganism that focuses on the horrific working conditions of slaughter houses and factory farming and the impact on the workers. It's another big driver of veganism for me and I encourage anyone, especially non-vegan leftists to look into it.”

I'm Jack. I'm 25 years old and I play guitar for Writheinfear in Denver, Colorado. I'm originally from the northeastern US, but my family has moved all over that area, so I don't really claim a specific state. I've been vegan for nearly a year and a half and spent about 6 year vegetarian prior. It's one of the best choices I ever made for myself.

What was the moment or experience that first pushed you toward veganism?
My first brush with veganism was when I was a teenager. I was dating a vegan at the time and she was pretty cool, so she kinda smashed a lot of preconceived notions about veganism that I had growing up in a much more "carnivore culture". After that, I took an environmental science class in high school and learning how much water goes into making a single burger made me go vegetarian. My goal was to eventually end up vegan, but I was unsure of how to go about it due to having a tree nut allergy.
Did your path into veganism come before or after getting into hardcore / straight edge?
Officially going towards veganism was definitely after getting into hardcore, but I feel like the path was laid out for me after going vegetarian and discovering Earth Crisis in the same year.
Was there a specific band, record, or scene influence that opened that door for you?
Earth Crisis 100%. Hearing Firestorm for the first time and learning that they were vegan blew my mind. "Woah, there's vegan bands and they make actually awesome music?" was probably my first reaction to finding that out.
How did your friends, family, or local scene react when you made that shift?
My family was probably a little less than excited and it was more of "oh, he changed his diet again". Friends and local scene were much happier about it.

Was it an immediate commitment, or something you grew into over time?
I tried it for a month before claiming to make sure I really could do it. After that month and actually feeling pretty good and confident, I claimed.

For you, how connected are veganism and straight edge—are they inseparable or distinct choices?
Definitely distinct. I always say, "straight edge is personal" and veganism is more than yourself.

Do you see veganism as an extension of straight edge ethics, or its own independent stance?
I see it as an extension, but I'm probably biased from seeing so many vegan straight edge bands. When you do look deeper, it does make a lot sense that two are deeply intertwined.
How do you respond to people in the scene who embrace one but not the other?
I don't really care if one person claims one but not the other. I'd prefer it just so we can have more vegan straight edge bands.

What role did the hardcore/metal scene play in shaping your beliefs?
I think metal, punk, and hardcore did more to reinforce my already existing or "dormant" beliefs. The music just gave me a way to put those thoughts outward and be more upfront with them and find the proper words to say.

Do you feel like the scene today is more or less aligned with vegan values than when you started?
I see a lot more vegans in big bands or big bands that are vegan now more than I did as a teenager. It's really cool to see and want to see more vegans and vegan bands promoting the cause on bigger stages.

What kind of impact do you hope your band has on listeners?
Well, Writheinfear isn't a vegan band or a straight edge band. Two of us are vegan, but I'm also the only straight edge member. I think if there's any sort of impact I hope we do have, it's that you don't need to be one specific type of band. I think more bands now are specifically catered towards sounding like a specific band from the early 2000's rather than taking influence from a bunch of different bands and putting those influences together.
Have you ever heard from someone who changed because of your music?
Off the top of my head, not really. If there is someone reading that did, please let me know.
Do you think music can genuinely shift people’s behavior, or just reinforce existing beliefs?
I think both are true. It really just depends how far along you are in understanding what the lyrics mean. Someone like me is going to hear a vegan band and go, "yeah, this makes sense" but for someone that hasn't been exposed to vegan philosophy or animal liberation politics, they might read the lyrics and start doing more research and reading on the subject and go, "wow, I never thought of it like that".
Do you see veganism as inherently political?
EVERYTHING IS POLITICAL! Politics affect our daily lives whether we like it or not. Taking a stance against the norm (eating meat and consuming animal products) is a political stance. It's a small action that takes money out of the pockets of factory farming.
How do you balance music with direct action or activism, if at all?
If anyone wants to learn more or about veganism, I'm always open to talking about it and recommending vegan bands.
What issues within the broader movement do you think aren’t being talked about enough?
Veganism will always be for the animals, but I almost never see the side of veganism that focuses on the horrific working conditions of slaughter houses and factory farming and the impact on the workers. It's another big driver of veganism for me and I encourage anyone, especially non-vegan leftists to look into it.

Looking back, would you approach your message differently?
I don't really have a message. If something I post moves you enough to reach out and ask me about how to approach it, I'll just give away the whole game for free.

What keeps you committed when it gets difficult or isolating?
Spite. I never feel isolated and it doesn't feel difficult 99% of the time. The only difficulty I approach is going out to eat because I hate asking about allergy warnings. Most spots are good about it and would much rather help me out than not, but I just hate asking.

Where do you see the vegan / straight edge movement going in the next decade?
I genuinely don't know and couldn't tell you if I tried. Maybe we'll see more of the youth claiming and starting XVX bands akin to the H8000/Edge Metal bands of Europe. I love that style of hardcore because it combines my early love for Slayer with the politics and energy of hardcore. That's what I'd want to hear more of
What would you say to someone on the fence about embracing these ideas?
Just try it out for a month. I promise you're going to say, "wow, this is so much easier than I thought!"

Final Thoughts:

First band that made you think differently:
Green Day was the first band that I got really into. Hearing their political lined lyrics of 2004's American Idiot did a number on me.
A lyric you’ve written (or heard) that still hits hardest:
"For myself, for my friends, for my family...Straight fucking edge"
- Forever by Throwdown

One misconception about vegan / vegan straight edge:
The classic "oh, but what about indigenous people living in the arctic circle that have to hunt for food?" for the arguments against veganism. It's always funny how it's usually the able-bodied person living right next to a grocery store and can actually make the choice that always coping the hardest about veganism. Those people in the remote wilderness that have to hunt to survive aren't my concern. The only hunting YOU do is in the deli aisle of the grocery store for something prepackaged. As for straight edge, every time I see someone getting mad at straight edge or straight edge people, I like to do the famous scene from No Country For Old Men: "It's either projection or got caught doing something they shouldn't have been doing at the DIY venue, and you have to say. Call it." No one will slap a beer out of your hand or beat you up for smoking anymore, but the fact that some people think that happens tells me all I need to know about them.
One non-negotiable value:
If you're a vegan that eats honey or eggs, you're not vegan. Straight up.

One thing the scene needs to do better:
PICK UP INSTRUMENTS!!! It doesn't matter if you suck now, we all sucked at something at one point or another. What matters more is that you stick with it and keep advancing your skills. Your first band might suck, it might not suck, if your first band fizzles out, start a new one. If you don't want to play music, make zines and distribute them at shows, start a label for your friend's bands, do something that no one else is doing. Fill the niche and grow the scene in whatever way you can. You don't need to be an influencer, you don't need to make short form videos, and you DEFINITELY under no circumstances need to make clickbait YouTube videos.