Mike

What was the moment or experience that first pushed you toward veganism?
Deep down I always knew that it was the right decision to make, but I always found myself making excuses rather than just getting on with it. The key moment for me was at the end of a relationship (I’d voiced my desire to be vegan to them and they were dismissive and unsupportive) and being on my own and free to make my own decisions I just dived straight into it and never looked back. I literally gathered up all the non-vegan food in my house and took it to my parents house and said “I’m vegan now, I don’t want to eat any of this anymore, you have it.”

Did your path into veganism come before or after getting into hardcore / straight edge?
For me, veganism came after. I’d been into hardcore since the late 2000’s and straight edge since 2012.

Was there a specific band, record, or scene influence that opened that door for you?
Not really. I guess for me, the path to veganism wasn’t necessarily paved by my links to the hardcore scene, or at least not directly. It was mainly due to other people I hung out with (some were hardcore kids, some were metal kids, some deathcore kids etc.)

How did your friends, family, or local scene react when you made that shift?
I don’t recall that much pushback from family or friends. I’m extremely privileged to have an incredibly supportive family behind me who have always backed me in the choices I’ve made, so my parents (my mum in particular) were always bringing me new vegan things to try and always made sure to get me vegan cosmetics for christmas and birthdays etc. When it comes to friends, it wasn’t really any different to what you’d normally expect, some people were cool with it, other people questioned it, other people made snide comments about it.

Was it an immediate commitment, or something you grew into over time?
I just went hard on it immediately. No hesitation. It was just something that I knew was the right choice and had to happen.

For you, how connected are veganism and straight edge—are they inseparable or distinct choices?
I think they are distinct choices for the most part. Ultimately, straight edge is a choice you make for yourself and your mind and body. Veganism is a choice you make for the animals. I will caveat that by saying that there are some crossovers, like human exploitation is prevalent in both and the health benefits to both too.

Do you see veganism as an extension of straight edge ethics, or its own independent stance?
As I said, I think they are different ethical choices and I think each have their own stance, but for me, I think both are super important.

How do you respond to people in the scene who embrace one but not the other?
It is what it is. Everyone is different and has different thoughts on these matters. Ultimately, people have to be vegan and/or straight edge because they WANT to, not because they get peer pressured into it. That’s just gonna mean that they’ll probably give up on it, it might be weeks/months/years/whatever, but you have to WANT it, otherwise it’s insincere and it will fail.

What role did the hardcore/metal scene play in shaping your beliefs?
I guess mainly being around likeminded people. Gave me the exposure to veganism and straight edge.

Do you feel like the scene today is more or less aligned with vegan values than when you started?
It ebbs and flows I think. I feel like veganism was way more popular between 2017-2020, then it’s kinda slowed down a bit now. Straight Edge seems to be having a bit of a revival at the moment, which is cool.

What kind of impact do you hope your band has on listeners?
Hour of Reprisal is not a fully vegan band. It’s only myself and James (drums) that are vegan in the band. We are all straight edge, but even straight edge is not really the focus of the band. We are first and foremost an antifascist band that focuses on the injustices of the world. Personally, I just hope that someone listens to our band and becomes a better person because of the message, or becomes more aware of the social justice issues we try to highlight.
Have you ever heard from someone who changed because of your music?
I don’t think so.
Do you think music can genuinely shift people’s behavior, or just reinforce existing beliefs?
I think there’s a chance of both. Some people will always just be stuck in their ways forever, no matter what. Others will find community in the hardcore/vegan/straight edge scene and will become better people because of it.
Do you see veganism as inherently political?
Yes. 100%. It isn’t anything else but a political choice.
How do you balance music with direct action or activism, if at all?
I don’t. I just try to be patient with people who ask me about it and try to steer them in the right direction.

What issues within the broader movement do you think aren’t being talked about enough?
I guess just the fact that different people require different types of communication. Things like street activism are great and will work to push people in the right direction, but it won’t work on everyone.

Looking back, would you approach your message differently?
Not at all.
What keeps you committed when it gets difficult or isolating?
I know the obvious answer here is to say “the animals”. But let me just say being vegan has never really been difficult or isolating for me. You might have the odd time when eating out at a restaurant is a bit of a pain or when travelling you don’t know where to get vegan food, but you just do the best you can. Happy Cow app and health food shops are your best friend.

Where do you see the vegan / straight edge movement going in the next decade?
I don’t think it will change massively, there will be people that join either or both movements, there will be people that drop out. I’ll still be out there doing my thing.
What would you say to someone on the fence about embracing these ideas?
Ask yourself, like really ask yourself, “do I WANT to do this? Am I ready to make this a permanent change?”. If you can put your hand on your heart and say yes, then do it. If not, keep thinking about it and keep asking yourself the question, until you’re ready.

First band that made you think differently:
80’s Metallica. Especially “…And Justice for All.” Justice obviously being a massive theme across the record.
A lyric you’ve written (or heard) that still hits hardest:
“What does it take to wake you up?
Millions of lives lost isn’t enough.
You feel the pain, but lack the heart.”