POISON IVY XVX
“At the end of the day it’s a personal choice and shaming someone for making one choice but not another is counterproductive. There are better ways to change someone’s mind or open their eyes.”
Poison Ivy is a five-piece vegan straight edge band from Sofia, Bulgaria, formed in the beginning of 2025.
Members from xCHOKEx (a now inactive SxE band) decided they wanted to form the first ever vegan band in Bulgaria, which then turned out to be the first XVX band in the country.
In October 2025 they released their first EP “Screams Unheard” through Bound By Modern Age Records.
Rooted in the DIY hardcore spirit, the band firmly stands against exploitation, abuse, and apathy in all forms.
Compassion over cruelty!
Mindful living over senseless consumption!
What was the moment or experience that first pushed you toward veganism?
Grigor: I was vegetarian due to health reasons before becoming vegan, but knowing the suffering that animals endure in factory farms for eggs and dairy made me make the change.
Abi: A comment from someone back when I was 15, about me “eating the poor little animal” after I ate a McDonald’s burger struck a chord with me and since I’ve always hated the taste and smell of meat the decision was easy and made the very next day. The next logical step was veganism which came naturally as I educated myself more on the subject.
Evko: I used to ruminate about cannibalism and how people are so hypocritical depending on the species of what they are eating. Then I was seeing some of my favourite animals, the birds and the rabbits, being mercilessly displayed as stock for people to consume. I ended up eating chicken hearts once, and realized these were the remnants of living beings and became disgusted by meat forever and vowed to never taste it again. After a year, I became vegan also.
Alek: Definitely watching the movie “Earthlings” inspired me to adopt a vegetarian diet. After watching it I was more aware of the gruesome exploitation of animals. The next logical step was to not use any animal products and becoming vegan was a natural step for me.
Did your path into veganism come before or after getting into hardcore / straight edge?
Grigor: I was aware of the music and the scene before becoming vegan.
Abi: I became vegetarian shortly after entering the scene as a kid but became fully vegan years later.
Evko: I was always a punk kid. Really, the ideologies I ended up following came after I got more mature, rather than with the scene itself.
George: I was already knee deep into hardcore when I became vegetarian. I associated myself with the scene much more when I became vegan since I didn’t really like the predominantly new-age apolitical vegan movement in Bulgaria.
Alek: I became vegetarian before joining the hardcore scene. Only after becoming more involved in the scene did I decide to fully commit towards veganism.
Was there a specific band, record, or scene influence that opened that door for you?
Grigor: I would say Earth Crisis was the band that really got me into thinking about animal liberation also Vanguard as a newer band but still very influential for me.
Abi: After the very first local show I went to I met with members from Catalyst. Some of them were vegetarian and that’s how the animal cruelty conversation started for me. I owe them a lot.
Evko: Always loved Minor Threat and Gojira, got me into environmentalism, but after Grigor, Alek and George’s previous band xChokex and another - TruexFeeling - came into the local scene, that’s when I really started paying attention.
How did your friends, family, or local scene react when you made that shift?
Grigor: My family was not super supportive at first but I would say most people in the scene were supportive.
Abi: My friends weren’t too supportive, few of them understood it at the time. My family was overall supportive, but my mom is the real MVP. The moment I told her about my decision she started looking up recipes so she could cook for me.
Alek: My mom has always been super supportive and she welcomed my decision with open arms. Similar to Abi’s mom, mine started experimenting with non-animal products when she was cooking.
Was it an immediate commitment, or something you grew into over time?
Grigor: Immediate commitment for me.
Evko: Going fully vegan was hard at first because of my laziness, but as soon as I claimed edge I haven't touched the shit ever again.
Abi: With all 3 choices (first becoming vegetarian and then vegan and straight edge) it was an immediate commitment. I’ve never even felt like I missed anything.
George: I was vegetarian for a year before going vegan and both were equally easy to stick to because ethics has been a big driving force in my life and going vegan was entirely an ethical choice for me.
Alek: I was vegetarian for a couple of years before going fully vegan so it wasn’t an immediate commitment for me. This was around the same time that I became straight edge so both decisions reinforced my conviction.
For you, how connected are veganism and straight edge—are they inseparable or distinct choices?
Grigor: I think they are different but I see why they are connected. SxE shows you how your consumption affects you and I can see how this can make you think about animals and how your consumption affects them.
George: I know abstinence might sound like the obvious answer, but I think sticking to principles over a long period of time helps people grow both as individuals and as communities. It only makes sense that there is a big overlap between two movements that are so strongly defined by their ethics.
Do you see veganism as an extension of straight edge ethics, or its own independent stance?
Evko: I also think they’re different, however awareness of how industrialism ties into drug production, and how drug and tobacco demand harms the Earth, is mandatory for a more honest and harmless lifestyle.
Abi: They are different choices but to me they are also intrinsically connected because of the ethics behind them, but I can see why other people can see it differently. People come to both these decisions through very different paths and some never make the connection.
How do you respond to people in the scene who embrace one but not the other?
Abi: Like I would to any other person - with kindness. At the end of the day it’s a personal choice and shaming someone for making one choice but not another is counterproductive. There are better ways to change someone’s mind or open their eyes. I applaud anyone who makes either one of those choices. But it’s also important to start conversations, especially about veganism.
Evko: Plenty of SxE people aren’t vegan at all, despite being sober and aware of the world, and I don’t really get it, honestly. I still have a ton of empathy for addicts though, and will never forget where I came from, and I applaud anyone who’s vegan regardless of their sobriety status.
What role did the hardcore/metal scene play in shaping your beliefs?
George: The hardcore scene and the DIY scene in particular was extremely influential on me. Through it I got deeper into anarchist politics, saw that my efforts and the efforts of comrades were shaping the environment around us. This was very inspiring after the very disappointing nihilism and learned helplessness in Bulgarian society.
Abi: Music has always been a driving force in my life and that includes my beliefs. Finding my way to the DIY scene and anarchist and antifascist ideologies has all happened through hardcore and punk.
Do you feel like the scene today is more or less aligned with vegan values than when you started?
Grigor: I think more people are becoming SxE now that we have more bands in the balkan scene.
George: It’s definitely growing and I like that what drives this is more than just the shallow self-improvement and healthy lifestyle reasons that turned out not to be enough for many.
What kind of impact do you hope your band has on listeners?
We want to inspire people to think more about the world and the other living beings we share it with. We want to help bring out people’s compassion and critical thinking where it matters most and where it can lead to positive change.
Have you ever heard from someone who changed because of your music?
At a show in Romania recently someone told us they went fully vegan because of something we said during our previous show there in December 2025. That was incredibly heartwarming to hear and some of us (not gonna say who) cried a lot after that interaction. If you are reading this, and you have made the choice to go vegan because of someone’s efforts, let them know!
Do you think music can genuinely shift people’s behavior, or just reinforce existing beliefs?
Music has more power than most other forms of art and therefore can bring positive shifts in people’s beliefs and actions.
Do you see veganism as inherently political?
It is political and shouldn’t be treated as anything less. That’s precisely why there should be a clearer distinction between vegan and plant based. For a lot of people who don’t understand veganism, there isn’t one.
How do you balance music with direct action or activism, if at all?
Evko: I’m a volunteer at an animal rights organization and regularly participate in trans activism as well. Sometimes it can get overwhelming but it pays off immensely.
Abi: We’ve also organized benefit shows in support of different animal rights organizations and shelters, but there is always more we could be doing.
What issues within the broader movement do you think aren’t being talked about enough?
A lot of issues aren’t discussed enough, if at all, in the broader hardcore punk scene. Especially in Bulgaria.
Looking back, would you approach your message differently?
We’re still a young band and there is always room for improvement, but I think we all stand firmly behind the things we believe in and do our best to make it just as clear in our message.
What keeps you committed when it gets difficult or isolating?
Grigor: I would say not eating corpses comes easy at least for me. Wherever you go, there are people who share the same beliefs as you. Some places have more, some less, but you can always find a community and will not feel isolated.
Abi: Same here. For me it comes as easy as breathing. Some choices just feel right and not forced (as it should be) and being vegan and straight edge are two of those choices. It’s the opposite of isolating, it gives you a community that understands your values better than most other people around you.
Where do you see the vegan / straight edge movement going in the next decade?
The straight edge movement is on the rise in Bulgaria and we hope we keep this momentum going for as long as possible. Unfortunately less people are compassionate towards the struggles of animals and even though more people are vegan now, it’s still not a popular choice in the broader hardcore scene and most of the people who are straight edge aren’t vegan.
What would you say to someone on the fence about embracing these ideas?
Abi: It will be the best decision of your life. Leaving animal cruelty, off your plate, out of your closet and beauty products is not just a decision that impacts you, but one that can impact thousands of lives. Your choices are a vote for the type of future you want, not just for yourself. Same goes for being straight edge: taking responsibility for your actions and how they affect the ones around you can be extremely rewarding. Our time here is limited, use it for something that has a tangible impact, leaving behind a (slightly) less cruel world.
Final Thoughts:
First band that made you think differently:
Grigor: Earth Crisis
Abi: Catalyst, AFI
Evko: Dead Kennedys
George: Minor Threat, Catharsis, Chokehold, Gather, Undying
Alek: Architects, Escalate
A lyric you’ve written (or heard) that still hits hardest:
Grigor:“It's our struggles that define us, and the hardships we endure”
Abi:“A life spent in a cage for a future on a plate”
Evko: “Soup is good food, you’ll make a good meal, how does it feel?”
One misconception about veganism:
“Where do you get your protein?” “How do you have fun?” *insert puke emoji here*
One non-negotiable value:
Empathy and compassion.
One thing the scene needs to do better:
There is a lot the scene needs to do better. Be more accepting, tolerant, and inclusive for one, not tolerate nazi scum at hardcore shows (sadly that’s still the reality for the bigger hardcore shows here), and not tolerate abuse in any form, but especially towards trans people and women.
Grab a copy of Poison Ivy’s “Screams Unheard” on physical now.
Cassettes can be found below.