Scott Crouse

***“The beautiful thing for us, is music and activism are intertwined. I always have said that Earth Crisis is a traveling animal rights organization.”***

I’m Scott Crouse, I started playing guitar in hardcore bands when I was 15, still at it at 51! I’ve been vegan straight edge for 36 years and counting. Bands I’ve been in/am in, Framework, Earth Crisis, Path of Resistance, SECT, Tooth and Claw.

What was the moment or experience that first pushed you toward veganism?
I think a pivotal moment for me was when I was around 10, a friend and I had shot a squirrel with a BB gun. Of course, it didn’t die immediately, and we were both horrified to see it suffering. We put it out of its misery and took it to a local park and gave it a proper burial. It deeply affected me, so, when some friends started listening to Youth of Today about 3 years later, and all decided to go vegetarian, that message struck a cord with me.
Did your path into veganism come before or after getting into hardcore / straight edge?
The Hardcore scene was pivotal in getting me into veganism. From the first show I went to in Syracuse, there were animal rights groups tabling, people making vegan snacks and bringing them to shows. Protests were being organized and promoted. It was all very normalized, and there was a strong sense of community there that made it very easy. Syracuse was way ahead of time in this regard.
Was there a specific band, record, or scene influence that opened that door for you?
Indirectly, it was Youth of Today. A group of friends that I skated with were heavily getting into Hardcore, and Youth of Today was their favorite band. The ethics that they promoted did resonate with me. I never fell in love with Youth of Today musically the way that they did, but I can’t deny the impact that they had on my life.
How did your friends, family, or local scene react when you made that shift?
The local scene was unbelievably supportive. My family was concerned and of course thought I was crazy, but 30+ years later I think they have to acknowledge it wasn’t just a passing trend for me.
Was it an immediate commitment, or something you grew into over time?
Most of my friends at the time had been vegetarian for at least a year, and were starting to transition into veganism. When I went vegetarian, I remember how excited they were to have me on the team, I think I was vegetarian for about six months before transitioning to veganism. It was an immediate shift. It was really beautiful time of people supporting each other, sharing new ideas, new philosophies, and new cultures were entering into our lives through food.

For you, how connected are veganism and straight edge— are they inseparable or distinct choices?
For me veganism and Straight Edge are connected in the sense that both are separation from mainstream society. They’re both acknowledgments that the standard way of living is harmful and self-destructive.
Do you see veganism as an extension of straight edge ethics, or its own independent stance?
I do think veganism is its own independent stance. As I mentioned in the previous question, they certainly share some common ground in the sense that they are deviations from cultural norms. They are two ideologies that I hold very dear, but if I was to place emphasis on one, it would be veganism. I think people can absolutely be vegan without being Straight Edge and vice versa. Both are in my opinion, the cornerstones of a better society. The direct impacts that veganism has are, of course extremely important and relevant, but I think even subconsciously it’s good for society. It’s a selfless act, it supports a sense of community and pushes us away from the self-centered behavior that I feel like drives most of our world these days.
What role did the hardcore/metal scene play in shaping your beliefs?
I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without Hardcore. From my first show the ethics of Hardcore were presented to me. I remember vividly there being an animal rights table at the show, and people selling vegan baked goods. This was all so new and radical to me at the time. The people I met were open to discussing these issues with me, in a very non judgmental way. I loved the vibe, young people discussing philosophies and counter culture ideas. To a 12 to 13 year-old it was a door opening to a world I would have not seen otherwise.
Do you feel like the scene today is more or less aligned with vegan values than when you started?
I feel like Hardcore today is splintered off into a few factions, under one big umbrella. You absolutely still have the straight edge and vegan ethics, but there’s also a part of Hardcore that is strictly a music scene as well. It’s nice in some ways because everyone is for the most part kind and respectful to everyone else’s beliefs. When we were coming up, I wouldn’t say that was the case. There was a lot of disrespect being thrown around to Straight Edge and veganism, thus a lot of our lyrical content. These days for the most part, I think people are respectful of each other. That being said, I would personally like to see more talk about personal growth in hardcore these days. There’s room for everything of course, but I think what Karl always tried to do with Earth Crisis was have a mixture of rage and frustration based lyrics, mixed with educational, insightful, and personal growth lyrics as well. From my perspective, I see a lot of focus and attention just on the rage and frustration part these days.

What kind of impact do you hope your band has on listeners?
Karl has always been the one leading the charge with the ideology, the lyrics have always been solely him. No one else had any input on those things. Mostly because there was no need to, he said things so beautifully, explained straight edge and animal rights in ways that, I’m proud to say, were never done before. He spoke for us all, still does, and presented a message that we could all stand on stage and be very proud of. From my perspective, I just hope people can see the honesty and commitment and passion that he put into his words. Musically, I hope people hear the same thing the band put into every note. We did our best to craft an original and unique sound track, that wasn’t typical of a straight edge band, for Karl’s ideas and well crafted words.
Have you ever heard from someone who changed because of your music?
It has been said to us from time to time yes, and it’s extremely humbling to hear each time.
Do you think music can genuinely shift people’s behavior, or just reinforce existing beliefs?
Yes, I think music has been and can always be a perfect vehicle for ideas and ideologies. It always has been, not just hardcore, but most genres of music have individuals sharing ideas, feelings, philosophies on life.
Do you see veganism as inherently political?
I think it’s largely political, but I think it does go deeper than that. It’s a political statement, but it’s also philosophical and I could see an argument for where It actually is somewhat spiritual as well.
How do you balance music with direct action or activism, if at all?
The beautiful thing for us, is music and activism are intertwined. I always have said that Earth Crisis is a traveling animal rights organization.
What issues within the broader movement do you think aren’t being talked about enough?
I feel like these days, with the information overload we all experience, most avenues are being covered well. Within animal rights there’s always been people who are more focused on one aspect vs another. Some are more animal shelter adoption, some environmental impact, some animal testing and laboratory protest based. I think we all agree that all are necessary, but we gravitate to where we think we can do the most good.

Looking back, would you approach your message differently?
Not at all, we of course didn’t get everything right all the time, but people have to remember that we were 15 year-old kids when we started this band. We were figuring things out as we went along as well, and I’d say for the most part we were pretty right on. It’s all been part of a learning experience and journey for us as well.
What keeps you committed when it gets difficult or isolating?
I have never seen veganism as a punishment or martyrdom. I enjoy being vegan, I enjoy the culture. I don’t feel like it’s isolating at all to be honest, if anything it’s been the opposite for me. It’s connected me to other people, and I have found a community of friends who I share a deeper bond with than I think I would have otherwise.
Where do you see the vegan / straight edge movement going in the next decade?
I think vegan straight edge will continue to grow as it has for a few decades now. As long as there are bands and people within the Hardcore and Punk movement promoting it. There have been countless attempts to poke holes in the ideology over the decades, but it stands strong because it’s based in facts and empathy.
What would you say to someone on the fence about embracing these ideas?
It would depend on what their hesitations or criticisms are exactly? There are so many angles people attempt to take to discredit straight edge and veganism. In the end, it’s hard to argue with “I don’t want innocent creatures, people and animals, to suffer needlessly. Drug, alcohol, meat and dairy consumption all promote a society where unnecessary suffering is seen as acceptable. We as a society should want to move away from that.”

Final Thoughts:

First band that made you think differently:
Youth of Today.
A lyric you’ve written (or heard) that still hits hardest:
“Reject the anthropocentric falsehood that maintains the oppressive hierarchy of mankind over the animals.”
One misconception about veganism:
That we don’t have fun.
One non-negotiable value:
I mean, it’s non negotiable to not consume animal products or drugs if you’re XVX.
One thing the scene needs to do better:
In my opinion, the activist mind tends to scan for issues constantly. It can often make mountains out of mole hills, so I think I’d have to say focus. Stay focused on the larger issues, don’t hold everyone to your individual rigid standards as that ultimately turns people away and hurts the movement. It’s nuanced of course, we do need to hold each other to standards, but I think it can often become to “all or none” within this community.