XKEEP ME QUIETX

***“Animal Liberation without Human Liberation does not work. Human Liberation without Animal Liberation can never be complete.”***

xKeep Me Quietx was formed by the 3 vegan edge members of Disinclined, including an instrument switch to keep the challenge alive. The band’s lyrics revolve around societal injustices such as sexism, racism, genocides and animal cruelty. Their music has unintentionally become a chaotic mix of hardcore, grindcore, death metal and punk, which represents at least part of the band members’ musical influences.

Guitar & Vocals : Robine (they/none)

Bass : Cyril (he/none)

Drums : Joe (he/him)

What was the moment or experience that first pushed you toward veganism?
Having more and more vegan people around us and seeing them on stage was what pushed all of us towards veganism.
Did your path into veganism come before or after getting into hardcore / straight edge?
Was there a specific band, record, or scene influence that opened that door for you?
J: Hardcore and extreme music in general influenced almost everything I do. Bands like Earth Crisis, Moral Law, members of Deez Nuts and Bring Me the Horizon, and the whole vegan straight edge movement opened the door for me to go vegan.
How did your friends, family, or local scene react when you made that shift?
R: Most people around me reacted quite well. Some members of my family took some time to get used to it, but it was okay.
J: For my family, it was a bit harder to accept me becoming vegan. My parents are very meat-loving and it was a difficult adjustment for them. But they did manage and are now usually happy to try and cook vegan meals for me.
C: My family and closest friends were uncomplicated which also helped to face lessnunderstanding people like wider family or work. Really cool was that my little brother also turned vegan a few months later.
Was it an immediate commitment, or something you grew into over time?
R: I had to convince myself of becoming vegan for about a year - I knew I should be before I then finally committed. What helped me a lot was informing people around me from when on I would be vegan - since I had made an outward commitment, it was a lot easier to actually do it and keep committed.
C: For me it was a bit of both. I was vegetarian for a few years before I became vegan, so it was in a way a transformation over time. But from the moment I decided to become vegan it was more or less immediate. It was also a bit after Robine and around the same time Joe became vegan so that gave me a push and definitely helped.

For you, how connected are veganism and straight edge—are they inseparable or distinct choices?
R: For me, it would never be an option to be edge without being vegan. But I have been vegan a while before becoming edge and don’t think the two are inherently connected. There is a lot of overlap, though.
J: I think without being straight edge I would not be vegan. For me they are inseparable.
C: I would not say that they are inseparable, but I see many similarities between veganism and straight edge. Consuming animal products and consuming (illegal) drugs both come with an exploitatory system. Something that is also similar to me is that the ones (even if they are politically left) who consume animals and/or hard drugs often don’t want to know where the products are coming from and with how much violence these are linked.
Do you see veganism as an extension of straight edge ethics, or its own independent stance?
R: I definitely see veganism as an independent stance. It makes a lot of sense to be vegan when you’re already straight edge, but in my opinion, not necessarily vice versa. Veganism has a lot to do with how you want to treat others (including animals), while straight edge, for me, has more to do with how one treats oneself.
What role did the hardcore/metal scene play in shaping your beliefs?
R: I don’t think that the hardcore scene really shaped my beliefs per se. But it helped me a lot to see that other people view music and the music scene as inherently political as well (which i felt was less the case in other music scenes beside hc), in the sense that i felt more secure in my opinions and to voice them aloud.
J: I think without hardcore and punk I would probably be a completely different person.
C: For me it definitely helped to feel more safe and stand by my beliefs as I saw other people who spoke up and felt less alone in my views. There have also been bands that pushed me to reflect on things I did not know much about before.

Do you feel like the scene today is more or less aligned with vegan values than when you started?
We feel that in the scene in Switzerland, there has recently been a “dip” in those values. A bit more than a year ago, Switzerland’s biggest vegan band dissolved, and since then both being edge and being vegan are, while still not uncommon, less spoken about and generally perceived as less “cool”.

What kind of impact do you hope your band has on listeners?
R: We define ourselves as an inherently political band. We are very outspoken against all sorts as social issues, such as the global rise in fascism, coinciding with lessened rights for trans people and women, brutal migration politics, animal cruelty and the ongoing genocide in Palestine. We hope that our music helps people realize that just because they might live in Switzerland or Germany and enjoy a passport from these countries, these are still issues that should and do concern them. It is never okay to turn away from injustices and at the moment, hardly anyone is unaffected by these issues. We want people to get more aware of these issues, to feel like there is something that they can do about it, even if it sometimes feels hopeless. Hopefully, people will take our outspokenness as a call to action, to speak up on stage themselves, to talk to their friends, to go to demos and recognize their power.
C: In addition to what Robine said, I think listening to music with a political message can have (at least for me) a reassuring effect and make you feel less alone with your beliefs. In the world we live, having strong political values can also feel isolating at times and if we can soften that feeling a bit for someone that would also be a good impact.
Have you ever heard from someone who changed because of your music?
Do you think music can genuinely shift people’s behavior, or just reinforce existing beliefs?
C: I think it has also much to do with the people we surround ourselves with that can shift people’s beliefs and behaviour. That's also why it is so crucial that the hardcore scene is and stays political, and we build a community where that shift becomes possible.
J: Yes, I think music can change people's behavior and views. Music shaped my beliefs and behavior just as much if not more than the people around me. I think if you listen to a certain music intensely, it can change your beliefs even if you do not have the corresponding scene around you.
Do you see veganism as inherently political?
R: I’d rather ask: What isn’t political? From walking in forests dried up in July already to hardly getting vegan food at your local supermarket because they shrunk the range to working full time while barely being able to pay your rent, everything is political. Animal Liberation without Human Liberation does not work. Human Liberation without Animal Liberation can never be complete.
How do you balance music with direct action or activism, if at all?
R: All of us see the way we make music as political activism. Our lyrics and our speeches on stage are political, we play in squats, and we also try to raise money through benefit shows. I also do other kinds of activism, for example i am part of a CSD collective and do some voluntary work.
C: Currently I feel like I should do more activism. The world looks worse and worse, so I want to figure out I way to fit more activism besides making music and everyday
life.
What issues within the broader movement do you think aren’t being talked about enough?
We feel that it is less an issue of what is being talked about and more that many people only talk and don’t act like it.

Looking back, would you approach your message differently?
What keeps you committed when it gets difficult or isolating?
J: Music!
R: Friendships with like-minded people and talking about what stresses me out.
C: Listening to music can be motivating for me and also support from friends.

Where do you see the vegan / straight edge movement going in the next decade?
R: We hope the vegan edge movement takes a clear stance on pressing political issues.

What would you say to someone on the fence about embracing these ideas?
J: Do it! You have nothing to lose.

Final Thoughts:

First band that made you think differently:
There were too many bands that shaped us to just name one!
A lyric you’ve written (or heard) that still hits hardest:
(we wrote two)
“A head for a head until they realize animal suffering must end”
“You scream for change / But still enjoy their system / No change without revolution”

One misconception about vegan straight edge:
That straight edge people can’t party (⅓ of us still can).
One non-negotiable value:
C: I think especially veganism comes with a strong stance against oppression and exploitation. For me, that includes also forms of oppression against humans so being vegan can not align with fascist/right-wing values.
J: I think the same thing applies to straight edge. Being edge requires to have a hardcore/punk mindset which is inherently antifascist.

One thing the scene needs to do better:
C: At least in our local scene I lately have the feeling it is more a matter about who likes who and who said it (the cool kids or the not so cool kids) and less about what exactly is said or done. There needs to be less talking behind backs and more building of a strong and diverse community.