by Kenneth Morton

Based out of the Los Angeles/SFV area, Betrayal recently unleashed their debut EP for Mediaskare Records entitled The People’s Fallacy. Combining thoughtful lyrics with heavier than hell musical interludes, the band has amassed an impressive fan base in their hometown. While the average age of the members is only 17, these guys perform with a passion and energy that would impress the even more seasoned musicians. Here is a recent interview we conducted with two of the Betrayal members…

What are your impressions of the local Los Angeles music scene and how does Betrayal fit in?
Ever since we've been going to shows about 4 years ago, I'd definitely say the hardcore scene has gotten much bigger. More kids show up to shows nowadays. There's also been a big gap made between the hardcore scene and the "metalcore" scene, which is why I'd say we fit in. We play music that could be considered both hardcore and metal.

With most of the band members being 17, how difficult has it been to tour and to get on shows?
Honestly, our age really hasn't affected playing shows. We have a show lined up almost every weekend. Of course we can't play too many weekday shows but our weekends are usually booked. As far as touring, we can basically only tour during summer but once we're all out of high school, we'll hopefully be touring nonstop.

Is there any story of concept behind the CD title The People's Fallacy?
The main concept behind The People's Fallacy is basically self-centeredness and people doing whatever they can to be on top with no regard to people around them. It's that mentality that I saw everyday that led to naming our EP The People's Fallacy because no matter where you are, this greed and corruption is most likely right in front of your face.

Where did you get the ideas for some of the other lyrics on the CD. Cite a few song examples and what they are about.
The lyrics came about the same way I came with the name The People's Fallacy; just by coming into contact with basically anyone who either lied, cheated or manipulated people to getting what they want. In our song Pull the Plug, I focused on lying and building up false hope when I state, "What does a promise mean to you? Break me like you've broken them." I wrote this because lying to get your way just makes you look like an asshole and hurts whoever your lying to, so why even do it? As for people who think they are already on top I wrote A Dime a Dozen which has the line "You think your so original, but you're nothing new." The only reason I wrote this song was because I was tired of people acting a certain way because they wanted to put out the idea that they're better than everyone else. I'm not original so don't think I'm trying to say that. The main idea was of this was in the end, no one cares about your ego.

What can one expect from a live Betrayal show?
If it all had to come down to one word, it would be "energy", both from us and the crowd. We love running and jumping around and stage and feeding off the crowd's energy. There's a lot of sing-alongs, hardcore dancing, and just a lot of moving.

You have opened for A TON of really good bands. Are there any particular shows that really stand out as being memorable?
One show that really stands out was Kung Fu Fest. It was a huge show put on at the Kung Fu Corner, which was our hometown venue, so almost every kid knew our music and lyrics. Some of our most influential bands played as well such as Bury Your Dead, First Blood, As Blood Runs Black, Blood Stands Still, The Warriors, and a ton more. It was also the last show that was held at that venue which is sort of a bummer but I'm glad it went out with a bang.

How did you wind up on Mediaskare Records?
We actually signed up for a battle of the bands called "Headbang For The Highway" at the Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip. Baron, the owner of Mediaskare happened to be one of the judges. After the show, he came up to me (Sean) and told me that he saw a lot of potential in us. He decided to take us in as his project, being only 14 and 15 years old at the time. Ever since then, he's helped us mold ourselves into what we are today.

With so many hardcore and metalcore bands out there today, what do you think makes Betrayal stand out?
Oh man, this one's tough, haha. Well, like I said before, our music fits in with both the hardcore and metal scene, so we have an advantage when it comes to playing shows. We can play a show with As Blood Runs Black, for example, and kids would enjoy it. On the other hand, we could hop onto a Terror show and we would get the same reaction. So I think that makes us different from some bands.

Are there any tours coming up? What kind of tour have you been on so far?
This past summer we had the opportunity to tour with Wintch Mob and Lose None. It was only a week but it was honestly the time of our lives. We drove straight from LA to Des Moines, Iowa for the 1st show, which was sort of a rough drive, but was completely worth it. We made a lot of friends and fans, and got our name out there a bunch. As far as future tours, hopefully this summer you can catch us on a tour. We really don't have any details but keep your eyes out for it!

What's the most embarrassing band or song someone would find on your IPOD right now?
Oh jeez. Pink would have to be the most embarrassing thing, but she rocks so it's all good haha. Her song U + Ur Hand was on repeat on my Ipod all tour haha.

How close are you guys to recording a full length CD?
We've got about 3 songs finished. We want to have about 12 so we still have some writing to do. It's coming out really well. It's a lot heavier and more mature, considering I wrote when I was about 15 or 16. Keep your eyes out for that as well!

Any final words of wisdom?
All I can really say is that there are a lot of trends out there that people are following. Don't fall into any of these. If you want to be straightedge, or vegan, or Christian, do it for yourself. Not because your best friend that everyone thinks is the shit is doing it or because the girl you really like is doing it. There's way too many people claiming shit that they don't even believe in, which is pathetic.

Betrayal links

Betrayal on Myspace: The Official Myspace Page for Betrayal!
The Highwire Daze Home Page: Return to the Main Page!

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