The members of Nashville hardcore/grindcore outfit Bleed the Pigs have seen their star rise quickly in the year or so they've been together, thanks in large part to the supercharged vocals of Kayla Phillips. The Austin transplant pulls no political punches when she's on the mic, tackling thorny issues of gender and race over some of the heaviest riffs in Music City.
The music seems to be a vehicle for taking on political issues. Can you talk about what kinds of things you're trying to address?
I really am sort of forced to write about it. I feel like there are a lot of bands out there that do write about it, but a lot of them, they can't connect with it. They simply can't. It doesn't affect them the way that it affects marginalized people, so I think that's something people really like coming from us. ... And I think it builds a stronger community, and a safer space all around for all sorts of people.
Those are things you also talked about in the op-ed you did for Noisey ["What Do Hardcore, Ferguson and The 'Angry Black Woman' Trope All Have in Common?"/>. ... I'm curious what the response was like.
It truly was positive. And I was really surprised by that. ... I figured people would say, "Race isn't even an issue anymore." ... But a lot of the black people who want to go to shows more, that feel weird when they go to shows, and just people of color in general, came out of the bushes and said, "You know what? I feel this, and I feel safe. Maybe I can actually go to your show. I haven't even heard your band yet, but I can go to your show and know that I'm not being judged."
What do you hope for, for the scene [in Nashville], in terms of where it could be, and what your role in that could be?
Here, I just really want people to pay attention ... because there's so many different voices. The Other Booking, the company that books a lot of the DIY shows, is run by a black woman [Kathryn Edwards]. ... I want her to be recognized for what she does. ... You know, just open up your eyes to the world of who is here. ... Be open to growth.
[Do] you think there's a chance that Nashville could be a place where heavy bands are known?
Yes! Every time someone writes an interview with us, they're like, "From Nashville, Tennessee? What the heck?" And it's like, "There's people there! There's people there that like heavy stuff."
Read more of this interview on our music blog Nashville Cream.
More From the 2015 People Issue
The Textile Designer: Andra Eggleston / The Transformer: Bill Schleicher / The Chief: Steve Anderson / The Bookseller: Yusef Harris / The Producer: Dave Cobb / The Rookie: Filip Forsberg / The Pedal Steel-Playing Pilot: Joshua Motohashi / The Weathermen: David Drobny & Will Minkoff / The Punk Neuroscientist: Kale Edmiston / The Kitchen Artist: Karla Ruiz / The Metalhead: Kayla Phillips / The Image Master: kogonada / The Bartender: Lee Parrish / The Professor: Lisa Guenther / The Advocate: Marisa Richmond / The Captains: Kellie Hurst & Regina Durkan / The Painter: Michael Shane Neal / The Tunesmith: Shane McAnally
