Features

Featuring familiar faces in the form of Verse’s Quinn Murphy (vocals), Defeater’s Jay Maas (guitars, backing vocals) and Andrew Reitz (drums), Matthew Spence (guitar) and Dave Alcan (bass), Love Letter — formerly known as Death Of A Nation - is the latest in a long line of passionate hardcore bands from New England.

Their recently released debut album ‘Everyone Wants Something Beautiful’ (out now on Iodine Recordings) is an open window into insecurity and self-awareness and a deep-dive into generational trauma, its different forms, and the ways it can be projected onto others.

We caught up with guitarist Jay Maas - who has also produced countless records for other bands at Getaway Recordings in Massachusetts, including Bane, Counterparts, Title Fight, and more - to talk about his latest musical project and all things ‘Everyone Wants Something Beautiful.’

PRT: Maybe a cliché question to start off with, but can you tell me a bit more about why you went for the name Love Letter?

Jay: Absolutely! This line-up originally was called “Death of a Nation” but, truthfully, the EP we did under that name was really for that one specific project. We never intended to play shows, and that EP was really a reaction to what was going on at that time. As luck would have it, about a year after we released our EP, a documentary with the same name was released that embodied the antithesis of our message. We didn’t take any action at that time given we weren’t even sure we would do anything else in the future. However, after linking up with Iodine Records and realizing we were going to be taking on a full LP, we decided to change the name as not only was it now being confused with the documentary but also because it was limiting what we felt like we could write. Love Letter came up and I immediately endorsed it as an option because I liked the alliteration but also the double entendre of both it being seen as a physical Love Letter that one might write but also more of an action as well. I think especially in the times we live in now, where everything feels so polarized and emotionally charged, I like offering the sentiment of letting love in, particularly in the controversy or knee-jerk reactions that we unfortunately see all too commonly.

PRT: When members of influential hardcore bands like Defeater and Verse start a new project, people will have certain expectations. Did that play at all in your heads while writing and recording the album?

Jay: It really didn’t. I think you’ll find traces of our past bands influencing the sentiment surrounding the writing process more than what we wrote specifically. I know, speaking as the primary songwriter for nearly all of Defeater’s catalog, that by the end I felt painted in a box by the expectations from other members. There was this emphasis on staying “current” or “heavy” etc that honestly was just a cancer on the creative process required to make compelling art.

Love Letter is us getting back to where the best art is made, with no expectations, no limitations on what we are “supposed to” be writing. We literally flew to a place called The Pale Moon Ranch which is a studio in the middle of nowhere near the Mojave desert to isolate ourselves from any possible distractions while writing this. We showed up with basically zero songs and tasked ourselves with writing and recording the basics for a song a day until we had what we thought was going to be the full LP.

Upon getting back to Boston and recording the vocals we realized what was working and what wasn’t working so, believe it or not, we actually flew BACK to the desert to write and record more. The general sentiment surrounding the LP was that we weren’t going to put out anything we didn’t stand behind 100%. I believe the term is “all killer no filler” to quote the almighty Sum 41.

PRT: I read you had been texting each other for a couple of years before you really started Love Letter. Was there one specific moment where you decided to take things to the next level? And once you had decided that, did things all fall into place right away or was it more gradual?

Jay: For me, it was running into our guitar player Matt Spence that really motivated me to actually DO this. I’ll be honest, my being in a punk band BINGO card is pretty full and I feel really satisfied with the experiences I’ve got from touring / making records / signing to labels etc. I ran into Matt at a Silent Drive show in Worcester, MA and he just straight up called me out and said “YOU are the reason we haven’t done more” and he was completely correct. Sometimes I guess it takes being called out by your lifelong friends to kick you into gear and that definitely did the trick for me. I didn’t say anything at the time but it really quietly motivated me to take all the fragments I had been kicking around in my mind for this project and make them into something tangible.

PRT: Is it exciting to start a new project? Or are there parts of it as well that you aren’t necessarily looking forward to?

Jay: It’s honestly so exciting. I mean this is literally my dream line-up: Quinn has always been my favorite vocalist in the genre, Andy is my favorite drummer, and Matt and Dave are the best and most complimentary instrumentalists I could ever ask for. I never have to tell anyone what to do, they are all just masters of their craft and I’m so grateful to play with them all. Currently, I’m looking forward to every aspect of what we have coming up save for maybe a few red eye flights and long drives. But even those I’m sort of looking forward to in a very sick and masochistic way as they represent the insanity of starting a new punk band in one's 40s.

PRT: With bands like Turnstile taking hardcore almost mainstream, newer labels like Flatspot and Triple B taking off and an established label like Iodine being revitalized, it feels like the hardcore scene is doing very well. Do you share that sentiment?

Jay: I’m certainly not mad at it. It’s great to see these communities be as strong as they are and that people really are going out to shows. I don’t know if we took things for granted for a while and then Covid took it all away which gave us some MUCH needed gratitude or what, but it is wonderful to see. Nearly everyone in this world is doing it out of pure passion, as being in a band or running a label both rank as some of the worst business ideas one could possibly have. There is a real honesty to that that I find both alluring and refreshing.

PRT: Having been active in the hardcore scene as long as you have, what are some of the biggest changes you have seen over the years? And are they for the worse or for the better?

Jay: Well, it’s clear trends come and go. I was a big part of the melodic hardcore scene in the early 2010s and Turnstile used to open for us, if you can believe it. I remember being at a fest with Defeater. We weren’t headlining, but we were pretty close to the top billing (I think the headliner was New Found Glory). Turnstile had a mid-day slot at like 2pm or something. So I went over to check out their set and that’s where I saw that future and knew that melodic hardcore as I knew it was about to fall-out of favor. It looked JUST like when Defeater put out 'Empty Days & Sleepless Nights'; the kids were brimming with energy all packed against the front of the stage ready to explode. It’s cool to see the evolution of these things, I was always super grateful (and still am) for the ride I got to take and I always knew that things change and that’s what keeps music and art feeling fresh.

PRT: Obviously you wrote and recorded the songs yourselves. You produced and mixed the album as well. And even the album cover was taken by someone close to the band. Is that a conscious decision to keep things close?

Jay: It was very much a premeditated decision. Even choosing to work with Iodine was a choice to keep things really personal. Our pre-order shirts were designed by my longtime friend and old roommate Dan Rose, Jessie Maas (my wife) took the cover photo and I produced the record. The mastering was actually done by Dave McNair who has mastered artists such as David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen, but then also heavier bands like Helmet. Dave reached out to me years ago just to connect about audio production work and we have become buddies. So it was a no brainer to ask him to handle the mastering for the new LP.

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PRT: With the way things are in the US, everyone may want something beautiful, but it is obvious that not everyone can or will have it. I don’t think anyone has all the answers, but what do you think could be a first step in the right direction?

Jay: I think step one is to define what one considers their “something beautiful”. I mentioned Matt earlier in this interview and to quote him: he’ll say “my life is sick as hell” all the time because he values his relationships (which are fantastic), the music he gets to write and record, the shows he gets to play, and generally just has a positive outlook on the things in his life that he can take agency over. I think he’d be comfortable with me saying he’s no Rockefeller when it comes to money, but that’s so far from the point. He’s living the life HE wants to live and it’s a beautiful thing to get to watch as his friend and someone who loves him very much.

Then one could look at someone like myself and see that I’ve amassed more of what one might consider closer to the cliché but often used “American Dream” and maybe they would be envious, but honestly, it comes with a ton of sacrifice as well. I work constantly, I have dependents both familial and in business, but you know what, I am also crafting the life that I want to lead and it’s not a fluke that I am where I am.

I guess what I’m saying is, if it doesn’t feel obvious that it’s possible to have, I'd likely suggest that one takes stock of their own personal agency and if you aren’t where you want to be, do something about it accordingly. As a secular individual, I take how I live my life really seriously since as far as I’m concerned it’s the only one I get and it’s always sad to see people struggling when they are likely not as far away from happiness as they think they are.

PRT: And an easier one to end things on… now that the album is out, what is up next for Love Letter?

Jay: We are playing with Further Seems Forever in October and also performing at FEST in Gainesville that same month. We also have plans to hit Europe and that will be announced officially sooner than later.

I think we are going to keep having fun with the band, making art we love with no compromises, and hopefully connecting with more people that enjoy what we do! Thank you!