Kat Moss of the Santa Cruz hardcore band Scowl has posted a prolonged message combating the concept she and her band are “business vegetation,” that often-deployed time period for artists who’ve been artificially shot to stardom by behind-the-scenes machinations fairly than rising to prominence organically. “I’m so sorry if I’m alienating a few of you, your complete fucking tradition alienates me!” Moss wrote in a tweet accompanying her message, quoting Bikini Kill’s “White Boy.” She continued, “I do know I’m not alone on an extended listing of people that have by no means felt adequate. I’ve selected silence many occasions. I select to sing, scream, and dance my ache into the night time. I select artwork over violence.”

Some context: Of the various bands bursting out of the hardcore scene with crossover enchantment, Scowl are among the many most blatant candidates for stardom. Scowl have simply traceable roots throughout the scene: They’ve been a part of a few of hardcore’s most iconic occasions of the post-pandemic period, together with the huge summer season 2021 guerrilla gig headlined by Gulch and Drain and final fall’s immediately legendary present with Gel at a Sonic Drive-In, and their 2021 debut album How Flowers Develop was an offended, ugly, ferocious 15-minute outburst. Additionally they embraced a extra melodic sound on this yr’s Psychic Dance Routine EP, they usually’re presently featured in a Taco Bell advert marketing campaign alongside alt-leaning pop acts MUNA and Claire Rosinkranz, for which their “Feed The Beat Unofficial Halftime Present” premiered on YouTube a couple of days in the past. And, oh yeah, their singer is a girl.

Presumably these elements are fueling the business plant allegations Moss is responding to. For what it’s price, I used to be capable of finding a grand whole of 5 tweets naming Scowl as an “business plant” earlier than Moss posted her message in the present day, however there are different locations on-line to debate hardcore in addition to Twitter, and I assume she and her bandmates are uncovered to extra direct pushback regularly.

Right here’s what Moss needed to say:

I’m sick of listening to the phrase “Business plant” each single time Scowl experiences success. Our buddies bands— bands generally stuffed with males, will signal model offers, have a track in a industrial, get a co-sign from massively profitable musicians, and so forth… but I by no means learn whisperings of whether or not or not they deserve these successes, whether or not or not they’re legitimate sufficient, GOOD sufficient, or labored laborious sufficient to be deserving of that success. Is our success by no means legitimate sufficient for you? Why is that this competitors created between us and our neighborhood, particularly femme-bodied people? A contest I by no means participated in, a patriarchal competitors I problem by questioning my ideas, actions, and insecurities each single day.

The message I obtain is that I’m not granted impartial success as a girl. Am I by no means grateful sufficient? Laborious working sufficient? Assured sufficient?

I’m grateful to be part of a neighborhood we now have ALWAYS contributed to lifting. By the way in which it isn’t that arduous to do… In case you consider in your self and your pals you’ve accomplished half the work! In case you consider in your scene, stroll by way of that door, purchase that t-shirt, and possibly even collect up the boldness to make a brand new pal or dance alongside to your favourite track you might be CONTRIBUTING to one thing larger than your self. Beginning a band was the most effective resolution I ever made, it saved my life in some ways and it helped me discover confidence in myself that I by no means believed I previously had.

I’m fortunately a part of a scene stuffed with lovely, clever, distinctive, and provoking individuals. A scene that would by no means have blossomed with out each single particular person.

Is it so laborious to consider a woman-led band generally is a hardworking and natural success? Is it so difficult to understand a womans success that it’s important to create a fantasy that the music business had a hand in it?

An especially male dominated music business by the way in which…

That being mentioned:

My life and my bandmate’s lives could be SO MUCH EASIER if we had business backing. I garnered the little confidence I had, not with out the assist of my buddies and my scene, in Might 2019 to play Scowl’s first present. My life has modified a lot since that day, however would’ve by no means been doable with out my buddies within the bay space/santa cruz hardcore scene. The ladies/femme/trans people who I’ve embraced all all over the world which have at all times had my again and noticed me for my real self. These people will at all times come first to me.

Scowl has labored tirelessly to be within the place we’re in. We have now practiced late into the night time, day after day. We have now relentlessly toured. Final yr I had bronchitis for months on tour, I’ve blown my voice out a handful of occasions, we now have skilled exhaustive bodily damage, blah blah and solely dropped ONE SHOW resulting from these circumstances the previous two years. Not even counting the despair, anxiousness, grief and different human sufferings skilled 1000’s of miles away from residence. Slept on numerous flooring, gone hungry for slightly too lengthy, been within the negatives on my financial institution statements, and so forth. Is that punk sufficient for you? We do that as a result of we LOVE IT. As a result of it makes us happier than the rest. I’ve the privilege to play music for my residing! After all I’m gonna chase my desires!

Essentially the most useful lesson that I discovered from hardcore is that when you’ve got one thing to say, scream it right into a microphone.

I’d be nowhere with out the numerous BIPOC/trans/femme/gender nonconforming people that I’ve shared the stage with and have had significant conversations and relationships with. I’m so grateful to music for giving me the chance to type these connections. You might have all collectively impressed me to by no means ever quit! Whether or not we discuss on a regular basis or have had a brief swift encounter, you realize who you might be and I LOVE YOU!

You remind me that I’m by no means alone.

Discover the unique tweet with Moss’ message beneath, together with that Taco Bell video.