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Guilt Trip: “We’re trying to see how far we can push the sound we have”

Backed by Malevolence and with a clear idea of who they are and what they want to achieve, things are on the up for Manchester’s Guilt Trip. And with second album Severance, they’re a band hungry for even more…

This summer, Guilt Trip have played some of Europe’s biggest festivals, carving their name into the minds of those who love all things heavy. Playing a unique brand of hardcore that sees them delve into elements of thrash, old-school hardcore and fist-pumping metal, the Manchester quartet are growing at an impressive rate. In fact, guitarist Jak Maden suggests they might have even been “overachieving” compared to where they expected, or hoped , they might be at this stage in their career.

The band’s 2019 debut River Of Lies laid the very foundation for what Guilt Trip are all about: a DIY sound backed by heavy riffs with a sprinkling of grooves. Indeed, their blueprint lives in hardcore, but fast-forward just a few years to now, and they’re entering much bigger leagues with new album Severance. “We’ll probably always be a hardcore band,” begins vocalist Jay Valentine, “but I think we’re just trying to see how far we can push the sound we have.

“We’ve not changed our sound over the years to make it more listenable, in order to achieve this and that,” he adds. “It’s just the music we’ve wanted to play.”

“I think we’ve matured,” considers Jak. “It’s been the natural path to not sound like a traditional hardcore band. A hardcore sound is so broad, and it’s impossible to really say, as there’s so many different sounds within the scene.”

Said scene is bursting with life right now – you only have to cast your eyes over June’s incredible Outbreak Fest line-up to see how eclectic and exciting things are. And yes, while it’s ultimately a style of music, this is also a mindset: one that allows you to be whatever makes you feel free.

This is a concept they embraced when they shared recent Severance single Sweet Dreams, with the aim of “setting ourselves apart from the traditional hardcore aesthetic” and focusing on their own art. Put simply: they want to do things the Guilt Trip way.

“We’re not remotely bothered about what other bands are doing,” says Jay. “I mean, if there’s bands that we like then we want to see them do well, but it’s not something that really crosses our mind when we’re doing our own thing. We focus on what we want to sound like – it’s what we want to do and we’re doing it for us.

“It’s amazing to have people that like us and support us, and we couldn’t do it without them,” the singer stresses. “But at the end of the day, it is our hobby, it’s our livelihood and it’s what we want to do. We’re going to do it the way that we want, regardless of what all the other bands around us are doing.”

A hobby that is seemingly having its just rewards. Coming into their own and with the confidence of a much more experienced band, Guilt Trip get the sense that something is happening here. At the same time, though, having signed to fellow hardcore favourites’ Malevolence ’s MLVLTD label for this record, they also feel rejuvenated, and like they’ve gotten a completely fresh start.

“I think we’re all quite terrified or excited at the same time,” smiles Jak. “It feels like the first real album we’ve done and the only one where we’ve got some pressure on our shoulders.”

“Yeah, we feel like we’re kind of starting again,” agrees Jay, “because we’re coming into a slightly different world than we’ve been used to.”

It’s also the first time they’ve felt like they’ve really had the record label experience. That’s thanks in no small part to Malevolence’s efforts and support throughout the process.

“This is the first time I feel like we’ve had the proper label treatment,” explains Jak. “We’ve always been scared of having the control taken away from us by a bigger entity, or being made to do this and that. But it’s nothing like that at all. They’ve given us all the support that we could have asked for, and I don’t think the LP would be as good without them because they’ve put so much into us. Now, we’re trying to give something back, and it’s just made us work little bit harder, and push that little bit more.”

“They’ve been amazing to us,” agrees Jay. “Really, everything good that’s come to us over the last year or so has pretty much been all through them. We’re grateful that they’ve showed their support.”

In a true full-circle moment, Guilt Trip will be supporting Malevolence – along with Sylosis and Justice For The Damned – on their massive tour of the UK and Europe in just a couple of months’ time. And we can guarantee that’ll be a trip worth taking.

Severance is out now via MLVLTD. Catch Guilt Trip in the UK supporting Malevolence in November – get your tickets now .

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Having just released their second album Severance (reviewed ) Manchester’s Guilt Trip are very much on an upward curve. The band are currently on the road with heavyweights Malevolence and it seems the world’s their oyster. So we decided it was high time The Midlands Rocks caught up with guitarist Jak Maden and drummer Tom Aimson (who comprise the band along with vocalist Jay Valentine and guitarist Sam Baker ) to get the full low down.

Can you give me a brief history of the group?

Jak: I’ve been best friends with Tom since I was four years old. We went to school together, and when we turned 18 years old we decided to form the band. I went to music college and found a few members there, over the years the members changed and we arrived where we are today.

Tom: I Joined in 2019 and we’ve had a couple of member changes since then, and it’s been a long road, 10 years of the band.

Jak: 10 long years, Guilt Trip’s been going since 2016, but we were the same band before then, only under a different name.

And what made you decide to play this music rather than heavy metal or punk?

Tom: It’s probably through live shows, from going to shows since a kid, you get attached to it pretty quickly. It’s more than going to gigs, it becomes a lifestyle and you end up going to those sorts of gigs all the time, then you pull different sorts of influences into it, and I guess that’s what makes our sound really.

Jak: I don’t consider Guilt Trip a genre or a style of sound, it’s more a lifestyle.

What’s going on in the north of England? There’s such a big hardcore scene, especially in places like Leeds and Manchester.

Tom: I think it’s historical, especially in Leeds, it has always had a really big punk scene. Henry Rollins from Black Flag lived there for a while, so it has always had a beating heart and people are drawn to there to start bands, and it’s the same with Manchester as well.

Guilt Trip have a very harsh and heavy sound. Do you think you’re a product of your environment?

Jak: Yes, but it’s not purposeful, it’s being in those surroundings; Manchester can be quite dismal in terms of the weather, so maybe that rubs off on the sound, unintentionally. As you travel from the south to the north of England, the sound does change. Rough Justice are from the north and we have a similar vibe to them, and they’ve probably had a similar upbringing to us.

Tom: I think it rubs off on everybody, no matter what what style of music you play, who you are and where you come from will always play a part in it.

It’s pertinent that you mention Manchester’s climate; both The Smiths and Joy Division have a gloomy sound, yet Guilt Trip strike me as more positive.

Jak: It can be, but we just write the best riffs we can and then it’s up to Jay [Valentine, vocalist] to set the tone of the song. A lot of his lyrics are about his own experiences and people can relate to it in any way they want. There’s no direct message; it’s down to personal interpretation, and we’ve heard all sorts of different meanings.

You are now signed to Malevolence’s label (MLVTLD). How did that come about, and are they an inspiration to you?

Tom: Definitely. The first time I saw the lads was in 2012, going back years and growing up in the scene along with Jak, we’ve watched them grow, so it must rub off in some way.

Jak: Every single member of this band was into Malevolence and we’d travel to Sheffield to see them when we were young. I think they’ve paved the path for us; they’ve crawled so we can walk. It has made it a lot easier for us, they’ve knocked down a lot of barriers; they’ve come from the hardcore scene and now they’re conquering the metal scene, and that doesn’t happen often. Bringing us on this tour shows how much they care about us, and shows us how it is done.

Malevolence have risen to the top on their own terms, they haven’t pandered to any record company. Have you taken that D.I.Y. ethic on?

Tom: We’ve always been D.I.Y., we’ve always wanted to be in control of everything.

Jak: Every thing we can do, we will do ourselves. Obviously there’s limits to that, especially if you want to grow, you can’t be the best at every sector in the music world; things like album artwork for example; you’ve got to look outside for that.

Your new album Severance has been out in the world for a couple of months. Have you been happy with its reception?

Tom: Amazing. We’ve been blown away by it to be honest.

Jak: Especially finally playing it live, these shows are the first time we’ve played those songs; everyone at the merch desk has said that they love the album. It’s nice to get out and play it and see how it goes down live.

And how are those songs going down live?

Jak: We haven’t played gigs for five months, so give us a few weeks and we’ll probably be nailing it, but it’s harder to play than our older material.

Tom: We’ve practically changed our whole set to new material as well, so it’s been a big step after playing the same set for six years, to then change it all completely.

Jak: It has been a big shock, there’s not really been any time to breathe.

You’re currently on tour with three other great bands. Is it a bit daunting, and in a way has it made you up your game?

Jak: Yeah, we knew we had to get some good practice in, we know how good Malevolence are live, we’ve seen it plenty of times over the years.

Tom: I suppose on every tour you see how other people do things and you think ‘I could learn a bit of that’.

Jak: I think both Malevolence and Sylosis have more production than us, but it doesn’t worry us; we’re proud to be a bit more D.I.Y., I’m sure over the years we’ll start adding a bit more production into our set but it’s nothing to be ashamed of, at the moment we’re proud to be a stripped-back live band with just a couple of samples between songs.

A good live set should ebb and flow, so how do you get that ululation in your show?

Tom: With samples I suppose, like Jak just said they’re a bit mellow, and then we’ve got a few lighter parts in some tracks which we put in at certain places just so it levels things out, and the samples tend to help things blend into each other…

Jak: Instead of just stopping and introducing the next song, that’s our next goal is to up the production. For years it was just us and the songs, introduce it and then go. But now, like you say, we’re trying to make it flow smoothly. We want to create an atmosphere by introducing some eerie sounds to build a bit of tension.

And this is the third night of the tour. How’s it been going?

Tom: Amazing. I’m sure that will see us through the next 30 days.

Jak: Last night was one of the best gigs we’d ever played. It was Manchester, our home town and that’ll carry us through the next few days. I’m sure tonight will be amazing, we’ve not played Birmingham since 2018, so let’s see, we’ll give it all we’ve got.

You head off to Europe after the UK. For humble young lads from Manchester the big venues, tour buses, backstage passes must all be a bit mind-blowing. How do you keep your feet on the ground?

Jak: We’re all big worriers and we beat ourselves up over minor details, so that keeps us on the ground. We never get carried away with anything, take each gig as it comes and see what next year brings. We come from the ground so I think we appreciate everything we’re getting. It’s not been easy, it’s been 10 years of graft, and now it is here, we wouldn’t want to take it for granted. We’re only second on the bill, so it’s not like we’re getting a big ego or anything. We’re here to win over the crowd, to prove a point, rather than act like a big band, that’s not us.

You’ve had some real high points along your career, such as playing Hellfest and Bloodstock. What’s next on your bucket list?

Tom: I’m sure everyone knows, but it’s Download. That’s been the dream.

Jak: That’s the one for us, because it’s in the UK and we used to go as kids, we were there a few years ago, so to have gone there as a fan and then to be there on stage would be amazing. I’d never been to Bloodstock before I played it, and Hellfest obviously not, so that’s not quite the same, but I think when you’ve been as a punter and then be on stage, that’d be special.

Tom: When I was a kid I had a diary and my dream was to got to Download festival, let alone play it, and then after that the next goal is to play America.

Although your album is fresh out the oven, have you thought about where your sound might go next? Any other genres you’d incorporate?

Jak: I don’t think we’d add so much, more refine. I think we already know what we might sound like on the next record, and I think it might surprise people, we might even go back on some sections, but where we are right now, I think we’re really happy with the sound.

Tom: We enjoy writing really lighter stuff so I think take a bit of a step in that direction, we’ve got a lot on the new record.

Jak: But we won’t take away heavy to add lithe, instead on an album with 10 heavy tracks, they’ll be 12 but with two lithe. We’ll never compromise.

Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to a young band starting out, what’d it be?

Tom: Just be yourself. Just do what you want to do and just stick to it. Don’t ever change for anyone, do whatever you think is right for your music and your sound.

Jak: My one piece of advice would be; don’t cut corners in any way, shape or form because you’ll always regret it. But if you do regret it, don’t worry because you learn from mistakes. But don’t cut corners…and don’t put something out because you are in a rush.

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Guilt Trip: From Rain City To The Ritz

Think of your favourite hardcore or hardcore-adjacent band in the UK right now and chances are they are a part of MLVLTD . Malevolated is a record label formed by none other than giants of the scene MALEVOLENCE and provides a sense of community for other similar bands that find themselves on the same bills as the leaders of the new generation of hardcore. Finding themselves a part of this community among the elite is none other than Manchester’s GUILT TRIP . 

With the release of new album Severance fast approaching, we caught up with drummer Tom Aimson and guitarist Jak Maden to learn exactly what has gone into producing this new offering. 

“We sort of started to write about a year and a half ago in April last year,” says Aimson . “We got a couple of riffs down and then started the first couple of tracks around then but didn’t really take it as seriously as writing a full record until about September last year. It all happened quite quickly to be honest.” 

GUILT TRIP blends elements from a multitude of genres through metal, hardcore and thrash, picking and choosing the best components from each to enhance their own unique sound. This collaboration of genres stems from the collaborative nature in which they choose to write, with the band choosing to get bring what they have worked on separately into the group setting. 

“I think it definitely works for us because we all have our own influences, but then we all have mutual influences as well,” says Maden . “Early days, it was kind of like one of us would do all of this. Now, Tom plays guitar, so there’s three of us playing guitar; there’s three people writing riffs.” This fact becomes apparent when listening to Severance , with each song sounding entirely unique. There runs a risk in this genre of becoming a predictable band, but with three separate people writing some of the most important elements of their music GUILT TRIP are far from falling victim to this trope. 

The crossover between genres is no more apparent than during Sweet Dreams , which features guest vocals from none other than LANDMVRKS ’ Florent Salfati . Both met during a show in Czech Republic last year and after an expression of admiration between the two bands’ lead singers and an exchange of t-shirts, Salfati seemed the only logical option when it came to choosing who to feature on Sweet Dreams . 

“ [Sweet Dreams] was one of the really early songs we recorded, and we had it ready to go and we had this section, and we didn’t know who to get for the guest spot. We just sort of thought ‘let’s just ask him’. It was a shot in the dark and he just said yeah,” says Maden . 

There is a genuine mutual appreciation between the bands that is so obvious when listening to the track. Though the metal community is often so obsessed with keeping bands caged within sub-genres, collaborations like this succeed in bridging the gaps that so many wish to keep. “He smashed that, completely smashed it,” reiterates Aimson . “That first reaction when we heard it was pretty mad.” 

GUILT TRIP has remained independent over the last few years, managing to play major festival slots at Bloodstock and Hellfest , along with a run supporting industry veterans STRAY FROM THE PATH . These appearances put them on the radar of so many bands, but they are possibly the most interesting to aforementioned MALEVOLENCE , signing the band to their record label and giving GUILT TRIP an “overnight” increase in popularity. Not only has the band benefited from the obvious increase in notoriety, but they have also used the opportunity to find mentors in the bands they are associated with. 

“I think because we are around MALEVOLENCE a lot, we’re looking forward and we’re seeing how they do things and we’re never really looking back,” says Maden . “They’re teaching us new things every day and we can always ask them about what we should do and we’re not making as many mistakes anymore, especially with like touring and releasing music. It’s nice that they’ve got our back.”

“It’s like its own sort of community,” continues Aimson . “The MLVLTD fanbase branches a lot of things together – metal, hardcore, etc. But you notice there’s a huge following of it that strictly is committed to both of our bands and DESOLATED and the other bands that are in the community and the label. It feels good to be a part of that because it feels like they care so much about what we do and how we do it.” 

Not only does MALEVOLENCE support the bands they sign by mentoring them and supporting them through release periods, but bands like GUILT TRIP also get to join them on tour. After not playing in the UK for 12 months and their hometown of Manchester for a further six, GUILT TRIP is able to return and play their biggest appearances to date in November alongside MALEVOLENCE , SYLOSIS , and JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED . With them, they bring an entirely new and fresh set, ready to impress at some of their bucket list venues. 

“Some of the venues we’ve been wanting to play since we were kids, especially in Manchester at The Ritz – we’ve been to so many gigs there between us all,” says Maden . “It feels unreal because the first ever GUILT TRIP gigs were pretty good because for your first gig, all your friends go from school. And then the second gig, there’s no one there. Then it gets to gig number 30 and you start getting a couple of people in. It’s like we’ve done all the shitty stuff, and it feels like it’s built up to this moment really.”

Severance is out now via MLVLTD Music.

Like GUILT TRIP on  Facebook .

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Guilt Trip - Severance

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Road to Bloodstock 2022 – Guilt Trip

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It’s that time of year where we set out to interview as many of the Sophie, New Blood, and Jager bands as we can in the lead-up to one of the most anticipated festivals of the year, Bloodstock. Answering our questions here are Guilt Trip who play the Sophie Stage on the Sunday.

Guilt Trip is from within and around Manchester, UK

How long have you been playing together as a band?

We started the band back in 2016, but me (Jak) and Jay (our singer) started jamming way back in 2013.

Where does the name of the band come from?

It’s a funny story actually, we were on the way back from a gig one night and decided it was time to change names, originally known as Mos Eisley we wanted to take things more seriously. So while on the way back a track named “Guilt Trip” by an Australian band Reactions was playing and I made the suggestion, never looked back.

Describe your music. What makes you unique?

Guilt Trip is most commonly known as a crossover hardcore band, but usually just describe us as a metal band to anyone who isn’t familiar with the sub genres within the metal category. Guilt Trip is most certainly identifiable via our mix of breakdowns and thrash riffs combined with catchy vocal flows. Our biggest stand out to most people is that we don’t really dress like metalheads and act surprised when they hear it, not a bad thing in my opinion! dress how you want!

What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?

Energy is what we want to convey more than anything, and our live performance is something we’ve been working on over the past 6 months or so! I think we definitely attract people in the live setting by how the pit moves. We’ve started noticing more circle pits along with stage dives and 2 steps, something you don’t often see a mix of! we’ve got some surprises lined up for Bloodstock and you have to be there to see it.

Have you played Bloodstock before? If so, when?

This will be the first time!

If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!

How/when did you find out that you’d be playing the SOPHIE stage?

We was on tour with Malevolence back in December, Newcastle to be accurate and I received a text from Vicky asking if we were interested in playing Bloodstock on the Sophie stage, obviously I text back right away and the rest is history! It’s a huge honour.

What sort of setlist can we expect?

We’ll be debuting some new material at the fest, so it’s going to be special for us to play new songs to a festival audience rather than our own specific audience. Be there!

Which other band do you most hope you’re not clashing with so you can see them play?

Obviously Malevolence but they’re playing the day before! So I’ll pick someone from our day, I’d say Vended as they’re a young band coming up and it’s going to be interesting to see how they perform live and what the crowd reaction is like!

What are you working on at the moment?

We’re currently working on the production of the new tracks, we’re in the final stages and cannot wait to show everyone, we feel like we’ve fully achieved the sound Guilt Trip has been working towards throughout the years.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?

There’s a lot of wild shit that happens on tour but just recently we had a guy backflip off stage during one of our breakdowns in Germany. Shout out to that guy and if you want to witness it there’s a video on our Instagram!

What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?

Definitely a cold beer, I’m talking for 4/5 of us with this one. Our vocalist Jay will for sure stick to the water and honey before a show which I have to respect! We’re no party animals but there’s nothing that calms the nerves like a Budweiser.

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Guilt Trip: facebook | twitter | spotify | bandcamp |  youtube | bigcartel

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Father of three. Teacher of Computing. PADI divemaster. Krav Maga Assistant Instructor. Geordie. Geek. Nerd. Metal nut. I also own and run a website - you may have heard of it. View all posts by Mosh

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