Band: Covenant
From: Central Florida
Their formation story:
“We wanted to start a straight edge band in Orlando, but at the time there weren't enough people we knew who were straight edge to make it happen, so we reached wider into Central Florida as a whole.
“We asked Samy B from Orlando to play bass and Frank from Gainesville to play guitar. We only had a drummer left to find, and after going to a bunch of shows, I asked Justin from Tampa to play since his band at the time, Resentment, was dying down.
“Originally, we had a third guitarist, John, but after a couple of gigs, he wanted to pursue other bands he was in and said he would help any way he could. After some time playing shows and life playing out as it does, Jackson ended up having to move to the Panhandle, and we brought Fabriz from Kissimmee into the mix.
“Justin also had a crazy surgery at one point, and we needed a long-term fill-in, so Nick XVX from St. Pete helped out for some time. Since then, Justin is back. We collectively all put in our two cents when it comes to writing, with a lot of credit going to each person along the way.”
Their sound in their own words:
“Black My Heart, Throwdown, 25 ta Life, Point of Contact, and Hatebreed's first couple of records.”
Latest release info:
“Essentially, we wanted something that really encompasses Florida Straight Edge as a whole. A lot of bands have come and gone in Florida Straight Edge. I wanted something that showcased the unity of Florida hardcore, specifically Florida Straight Edge in the present.
“That being said, I asked all the homies in straight edge bands to lay down some vocals on the songs. With that, I just wanted the jits to know there's more than the typical life of drinking, smoking, and getting fucked up.
“With the lyrics speaking for themselves, we made a zine to be included with every physical copy purchased that has specific messages from each person who's on the record to show the different perspectives of straight edge and things to check out if they want to know more.
“I hope the songs we made change someone's life for the better. Hence why we called it What's Next, since we're basically marking the next wave of Florida Straight Edge.”
Future plans:
“Florida Edge Day, first and foremost. More writing, for sure. We want to keep the music going. We're more than likely going to do a couple of weekenders here or there, and I'm hoping for a week-long run or two in the first half of 2027. Another EP will absolutely happen.”
What other bands from their region should we check out?
“Every single band that was featured on the release. Other than the obvious, Step 2 This, and the other bands on High & Tight, like Guess What, Zero Chill, False Alarm, and xCalderax.”
What's Next is available on vinyl (Dead Truth Recordings) and cassette (High & Tight Records).
Covenant on social media: Instagram
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