Going back since 2020, No Echo has been telling you about Direct Measure. Melding a sound that brings to mind the groove of the late '80s NYHC crossover sound with the blunt attack of modern hardcore, the St. Louis quintet is gearing up for the release of their debut album, Might and Might Alone.
Formed in 2018, they've previously issuing three EPs — Road to Nowhere (2018), The Worst of Us (2019), and Direct Measure (2021) — and a 2-song promo in 2022, Direct Measure tracked the new LP with Gabe Usery at Encapsulated Studios.
No Echo caught up with guitarist Anthony Soots and bassist Jon Reichling to learn more about Might and Might Alone, the Gateway City hardcore community, and we also got an exclusive premiere of a track from the forthcoming album.
Let's start with the song we're helping premiere today, "Cremation." This is the best Direct Measure I've heard to date.
(Anthony Soots, guitar): "'Cremation' was the first song that I wrote 100% of the music and lyrics for. Musically, I knew I wanted a song that had more of a cohesive flow from beginning to end, rather than what could be described as a collection of miscellaneous riffs.
We definitely lean into more of our metallic and melodic tendencies in this song. There's an acoustic intro too, so ya know - that's different for us. Also, shoutout to Martin from Sawed Off for making it sound super evil and cool [laughs].
Lyrically, it's a really personal and conceptual song. Without diving into all the details, it reflects on a personal experience of being in a long-term relationship and watching it gradually come to an end by no fault of either party. It's a lot of dreadful feelings, knowing those shared lives will eventually end and you can either let it ruin you or propel you.
Lines like "preparation, grieve in advance" and "I watched our home become a mirror" speak to trying to prepare as much as possible for the known inevitable, while also watching both of your lives become a literal reflection of the pain and grief you feel. The concept of cremation, found towards the last half of the track, serves as a metaphor for an essential change of state once things end but also using it towards a sense of closure to build a new life form.
How has the St. Louis hardcore scene evolved since Direct Measure first came together in 2018, and what role do you think the band has played in that growth?
(Anthony): Direct Measure is not a relatively young band - every member is in their early 30s, so we've all been around to see the ups and downs of the local scene. At this moment, the STL hardcore / DIY / alternative scene is in the best state it has been in many years. When the lockdowns happened in 2020, it (along with literally everything else) took a huge hit. It gave opportunities for certain folks to never expect to go to local shows again, while also ushering in a younger crowd that was chomping at the bit to get involved once the restrictions were lifted.
One of the best aspects currently about the local scene is a general openness to different styles from the overall collective. Deathcore kids support emo bands, punks show out to metal shows, etc. Over a hundred people will show out to a death metal matinee, then also attend a straight edge record release that same evening. It's awesome.
As far as DM's place in the growth over the years, really it just comes down to never stopping the work. Play as many shows as possible (within reason), encourage younger people to start bands, support the local community in any way you can, and get your ass on the road and rep your city. You get what you give in this here. If you go to shows, support your friends and your community, start bands, and genuinely give a shit, the scene will continue growing.
It won't be out til May, but what can you share about Might and Might Alone?
(Jon Reichling, bass): Soots really hit the nail on the head that this album is actually a collection of super cohesive songs written with purpose. These songs are a lot more mature than the EPs in almost every way, especially lyrically. Soots and Jack (our singer) wrote most of the lyrics for the album and you can see from "Cremation"'s backstory that we wanted to have something that meant something to us...
Soots and I joined the band in 2019 and it feels like overnight we became a true unit, musically and personality-wise. Everything just clicked. We've all been in an array of bands across a few genres and it feels like it was always leading to Direct Measure so we could all have a concerted effort of like "let's do this shit for real."
Your sound blends elements of metallic hardcore with influences from bands like Power Trip, Mindforce, and classic acts like Cro-Mags and Leeway. How do you balance these influences while maintaining your own unique identity?
(Jon): The biggest thing we draw on from a lot of those bands is starting the songwriting process with a strong, fat riff. Jake and Soots are both so solid at writing catchy guitar hooks as building blocks in our songs that are not only enjoyable and standout as a listener, but are just fun as fuck for all of us to play.
As far as keeping it our own, it trickles back to the element of writing songs that are super personal to us and fun to play. Every song has a lyrical purpose within itself. We took our sweet time with getting this record together compared to the pace of putting out the EPs because we wanted it to be something we could be proud of.
A few of the songs have been written since like 2021 and workshopped since then, making tweaks along the way until we landed on this batch that we are so stoked for people to hear.
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Might and Might Alone will be out on May 30th via WAR Records. Pre-orders for the vinyl kick off on Friday, April 4th, at 10:00 AM PST.
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