Meet CASTXDOWN, one of the bands that joined the recently relaunched Life Sentence Records label. Guitarist Drew Creager started the project after recording a handful of demos at a friend’s house, then brought in Aaron Russell for vocals. “I really wanted to make some straightforward, heavy hardcore,” Creager tells No Echo. “I hit up Aaron, our now-singer, to do vocals on the project, and it was a perfect fit.”
They rounded out the lineup with bassist Corey Davis and drummer Patrick Miller, both from the local Dayton scene. CASTXDOWN draw from different eras of hardcore, but for Creager, one band is considered a key influence on his songwriting.
“I’d say Hatebreed has the biggest influence on my writing style,” he says. “I’m really all about giving heavy, to-the-point songs with catchy moments and memorable parts. Hearing Perseverance for the first time when I was practically a kid instantly struck a chord with me, and it has stuck with me since.”
That approach comes through even more intensely on CASTXDOWN’s upcoming EP, The Statement. With two singles already out—“Wither” and “Defiance”—Creager says the new material makes the band’s identity clearer than before.
“The lyrics this time around are much more on the nose about straight edge,” he says. “Funny enough, when Aaron and I were making the first EP, we weren’t sure if we’d end up being an all-edge lineup or not, so the lyrics weren’t as much about that. However, this time around they very much are.”
For Creager, straight edge goes back long before CASTXDOWN.
“I grew up around drugs my whole life,” he says. “It was in my neighborhood, immediate family, even some friend groups. I knew early on I wanted no part of that lifestyle, and I was grateful to find hardcore and straight edge through my city’s local scene when I was about 14 years old. So, coming up on 20 years.”
No Echo asked Creager how CASTXDOWN linked up with Life Sentence Records founder Dan Gump, who also fronts Excessive Force. The connection started through Instagram.
“He seemed to be interested in what we were doing, so we reached out and made a deal,” Creager says. “It’s awesome being a part of his team and an honor, really. He’s very easy to work with and genuinely into the bands he signs.”
CASTXDOWN will mark the EP's release with a hometown show at Mike’s Bike Park in Dayton on September 12, then play a straight edge fest in Pittsburgh on October 17. As for what listeners can expect from The Statement, Creager promises: “It’s heavier, catchier, and more straight edge-focused than the previous release.”
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The Statement will be out September 4 via Life Sentence Records.
CASTXDOWN on social media: Instagram
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