The first Fast Times show was on New Year's Eve, 1998. Weve had a few member changes since then, but the present lineup is here to stay. Chris Ernst (Frump) writes most of the music on guitar, Graham Vanderveen is on bass, and Steve Asbury is our fairly new and much loved drummer .

>Are all the members from NJ?

Yep. Cranford, South Plainfield, West Milford, and Asbury Park.

>How did you get together?

Since I was 17, I have felt the need to do a band. For years, I tried on and off to pull something together, but I saw a lot of failure and disappointment. For a while it looked like this was just a dream that I would never realize, but I persisted. in fact, I became obsessed with making it work. I had just graduated college, and I put my career on hold, and I finally fulfilled this promise to myself when I teamed up with Chris. His story is very much like mine, so when we got together, things started to happen. we trudged through a lot of obstacles, but we prevailed because we had each other.

>Tell us a little bit about the new CD!Has the style/topic of the songs >changed?

We've grown a lot as a band and as musicians. My voice has gotten pretty rough due to the abuse I've subjected it to over the last two years. I forced my throat to go through male puberty. I've got a lot of control over it now. The lyrics deal with more serious issues than the songs on previous recordings. we have definitely evolved over time. Matured? well, that's a matter of opinion.

>How did you go about with the songwriting on this recording?

Chris brings the riffs to practice, and shows them to Graham and Steve. The jump in and are playing along with him in a matter of minutes. I heckle them to add more mosh, then I take home a tape from practice and get a headache over what I want to say in the song.

>Who were/are some of your influences, and the band's influences?

All of fast times is influenced by the classics, but that's not a surprise. Bands like Minor threat, seven seconds, Agnostic Front, the misfits, Gorilla biscuits laid the foundation of this music. if your into punk/hardcore, liking these bands is almost universal. It seems cliche to list them as influences, but admitting their significance is inescapable. Some of my other favorites were vision, token entry, sheer terror, bad brains.

>Do you think that people you have played to have had trouble accepting a >girl vocalist, have you had to overcome tougher standards than say a guy >might?

People don't have trouble accepting me. But that's because I put my heart into what were doing. All of the members do 100%. You cant deny the energy we put out on stage. I've transcended the gender difference, it's not an issue.

>What's your feelings when people ask you about being a girl in Hardcore?

I think, oh yeah, that's right, I'm a girl. I have to dig deep to come up with an answer because it is not something I think about. With my buddies, I've always been just one of the guys. There is one point I'd like to make, though. A girl doesn't have to forsake her femininity to be a hardcore girl. I like wearing lipstick and girlie shirts, and having long red hair. I don't have do dress like a tomboy to roll with the boys. Its all in the attitude, and that lies between your ears, not in between your legs.

>What do you think of the way the following things are treated in the >scene-veganism, straightedge, politics, sexism, e-bay and the 'net?

Veganism: I gave it a fair shot for four years only to discover that it didn't work for me (I had a major health crisis caused, in part, by a high carb diet. I am extremely health conscious now, and veganism does not fit into my plan. This saddens me because I fought for veganism really hard, and I felt like it did me wrong. It is an ugly reality of mine that is difficult at times to deal with. Now that I am an outsider looking in, I find it a little silly when people get caught up in the vegan game of being more pure than thou. Straightedge: If you don't drink or do drugs, you are doing yourself and the world around you justice. The X is irrelevant, but wearing it is like putting up a flag that speaks a thousand words about your values. It says, "This is the team I'm on.... are you with me?" Politics: It's all based on manipulation. I hate that I am only allowed to know what the media and government want me to know. What passes for politics these days is a crock of shit. Sexism: Forced marriages, female castration, permissible rape: real issues. Sexism in hardcore: not a real issue. The great thing about this scene of ours is that it is as equal opportunity as it gets. Often referred to (mistakenly/hastily) as a boys club/male dominated scene based on the objective boy to girl ratio at the typical show. But when one picks the brain of the average hardcore boy, chances are he will reveal that he is happy to have a chic singing along beside him. Ebay: I stay away from ebay, because I've got a credit card, and if I see something I want, I will buy it, and my living space is way too cluttered as it is. I think ebay is a great concept, a person can hook up with something rare their looking for, and they can get a good deal on something too. We've all got freedom of choice, so its up to the buyer if they want to let themselves get ripped off once the price starts to climb. Overall, its harmless, although I'm sure that some asshole will find a way to abuse the system. The net: Sandra Bullocks performance was convincing, but the plot followed the typical Hollywood movie formula.... Seriously, computers have revolutionized hardcore in good and bad ways. The scene is globally connected, and bands are able to tour farther distances because of that. Chris just booked a tour without the $300 phone bill he would have had doing it the old fashioned way. But the price to be paid is the lack of social interaction. I read some of the "conversations" on message boards and chat rooms, and its all nonsense. People can just type anything and post it without having to support what they say. I'd rather surf the crowd than surf the web.

>What are some of your fave bands you've heard lately?

Kill Your Idols, Indecision... and I just got back from seeing them both tonight! Great show. Dillinger Escape Plan is really powerful too.

>Do you have a favorite tour memory?

I think more about future tours than past. What I like most about being on the road is escaping the routine of being home. I am truly free when were on tour, and all of my good feelings/memories (which are many) are connected to that sense of freedom. >What is the most exciting show you've done, and why? The show we played with Motorhead, the Misfits, DIO, Kreator, Napalm Death. But the reason that show was so exciting was not because we were playing with those huge bands. The show had so much impact on me because we were playing to a crowd of 90% metalheads and only a small handful of punks. The poppy punk band before us got a chilly response. You could hear crickets chirping between songs. then we went on and the room just filled with all kinds of people, and by the third song into our set, we won over the crowd. The power of rock brought different genres of people together at that festival. pretty cool. And then we had lunch with the misfits, and got fed really well.

>The Smorgasbord bio for 'Where were you' contains the phrase "new queen of >the pit"-what's your favorite dance move?

You can't go wrong with good old fashioned floorpunching, and I like to surprise people with the cartwheel once in a while. Are flips off of the stage considered "dance moves"?

>I've gotten slag as a girl dancing (once from another girl). Has this >happened to you, and how does it make you feel?

Hardly. I've earned my place on the dancefloor. 10+ years of going to shows, seven stitches, tons of bruises, lost wind, chipped teeth, sprained joints. I am beyond getting slag. What makes me feel silly is when people applaud or bands give me free stuff after I bust the moves... what am I talking about, I love it. When I hear a questionable comment, its usually just a joke, and if the person who said it didn't mean it as a joke, it's still a joke to me.

>On the topic, how did you get signed to Smorg, how do you feel about being >on that label, and do you plan to stay on there?

Before we ever met Steve, (our drummer), he heard our demo. He was in standpoint (they were on Smorgasbord). he called up Jeff and said to look out for us. I sent a demo to Jeff, he came to see us play, and the record was out a few months later. The label was always known for being very diy, and it had strong roots. (it's been in existence for over 10 years now). I was mainly attracted to those two things. I'm honored that fast times defines the modern smorgasbord label. we made a really good decision when we signed with them. Jeff turned out to be a great friend to all of us. Our relationship with him goes beyond business now.

>How did you come up with the art concept of 'WWY'?

The song and the record cover art go hand in hand. The wide eyed kid in the center of the action is the kid at his first show realizing that this is where he wants to be for the rest of his life. We've all been in his shoes at one time. the song asks you to recall that moment of time that brought you to where you are today.

>Is art something you do on the side, do you cartoon or tattoo?

I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from UARTS in Phillie. I'm doing what I can to make a living as an artist. At times, I truly live the life of a starving artist, but I am really happy working on a freelance basis. It gives me the flexibility to concentrate on band stuff when I need to, and I can never complain about my "job" becoming mundane. some of the things I do with my art are painting murals in children's rooms and in businesses, I do facepainting at children's parties, and every now and then I get a record or magazine cover published. I've thought about getting into doing tattoo art, but I am a fan of the eraser, so that's out. I'd probably end up with way too much coverage if I got mixed up in that scene anyway.

>What do you love most about being in Fast Times?

Everything! I love that I have fulfilled this vision that rolled around in my head for years. It was hard getting this shit together, and now that the band has materialized, I have such a deep sense of satisfaction, accomplishment, passion, confidence. I love putting my creative energy into the projects we do, and travelling/meeting cool people, and rockin out all over the world is pretty fucking cool.

>What do you think when people ask things like "so,what are you kids REALLy >gonna do,ya know,when this punk thing blows over,with your life."?

The band can't play forever, but the punk thing will always affect the decisions I make for myself. It is a way of seeing the world that defines my persona. Now that I'm 25, I don't get accused of going through a phase. My family knows that I march to my own beat. a lot of us are the black sheep in our families. After a while, they just gave up questioning my lifestyle. I am the only one who knows what is best for myself.

>The last part is a free-for-all, say anything you'd like,shout outs, >shittalkin' =o) etc

No shittalkin here. check out our website, everything else you want to know about fast Times can be found there: http://www.angelfire.com/nj2/Fasttimes/ or click:Fast Times

>Psst ;o) alright,to make it a little interesting, I'll throw this in as >Question 21... who is the sexiest man in Hardcore?? (I hope I didn't ruin >any TuffGurl image here!)