DIY according to Bobbo Haldane (Sharkteeth Grinder)

Bobbo Haldane is the vocalist of Corby based, politically charged Mathcore band, Sharkteeth Grinder. Their music centres around calling out the inequalities today's society which is one of the central reasons for their success and grand following. They are not scared to say the truth and voice their opinions. Love or hate them, one thing is for sure: they work hard. Everything they have achieved over their few years of being a band has been down to their sheer amount of determination, tenacity and fire, yet never once have they given up or showed signs of slowing down.

The DIY route is proving to be a very popular choice for lots of new artists nowadays; bands would rather do their own thing rather than having to rely on anyone else to help boost their careers and reach. As well, now more than ever, we are seeing more and more bands producing EPs and albums from their very own bedrooms and still mastering the great quality that a recording studio would; it is becoming commonplace for bands to book their own shows, manage their own social media and drive themselves to shows to cut the costs. Making the conscious choice to follow the DIY route means that bands can enjoy having the power to take control of their image and sound. However, for Bobbo and Sharkteeth Grinder, he states that being a DIY band wasn't a choice. It was the difference between being a band and not. He says "we’ve never had the ability to choose. It’s either we do it the way we want, or we don’t do it at all" which highlights how money- or lack thereof- plays a massive part on whether a band can simply exist or not without these simple alternatives.

It has been known that over the past few years, as technology continues to advance, some artists take the concept of 'Do it yourself' to a whole new level. Funk artist Steve Lacy recorded a whole EP on Garage Band from his iPhone; you wouldn't know the difference between a studio and his phone. This is the same guy who was nominated for a Grammy at the age of eighteen... He may not be involved in the Hardcore scene, but this is more than enough proof that sometimes if you want things done well, it is all about doing it yourself and using what you have to your advantage.

When asked why he took an interest in Hardcore Punk, Bobbo described how "it's more of a community than anything and that's what I like" and that is definitely something which struck me when I first came across Sharkteeth Grinder- their ability to nurture other artists and create their own family within the scene. One of the first gigs that I ever shot was a Sharkteeth Grinder show in a tiny, crammed pub basement. They said that I was free to come down to the gig and try my hand at taking gig pictures. After that, they were a band who supported my craft more than other bands around. They would promote my work, invite me along to gigs, pay me with free merch and CDs. They were the key to helping me develop my skills and confidence. DIY bands having this attitude towards local fellow creatives is so refreshing. It highlights their true love for what they do and the care that they have for other fellow artists. It's not every day that you come across a band like that.

Witnessing bands of a high calibre gaining success with DIY roots is always rewarding to see. Whether they are playing small hometown shows or go on to have great success, we all should take steps to support local DIY artists. Bands like Sharkteeth Grinder are the ones we will look back on in ten years time and highly respect for their dedication to their long-term goals. Go out and support your scene. Buy their merch. Buy their music. They're the bands that will remember you and thank you for it later.

You can keep up to date with Sharkteeth Grinder on their social media below:

Facebook | Youtube | Bandcamp 

By Amy Demidow