We've talked with Mike and the band Cropsey. They hail from the vibrant New York Hardcore scene and draw their name from a terrifying urban legend. In this interview, they share their thoughts on the current NYHC, touch on their creative processes, and discuss the significant collaborations that have shaped their music. Discover how they continue to energize the hardcore scene with their latest album, "Blood On Your Hands," on this interview, now!
1. The name 'Cropsey' is also linked to an urban legend from Staten Island about a man nicknamed as such, who was supposedly a mental patient escaped from the Willowbrook institution and became a sort of boogeyman. Did you choose your band's name in connection with this story?
Thats exactly what made us choose the name. The legend of Cropsey was an urban legend on Staten Island told by parents to their children to get them to behave. They said there was a man / monster named Cropsey that lived in the woods around the old Willowbrook state school, and that he would come out of the woods at night and snatch children off the street. Parents would tell their kids to behave or Cropsey would come get them.
It later turned into a real life situation with the groundskeeper from the school being charged with actually committing these crimes. He turned into “Cropsey”. We always tell people were named after the urban legend and not after the actual man. We don’t condone that type of stuff, but the legend is probably one of the coolest things on Staten Island.
2. You are part of one of the largest and most admired hardcore scenes in the world, that of New York. Do you still feel it's alive more than ever, or do you sense that it's no longer as cherished by the new followers of today's Hardcore?
It’s definitely alive. NYHC was huge in Manhattan and still to this day lives on through the efforts of people like the legendary Drew Stone who throws monthly free shows at the Bowery Electric. Those shows have a built in crowd of die hard NYHC fans both young and old. Hardcore and Punk are still to this day very prominent in NYC, all you have to do is walk down any given street and you’ll see a punk kid, or a hardcore shirt or someone that obviously lives the Punk or hardcore life style. NYC is 4 out of 5 of our birthplaces and 3/5 of our homes currently and we’re very proud to be a part of this community and to have the ability and privelege to keep it alive and bring it to light for the next generation.
3. Looking over your career that would have started in 2020, you have released three records, with the most recent one dating from last May. Over the years, have you approached the recordings in different ways for each album?
I believe Cropsey as an entity has been a band since 2019. When the band was formed during the pandemic, it was Don, Paul, a different singer, bass player and drummer. It wasn’t until 2020 that our former vocalist and I joined the band, and then when we had a falling out with our old drummer I recruited our current drummer Joey into the band after talking to him about playing together for over a decade and never getting the chance to.
We do everything ourselves. From the writing down to the mixing and now as of this last release the promotion and packaging of the album, so approaching an album is a whole project with moving parts. It’s hectic and chaotic and stressful but once you have that finished product in your hands and in your speakers it’s the most exciting and prideful accomplishment you can have as an artist.
4. From the first self-titled album, one that comes on all tongues. Listening to 'Sorry Mama' by Cropsey, how do you interpret the duality of the lyrics oscillating between guilt and the desire for redemption, and what impact do you think this has on the expression of vulnerability in hardcore culture?
So that song was written by our original singer who is no longer with the band. I can’t speak on what type of message he was trying to get through to the people listening. But I do know that, that song is one of our hardest hitting songs that has spoken to people the most through our time as a band. It’s one of the only original songs we had that we brought into the live set with this new chapter of Cropsey.
The lyrics touched on the struggles loved ones go through when someone in their life is battling with addiction. As far as the hardcore culture, there is a large presence of people within the scene that I know personally that have battled with or are currently battling with addiction so I can see how those lyrics could definitely hit home.
5. Musical collaboration can often lead to mutual learning experiences. What style elements or techniques do you think Cropsey and Sal LoCoco might have exchanged or developed together during the creation of 'Malfeasance'? Did he participate in the lyrics on the title track of this second album?
Sal is a complete professional and a really good friend. He was a friend of ours before the title track of the record was recorded and became an even closer friend during and after. Sal and Sworn Enemy have been in the game for a really long time and his wealth of knowledge is priceless, and he doesn’t mind sharing it with us. We have on multiple occasions called him for a word of advice or to ask him his opinion on how to do something and he always helps us out.
Sal wrote his own lyrics for that track, came through our studio and recorded it like a true professional and then went out for Pizza with our guitarist Paul. Every person in Sworn Enemy is one of the most solid people you’ll ever meet and we’re truly privileged to call them all friends.
6. "Malfeasance" suggested themes of inner struggle, resilience, and confrontation with external forces and several personal segments, and this seems to be in the same vein as the most recent 'Blood On Your Hands.' Do you find that you went more deeply inward on this record?
So again, "Malfeasance" and the first record lyrically were written by our original singer. "Blood On Your Hands" was written lyrically by our new singer Brandyn. So I think what’s cool is you followed Cody through his journey on the first two records and now with the new record you’re introduced to Brandyn and he’s writing his own journey and introducing everyone to his own personal battles and view points and experiences.
7. What musical or lyrical elements make 'Faceless' a standout song on the album, in your opinion?
Musically, I think it’s one of the hardest hitting songs on the record. It’s definitely my favorite to play for sure. It comes straight out the gate with a heavy driving riff and then segways into almost a choppy back and forth rhythm and it’s supper catchy yet in your face and heavy at the same time.
Lyrically I think Brandyn knocked it out of the park on this track. The line “You’re faceless just like me” hits home for sure.
8. How does the album 'Blood On Your Hands' position itself in relation to the current trends of the hardcore scene, and what impact could it have on the genre, in your own words?
I think the album as a whole positions itself nicely. I think hardcore is what you believe it to be and there doesn’t necessarily have to be a blue print for what a hardcore band looks like or what their music sounds like. I think hardcore is a culture and it’s about acceptance and fitting in when you feel as though you don’t fit in anywhere else. It’s about overcoming your struggles and your own mind and I think this record as a whole sums that up nicely.
I think if Hardcore fans really sat and listened to the lyrics and vibed with the music they’d probably take more out of this record then just listening through real quick and not understanding the message that’s trying to be conveyed.
9. How were the live performances of the album, like the one at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ, which caused a stir on the web, received by the fans?
It’s definitely been a new level of acceptance with the fans. I think this record is a LOT more angry than our previous records both lyrically and musically. A lot of the earliest feedback once people heard Brandyn and his vocals consisted of things like “wow this dude is pissed off” and I think that shows itself in the way people react to these songs live. Lots of dancing, lots of people singing words back to us. It’s been a very warm reception and we plan to elevate that on the next project we work on.
10. Any other dates in view for the coming months?
We have a show next weekend (July 21st) with our brothers in Sworn Enemy, Incendiary Device, Redwoods and Foul Pride at the Bowery Electric.
And we also just announced that on September 8th we’ll be supporting Southpaw FLHC and Hoods with Silence Equals Death and Gunk at Dingbatz in Clifton New Jersey on the Hot Box & Bass Drops tour.
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We can say that Brandyn's arrival in Cropsey has pushed the band in a new direction, giving them a second wind that has already started to grow and will continue to do so on all levels and aspects. Their new album is gaining traction in the scene and attracting purist fans who are embracing it with conviction. We wish them continued success in these significant strides and many more successful gigs. They have the artillery to make even more heavy noise.
