This interview took place at the Vic in Swindon. Ako were the tour support for American Nightmare and are my favourite UK band their highly energetically charged live performances remind me of the way Snapcase carry themselves, musically I’m not going to compare them to anyone its one of those things where you should just go out to your nearest record store and purchase their “Find Yourself” album.

Toby addressed most of the questions in this part of the interview although the entire band added their own comments every now and again.

Ako are Toby (vocals) Tom (guitar), Ben (second guitar), Tom bass, and the original drummer Matt was forced to pull out of the tour because of some kind of injury and Blake from the band Grebo was his temporary replacement.
The band are between the ages of 20-21.

Do you all live at home?
Only Tom and myself still live at home.

Do you guys work or are you in education?
Ben is at Uni. studying Drama, Tom is doing History and the rest of are scummy skaters!

What sort of interests do you have outside of the group?
The band is the main hobby and practising together all the time. Along with work or education we don’t have a lot of time for anything else, Blake loves fruit machines though but always seems to be losing money (£20 so far tonight)
Tom is a promoter for punk music / bands in Bristol (where the band hail from)

Were you all in other bands before the formation of AKO?
Five Knuckle (Tom) and Screw Loose (other Tom), Toby also mentions Headcase which were a band who split into 5Knuckle and AKO, Matt was also in a band called Bedsore at this point.

Does the name have any significant meaning? (What do the letters represent?)
It comes from a Manga flick called Project AKO

How was the group conceived?
We formed in 1998 and its been a solid line-up ever since, we all wanted to attempt something different.

Snapcase are one of the most innovative and original bands ever, and I m really looking forward to seeing you guys perform tonight because the energy captured on your album reminds me not in style but the pure energy of a Snapcase album to me that’s a very high standard to compare any band to, were you pleased with the outcome of the album generally?
At the time we were all very happy with the way the album was recorded, now we have evolved both as musicians and as a band and want to naturally move forward’s, we feel we have changed. The album was recorded a year and a half ago so we are planning on going back into a studio soon.

What was the inspiration behind your music?
Ben- As far as the lyrics go the direction is in the concept of autonomy and self-fulfilment, motivating oneself to accomplish a goal.

What sort of issues influence your lyrics? Have the effects of September 11th come into play at all?
Ben- Its me and Toby who write the lyrics and its pretty much 50/50 as to who inputs what and what the focus or direction of the lyrics will be.
Recently I wrote a song based on the Holocaust (at this point I mention if 9/11 had any changes) I think our lyrics have definitely been affected.
We try not to preach although we try to create awareness of situations, which we feel are important.

Are any of you guy’s straightedge?
No were not, Tobeys vegetarian, Matt the drummer sort of is but doesn’t like to label himself.

What is your opinion of the straightedge?
Toby-Each to their own is something I think should be the emphasis.
I hate people who come from absolutely nowhere, arrive one day at a show and just shove it in people’s faces when they themselves do not fully understand and then just disappear again.

Ben- I have a lot of respect for the straightedge, all over friends seem to be in a haze of pills and people in general would be a lot better of without drugs and alcohol. I couldn’t give alcohol up because I suppose Ive become reliant on it. Its like there is a wall which stops people from escaping these addictions…people look to escape and they do it so often that escapism from reality becomes their only option and only way of coping with life.

I think people need to wake up from this reliance on something so unnatural. I think escapism is the main reason people do it to themselves, they is a common misconception that by doing these substances it will allow you to escape from reality in fact they are just caught in a circle.

What is your opinion of bands in hardcore with religious ethics?
Ben- My opinion of religion is basically the same, if it helps people and provides them with say a blanket so that they don’t end up feeling like they need to do drugs and can just be happy and gives them a positive reason for being then in my opinion its good.

It’s when people start preaching the whole God fearing pressure shouldn’t accompany someone’s belief. All knowledge is power the more open-mindedness the better because there are so many ways of thinking. Before judging people and forming an opinion maybe they should have empathy and think before they react.
Its insecurity cause they can’t deal with drink, drugs and smoking…that insecurity clouds their minds and from that comes misunderstanding.

I think envy or jealousy are the reasons why people have misconceptions about both religion and the straightedge because they see it as a dull way of living compared to this media induced lifestyle that they’ve adopted.
Through routine and closed mindedness they are oblivious to the point of ignorance as to the fact that the people who pursue these alternative lifestyles are any less normal because of it.

What sort of bands would you like to tour with?
Big one because there are simple loads of bands we would like to tour with:
Hundred Reasons, Pantera but this list could go on and on pretty much every band as long as we look up to them and we like a lot of diverse music so that encompasses a lot of bands.

If you could play in a band with any other four members who would they be from any point in history?
(All in agreement) Jimi Hendrix (guitar) John Bonham (drums) of Led Zepplin and one of the Tom’s would like to play with Jeff Buckley.

What makes a good musician in your eyes?
Dedication is the key word, keeping the music fun and always trying to remember why you are up there and not losing any aspect of what your supposed to be doing.
Passion in what you do as a band /individual, we are all quite used to what we are doing now i.e. getting up on stage and from that there is a certain level of professional.

Do you consider yourselves musicians / recording artists?
Its great that we have an album and that it is in most of the shops but we released it ourselves with the help of some friends (Trash City Records) and with the new material we are looking for a proper deal.

What about when you meet new people and you mention it what is the normal reaction?
We normally get a very positive response from people about either a live performance they’ve seen or from listening to “Find Yourself”

Have you had any fame trips i.e. random person on the street come up to you and asked about the band or been asked to sign something what does that feel like?
I signed a girl’s belly in Ashton Court.

Thankyou to Ako for the Interview.