1987-1994
This interview was with Taylor Steele of Four Walls Falling by Justin Arnold of Thunder-Lizard.Com through email in August, 2005. Special thanks goes out to Taylor for helping make these shirts possible and for taking the time to do the interview.
Thunder-Lizard.Com: What was the first Four Walls lineup and how was the group dynamic?
Taylor: Four Walls Falling started in April of 1987. The 1st lineup was, at the time, a Richmond all-star line up per-se. It was Greta Brinkman (ex Unseen Force and later Moby, L7, Youth Brigade, Blondie), Dewey Ryle (ex Unseen Force & White Cross, later Gwar), Bo Steele (ex Pledge Allegience), Taylor Steele vocals (ex Pledge Allegience), and Kyle Wagner on drums (high school kid). Four Walls basically formed out of the ashes of Unseen Force & Pledge Allegience. Unseen Force being a very political, brit-punk influenced band, and Pledge Allegience being a more NE coast influenced “mosh-core” band. We originally wanted to go more lyrically toward Unseen Force (politics) and Pledge Allegience musically. When we first started, I had been getting heavily involved in political discourse (reading a lot about inequality, distribution of wealth and power, etc) and was listening to a lot of Public Enemy, C.O.C., Amebix, YOT, and Uniform Choice. Dewey left very soon to join Gwar and the band shifted even more musically toward the mosh-core sound. Once Greta left, I was writing all of the music, and so began a permanent evolving/revolving door of bass players, some more “essential” than others.
Thunder-Lizard.Com : How did you first come in contact with Tim Owens and do the first record? What was your relationship with him over the years and eventually into the Jade Tree era?
Taylor: I guess he approached us (got to us first) and we were like “COOL!” You got to remember, for a band from Richmond, VA, to put out a 7” in 1988 was a big deal. As far as our relationship with Tim, let's just say it's really good now that we are all grown up. Tim and Darren own one of the best labels out there: Jade Tree. Basically, way back when you had a band like 4 Walls, who avoided the business end of things like the plague and a kid trying to print out records….I guess everyone was in way over their heads back then. It's all-good now, though.
Thunder-Lizard.Com : That first record was on Tim's Axtion Packed Records and the cover itself is widely known. Who drew the original artwork for you and do you think it appropriately defined the band at the time?
Taylor: I can't remember who drew it. If it had been me it would have been even worse. I guess the concept of the cover defined the band at the time, some of us more than others. To me it represents a bunch of shit someone else does not want being shoved in their face and saying “no” to it. We were happy with the concept, but not the art itself…I'm still not sure what half those things are.
Thunder-Lizard.Com: To elaborate on the picture a little, how did you feel about straight edge back then and what part did it play in your life and the band? Was everyone in the band straight edge throughout all those years?
Taylor: Well since I was straight edge, I guess at least on a personal level, it was important to me. You have to understand, I went edge in '83, had one drink in '85, and have not had a drink since. So by 1987, the newness of sXe had worn off. It was still important to me, but not the same way it had been when I was a teenager. 4WF was not a sXe hardcore band as far as labels go. A political hardcore band label would be much more appropriate, although the early lineups had straight edge members. I was sXe at the beginning and end. The only other original member, Bo, was not sXe at either end. I think if anything, 4WF just became more of a political band.
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Newly added photoset by Jay Fox taken in Belgium circa 1993
