With only a handful of shows under their belts, DIY hardcore outfit Slewfoot based out of Barrie, Ontario are quickly making quite the name for themselves in the last several months. Barrie’s hardcore scene hasn’t really been the topic of conversation in recent years to say the least, but that’s not to say it isn’t booming with exceptional talent. With the arrival of acts like Wolf Fang Fist and now Slewfoot, Baytown hardcore is exploding back into the Ontario scene and clearly they mean business. Consisting of Ty Askin (vocals), Brendan Hiles and Pete Freimanis (guitars), Van Shanahan (bass), and Ty Shaw (drums); Baytown’s newest act is smashing onto the scene with a purpose. Currently working on a debut release, the group has managed to pump out as many shows as they can in the process. Not only building up their reputation in the Ontario scene; these Barrie newcomers have garnished a sizeable following in their short time as a group while noticeably putting in the work to bring much deserved attention back the cities once popular alternative and hardcore music scenes. We spoke to vocalist Ty Askin about the the band’s inception, goals moving forward, and Baytown plans for the future as a reputable local scene and promotion in Ontario’s huge scene.
Who is Slewfoot and how would you describe the band?
Slewfoot originally started off as a side project between myself, the homie Pete, and a few of the guys in Wolf Fang Fist. There aren’t many active hardcore bands in Barrie currently so we figured the only way to get the scene going again is to start another band. So that’s what we did.
Where would you say your main influences come from?
I would say we all bring a different or unique perspective to the table to be honest. Our guitar players, Brenden and Pete, definitely take inspiration from groups like Nails, Hatebreed, Terror, and The Black Dahlia Murder. For myself, I would say that I’m heavily influenced by groups like Earth Crisis and Bane. Our Drummer Ty; he’s influenced by the drummer of Wolf Fang Fist and and Phil Collins.
How would you say the scenes in Baytown and Ontario in general have been responding to Slewfoot?
The scene has been super supportive of us and what we’re doing. We’ve played two shows so far (at the time of the interview), both in Baytown, and we’ve received lots of positive feedback in return. It’s a great feeling. It’s also super rad to see people throwing down and going nuts during our set. That energy is what fuels me to keep doing this. We’re stoked to play more gigs in other cities and see where it takes us.
What have you got planned for the near future?
We played Bar Orwell on October 20th with our good friends in Camaro and Qwan. We also have another benefit gig we’ll be playing in November that’s yet to be announced. You’ll want to keep your eyes peeled.
“My goal is to put Barrie on the map, I wanna show people how we do it up here”
Baytown hardcore is a relatively new phenomenon. How did it get started?
A big motivator was seeing what the Steel City Hardcore guys were doing out in Hamilton, Ontario. The community they’ve built and the shows they’ve been putting on really sparked that drive for me to do something similar up here. There were already a few people together shows, namely Curtis and Gillian, so we all joined forces and Baytown Hardcore came to fruition. There was also a time when the scene in Barrie was popping off when bands like Prison and Demolition were doing their thing, so gotta pay homage to them. We can’t forget Alexander from Etheral Tomb/2 The Bone for all that they do.
What are your hopes for the Barrie hardcore scene?
Askin: My goal is to put Barrie on the map within the scene. I wanna show people how we do it up here. There are so many people up north who are into hardcore that may not be able to drive down to the city for shows. Having gigs up here will help the scene grow and bring more people in. We also have an all ages venue in the works, I’m super excited about that too.
Being a part of promoting shows in Baytown and with a few successes under your belts, what are your plans moving forwards?
My plan is to just keep putting together shows. I love this shit. I wanna continue to bring hardcore to the north and create a space where people can let out their stresses and have fun. We are willing to work with any band that wants to be apart of what we’re doing. Whether you’re an OG band or just starting out, we want to see you here.
What are your hopes for Baytown hardcore and Slewfoot?
Slewfoot will be hitting the studio and working towards an EP release. The Barrie scene is alive and well. People are starting to notice that and it’s awesome. We have our local bands Wolf Fang Fist, Vile Decree, and Culture War out here doing their thing, go check them out and support what they’re doing. If you can make it out here to a show, you won’t be disappointed. I’m so grateful for the support so far and I’m stoked to continue to take action and make the scene grow even bigger.