From a Second Story Window could be one of the hardest working bands in hardcore today. From their uncompromising work ethic, to their constant support of their small town scene, to their bloody live show, and the D.I.Y distribution of their demo (a couple thousand copies, sent free to fans who e-mailed or wrote them a letter), FASSW has proven that you don't need an independent label to be heard and wreckonized.

Guitar player Derek Vasconi took time away from bludgeoning heads, himself, and his guitar equipment to answer a few questions for Bettawreckonize.

Interview conducted via e-mail by Joe Anderl, pictures provided by Derek Vasconi.

Name: Derek Vasconi
Band: From A Second Story Window (http://www.fromasecondstorywindow.com)

Bettawreckonize: Who is From a Second Story Window and what instruments do you play?

DV: FASSW is myself (guitar), Joe on bass, Rob on the other axe, Nick, aka. Jesus Christ himself on drums, and Jeff on vocals.

BW: How long has FASSW been a band, and under what circumstances did you start playing together?

DV: FASSW has been around for about 3 years. We all share the usual how people meet people story. Joe and me have known each other since we were kids when we used to beat the shit out of each other with whiffle ball bats because we wanted to be ninjas. We also wanted to be rock stars but that didn't work out very well either. So we ended up meeting Rob and Jeff because Joe was bold enough to ask every kid he saw at our mall who looked.…weird I guess....if they wanted to play music with us. It just worked. We then got our ex-drummer Jeremy to join our band but he only stuck around for about a year because he found better things to do in the band Robinson. So the same day we lost him, we got Nick because he idolized us for some sexual reasons I think. The rest is where we are today.

BW: I noticed that around a year ago you guys were called Apashia, why the name change?

DV: Copyrights and our lack thereof. Plus we figured that it was time for a change.

BW: How would you describe the music you are playing? What factors have influenced the way that you play your guitar?

DV: The music we play is ....well, hyper! Like I compare us to a kid with ADD who missed his ritalin....we never stay on any type of idea for very long. BUT sometimes we intentionally write parts that are seemingly over-extended because it fucks with your paradigm of how music is supposed to sound. I would like to think we are contributing to what is currently out there musically in the underground world. Maybe someday we will be in a position to pioneer some sort of innovation harmonically, but for now, we are comfortable just being spastic and non-directional. As for factors influencing my guitar playing...I don't really play. I pretend!! NAH...I just play like a fan of music....which is what I am. I sometimes don't understand what I am doing. I listen to a lot of music out there like Muse, Tori Amos, Glassjaw, Between the Buried and Me, It Dies Today, things like that. What I come up with sort of stems out of trying my best to NOT rip anyone off, especially the aforementioned bands. It's hard nowadays

BW: How does being from Sharon, PA affected the band? Do you find yourself having to leave your hometown to be appreciated or to connect with larger bands?

DV: Yes, most definitely. Our little town is not very good at maintaining any sort of stability in a scene. Plus, we have played out with much larger bands than us and all over PA/OH and we always seem to get better responses elsewhere. Like Newark, OH. That place is a second home to us. The kids there are fucking awesome!!!

BW: You guys were giving away your demos for free on your website? How many did you give out?

DV: Well over 2000, the feedback from that was unbelievable. We have gotten many show offers from them and we are currently talking with some people about record stuff.…it's all quite exciting because this is all we want to do with our lives.

BW: Who did the recording of your demo for you?

DV: Cole from Cleveland. His band is called forever untouched and he is a meticulous genius. We love Cole!

BW: How did that work out?

DV: Wonderful!! we are going back in a few weeks to make an E.P. to press.

BW: Are there any plans on a full-length?

DV: Well, we will have to see what the E.P. does first....but sure….we want to make quite a few LP's and have a long stretch in the underground scene.

BW: Have you been shopping the demo to any labels?

DV: No, not at the moment....we want to do that with the E.P. because it will be much better quality

BW: You guys have a very passionate live show and many of the pictures from your sight show a lot of blood?

DV: Yeah.

BW: Are you bludgeoning your audiences or yourselves?

DV: It's a bit of both sometimes.

BW: Why are your live shows so intense?

DV: That's not something we planned. It has been like that since day one I swear to god!! I seriously hate contrived acts of drama onstage...you can always tell when it's fake. But with us, it's more about expression than entertainment. I can let it all out and be angry and it's a positive force for some reason. I don't know. I have broken so many guitars, bruised a lot of parts on my bodies, and even had my face blasted open and needed stitches, but it's all very much from the heart and we play knowing we aren't anything special. We just want to get our message across and make a difference in one person's life. I mean, if we play to seven kids and one of them walks away feeling inspired, we are happy to the point of being ecstatic. And the point I am trying to make is that we are just as intense for seven kids as we are for hundreds....it's just all from the heart which contributes IMMENSELY to the level of energy at our shows. Another thing is too we don't care necessarily how perfect we sound live...if you want that, we will do it on a CD. It's more fun to go crazy and get kids involved than just to stand there and prove you know how to play your instrument. NOT to impune bands that do such a thing....it's just not OUR thing.

BW: What is the one thing that makes playing live worth it for you?

DV: The kids that we meet and get a chance to talk to who are NO different than us and just being able to talk with them about music and make a difference to somebody. WE are the same way with bands. When we meet somebody if they take the time to share with us about themselves, we get more into the music. It's a communal feeling you know?

BW: What are your thoughts on the current state of metal and hardcore?

DV: I feel sometimes it's in a dry spell but then I see a new band that is giving it their all and I feel rejuvenated in the scene. I think as long as there are bands out there who are willing to take risks with their music, our scene will ALWAYS be better than mainstream bullshit. However, one criticism I would like to make is I get tired of scenesters getting BORED with bands who are doing a lot of similar stuff. Has everyone forgotten for about 15-16 years in the 80's and through the 90's, hardcore consisted of fast punk style riffing, metal breakdowns, and jacked-up vocals? I know that is generalizing somewhat, but the point is that it wasn't about who can play the best or has the most unique sound, it was a network of local bands making statements or promoting their communities. Nowadays even the underground labels seem like they are almost corporate and it's not about being friendly or sharing a vision. I can't tell you how many bands I have met at shows who are stand offish or go in a corner or, and this is the one thing that fucking pisses me off to no end, DOESEN'T EVEN WATCH THE BANDS they are playing with!!! What is that? It's bullshit, macho-locker room antics and I think that our metal scene needs to be more about sharing what we all have. Doesn't anyone realize how special this all is!!!! We have bands who are INFINITELY blessed more than what is mainstream out there....and we have kids who are willing to support them...why make that difficult by sticking noses up in the air or thinking you are something more than you really are? That fosters alienation. That just sucks. I think if a band comes out and all they do is play old-school hardcore...if they do it from their hearts, SUPPORT THEM!! If you get some whiz kids playing guitars and they are sincere and humble about their gifts, SUPPORT THEM!! Don't try to knock how they didn't do THIS with that riff or COULD HAVE did THIS with that vocal pattern. That's like criticizing poetry. YOU CAN'T! IT'S Self-expression. I think that's one thing that for sure needs to change...the level of disapproval by scenesters who are "sooooo tired" (yawn) of what is coming out. Fuck you. Get a guitar and do something about it. If you do it from your heart I will support you!!

BW: Are there any up and comers you want to let us know about?

DV: Sorry that was so long last one was so long!! O.K., I would say check out Robinson from our home in PA, awesome and has lots of potential. Symphony in Peril (ex-zao Sean Jonas new band) from Columbus, OH -- they simply rule and are really nice as well. Broken Free out of Pittsburgh, It Dies Today from Buffalo, Tragedies of June from Cleveland, gosh, One True Thing from Long Island, NY. There are so many....

BW: What bands have you played with that you really enjoy?

DV: It Dies Today are very good friends of ours. We have played with American Tragedy from California and they became like brothers to us in a very short space of time. One True Thing from NY....not hard or anything, but heartbreaking and sad stuff...I love that shit. Waking Kills the Dream simply because they took a chance on us. Symphony in Peril, Robinson (our best friends), Misery Signals were really nice to us, Nora, Every Time I Die, and definitely Remembering Never. We will be doing three shows on tour with them next month.

BW: What is the bands process to writing a song? From the demo it seems that the song are long, complex, and dynamic. Does the song input come from everyone or does one person right the entire song?

DV: I usually do most of the conceptualization of how a song will go, and then I come up with about 20-30 guitar parts and we go from there. I love complexity in song, but not to the point of overdoing it. We labor over every inch of the songs and have heated debates about them, but it seems to work out in the end somehow. I know that the entire band makes every part to their liking. We usually have to ALL agree on something before it gets played live too. I know myself, I write a lot of guitar stuff acoustically and try to sneak it into the songs in a metal fashion. It's funny because I suck at making metal riffs but I love arpeggios, finger-picking, and other folkie shit. We try to write stuff we can listen too that would keep our interests, because a lot of times, we get bored with music really fast. I don't know why, it's just how we are!

BW: If there was one band you could remove from the hardcore scene today, who would it be and why?

DV: Probably Between The Buried and Me because they make everyone else look really amateurish. Them and I would say Dillinger, but that's sort of a given. Nah!! Just kidding to BTBAM. We love them!!

BW: The first tape I ever bought with my own money was Toad the Wet Sprocket? What was the first album you bought with your own money and why?

DV: Fucking awesome question!! Toad The Wet Sprocket huh? I would have to say mine was, and I hate to admit this, but it was the Hysteria album by Def Leppard. What can I say? I am a cheezeball.

BW: What future plans do have as a band?

DV: To keep doing this but hopefully on a much more extensive scale and possibly help out other bands along the way.

BW: Any dream tours?

DV: Sure, with any band that has half a heart among them. It would be nice to tour with a band who doesn't have an ego but actually acknowledges what you are doing, even if they don't like it personally. Having said that, I would love to go out with It Dies Today and Curl Up and Die, who are really amazing people. One True Thing as well, these bands seem to know the meaning of respect.

BW: Thanks you for your time Derek,

DV: No, thank you!!