Libricide is a multi-faceted modern rock band based out of NYC, fusing styles and taking stages to create an original sonic experience that broadens your mind and gets stuck in your head.
Holding down multiple roles at the forefront of Libricide is singer-songwriter Harun Gadol, who originally formed the band as a solo project in 2012, releasing the first EP Barriers To Entry. Lead guitarist Dylan Stark joined shortly after, leading the duo to Libricide’s self-titled debut album in 2015. The band was soon on the rise amidst their local tri-state area live circuit, finding bassist Paul Paldino and drummer James Knoerl along the way to round out the current lineup.
We had a chance to chat with Dylan and Harun about their newest single as part of our Refrain Interview Series. Take a listen to the single while reading all about the band!
Refrain Music Blog: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. You have a new single out now. Tell us about it? What’s it called?
Harun: Our pleasure! Thank you for having us. The first new single off our upcoming record is called “Over Everything”.
RMB: What’s the single about?
Harun: It partially references the trials and tribulations of everyday life- how stressors can build up and culminate to a point of no return. Something (or persons, or things) is/are driving you crazy and you’re over it and just want to say, “f*ck it ALL”. THIS is that anthem. What the world has been going through as of late is just some horrible icing on the cake.
RMB: What’s the story on how it was recorded? The Who, When, Where etc. Was it a long process or quick? Any good stories about the recording process?
Harun: I remember bringing “Over Everything” to the guys in our rehearsal space when it was essentially just the main chorus/intro riff and a title/concept. We continued working on it in the coming months. Fun little side-story: it only had one verse and NO final chorus originally and was intended to be a shorter, ‘punkier’ track along with its ‘sister’ song “Everything Is Easy” (also on the new record). Both ended up being fleshed out as full, stand-alone tracks while still tying together nicely. The final recording itself was all pretty breezy considering; we did it as part of our latest full-length effort at Portrait Recording Studios in Pompton Plains, NJ, originally not even considering it as a potential single!
RMB: Is it part of a larger album? If so, tell us about that.
Dylan: We’ve been working on the material for a few years. Trading demos back & forth with each other during the process. As we were in the phase, we collectively felt we were on to something big. When covid had hit, we decided to take the next step & move forward with the next stage of this album. Official production started October 2020 & was wrapped up by July the following year.
RMB: When is that album out?
Dylan: We are currently shooting for a Spring 2022 release. More details will be announced in the coming weeks/months.
RMB: How many songs on the album?
Dylan: There are 11 songs in total.
RMB: Is this your first album? If not tell us about your previous work and how this differs from your previous work.
Dylan: I would say that we have evolved in our songwriting & production since our first record. While not to put down that record as I do still strongly feel that the songs on there were good & well produced at the time, this upcoming record is at the next level & is our strongest work to date.
RMB: Tell us a little about the band. Who are the members and what do you each play?
Harun: I’m the Lead Singer and Rhythm Guitarist for the group.
Dylan: My role in this band is the Lead Guitarist & Backing Vocalist.
Harun: We also have Paul Paldino on Bass and Backing Vocals, as well as James Knoerl on Drums for this record. We also all write/demo/produce on our own individual recording rigs.
RMB: How long have you been together? When and how did you form?
Harun: The project started off solo as myself initially in the 2010’s. As I wrote and put some tracks together, that opened the door to other musicians who shared a similar artistic and musical vision and approach. Dylan joined while we were recording the self-titled debut and contributed a significant amount of guitar work and backing vocals toward it (just in time).
RMB: Have you had any significant lineup changes recently? What happened and how is everyone feeling about it?
Harun: Not really recently, thankfully. Players have come and gone, especially with the current economic climate in music, unfortunately. People’s life goals also change, they start families; other things come into play that is often out of your control. Fortunately, in the digital age we’re learning we don’t have to be so attached to “what it looks like”, and can continue moving forward without having to be bogged down by trying to maintain a “full lineup” all the time. Sometimes it’s easier with fewer people to manage; knowing everyone involved is pulling their fair share to support the group effort.
RMB: Tell us a little bit about yourself. When did you start pursuing music?
Dylan: I started playing guitar when I was 14. My fascination with the instrument itself started when I was 6 years old. I watched the movie “Twister” when it was released on home video (VHS) & I was immediately drawn to the soundtrack for the film. Particularly the ending credits which featured a distorted electric guitar playing a melodic lead line. It led to many rewinds of the tape till the point the tape itself was worn out. Later I would come to find out that the composition in the ending credits was called “Respect The Wind” by Eddie Van Halen. Ever since then, I became a fan of the instrument- with love & admiration for many bands/guitarists/artists I discovered later in my youth. I made the decision at the time of my 14th birthday to start playing guitar. I never put it down since.
RMB: Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Dylan: My influences are very broad. To narrow them down, I would say Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Joe Satriani, George Lynch (Dokken/Lynch Mob), Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains), Eric Johnson, Johnny Ramone (The Ramones), Kurt Cobain, John Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls), Paul Gilbert, Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), Marty Friedman (Megadeth/Cacophony) etc.
Harun: I was actually just thinking about this trying to define or “isolate” our sound and a bit more. Some artists I’ve been a big fan of (in alphabetical and not necessarily influence order) include: 2Pac, 311, Alice In Chains, Bjork, Foo Fighters, Incubus, Jamiroquai, Megadeth, Nickelback (that’s right I said it), Periphery, Pink Floyd, The Police, Radiohead, Sting & Stone Temple Pilots, among others.
RMB: What’s the one thing you are most proud of in your career so far?
Dylan: This business has many ups & downs. The positives outweigh the negatives though. Not only did I get to share the stage with some of the most iconic names in Rock & Metal history (Ace Frehley, Yngwie Malmsteen etc), but to have a Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer icon such as Ted Jenson (Billy Joel, Green Day, Guns N Roses, Goo Goo Dolls) work on your own record is truly something special. Those are some of the positives that came out as a result of me never giving up on my goals & are a stark reminder that this is only the beginning.
Harun: Probably some of the awesome bills we’ve gotten to play. The quality of this new record also makes us super excited and proud to share with the world.
RMB: If you had to pitch your music to a potential fan in less than 10 seconds, what would you say?
Harun: Libricide is a multi-faceted modern rock band based out of New York, fusing styles and taking stages to create an original sonic experience that broadens your mind and gets stuck in your head.
RMB: What’s one piece of advice you’ve gotten that you think everyone needs to hear or that has meant the most to you?
Harun: There will always be naysayers… feel free to consider opinions but also consider the source. And let the complainers sit on the sidelines while you go and get sh*t done on the field!
RMB: If you could go back in time, what’s a piece of advice you would give to a younger you?
Harun: Work more, sooner. Trust yourself and your intuition. You’ve got a great thing going here, and you don’t always have to see the whole staircase all the time- just take each next step as it approaches and pretty soon you’ll have traversed the whole thing.
RMB: What’s coming up next for your musical project?
Harun: Some more single releases, music videos, and of course this awesome new album, entitled “Consilience”!
RMB: Anything we haven’t thought of that you want to talk about? Now is the time!
We run a full-service, in-house creative and content production arm called Libricide Studios. Check us out online! We’ve got tons of interesting content across our platforms:
More on Libricide can be found at: https://www.libricide.com
Follow Libricide on social media via the links below:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7mwWvfYHOf6bIrvCH96hzE
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/libricide/1069078217
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Bandcamp: www.libricide.bandcamp.com
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