Meet the Artist: An Exclusive Interview with “Initiate”
Written by Lorenzo dela Cruz | May 31, 2025
photos by Leila Miranda & Lorenzo dela Cruz
Initiate is a Southern California-based hardcore band known for blending melodic undertones with aggressive riffs and an unshakable sense of purpose. Formed in 2016, the group has become a powerful voice in the underground scene, using their platform to uplift femme and queer voices, question systemic injustices, and redefine what hardcore can mean. With a sound rooted in urgency and emotion, Initiate creates music that confronts, heals, and resonates. Their work transcends mere genre labels—it's a space for vulnerability, resistance, and community.
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Nopality Magazine had the chance to talk with the members of Initiate before the show and pick their mind on their artistry and motivations.
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Note: Responses have been edited for clarity
Q: Could you start by introducing yourselves and your roles in the band?
Mike: My name is Mike, and I play bass in Initiate, but on this tour, I'm doing guitar.
Crystal: My name is Crystal, and I do vocals in Initiate.
Draven: My name's Draven, and I play drums.
Q: Can you describe Initiate in three words?
Crystal: Southern California Hardcore. I think that works.
Q: Tell us a little about how you all got started in music, both individually and as Initiate.
Mike: I started playing with a group of friends in a small town called Lompoc, California, in a power violence band. I just kept playing music and networking through the years until I became friends with former members of Initiate and Crystal, and eventually joined the band.
Crystal: I actually used to do YouTube interviews for hardcore and pop-punk bands. One day, my friend, the former guitarist of Initiate, tweeted that he wanted to start a band. I jokingly replied, "Hey, let’s start one," never thinking I would end up on vocals. I wanted to learn an instrument, but it evolved, and I ended up doing vocals. Initiate literally started with a tweet. My involvement in music started when I was 12. My cousin showed me "Bat Country" by Avenged Sevenfold, and from there, I gravitated toward hardcore. I taught myself to play everything, started playing in bands at 13, and just kept going.
Draven: I just always loved music, and as I got older I realized it was the only thing I was interested in. Because of that I started to learn how to play everything, and began to play in bands when I was 13 and honestly that lead to where I am here.
Q: Where do you find inspiration for your music and art today?
Crystal: Inspiration can come from anything. Listening to a record I haven’t heard in a while, a cool vocal cadence, background textures—anything can spark an idea.
Mike: Sometimes I hear something in my head that I haven’t heard from anyone else. I just try to do what I like and put that into the music.
Draven: What inspires me most is how people share their perspectives, shaped by upbringing and environment. Some do it with detailed lyrics, others through soundscapes. I’ve come to appreciate every form of expression.
Q: Since forming in 2016, how have you evolved as a group? What have been your highlights and key lessons?
Crystal: I feel like a completely different person from when we started. I listen to our demo and hear a totally different voice. I’m really proud of younger Crystal for putting herself out there. I didn’t have many examples of Asian women with dominant voices in hardcore. Seeing someone like Rhyllii from Krimewatch changed everything for me. It showed me what was possible.
Mike: I’ve been in the band for six years now. It’s pushed me not just musically but personally. Learning how to collaborate, trust, and communicate with others has been huge. Highlights? Traveling to places I never imagined. I come from a small town, and now I’m playing shows where people sing our songs back to us.
Draven: I’m the newest member, but we’ve already played over 100 shows together. I’d never even been on a plane before. This band has opened up a whole new world for me.
Q: You released "Too Much" in January. Tell us about the creative process behind the song and its video.
Mike: Our former guitarist wanted to try something new. Initiate usually mixes aggressive hardcore with melodic elements. "Too Much" leaned more into melodies and soundscapes. It was different structurally too. In the studio, everything changed and grew.
Crystal: I wasn’t sure about the song at first. But it grew on me. Lyrically, I was inspired by Samia, especially a line where she asks, "Is it too much to ask?" Around that time, news from Gaza was flooding in, and it made me reflect on the world. I wanted the song to acknowledge darkness but still hold space for joy. The music video was brought to life by Draven’s friends Sandy and John, who totally got the vision.
Q: You also made a post about the situation in Gaza. How important is it for artists to use their platforms for activism?
Crystal: I think if you have a platform, you should use it, but how you use it is up to you. Activism doesn’t look the same for everyone. Some bands quietly turn down festivals funded by the military, and you might never know. There are many ways to resist and show solidarity.
Q: You’ve spoken about making space for femme and queer fronted bands. What challenges do people face entering these spaces?
Crystal: Draven and I had a great conversation about masculinity and femininity. I used to focus on appearing masculine to fit in. Now I embrace femininity more. Meanwhile, Draven grew up more comfortable around femme people and is learning to engage with masculine energy.
Draven: It’s about having conversations and being intentional. We curate lineups with that in mind—what kind of audience do we want to bring in, and what experiences can we share with them?
Q: It’s the end of AAPI month. Why do you think Asian American representation in hardcore is so limited?
Crystal: My view used to be narrow, focused only on Asian Americans. But there’s a huge scene in Asia and Australia. Bands like Speed from Australia, Whispers from Thailand—they showed me how global this genre really is. There are a lot of Asian folks in the scene, but you have to look for them.
Q: What’s been your favorite stop on this Texas tour?
Mike: San Antonio at Paper Tiger. It was hot, but we had to merge two shows into one and play a tight 20-minute set. It was super high energy.
Crystal: Every show has been great, but touring with Bad World made it special. Even when things went wrong, morale stayed high because we were surrounded by good people.
Draven: Last night was great, and we’re playing one more in McAllen. I’m looking forward to that.
Q: You’re heading to Europe this summer. What are you most excited about?
Crystal: We’re taking a day off in Venice to do some touristy stuff. But I’m really excited to play with Stick To Your Guns again. They’re huge in Europe and always amazing to tour with.
Mike: First time in Italy for me. I’m also excited to play with Earth Crisis—they're a staple in hardcore history.
Draven: I'm excited to share the experience with my friend Manning. It'll be his first time in Europe, and it means a lot to bring someone into that world.
Q: Any final shoutouts or upcoming plans you want to share?
Crystal: Shout out to 805, Reno, Wisecrack, Torena, Pale Green Stars, and Hunter Huntington. We’re busy for the rest of the year—lots coming up, so stay tuned.
Labor Day Monday in Austin, Texas, brought more than just thunder and lightning—it brought a jolt of electrifying energy as Initiate took the stage at Chess Club, one of the city’s most intimate and raucous venues. Despite a tornado warning and torrential rain that sent water gushing down the streets, the show went on in true hardcore fashion.
Opener Bad World warmed up the crowd with high-intensity performance and some killer mosh moments that set the tone for the night. As water poured outside, sweat and movement soaked the walls inside. Chess Club, small enough to force even the shyest individuals to neighborly bonding, became a stage of chaos and connection.
The crowd was a lively mix of veteran Austin metalheads and younger faces—likely students from nearby UT Austin—who were ready to rock tf out. Initiate took the stage with full fury, performing in and among the crowd, blurring the line between artist and audience. The set felt less like a show and more like a collective release, where every breakdown and swell became communal.
Midway through, Crystal took a moment to center the room with powerful words: “Hardcore has given me the space to talk about cool and also uncool stuff. But inherently, hardcore is a political space. You have to give a shit about stuff—and if you don’t, then you should rethink why you listen to this genre and our music.”
She continued, "Hardcore is beautiful, but I believe that hope is a choice. And I hope you guys make a choice. Fuck ICE, Free Palestine!" The room erupted in cheers and solidarity.
The night was a reminder that even as the sky crashes down, there is power and poetry onstage. Initiate delivered not only a musical performance but a full-bodied experience—a storm within a storm, charged by hope, resistance, and the belief that this space, this genre, still means something.
