Urban Sprawl (USA) — INTERVIEW
Hailing from the Bay Area’s rich lineage of hardcore punk, Urban Sprawl are storming their way to Australian shores this July for the very first time — and they're bringing the kind of chaos that’s bound to leave a mark.
Rooted in the same fertile scene that birthed acts like Primal Rite, Punch, and Look Back And Laugh, Urban Sprawl has quickly carved their own lane, fusing politically charged lyrics with breakneck energy. With releases on cult labels like Revelation and Convulse, and new music on the way, the band is only gaining momentum.
Made up of members who’ve done time in bands like Ceremony, Tørsö, Profile, Cell Rot, Wound Man, and even Joyce Manor, Urban Sprawl tackles the hard truths of their city — gentrification, inequality, and the daily grind of life in San Francisco — through a raw, unrelenting lens.
They’ll be hitting stages across Australia this July, thanks to Team Glass Records and Vinnies Touring. We caught up with Taylor from the band to chat all things Urban Sprawl — from their upcoming tour to the community that fuels them back home.
First off, Hey Taylor, Hope you're doing well, where are you writing to us from?
Doing well! I’m currently writing this in the UK. My other band Xui is on tour and I’m doing this in the van on our way to Manchester.
Awesome to hear that Urban Sprawl will be touring Australia in July. How did the tour come to be? What are you looking forward to the most about touring here, and have any members been to Australia before?
Words can’t describe how excited I am to come and tour Australia. It’s been a dream come true for sure. Originally we got invited to tour Japan and our new Guitarist Sven had recently toured here and figured we might as well hit Australia! I’m beyond excited to play here. Never been before, looking forward to seeing awesome new bands, making new friends, visiting new spaces and hopefully seeing a kangaroo. Also wanna see if the toilets flush the opposite direction from the episode of the Simpson’s where they visit Australia.
Are there any bands you have lined up to play with on this upcoming July Tour, that you're keen to catch while you're in the country?
Absolutely! Super excited to play histamines record release, and to play with Orc, raw impact and consequence.
How did Urban Sprawl come to be? I’ve heard that you have existing or past members of Cell Rot, Torso, Ceremony, Joyce Manor
In a way, I got tricked into doing this band. Our original guitarist Kwame asked me if I wanted to do any band what would it sound like? I mentioned a band in which I would sing that was inspired by bands like Dead Stop, Violent Minds, and Wasted time. A few weeks later he had the demo written.I ended up recording the drums and vocals and he did everything else. We then assembled the rest of the band and it’s been on since then.
You come from a scene that’s given rise to bands like Primal Rite, Look Back And Laugh, and Punch — how has that environment shaped your sound or ethos as a band?
The Bay Area hardcore punk scene has always had a lot of really great bands and people making things happen for a long time. We have a long history here of lifers who have consistently put out great records and been heavily involved. It’s inspiring to say the least. There’s been a legacy of ethics that has been passed down for a long time and as we grew up going to shows you find your way into it as well. Bands and people I’ve looked up to as young man have become friends and bands we toured and play with regularly.
I spoke with Spy a while back about this — it seems like more and more Bay Area bands are making their way to Australia lately. Big Boy and Sunami feel like regulars at this point. Is there a real buzz in the Bay about touring here? What draws you all to the Australian scene?
That’s a good question!
Revelation has such a stacked history — from Youth of Today to Warzone. How did that connection come together for you?
Yeah it’s really crazy to think we are on the revelation roster with so many bands that influenced me as A musician but also have influenced my ethics and beliefs. Our friend Adam works for them. And like any other good homie, he checked us out and was into it and helped coordinate putting it out. Having the star on the record is still a crazy dream come true.
Apart from Summer Promo 2023 Tape, and the previous Concrete Altar, Do you have another Tape, 7” and or Album on the way?
We have a new 7 inch coming out hopefully in the next month or so. We’ll have a cassette version of it on Australian shows.
What are your Top 5 go-to records to listen to when you're not on tour?
Oh man, that’s such a hard question. I feel like I’m constantly trying to find new music and artists. The top 5 is constantly evolving. Here’s my current top 5 records:
Eddie and the hot rods - Life on the Line
Bolt thrower - Mercenary
Philip Seymour - Self Titled
Puffer- Street Hassle
The Tubs - Cotton Crown
Does anyone in the band take the lead on designing your show or tour flyers, or are there any artists you’ve collaborated with that you’d like to spotlight?
We usually ask a friend or an artist we like to help us out with the visual components of the band. One friend that has always helped us out is our friend Brandon. He does art under the name TMVC. His fliers are amazing and has done a ton of stuff for us. Definitely check him out!
When you're not on tour, what are you working on and how’s that downtime feed the cycle?
Aside from urban sprawl, we all play in a bunch of other bands, have partners and work full time
Jobs. We try and make time for the band when we can, the unfortunate realities of responsibilities and work feed the cycle of wanting to get out and play and writes
We enjoy giving back and supporting emerging artists, bands, or creatives from your local community. Are there any you'd recommend we check out?
Check out: Cell rot, Xui, the government, screaming fist, Torso, the umbrellas, Big, Slugger, The Breath, defective chain, the circulators, and greyhound. Thanks so much for the interview!
Thanks Lads