Shrine

I've known the members of Shrine for many years now. So, maybe I am biased when I say that it feels like every show they play and every song they write, I see some kind of improvement. Shrine are a hardcore-influenced deathcore band, hailing from Orange County, California. Their music is uniquely brutal, especially in the precision of their playing. I came with them to their practice space to listen to their upcoming EP, which will be released sometime next year, then to a show at The Haven in downtown Pomona, where they played alongside Clarion.

Who is everyone and what do you do in the band?

Apollo: I'm Apollo, and I play guitar.
Mikey: I'm Mikey and I do vocals.
JD: I'm JD and I play drums.
Riley: I'm Riley and I play bass.
Aaron: I'm Aaron and I do vocals.

What have you been finding inspiration in lately, especially with the writing process of your newer material?

Apollo: I think this is specific to me, but I'm inspired by every artist's good song. I'm not necessarily driven by one artist as a whole. I don't want to rip anyone off. I just channel whatever I'm hearing in the songs I like into my own art. I'm inspired by good music, that's it.
Mikey: I'm inspired by legacy. Music runs in my family. I saw pictures of them singing when I was younger. I was mostly inspired by my own struggles and story lately. Channeling that emotion into something that can be listened to by other people really helps me get it out.
JD: I take inspiration from a lot of the local hardcore bands. A mix of a lot of bands. I honestly take inspiration from the way SpongeBob acts. He gets all mad but he gets all happy right after. I do the same thing live. I pretend to be mad when I'm drumming, but after the show I'm all jolly.
Riley: I've always just wanted to write heavier music. Suffokate and Float Face Down are really good. Smiling Friends is cool.
Aaron: As far as my vocals, I try to have a solid groove. A lot of old deathcore bands had groove in the flow of their vocals. Job For a Cowboy and The Devil Came on Horseback are great.

Adding to the topic of inspiration, what's something you guys have been drawing from or enjoying lately that people might find unexpected?

Apollo: When I was on the internet and trying to discover new music, I found a lot of new, really weird music. There's a circle of avant-garde internet music. It's very evil music, it almost sounds like something you'd hear in an old church. That shit makes me uneasy, and I think that's why I see our music as scarier. Our music isn't as intimidating, it's just heavy. But in the same way, I want to inflict fear upon the listener. It adds a good vibe.
Mikey: Bands in our genre tend to crab on stage. Lately though, I've been trying to make my movements on stage separate from the rest of us. I like how a lot of screamo and emoviolence vocalists have so much emotion on stage. It's my favorite way to perform. It makes people emotional, makes them feel something.
JD: When I play drums, I think, "How bad would this hurt if the drums were people?"
Riley: I prefer 'Vices' era Weiland over Packrunner Weiland. A$AP Rocky is great. TE$TING is my favorite thing he's made.
Aaron: I've been listening to a lot of electronic music lately, like Suzy Sheer and Snow Strippers.

As time has stretched on, you guys have gotten really comfortable live. What are some habits you have when it comes to being on stage and preparing for that?

Apollo: Honestly, I get jittery before we play. I can identify that feeling as excitement now, but I used to identify it as being nervous. I kind of remember that I've practiced enough to the point where I'm not going to mess up. That brings me comfort, because I know I've put in the work to do that. I just tell myself,"You know what you're doing. It's good."
Mikey: I never look at someone's face when I'm on stage, unless it's a cover or a callout. I usually close my eyes, or just look at the lights. When I'm singing, nothing goes through my head except for the music. It's a very weird focus.
JD: I like to isolate myself as a musician on stage. I kind of pretend the rest of the band doesn't exist, and I'm just playing hard for myself. Since I control the tempo of the song, I don't listen to what anyone says. I just focus on what I'm doing. If I do mess up, I look at someone near me and laugh because I like to acknowledge my mistakes.
Riley: We all kind of do our own thing in my eyes, but we always try and find each other when we play live. Me and Mikey like to mosh before a show, everyone else does their own thing. Sometimes we lose Aaron right until we have to get on stage.
Aaron: I watch other bands' sets on YouTube to get myself prepared, and warm up my voice. That's about it.

Do you guys have any hot takes?

Apollo: No one in our scene is hot shit. I just try and talk to everyone, because I like to be nice. But some people treat others like they’re lowers. If you walked outside your house, you could walk for 10 miles. No one would know who you were. Think about how you treat people. Don't have a fucking ego. That goes for a lot of people.
Mikey: I think more people should sing about things that are happening. I think lyrics need to be more complicated. All the bands in the hardcore scene who write about being macho and killing people because they're tough, I don't like it. You don't have to be tough. Music should be personal.
JD: If you only want to make money, then stop fucking making music. It's not for you. Profit should not be your goal.

[note - riley and aaron were sadly absent during this question and their answer was not recorded :/]

What's a goal all of you have for 2026?

Apollo: I really just want to be better. In the way I perform, mostly the stuff I'm writing, but also making sure I'm being considerate of everyone else's ideas. I've been trying to be better at taking critique. I know no one's saying anything to make me feel bad about my idea. They just want to make the band better.
Mikey: I just want to practice exhales. And, as far as stage presence goes, I want to move around on stage more.
JD: I want our music to be more intricate, especially the things that not many people notice.
Riley: Just touring generally. All over the country. I'd love to play in Vegas.
Aaron: I want to release all the songs that we have written right now.

Any shoutouts?

Apollo: Shoutout to Snout, again and again, we love all of you guys that aren't me and JD. shoutout AnimaIsDying, obviously shoutout rhubarb, shoutout spiritdesire, and also shoutout to JD and Brady's project that they're going to do.
Mikey: Shoutout to anyone who's listened to our music or gone to a show to see us. We played so many dream venues in one year, and we're very thankful. It came out of nowhere. Shoutout to the community, we would be nothing without you.
JD: Shoutout Bayonette, probably the best OC hardcore band right now. Shoutout Brady Bowman.
Apollo: Oh, shoutout Nug too. Shoutout every band from OC. Seriously, OC needs some more bands to pop out. We want to play more with people from our area. We love everyone. Shoutout... [many area codes]. We love you.
Riley: Shoutout my family.
Aaron: Shoutout you, Arthur. I don't know, shoutout everyone who's not in Shrine.
Apollo: Dude, let's keep getting unc bands on bills, shoutout Endings. I'm sorry, this is my last thing, but we need to get more unc bands on bills. All the unc bands, you guys are amazing. We want to play with you. We need to be accepting of these old folk. These elder folk. We love you all. Shit just got Asian.
JD: I'd be mad as hell if someone referred to me as 'old folk.'

Let's call it at that.