Band: Eskrima
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Their formation story:
"Most of us met through shows and mutual friends, and the idea for the band came out of attending a Filipino cultural event in downtown Toronto, which felt very fitting. Our bass player was introduced to us after we saw him at shows wearing a very loud Philippines basketball jersey. He was down to join, and Eskrima was born.
"We actually got asked to play a fest right after forming, but we had zero songs. So, for the next three to four months, we jammed and wrote what would eventually become our demo."
Their sound in their own words:
"Our sound is a mix of what we all grew up loving. There’s a strong influence from Wilkes-Barre hardcore bands like Cold World and War Hungry, as well as from early Filipino punk bands like Dead Ends and Philippine Violators. That really showed us that Filipino punk and hardcore could exist in a real way.
"Lyrically, this promo release pulls heavily from bands like Neglect, Killing Time, and Crown of Thornz."
Latest release info:
"After playing shows off our demo, it felt natural to lean into something heavier and more direct. This promo pushes us toward a more defined Eskrima sound.
"'The Grey' and 'The Decline' were two of the three songs we had been workshopping live for a while. Based on the reaction—people moshing hard to both—we decided to include them in a quick promo while we continue writing for our first EP. We’re aiming to have that finished by the end of the year."
Future plans:
"We’re grateful to have been asked to play the Tied Down Friday pre-show. Detroit is the only U.S. city we’ve played so far, and we had such a great time that we’re excited to run it back.
"We’re also playing Be About It in Montreal in August. After that, it’s back to the lab to finish writing and recording."
What other bands from their region should we check out?
"Enhanced Lethal Abilities, Bedlam, Suspend, Cootie Catcher, Charade, Dear Evangeline, Blood Wraith, The Many, Slacker, Fertilizer, Broken Social Scene."
Eskrima on social media: Instagram
Tagged: eskrima
