Band: Ounce of Pain
From: Seattle, Washington & Charleston, South Carolina
Their formation story:
(Phillip Bozzelli, vocals): “Ounce of Pain is ultimately a love letter to hardcore and friendship. We’ve all been friends for over 20 years. We grew up as a bunch of weirdos who didn’t fit in anywhere until we discovered DIY punk and found a community there. We became close not long after, bonding over vandalism, smoking shitty brick weed, and listening to straight edge hardcore.
"We all grew up, got jobs, and kept in touch, meeting up over the years to catch shows. Now we bring our kids to shows with us, which is incredible. Almost every meaningful friendship and good thing in our lives has come from hardcore.
"COVID hit, and like everyone else, we struggled through it. But it also pushed us to focus on making art again and embracing being weird. Then we all met up at Furnace Fest 2021 and ran into a ton of old friends—it felt like a family reunion. We were joking around, moshing, and just enjoying being together. It was one of the best weekends of our lives and really reignited our love for hardcore.
"Every year after that, we’d meet up at a festival and talk about starting a band to give something back. In 2025, when we couldn’t make a fest, we got together in Charleston and decided to record an album instead. That’s how Ounce of Pain was born.
"Anytime we’re all in a room together, something chaotic and funny happens—and we wanted to capture that energy in sonic form.”
Their sound in their own words:
“We call it weed-infused straight edge hardcore. We love straight edge hardcore—gang vocals, breakdowns, all of it. There’s just something about smoking weed and listening to straight edge bands that hits right, and we wanted to bring that feeling into what we do.
"There’s also a bit of rap-core energy in there—not necessarily in sound, but definitely in spirit. Spiritually, we’re wearing a jersey at a show, if that makes sense.
"We wanted the record to have a sense of humor, too. There are serious songs, but also some really ridiculous moments. Ideally, we want to make you angry enough to want to tear things down, but also make you laugh. Life’s about balance—never trust a revolutionary who can’t laugh or dance.
"Stretch Arm Strong is probably our biggest influence. We’ve all seen them live countless times, and their positivity really shaped our scene. Prayer for Cleansing is another huge one—our last song is basically a tribute to them.
"We also pull inspiration from outside hardcore. Wesley Willis for his raw honesty and for turning adversity into art. Andrew W.K. for his energy and sense of fun. And UGK—we’ve probably listened to them more than anything else. The back-and-forth between Bun B and Pimp C, the honesty in their lyrics—it all resonates with us.
"We’re also big fans of DJ Screw and the chopped-and-screwed UGK stuff. Visually, we’re influenced by Vincent Locke’s work with Cannibal Corpse and the artwork for Big Bear’s Doin’ Thangs.”
Latest release info:
“Our upcoming release, Legalize Killing Politicians, was recorded at The Space Studio with Wolfgang Zimmerman, who was a huge part of the process. He created a great atmosphere and made us feel comfortable throughout.
"The album is six songs and under nine minutes—fast and loud as hell. The lyrics cover everything from PMA to executing politicians and billionaires, to St. Louis, pogs, hardcore being the best, and even one of our kids rambling about souls while high on nitrous at the dentist.
"We also created custom artwork for each song, all done by real people—no AI. Ounce of Pain is very much an art project, and the visuals are a huge part of it. Paul Miner handled mixing and mastering and brought a lot of great ideas that really elevated the final sound.”
Future plans:
“It’s summer, so we’ll definitely be surfing. We’re trying to line up some shows soon and will probably meet up for another festival. Mostly, we’re planning to spend a lot of time outside—sometimes without clothes on.”
What other bands from their region should we check out?
“Stretch Arm Strong, Guyana Punch Line, Infinitefreefall, Florida Man, Majic Dust, The 33s, Prayer for Cleansing, and xWhere It Endsx.”
Ounce of Pain on social media: Instagram
Tagged: ounce of pain
