When you go to a Benchscraper show, don't be surprised if you hear Food Network and Ratatouille audio samples blaring from the PA. You see, the Portland hardcore band is comprised of four chefs.
Yes, Benchscraper call their music "kitchencore," and they pen songs anyone who has ever worked in a restaurant will relate to. Their debut EP is called Back of House Revenge, which says it all.
No Echo had a quick chat with Benchscraper vocalist Alek Hermon to learn more about the project.
In your experience, are a lot of chefs you’ve met big fans of hardcore music?
Absolutely! I’ve been in the industry for a decade and I can’t tell you how many bands I’ve discovered through co-workers. Every kitchen I work in eventually gets a complaint from FOH [front of house] about the loud music coming from the kitchen. We just can’t help ourselves.
How did Benchscraper come to be and was the cooking/kitchen angle always part of the plan?
We all met in a kitchen! To those who don’t know, a bench scraper (sometimes called a "bench knife") is a tool to cut dough with. I think we were just baking one day and joking around about how hard “benchscraper” sounds.
Our hardcore band was just a joke for a solid year before we finally said, “no really, Zach you have a basement, right? Let’s do this."
How would you describe the band’s sound?
We bond over a pretty eclectic blend of music. We listen to classic straight edge, thrash, death metal. There’s definitely a bit of Mindforce in our sound. We’ve been vibing hard on Rabbit, Spy, Trapped Under Ice.
Lately, I’ve been really into old-school Demolition Hammer. Our sound is classic thrash riffing, groovy breakdowns and vocals all over the place. [Guitarist] Zach [Hoffman] and I have a pretty fun parody of vocal styles. We even have some rap-adjacent sections.
What do the songs cover on Back of House Revenge?
Some of our songs are really about raising awareness of the issues that plague the service industry. “Shift Drink” is about how substance abuse is used as a tool to manipulate cooks. "Weeded" is about society’s hypocritical attitudes towards essential workers.
On the other hand, we love this industry and we choose to be here. “Turn and Burn” and “Ronin” both kind of celebrate that kitchens aren’t for everyone, that it takes a certain type of person to find satisfaction in the industry and overcome the inherent challenges.
Kitchens are full of passion, and brutality. They run on loyalty and camaraderie and the space isn't for everyone. Just like hardcore. That’s what this release is all about.
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Benchscraper on social media: Instagram
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