DES MOINES, IA - Music would be nothing without diversity. Many genres of hardcore and metal branch out far beyond their origins into new territories, forming hundreds of different subgenres. Des Moines is home to a band that takes music to new limits: The Emblem Faction.
The Emblem Faction started in 2017 when guitarists Brandon Feldt and William McHenry and their original drummer started practicing together. Mark Richardson, a vocalist that several bands has been reaching out to at the time, took an interest in what the three musicians were writing, and bassist Steven Lucia, a long-time friend of Feldt, joined shortly afterwards. In 2018, the quintuplet released "Timescapes," a four-track EP.
Since then, the band gained a new drummer, Colin Lee, and began writing and recording their first full-length, "Free From Contact." The record was independently released on Jun. 1, 2019. The different members all bring different influences to the table, but they share some artists such as After the Burial, Veil of Maya and The Contortionist, as universal influences.
"As we progress more and more, we've become more aware of the type of things that we repeat," said Feldt. "Maybe it's something as simple as a rhythm that we may not realize we continue to write. Once we recognize something like that, we'll approach it with a different rhythm or a different melody, or even just having an instrument lead in differently."
After being in existence for three years now and having two studio releases out, The Emblem Faction is fully immersed in the underground Des Moines scene. Feldt has been a part of the local scene for almost 10 years, and after all this time, he has seen it from several perspectives.
"Throughout my years, I've learned that everyone's just doing their own thing," said Feldt. "...Seeing that somebody's doing significantly better than you - that's not what it's about. It's about having a good time. The camaraderie that comes along with it, being there with people, and enjoying their music, and them enjoying yours - it's a very special connection that you don't really get anywhere else."
While the release of the full-length was a large step forward, the current COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on the band.
"We've been trying to stay as low-key as possible," said Feldt. "We've just been writing as much as we can."
The band members all practice and record at home using their own equipment. Lee even has an e-drum kit to record with. The band has been able to function during the pandemic, and they will be releasing a new single in the near future. However, it has taken a toll on their ability to perform shows. On Apr. 15, the band did a livestream from Lefty's Live Music, a venue in Des Moines.
It is not yet known whether or not the band wishes to perform another livestream, but until then, their music can be streamed on bandcamp and Spotify.