In late 2022, I was introduced to Denver, Colorado hardcore punk band Destiny Bond when they were added to the Act Like You Know festival lineup. The band releases music via Convulse Records (which is actually run by their drummer Adam and works with other bands like GEL, MSPAINT, Militarie Gun, Gumm, etc.) and around the time of the festival, they were on tour with one of my favorite Philadelphia based bands, Chemical Fix.
So I listened and instantly enjoyed Destiny Bond’s most recent release, 2022 Promo. Specifically the songs “Baby Bloom” and “Losin’.” It was released in June of 2022 and you can listen to it on their Bandcamp.
“Bloom baby, bloom.”
Destiny Bond started in 2021 and consists of vocalist Cloe, Amos and Emily on guitar, Rio on bass, and Adam on drums.
Adam shared, “A few of us used to play in bands together and we were all friends. Amos and I were initially looking to do something fast and melodic like the Faith or Dag Nasty and it morphed into what Destiny Bond is now.”
And they’re not slowing down for 2023.
Their 2023 plans consist of a lot more touring and a LP release in the spring, which vocalist Cloe says “we’re really proud of it.”
Destiny Bond’s first tour of the year kicks off on February 15 Oklahoma City with the band Skinman. They travel to other cities like Austin, Houston, Atlanta, and New Orleans, with an ending date on February 27 in Kansas City, Missouri.
2023 is going to be a great year for Destiny Bond and you should be part of it. This is a band you do not want to miss out on!
Around the time of the Act Like You Know festival, I sent over some interview questions. We talked about the festival, what they did while in Tulsa, touring with Chemical Fix, and more!
Responses with a CJ were from their vocalist Cloe and responses with an AC were from their drummer Adam.
Below is the tour poster for their upcoming shows. Continue reading for an interview!
Make sure to support Adam and Convulse Records this year as well. I’m personally excited for the upcoming GEL and MSPAINT releases!
You are from Denver, a location I don’t know too much about but have noticed that there is a strong scene. For someone who doesn’t know too much about it, can you talk about it whether that be other bands, shows, etc?
AC: Denver is the best town in the world to play hardcore and punk music in. More good bands than I can count. Raw Breed, Candy Apple, Direct Threat, Sanitizers, Goon, Prowler, The Clue, Wide Man, The Consequence, Faim, Asbestos, Ukko’s Hammer, Cadaver Dog… the list is endless.
CJ: Denver is great because there is a consistent group of dedicated people that have built a scene from the ground up – we used to always be looked over or flown over when I was younger but now it’s a destination and we have tons of young kids going to shows. It’s special.
The Act Like You Know fest introduced me to a ton of new bands, including you. I am really enjoying the Promo you released in June. Can you talk a little about these songs, whether it be the writing process, inspiration, recording, lyrics, or the overall message and goals you had?
CJ: Lyrically, most of what I write about is simplicity and positive messages about community and authenticity. Most of the hardcore records that have stuck with me were the ones with simple, vital messages, and that’s what I wanted to address on this promo. Writing wise, we focus on a sound inspired by 80s hardcore that’s more melodic and faster without losing aggression.
AC: These songs were also part of the demoing process for our LP, which will be out next year on Convulse Records.
There were a handful of bands that were added to the fest later than some other bands, one of them being your band. How did it feel to be asked to be part of the fest?
AC: We actually weren’t. We were invited to do another fest with Chemical Fix in Canada and a third fest in San Diego and it just made sense for us to tour between the two fests together with our friends in Punitive Damage. Aaron from ALYK is a real homie and added us last minute so the tour could work. It feels great to be a part of the fest, it was an incredible lineup and really inspiring.
You were the first band to kick off the third day with other bands like Last Gasp, Snuffed, Si Dios Quiere, Anklebiter, Spaced, and Scowl following. How was your performance/reaction?
CJ: We didn’t know what to expect playing first on the third day of a fest but the response was great – it was cool to see how many people were dedicated to seeing and supporting every band. Adrian and Maggie doing sound made everything run so smooth, too.
AC: Shoutout to Tyler from Constraint for taking the first bloody nose of the day during our set – made the whole weekend worth it and their set was my personal favorite of the weekend.
Who else were you excited to see this weekend? I’m sure you were familiar with a ton of the bands before entering the fest but did you find/learn anything new?
CJ: We were excited to see our friends in Scowl again and getting to meet our new tour mates in Chemical Fix was also incredible.
AC: Surprise of the day for me was Direct Measure – cool band. I was pumped to see our friends in Scowl and Chemical Fix but honestly every set was great. The Pummel set was also a highlight for me – it was cool to see them going out on such a high note. The Anklebiter & Spaced sets felt like a moment too.
What else did you do in Tulsa when you were there? Did you check out any cool restaurants, shops, etc.?
AC: We went to The Vault which was cool – but they have this weird floral coffee that we disagreed about. Everyone else liked it but it’s not for me. The coffee spot near the venue was great – Chimera. Honestly the highlight for me was hanging out with my mom. She lives in Choctaw and made the trip and it was her first time seeing Destiny Bond.
CJ: I got to see so many friends I’ve met in the past from touring and haven’t seen since COVID. It was great.
You are currently on the road with Chemical Fix, how did you link up with the band for these shows? What are you looking forward to for the rest of the shows on the tour?
AC: Our friend Bradley runs a cool distribution service called Northern Scene that gets hardcore records into Canada. My label Convulse Records works with him a lot and he invited Destiny Bond and Chemical Fix up to Vancouver to celebrate the anniversary of Northern Scene. We decided it just made sense to tour together. Our friends in Punitive Damage are also joining us for the west coast dates which rules as well because we’re all playing a fest called Fear of Noise in San Diego. Chemical Fix are a great band and we’re really excited to be doing this tour with them.
What are some of your favorite releases of the year? These do not need to be hardcore releases!
AC: We run a label called Convulse Records and obviously love all the records we put out. In addition to those records, my favorite records this year came from High Vis, Savageheads, Straw Man Army, Combust, Militarie Gun, Raw Brigade, and End It. It was an amazing year for hardcore and punk.
CJ: Our friends in Punitive Damage put out an amazing record. I also really enjoyed the End It record. Fontaines DC’s record was amazing. I love the True Body singles and can’t wait for more.
