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ByAshleyKettle

On Saturday, May 13, Toxic Patterns took the stage for the first time at the TOUR DE VILLE After Party. Emotions ranged from excitement and nervousness to eagerness as the four-man band geared up for their set.

“Slangin’” guitarist Ian Cargill, drummer and vocalist Spencer Evans, guitarist and vocalist Cody Parson, and bass player and vocalist Lawton Vierkant kicked their set off with their debut song “Dad! I Like Beer!” to a packed crowd at Revel House.

I was hooked within seconds of hitting the play button on Spotify for “Dad! I Like Beer!” Toxic Patterns’ sound slammed me back to the era when The Misfits, Suicidal Tendencies, The Sex Pistols and The Ramones was my most played mixed tape. The band has that raw basement sound with deep, meaningful lyrics that lends itself to the raised hand horn, hair flying, head banging, jumping days of my youth. So, I was a little more than excited to be given the chance to find out more about Clarksville’s latest “Emo,” “Sad Boi Yallternatvie” band.

Tell me about the band’s debut

Spencer: I remember feeling mainly anxious, but I was just excited and ready to play for our friends. And very hot and sweaty. It added to the show, I bet.

Ian: The night was .eventful haha.

Lawton: Haha, oh boy, uhhhh my perspective is fun. So the first feeling was just pure excitement. I’ve been going to TOUR DE VILLEs almost since the beginning. I’ve played at probably 5 or 6 [TOUR DE VILLEs] with other bands, but I haven’t been in a local band that has done shows in over 6 years. So the fact our debut was at TOUR DE VLLE, and it was with this group, I was stoked. Then I got super nervous when it was getting close to our set, and had been drinking for a large portion of the day, so between that and the adrenaline, the set zoomed by. The videos I saw and from what others have said it was a good set, so that’s a plus, haha.

Cody: I was incredibly eager to be playing music with my brother again (Ian) he’s not in my solo band and I often miss his presence performing. Everything about Toxic Patterns just felt like old friends tho. I was comfortable with all these guys before we ever got on stage together.

The Basics: Where are you from? Where’d you grow up?

Spencer: I was an army brat, so I spent some time early in Europe. But for the most part I grew up in West Texas and Clarksville the last decade .

Ian: I was born in Tacoma, WA and spent my childhood bouncing back and fourth between Clarksville and the middle of nowhere Herndon, KY. Me and Cody met when I was around 8 years old when my mom and his dad started runnin the streets together.

Lawton: I was born in Nashville, and my family moved to Clarksville when I was about 3 years old because they were looking for more land and a little bit of distance from the Nashville scene. Ever since then I’ve lived in Clarksville.

Cody: Born & raised [in Clarksville].

When and how did Toxic Patterns come about?

Spencer: I think it has always been like a what if situation between Cody and I. We had to include Lawton, cause he is my special guy and I always think of him first if I'm gonna do anything music related. Finally we all just said let's get together and see what we actually could write. We were lucky Ian was available to do this too, cause most of us have played together but never anything like this or anything where all four of us were included.

Ian: Cody, Spencer and I had been playing in my solo project for about a year or so. When I was finally able to come over and jam with them plus Lawton, things just clicked instantly.

Lawton: A funny story that I think was the legit spark for Toxic Patterns, I had two other friends that really wanted to just jam and write some music, so I called Spencer and had him come out and jam for this session. Then the next time that group got together, Cody just stopped by to hang out and hear what we had been doing. Fast forward like a month, that little jam band kinda fizzled out, and me, Cody, and Spencer decided to jam, and the first time we got together we wrote the intro to Dad! I Like Beer! And we all were kinda like, “woa, that was pretty sick considering we only jammed for an hour or two.” Then fast forward to a few more rehearsals, and Ian got roped in and it was an instant fit. Like Spencer said, we’ve all been in the scene for years, but Cody and Ian had been in projects together, and Spencer and I had been in some too, but never the four of us together. So it just instantly clicked and we kinda felt like we had a good thing mainly because of the chemistry.

Cody: I watched FreeThrow play a hometown show a month before Covid shut down the world. After years and years of watching the “cool” kids of Nashville cross their arms at shows it was refreshing AF to see a crowd screaming at the top of their lungs. That started me back on emo and like spencer mentioned we jus kinda started joking about starting an emo band. Then it became more than a joke.

Toxic Patterns is a kick-a$$ name, where did that name come from?

Spencer: That's all Cody. He brought it - I think day 1 - and we all knew.

Cody: I was having a conversation with my friend Danielle Suits about recognizing your toxic patterns and taking accountability for them. In the midst of the conversation I checked the webs to see if anyone had named a band that yet and I instantly knew.

How does this band’s sound differ from other bands you’ve played with?

Spencer: I've only ever drummed in hard-core bands or played guitar in like some alternative indie rock stuff. This is the first time I've had success trying to play this style of music here.

Ian: After playing in Whiskey Angel for ten years, I've had to teach myself to lay back a little bit and not rip a gnarly guitar solo in every song.

Lawton: I think what’s cool about this band is that we all have a ton of similar interests in other bands that we have listened to for years, but what each of us bring to the table is all a different element. Like we knew we wanted some midwest emo/indie sound, but all of us have a different view on what that is. So when we’re writing songs we’ll just take an immediate left turn because of someone’s suggestion, and I think that just brings a really cool and interesting sound to it.

Cody: Everything about this project is different for me. From the inception and development of songs to the very genre we play. The south has always reflected in the music I play and somehow toxic patterns doesn’t feel different. It’s sad Boi Yallternative.

Who were your early influences? How do they influence Toxic Pattern’s sound?

Spencer: Early on musically it had to be At The Drive-In, The Blood Brothers, The Chariot Underoath and mewithoutYou. Now mainly Title Fight, Turnover, Pianos Become The Teeth and Hot Mulligan. I'm all over the place.

Ian: I've been a KISS fan since I was 4 years old, but none of that really comes into play in Toxic Patterns The first band I was ever in when I was 12 or 13 covered Fall Out Boy, Hawthorne Heights and Underoath, so I had some experience in the genre. My influences for this band are New order, Joyce Manor, Title Fight, Jank. Oh and I always gotta shout out the greatest band on earth, My Morning Jacket.

Lawton: Early on when I first started playing music it was pretty much Underoath, Emery, and The Devil Wears Prada on repeat. Then in high school I went straight to pop punk like All Time Low & The Maine. It wasn’t until my mid-20’s when I started listening to some bands that influenced this project like Hot Mulligan and Jank, and those vocal styles really have influenced me in the parts that I sing in Toxic Patterns.

Cody: I didn’t ride the first wave of emo, meaning I never played in a band like this before where as I think all the rest of the guys really started cutting their live chops during that era. I come from the school of rock n roll so really classic rock has always been the foundations of what I play. This band was my first attempts to actively ply something different.

Favorite song Toxic Patterns performs

Spencer: "Sadder Now" for sure.

Ian: Agreed but I also like our big closing song that Cody called "12 Hour Hold" lol.

Lawton: “Dad! I Like Beer!” Baby, that intro gets me too hype.

Cody: I don’t really have one at this point. But I guess I’ll say “D3 Mortal Wounds” just to be different. Who writes the music? Describe your writing process.

Spencer: I think every song has been a very natural process of each person bringing or pitching ideas and just jamming on anything we can come up with. We haven't tried to force anything where we don't feel it needs to be and that's been refreshing. We all value each other's opinions and playing.

Ian: Yeah, it's definitely been a group effort. I've had a lot going on in my life for the past couple months and it's put me on a huge creative streak. I came up with the riff for "Sadder Now" after buying a chorus pedal from a pawn shop. I didn't realize till later it was basically the intro to "Ten Years Gone" by Led Zeppelin, which is pretty heavy considering the last 10 years of my life completely changed around the time I wrote that riff.

Lawton: Yeah, a group effort for sure. Not one person has had a whole song “written” and brought it to the table. Everything has either been a riff, or a melody, that we just collaborate on and then start building the song section by section. I really enjoy that process too because it really puts each other's influence into each and every song instead of “this song sounds like this….and that one is like that…” they all have little pieces that each of us have brought.

Cody: It’s all of us very equally. I’m very happy with it.

The song, “Dad! I Like Beer” is great. The lyrics are deep - what inspired the song? The sound reminds me of the early years of The Misfits. Is that the sound Toxic Patterns is going for?

Spencer: I'm not sure if we know exactly what our direction or sound is becoming but we're excited. That was a song Cody brought to practice day 1 and that was the song we knew this whole project was gonna work.

Ian: Danzig era Misfits for life. "Hybrid Moments" is one of my favorite songs of all time and reminds me of my best friend Alex's funeral.

Lawton: As Spencer said, this riff was from day 1. We hadn’t even jammed yet, and Cody brought it and we were like, “oh yeah, that’s the sound were going for.” Then once we pieced the rest of it together, all I could think about when listening to it was like, “Yes, this literally encompasses all of our influences.” Between the vocal styles in the chorus, how we layered the vocals in the bridge, still snuck in a solo so Ian could shred, it all was just what I think we wanted to happen with this band. As far as the Misfits sound, I will be honest and admit I never had a phase of listening to them haha so maybe that was an influence from the other guys.

Cody: I think the beautiful thing about it is how natural the sound developed. We didn’t come into this project with any kind of preconceived notion of what things should sound like and that kind of gave us free reigns to find our sound.

What’s next for the band?

Spencer: Writing and recording more for sure. And playing a few shows coming up, so please come check us out.

Ian: Who knows but I'm loving it either way. We have a camaraderie that I haven't experienced with another band that makes it feel like home for now.

Lawton: Yeah we’ve got a few shows lined up over the next few months, but I think writing and recording is a major focus. While we’re happy with everything we’ve written so far, I keep telling the guys that I think the next 5 songs we write are gonna smoke the others just because of the chemistry and how everytime we get together, it just gets better and better.

Cody: More songs and more shows. Aiming to release a EP by the end of the summer.

What’s next for you?

Spencer: Just working in the brewery at Blackhorse and getting ready for summer.

Ian: I also work at the Blackhorse so I do plenty of that, but my life as of lately has been a whirlwind of surprises so who effin’ knows?

Lawton: Yeah really just working the good ‘ole day job, and hoping to get better at my mixing and mastering abilities so we can keep cranking out higher quality music haha.

Cody: Continuing patterns and continuing to push with my solo act Cody Parson & The Heavy Change.

Where would you be without music?

Spencer: Most likely trying to focus on some other art I'm interested in. Music has always been a very expressive and fulfilling thing.

Ian: Dead.

Lawton: Yeah there’s no telling for me. The amount of situations, and just life events that music has helped me through, not sure I could say if I would even be here, or be the person that I am if it wasn’t for music.

Cody: If it wasn’t music I often feel like I would have thrown myself into film. Directing and presenting narrative is incredibly appealing to me.

Advice for anyone starting out?

Spencer: Practice.

Ian: Just do you and don't worry about what others think or say. If the art comes out of you, it's worthwhile.

Lawton: Yeah, practice is a huge one. That’s definitely some advice I wish I listened to when I was starting. Also, try to find some like minded friends and just hangout and jam. You don’t even have to write anything that is good or something you keep. Just get in a room, hangout, make memories, and have fun. It’ll pay off.

Cody: Don’t worry about anyone else. Focus on yourself and building your skills. Support your community but not at the expense of yourself.

Any parting words?

Spencer: Practice more.

Ian: Watch King of the Hill.

Lawton: Go listen to Dad! I Like Beer! So you can hear a bunch of over 30 year olds yell about stuff.

Cody: Find what makes life worth living.

TLDR; Four long-time friends; Spencer Evans, Ian Cargill, Lawton Vierkant and Cody Parson, debuted their new band, Toxic Patterns, during the TOUR DE VILLE After Party at Revel House. If you’re into My Morning Jacket, Hot Mulligan, Title Fight and the like, Toxic Patterns is your new favorite band. Go check ‘em out on Instagram @toxic.patterns, and then go like their Facebook page Toxic Patterns. I promise you won’t be disappointed.