The Next New Orleans Royalty: an Interview with GARGUTS

The newest single from the band GARGUTS is a sonically brutal and crushing manifestation of pure New Orleans hardcore sludge. With the December 1 release of their new song “GRIND YOUR TEETH INTO DUST (AND SNORT IT) X GARGIRL,” they consummate slow, heavy riffs with homicidal screams and a bluesy-ness that could easily put them on the map as the next NOLA royalty. The 7-and-a-half-minute song keeps you engaged as it drifts in and out of a blanket of feedback and leaves you wanting more. The single is a follow-up to the April release of the E.P. titled NO MAN'S LAND and their 2023 release of a self-titled E.P. If you're a hardcore sludge fan, a lover of the savage style of Soilent Green, and mesmerized by the laid back, cynical heaviness of EYEHATEGOD, then don't ignore GARGUTS. Find their new single along with their entire discography on all streaming platforms. 

I had the pleasure of interviewing GARGUTS recently and asked them a few questions about the band name, their inspiration for writing songs, and what it's like being a band from New Orleans. 

GARGUTS is: 

Steve Mignano (vocals)

Sterling Anderson (bass)

Jon Casteix (drums)

Dylan Hemard (guitar)

UPTIGHT: How long have you been a band, and how did you all come together?

Anderson: Dylan, Jon, and I have all been in a band together back in 2014-2015 called Royal T. We had an idea for a side project called GARGUTS. That band broke up and GARGUTS didn't fully become realized until a few years later when we started jamming again. In the meantime, Dylan and Jon started a band called Green Gasoline who unfortunately broke up after 6 years. This led them back to the idea of GARGUTS. Of course, we needed a vocalist, so Dylan asked Steve, an accomplished singer and guitarist from a band called Drab whom they met through playing shows together with Green Gasoline. The idea was to be a bit heavier, and asking Steve to sing was a shot in the dark. He had never done those kinds of vocals before, but he agreed. As it turns out, he's a natural. He's been screaming at his cats for years.

UPTIGHT: I've been listening to bands from the New Orleans music scene for years. Some of my favorite metal bands are from there. What is the best thing about being a band from New Orleans?

Hemard: The culture is rich. I believe there's a lot of history here and awesome bands that have been around for years. You can always catch a show on any given day, and everyone knows each other in one way or another. You could say we are a tight community.  

UPTIGHT: What band or bands influence the sound of GARGUTS, and where does the inspiration for songs come from?

Hemard: Acid Bath, Crowbar, Down, EHG, and Soilent Green to name a few. I think what's cool is the band has a lot of different influences, and when they mix they make a pretty cool sound. Sometimes I hear something in my head and I try to translate it to guitar. I’ll then bring it to the table and it transforms from there. Sometimes songs happen spontaneously when we're practicing.

UPTIGHT: Can you give an explanation of the band name?

Anderson: I have rolled my fair share of blunts and always called the discarded tobacco from cigars "gar guts". GARGUTS are a necessary byproduct to make a smokeable item to share with your friends.

UPTIGHT: As a band or individually, what is one of the craziest things that has happened at a show or on tour?

Anderson: Guts fest/420 fest. Maybe not a crazy story, but we played the festival for the first time in 2024 and unexpectedly, it went really well! Everyone in the 12 bands that played that day was so sweet and respectful of each other. The support within the scene of our community is pretty amazing. 

UPTIGHT: You said that the NOLA music scene is a tight community that carves its own path. What makes the culture of New Orleans metal and sludge different from other areas of the country?

Anderson: It's a melting pot of styles and cultures. Nothing is going to sound exactly like New Orleans metal because of the influences we have down here. It's unique in that people who go to metal and punk shows are also classical musicians or jazzers. There's a lot of cross-contamination in the best way.

Hemard: I don't think anyone does sludge quite like NOLA. Sludge is the gnarly, filthy Bourbon St. water of metal. That's what the word means to me. 

UPTIGHT: As far as songwriting goes, is there anything outside the practice space that contributes to the creative process?

Mignano: As far as what inspires my creative process with lyrics,it comes from interpreting the riffs and vibe of the song in a stream of consciousness. A theme emerges that I can build on. A few of our songs were inspired by jokes at band practice. 

Anderson: As far as the music goes, Dylan is always fiddling around coming up with stuff at home. I'm sure the music we are listening to at any moment in time can give us some inspiration or idea of something new we could try. For me personally, I find I write the best stuff when I just jam with everyone.

UPTIGHT: In contrast to the heaviness of your sound, is there a musician or a band any of you listen to that would surprise people?

Anderson: My parents are classical musicians. My mom is a harpist, which was also my first instrument. My dad is a bass player. He plays funk and jazz. I grew up playing classical music and went to the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, and the University of New Orleans for jazz/music performance, so you will find that my roots are less heavy. Some of my favorite not-so-heavy artists include Jaco, Victor Wooten, Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Genesis, Queens of the Stone Age, Blur, and Supergrass. If all music was just heavy, it would get boring.

Hemard: The first band that I really obsessed over and who got me into music was Guns ‘N Roses. Also, one of my favorite bands is 311.

Mignano: I listen to all kinds of music. I’ve been listening to Billy Strings a lot lately, who actually played metal in his formative years. My favorite band of all time is the Allman Brothers. My favorite artists of the last several years range from Ryan Adams to Doyle Bramhall II to Aesop Rock. Some newer metal releases in my playlist are High On Fire, Voraath, Gojira, and Four Stroke Baron.

UPTIGHT: Is there a thing any of you do outside of playing music to express creativity?

Anderson: I like to draw, paint, build rat masks, etc. I've been trying to make it my mission to do most of our band art, but sometimes I don't always have enough time.

Hemard: Drawing, painting, digital art & cooking.

Make sure to give GARTGUTS a follow on Instagram, Facebook, and Bandcamp. Their music video for ”GRIND YOUR TEETH (AND SNORT IT) X GARGIRL” is available now on their YouTube Channel.