West Virginia solo project Endtime Friendtime fuses diverse musical styles from heavy metal, rock and punk to indie and acoustic elements and somehow makes it work in a sound they describe as “unorthodox, elusive and undeterred.”
Endtime Friendtime is the solo project of Dalton Hancock, who went solo in 2023 after his previous band, Broken Planets, went their separate ways. The “easier dynamics” of writing music alone saw Dalton find his groove and, with the help of producer Jamie Brown at OVHXC, released his debut album Endtime Friendtime in September.
And on the sound he’s crafted over the last couple of years, Dalton said: “I would say that I mainly fit into the Heavy Metal, Punk, Rock and Indie genres, but I don’t go into any song with these genres in mind. I try to just write what I’m feeling, and the end result is what it is.”
Dalton sent us one of the album’s heavier tracks, Knife Crime, which he’s keen to point out has nothing to do with knife crime or violence. It opens up with driving guitars that continue alongside faster drums as engaging, fast-paced vocals join the mix. The pace drops as it flows into a heavier chorus with layered vocals providing a big atmospheric feeling. A second chorus gives way to a cool riff supported by rolling drums, which give way to a funky little solo over repeated cries of “knife crime” bringing the track to a heavy ending.
On the track, Dalton told us: “The reception to Knife Crime has truly been incredible, it has been a top song for me on streaming platforms and I am beyond grateful for the listens it has received. For anyone who hasn’t yet heard it, expect a guitar-driven punk rock song with some heavy metal influence that won’t give up til it’s done”
The album features heavy contrasts between fast rocky, punky tracks like Rough Punk Soul, Ode To That Son Of A Bitch, Doing Revenge, which unexpectedly features intense screamed vocals, and Numbers Until We Die, and more laid-back songs like Oslo 22, Subtle Iridescence and mellow closing track Carnival Days.
Endtime Friendtime is influenced by Dalton’s long list of musical inspirations, including Queens of the Stone Age, Rage Against The Machine, The Misfits, Modest Mouse, The Beatles, Har Mar Superstar, Elliott Smith, Diane Coffee, He Is Legend, Sam Cooke, Metallica, of Montreal, The Black Dahlia Murder and Outkast.
And on what inspires him to write music, Dalton explained: “I’m usually not set to go in any direction when I’m writing lyrics. And though I try to keep my lyrics honest and personal, I also try to allow the song to apply to more than just myself, as I want to help others in the same way music has helped me through it all. I supposed if I had to pick a few key themes they’d be: Love, Drugs, and Politics. Imagine that.”
Dalton is currently recording the second Endtime Friendtime album at OVHXC and intends to have it released before the end of the year. He’s also keen to organise acoustic shows, while looking into getting a band together for gigs.
And he added: “I guess one last thing I would like people to know about Knife Crime: Don’t be discouraged by the title, the song has nothing to do with literal knives, or the glorification of violence. The song is about cutting out and removing the section of your psyche that presses you to feel guilty about not adhering to tradition, societal norms, and the choices others want to make for you. It’s about chasing after what it is that you want to do, the thing that makes you feel like you, without worrying about how others may disapprove. That’s what punk rock is all about isn’t it? Like Op Ivy once said… ‘Conditioned to self-interest with emotions locked away, if that’s what they call normal, then I’d rather be insane.'”
You can follow Endtime Friendtime on Instagram and Twitter, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud and YouTube.
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