By Logan Langlois
NASHVILLE, TN — Unapologetic from the beginning, ready to call out those who stand between real political change and civil equality, the Black-fronted hardcore punk band Black Forces is touring through Tennessee, building a devoted following. Vocalist Derik Overstreet said the band was founded as a joke between him and his friend and drummer Portugal. When first founded, the band took on a nonsensical name that referenced the rats they had just found in the business Portugal still co-owns and operates today, Molotov Skate Shop, and the two began jamming during the swirling political unrest that shaped the year 2020 in their home of Bowling Green, KY. The two landed on their guitar player Braden after some bad fits, bassist Matt through word of mouth, and guitarist and MCP beatmaker Dallas years later when he took classes under Overstreet who for some time worked as a Muay Thai and kickboxing coach who messaged Dallas after seeing him making music online.
As the band continued jamming through 2020, Overstreet found himself inspired to speak from his personal experience as well as share his opinion on many of the civil rights issues that have been public discourse since the days of Malcolm X.
“I felt like the lyrics and the action were getting lost in the name being dumb as hell,” Overstreet said.
The band changed their name to Black Forces to reflect the seriousness behind their project, drawing inspiration from internet legend claiming that people who wear Nike brand Black Air Force 1’s are the toughest anywhere.
As they played shows around their home states of Kentucky and Tennessee, Overstreet said the crowd turned increasingly rowdy, leaning away from the “push” mosh pit style of traditional punk and growing more fight-like, more akin to hardcore mosh pits. Overstreet said the change was a crazy one to see, and one he welcomed as the band’s lyrics themselves became increasingly confrontational. He said it is the intrinsic nature of punk, hardcore punk, and hardcore to directly confront political and social issues, especially in the name of equality.
“I say it all the time at shows, I’m like ‘why are you out here all dressed up and stuff, and wearing spikes on your jackets, and having all these tattoos if you’re not actually about anything.’ You’re wearing a costume, it’s like you might as well be dressed up for Halloween if you don’t actually stand for anything.”
Recently, Black Forces published a video from a recent concert they performed on their band’s Instagram account @blackforceshatesyou, in which Overstreet makes a speech in between songs. In the video, Overstreet talks about performative action for civil rights which he often sees on social media, and how it has no place in real spaces trying to advance real causes.
“If you’re not actually risking [something], nothing’s actually happening,” Derik said in the video.
Overstreet said a good example of what he would label performative action was the day many took to social media to post a black square to Instagram during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests during the 2020 COVID lockdowns. Overstreet said he felt many donned the attire of a social media activist during this period in being happy to announce themselves as a supporter of equal rights from the safety of their home on a social media page, but unwilling to invest in the change they claim to want to see with a significant amount of their time, money, or physical presence. Black Forces 2024 Demo is currently available on Spotify.
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