INTERVIEW WITH NICOLAI OF LIFESICK

Words on early influences, Copenhell, and Hatebreed with Nicolai of Lifesick ahead of their appearance at the Rhapsody all day fest January 31st. 

Do you remember the bands or records that first made hardcore click for you? How do those early influences still show up in LifeSick?

For most of us, our first experience with the sound of hardcore was through Hatebreed. At the time, we were just taking in all kinds of aggressive music and didn’t really know what “hardcore” actually meant. That changed before we started going to a festival in our hometown called Fredericia Hardcore Festival. We were all around 14 years old, and that year—if I remember correctly, 2007—the lineup included bands like Madball, Municipal Waste, and others. There was a mix of punk, metal, and hardcore, and from that point on it became a huge part of our lives: what we listened to, how we dressed, how we moshed—everything -  And bands like Hatebreed are still a huge inspiration for LIFESICK—we have a lot of working titles on riffs and songs simply called “Hatebreed riff.”

What’s your take on the current hardcore scene where you’re from and globally?

The genre is definitely becoming more “accepted” and has seen a huge rise—especially in Denmark, where heavy metal, black metal, and death metal have traditionally dominated. Because so many bands mix genres these days, the word “hardcore” isn’t as dangerous as it once was. I can only speak for Denmark, but when the festival Fredericia Hardcore Festival existed, it was great. Then there was a gap of about ten years where it just kind of sucked.

These days, we have an even bigger festival called Copenhell, which now invites quite a lot of hardcore bands. The festival is attended by more “normal” people who mainly listen to rock and similar genres, and that helps open things up and makes hardcore more accepted.

Globally, it feels like the genre has taken a step back toward its roots, drawing more inspiration from older hardcore. And with bands like Terror still keeping it alive all around the world, it’s just amazing.

Is there a particular track in your catalogue that you feel defines your identity as a band? Why?

We tend to change the setlist from time to time, but there’s one song simply called “LIFESICK” that we’ve always played. No matter what kind of show or set it is, it’s always been a part of the setlist. The song was on our first album/EP—it’s built around one riff with a few catchy vocal lines, and it’s just easy to get into.

Where do you see LifeSick HC heading in the next few years — musically or as a scene participant?

Not sure, to be honest. LIFESICK has been around for about 10 years now, and it’s always just been five friends playing and having fun—that’s probably our main motivation. We still love playing shows and getting out there.
We definitely have some goals we want to achieve, and one of the main ones is to tour the US, since we’ve never done that. Besides that, we want to create hardcore music that inspires people, especially the younger generation. I guess we’re on the edge of becoming “old heads” now that we’re entering our 30s, so we obviously want to stay relevant and keep pushing the genre without becoming too corny or gimmicky.

How do you want people to feel when they leave a LifeSick show?

Exhausted but hungry for more. We always keep our sets short so we don’t bore the listener. Our music moves at a fast pace, and you don’t want too much of it.  

Do you approach smaller DIY shows differently from bigger festival stages?

Yeah, for sure. We always care a lot about our live shows and adapt them to the type of audience and show we’re playing. At bigger festivals—especially metal festivals—you obviously need a different kind of stage presence. That’s mostly the singer’s job: not calling for violent mosh pits, but maybe encouraging a circle pit, if you know what I mean. Stuff like that.

We also don’t want to use too many gimmicks, but when playing a festival like Copenhell, we had to bring in pyrotechnics and bigger banners to fit the atmosphere.

Nicolai / LIFESICK

Catch Lifesick at the Rhapsody Records all dayer 31.01.26 Play Middlesbrough. Stream their single on Metal Blade Records 'Legacy of Misery' below :