Interview: Taken’s Ray Harkins talks latest single

Influential Orange County melodic hardcore outfit, Taken, returned recently with the release of Regret – the band’s first new music in fourteen years. Regret stays true to the bands roots with vocalist Ray Harkins emotive vocals finding a home over a soundscape of propulsive percussion and turbulent guitars. It is the first single from their upcoming With Regard To EP, which will find the band partnering once again with Other People Records who released Taken’s entire discography, entitled Carry Us Until There Is Nothing Left in 2014. You can stream Regret now on YouTube or Spotify and look out for With Regard To on April 27th.

We managed to catch up with Ray as he talks about the band’s latest release, upcoming EP and more!

So how has the initial release of Regret gone down so far?

Without going into vomit inducing clichés, it’s been incredible. Anytime anyone releases something in the world you are always nervous how people will perceive it and this was no exception. I have seen minimal negative reactions to the song and in this day and age, that is a huge victory.

Can you tell us something about the release no one else knows?

I had an entire set of lyrics that I threw away after my wife was diagnosed with cancer. Those lyrics will be forever buried.

How pumped are you for the release of With Regards To?

It feels surreal to be doing something that you started in high school swing back into focus almost 20 years later. It’s humbling that anyone cares at all, it’s really a labor of love that this thing exists from so many people beyond the band. Essentially, it’s our love letter to the human experience and people that cared about our music previously or just recently stumbled upon us. In short, prettttttty pumped.

What have you been up to in the last 14 years, have you still been involved in music?

Immersed in music is what I’d like to say. I have worked at record labels (Century Media, No Sleep Records) and have managed producers as well as put on a music festival called Sound and Fury for a few years. Not to mention that I also host a weekly podcast about independent music called 100 Words or Less. I also sang for a band called Mikoto after Taken dissolved that toured nationally and internationally for about 5 years. Oh yea, I also started a family got married and other life altering stuff. Only a few things 😉

If you could work with any band on a new track, who would it be and why?

I don’t think I’d pick a particular band to work on a track but simply to exist in the same ecosystem as bands like Touche Amore, Counterparts, Pianos Become the Teeth, Departures and so many others feels really good. When we were actively touring we had a limited amount of bands that sonically had a similar vibe but now it’s a very fertile ground for all styles of aggressive and melodic music. We love it.

Do you think the music industry has changed since you last released a track?

Of course, it has! We existed in an ecosystem in which CD was the dominant form and digital music was only beginning to be a notion. Fortunately, people will always desire music in whatever form they can consume, and this independent music scene will always look for a tangible piece of their favorite bands whether than be vinyl or merch. I continue to track and look forward to the changes in the future.

What’s the alternative scene like in Orange County at the moment?

It’s always interesting as there is no shortage of places to play of all sizes and is always a tour stop for most bands (even if they play Los Angeles). Right now, there are a lot of bands that are bubbling up like Movements, Teenage Wrist (technically Los Angeles) and more that are signed to large independent labels and that is always exciting. The suburbs will always bring out great music due to the restless feeling that it creates in young adults.

How helpful have the guys at Other Peoples Records been with your comeback?

It was essential. I knew that Taken could release the music on our own and that’d be that. I knew that we all wanted to work with friends and hopefully get our music out there to a little bit of a larger audience. I have known the owners of the label, Jesse and Tom, for over 10 years and it was the most logical fit aesthetically, ethically and emotionally. Viva la Other People Records!

What do you get up to in your spare time when not making music?

I don’t have spare time as I fill it up properly, ha! I work in the podcast industry by selling advertisements for a wide variety of shows, manage producers, host the podcast as well as do a variety of consulting for bands/friends in and around the music industry. I love playing pinball and building Lego’s with my son as well. Anything that I was interested in when I was 15 still holds true for me today. I am also extremely passionate about animal rights and veganism. All in a day’s work!