We Continue To Celebrate/Support Asians Involved in the UKHC Scene – Meet Kuzz [UK/India]

INTERVIEW | Kuzz
British Indian Guitarist
HUMAN DECEIT / CAVEKILLER

After interviewing both British/Iranian hardcore punk band MAZANDARAN a few weeks ago, and then British/Malay vocalist, Alex, of newly formed hardcore band AGENCY, we thought…why frickin’ stop there? Let’s keep going and document, support, celebrate the Asian members of the UKHC community. Afterall, that’s what the site has been about since day one.

So today…we get to bring you a cool interview with British Indian guitarist, Kuzz, of bands such as HUMAN DECEIT and CAVEKILLER. We haven’t met the people in Cavekiller yet, but the peeps in Human Deceit are an amazing collection of humans…

With these interviews, you will notice that the music is pretty much secondary, it’s more about the journey for us Asians getting into this world of hardcore. The intention is that if any other Asians want to get involved in hardcore but aren’t sure, they can read through these words and immediately relate. AND THEN, realize they ain’t alone in this little underground world of ours.

More power to all of you.
Especially with how insane the hate is against us non-whites currently here in the UK.

UA: Hey bud! Thanks so much for doing this! Can you let the world know your name, ethnicity, and what bands you’re currently playing in (and where in the UK they’re from).
Kuzz: My name’s Kuzz, and I’m british Indian. I’m proud to be a founding member of Human Deceit (Nottingham Hardcore) and Cavekiller (Derby based deathcore)

UA: As we’re a very proud of Asian focused site, can you tell us about your journey into hardcore. Especially how supportive/receptive your parents were about you wanting to play music.
Kuzz: So I spent a lot of my childhood watching the music video channels on TV; Kerrang, Scuzz, MTV2, and I was always drawn to music with guitars in it, regardless of what it was. My parents very kindly let me have guitar lessons when I was 8 or 9, and after that I got obsessed with it. I really got into the typical bands like Slipknot, Metallica, SOAD, but I’d also say Sum41 were a huge inspiration to me, specifically Dave Baksh. Seeing someone who looked like me on TV made me believe I could do it too. I think my parents saw my passion for music and I’m very thankful they were so supportive. I’d also say I’m very thankful to my 3 older sisters who also nurtured my passion for music as maybe they didn’t have the same support for their passions.

I got into hardcore specifically later through bands like Hatebreed, Cancer Bats, and TUI. As I played in more metal bands and went to shows I got drawn into hardcore more and more.

Everything about Hardcore just clicked with me I guess. Riffs, community, and DIY culture we don’t see everywhere else.

UA: Oh – you’re the youngest in a desi household! You must’ve gotten away with murder! What was it like for your sisters then? You mentioned it wasn’t as supportive an environment for them?
Oh yeah most definitely! I think they had a bit more of the brunt of the immigrant family mindset than I did, and were pushed for traditional success a lot, which they have all achieved, and I’m extremely proud of them. Our parents had a shop up until Covid, so we all learnt the value of hard work and the grind it takes to make life happen y’know. All 3 of them were instrumental in also raising me and I’m grateful I got to pursue my passions when maybe they didn’t get to.

UA: That’s sick! So what was intro or gateway into hardcore from Metal? Was it like an old head that got you in or something you read? How’d you find it?
Honestly I’d say it’s a combo of; video games, pro wrestling, and music videos on TV.

Dotted all throughout my childhood, anything heavy just made sense to me. I remember vividly seeing the video for My Plague on TV when I was about 10, and thinking it was the sickest thing ever. All my favourite wrestlers had hard as fuck entrance music as well.

Then when I was in my teens, it was all thrash all the time, plus whatever my friends were listening to, so bands like SOAD, In Flames, BFMV. Hardcore didn’t find me until I heard Hatebreed for the first time when I was about 16 or 17.

UA: Yeah, they’re a great gateway band. So once you found Hatebreed, how did you actually find the world of hardcore? The culture, the ethics, it’s not always very clear for people who are new to it. What were the experiences that helped you get a better understanding?
I don’t think I was really fully in the world of hardcore until I was already playing in bands. I was aware of hardcore being a separate thing to metal and living on the outskirts of it for a while, but once I was at shows with hardcore bands as a teenager, I saw more of what the scene was like.

By the time I was playing shows with Cavekiller that I was fully immersed in it. Playing shows everywhere with hardcore and beatdown bands. I think seeing show after show of local guys pulling together to make a scene really happen cemented me desire to be apart of it.

This eventually led to me meeting Matt and forming Human Deceit.

UA: Now, before you started Human Deceit, etc and you were first going to hardcore shows what were your initial reactions to the lack of diversity at shows? I still find that quite puzzling especially in a city like London which to me is the most diverse major city on Earth.
Oh yeah it was bizarre. I did always notice that most of the time I was the only non white person there. Even more so the only south Asian person at the shows. I can imagine that in London it’s even more bizarre.

Growing up in Derby, where I didn’t really have many friends who were Indian/South Asian either, I didn’t really notice it as much. But once I was going to more shows elsewhere that there really was a lack of diversity. Of course I’ve never felt unwelcome at a hardcore show at all, but anytime I do see someone else like me, it often feels like a novelty, instead of feeling normal, if that makes sense?

Hopefully we do see it become normalised a bit more.

“Of course I’ve never felt unwelcome at a hardcore show at all, but anytime I do see someone else like me, it often feels like a novelty, instead of feeling normal, if that makes sense?”

UA: Yeah it’s been interesting…it almost feels like it’s been written off amongst us Desi people that in the UK  hardcore is something that the white people do. Have your parents heard your two bands? What do they think of it?
Yes, they’ve heard both bands, and as supportive as they are, I don’t think they’ll be in the pit any time soon haha.

My dad is a huge fan of Qawwali music, so he’ll jokingly tell me to “make a song with a proper tune in it” a lot.

I think there’s always an expectation for a financial reward from the music we do as well. It was hard to explain to them that money isn’t really the end goal with what we do. It was almost like to them if there’s no incentive outside of making money from this, then what’s the point.

UA: Yeah man – that never ends. Even at my age my parents just visited me here in London and asked if there was any money being made from playing shows. Didn’t want to get into it and break the news that actually, no, sometimes I’m actually paying to play shows because getting to cities is so expensive on trains. Hahaha…

As you and I and very few others are involved in the UKHC right now, what do you think we could do to open this up to people from our communities?
Exactly! If I tell them we get fuel money for a show, I usually leave out the part that we’re still probably making a loss haha.

Great question, I’m not too sure. I think it’s either got to be on a big scale or grassroots person to person.

What I mean is like, getting more of us out there on a platform to be seen and representing our community, to a point where it’s no longer unusual.

But also just getting the next generation ok with the idea of being involved in alternative or heavy music. I have an 11 year old nephew, and when I see how curious he is about me playing shows and what gigs are like etc, it does give me some hope for the next generation.

UA: It’s exactly why I started Unite Asia in the first place! okay to wrap this up – any last words you want to share?
Just, much love to everyone out there trying to be creative, and bring people together in this mad world. There’s a lot of things out there to divide us at the minute but we can’t let it win.

Big riffs all day every day.

Also big ups to yourself and everything Unite Asia is doing!