Bovice is one of the newest hardcore bands to come out of Chicago. The five-piece beatdown band has already been endorsed by The Acacia Strain’s Vincent Bennett–and they haven’t even played a single live show yet. In this interview with Locals Only, Bovice reveals how they’ve managed to gain a dedicated local following, what sets them apart from other Chicago beatdown bands, and when you can check them out live at Beyond the Limit next month.

You guys kept the formation of Bovice under wraps until you had already recorded your demo. Why did you make this decision?

We did it that way for a couple of reasons. The first is because we all hate “teasing” shit. You can only tease so much before a person loses interest eventually, right? Instead of giving our audience a little “bite” of sweetness we just wanted to give them the whole damn plate at one time. The second reason is simply because we wanted to perfect our sound and be 100% happy with the material we are putting out there.

What was the actual recording process like for this four-song demo?

It was a great experience recording with Andy at Bricktop Recording. We came ready and prepared and knocked out the four songs fairly quickly.

Why did you choose “Metal Slugs” as the first single to release off the demo?

We chose that track because we wanted to hit the listener with a big bang–come in swinging or don’t come in at all.

You all have played in different hardcore bands before forming Bovice. What elements from these other bands do you bring to Bovice?

We all bring something different from our former/other bands. The boys in Burdened (Tim and Tevin) bring the thrashy vibes to some songs, but with a twist. More bouncy and East Coast style than the way Burdened was using the same riffs. None of us have really played in a band quite this style before, so we’re really trying to bring forth our influences.

By handing out free physical copies of your demo at the Rumble, you employed a bit of old-school, guerrilla marketing. How was this received?

It was received well! A lot of people were surprised and many respected it. We all love the DIY aspect of the hardcore scene which is what punk/hardcore started as.

Which local bands inspire you?

So many amazing local Chicago bands inspire us to be better and perfect our music. We don’t want to leave anyone out but a few are The Killer, Bitter Thoughts, MH Chaos, and Weekend Nachos.

How are you different from the other Chicago hardcore or beatdown bands?

We just like to write what we feel in that moment. If you’ve listened to the demo, every song is kind of a different style of the genre. We love being able to switch it up and not care what people will say about it.

When will you be playing your first show?

June 9th at Beyond The Limit in Norridge, IL. It’s a benefit show for our homie Josh that had his jaw broken at the Rumble.

Find more information about Bovice’s debut show here.