Wage War Talks New Music, Touring with Godsmack, and Metalcore’s Future: Backstage at RIFF Fest 2024

Date: September 28, 2024
Location: Pine Knob Music Theatre

Meltdown: All right, guys, here we are! What’s up? Briton and Cody from Wage War. Let’s dive right into it. The first question is a hard-hitting one: Robbie from Godsmack wanted to know if you guys gave his dog a backstage pass at a concert a couple of years ago.

Cody Quistad: Yes, we did! We played Amalie Arena with them in 2022, and there was this beautiful dog roaming the hallways. We thought it’d be fun to give a little present, so we gave him a tour laminate from our door at the time.

Meltdown: Hard-hitting questions, I’m telling you!

Briton Bond: That dog is welcome at any stage or show.

Meltdown: It’s funny because I mentioned this to Robbie, and he said, “I think they gave my dog a backstage pass once.” I figured you guys would remember that.

Briton Bond: Access to the Wage War camp, for sure!

Meltdown: Great! Congratulations on the record, by the way. What a vicious album this is!

Cody Quistad: Thank you!

Meltdown: I noticed you all have tattoos related to the album cover, especially the nails.

Briton Bond: Well, four of the five of us do.

Cody Quistad: Yeah, most of us have “Wage War” somewhere on our bodies. When the record came out, we were in Nashville, and I have a buddy named Butch who tattoos. So when we had time, we went and got the nails, which are significant to the record.

Meltdown: It’s a killer record! Can you explain the album cover’s significance, especially since it’s your fifth album?

Cody Quistad: There isn’t a specific title track, but we have a song called “Nails.” The “S” is a five, which signifies our fifth record. The meaning behind “Stigma” is that we wanted to create something that transcends typical genre boxes. That’s why we made ten entirely different songs, covering straight rock, metal, industrial, and nu-metal. The five nails represent our fifth record, and the chain surrounding it symbolizes breaking free from the idea that we can only fit into one genre.

Meltdown: What do you think of the term “metalcore”? Are you fans of it?

Briton Bond: I think it’s evolved. When I started listening to metal, metalcore for me was Killswitch Engage and bands like that. Now, it seems more polished and radio-friendly, which is different from how it used to be.

Cody Quistad: We love being known as a metalcore band, and while we acknowledge our roots in heavy riffs and hardcore parts, we aim to expand the genre.

Meltdown: Speaking of the record, I love “Nails,” and “Tombstone” has some familiar vibes.

Cody Quistad: Oh, definitely! We recorded “Tombstone” at my house in Nashville. We were looking for inspiration, so we put on the movie multiple times while writing. The end line is directly from the film, but the song isn’t about the movie. We wanted to capture that gambling vibe and pay homage to Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.

Meltdown: Have you guys been to Tombstone?

Cody Quistad: Not yet, but we want to go!

Meltdown: What about that new Wyatt Earp series on Netflix? Have you seen it?

Cody Quistad: I haven’t, but our bass player has, and he said it’s awesome.

Meltdown: Growing up in Central Florida, where do you get your musical chops from?

Briton Bond: I love old metal like Pantera and Metallica. My dad listened to bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet.

Cody Quistad: I grew up on Christian music since my parents were musicians in churches. My trigger for wanting to play was when I first heard As I Lay Dying. It had those melodic, heavy riffs, and I wanted to learn guitar.

Meltdown: How much do you think this record has advanced your career?

Cody Quistad: It’s been incredible! Our single “Magnetic” went number one about a month ago, which has been a huge boost for us. We’re also seeing the caliber of bills we’re on improve, connecting with diverse crowds. Our catalog allows us to fit in with both heavy bands and more mainstream rock acts.

Meltdown: Anything else coming up for Wage War this year?

Cody Quistad: We just started our headliner tour, which runs through November 3rd. You can check out dates at WageWarBand.com. Plus, we’re going to Europe with Papa Roach in January and February, so there’s a lot of exciting stuff in the pipeline!

Meltdown: When writing songs, do you consider how they’ll translate on stage?

Briton Bond: Definitely! In the past, we’d write and think, “Can I even sing this live?” But now we take performance into account much more.

Meltdown: Thanks for stopping by and chatting with us! It’s been great hearing from you both.

Cody Quistad: Thanks for having us!

Briton Bond: It’s really fun having a band name like Wage War—especially in the airport with all our gear.

Meltdown: I can imagine the looks you get!

Cody Quistad: Yeah, especially when you have a locked road case labeled “Wage War.” TSA loves that!

Meltdown: Well, the guys from Wage War are here in Detroit, playing RIFF Fest tonight with 101 WRIF. Thank you!