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Regional Justice Center
Ian Shelton talks collaboration EP with Justice Tripp, Regional Jurtice Center. You can catch the two performing the full minute and fifty-eight seconds live at a show never.
Who are you and what is Regional Justice Center?
I am Ian Shelton. Regional Justice Center is a jail in Kent, Washington as well as the name of my band.
Where are you from?
I am from Enumclaw, Washington, I spent some years in Seattle before moving to LA though.
What bands influenced you the most growing up?
The first bands I ever was consciously influenced by were Blink-182 and Sum 41. That led me towards street punk which then led me to more extreme music. I would say since I discovered it, Infest and Crossed Out were huge through lines of all my teenage years.
What bands influence you now?
My influences definitely branch all over the place now. One of my main guiding lights is The Beatles, I steal from them as often as I can and put it into aggressive music in a way that no one could possibly trace.
I am Ian Shelton. Regional Justice Center is a jail in Kent, Washington as well as the name of my band.
Where are you from?
I am from Enumclaw, Washington, I spent some years in Seattle before moving to LA though.
What bands influenced you the most growing up?
The first bands I ever was consciously influenced by were Blink-182 and Sum 41. That led me towards street punk which then led me to more extreme music. I would say since I discovered it, Infest and Crossed Out were huge through lines of all my teenage years.
What bands influence you now?
My influences definitely branch all over the place now. One of my main guiding lights is The Beatles, I steal from them as often as I can and put it into aggressive music in a way that no one could possibly trace.
Regional Justice Center is you, and who else?
It is Me, Alex Haller, Steph Jerkova, Che Hise-Gattone as well as a large supporting cast of people who will step up and help carry the band if need be.
How would you describe your sound to someone who never heard it?
To civilians the first thing I say is "you will not like it". I usually just say it's hyper-fast and aggressive and almost completely unpalatable to someone who doesn't already have a taste for extreme music.
The best and worst part of Enumclaw?
The best part of Enumclaw is how beautiful it is. I go back now and it keeps getting more developed and it's kind of a bummer because it just doesn't look the same as it was when I was growing up. The worst thing about the town is definitely how closed-minded and hick it is. It's a pretty fucking backward place.
What was the process of recording the Regional Jurtice Center EP?
That one was really fun. Once Justice told me he wanted to do it I started working on tracks and sending him demos. Eventually once those were done I went over to his house and we started working on placing the lyrics together, he wrote one full song by himself then I co-wrote the other. Being in the room hearing the playback of his vocals for the first time was seriously amazing, I was spazzing in my head when I heard him do the end of "Don't Talk To Me"
Can we expect any shows from you and Justice Tripp once quarantine is over, whenever that is?
I don't think we'll ever play any shows. I was joking with him about how he should stand side stage during Sound and Fury and that we would play the songs WITHOUT him just to mess with people. I think eventually it would also be fun to do something but it seems ridiculous for us to make a big deal out of performing less than 2 minutes of music together. I imagine if it happens it will be pretty sporadic and unplanned, just right place right time shit.
Where in the social hierarchy do show photographers stand?
Where they should stand is in THE BACK and not on the damn STAGE. The best part of quarantine is the fact that show photographers have been completely stopped from doing their clown shit.
What are your plans for the rest of 2020?
We have another 7'' coming next month (I imagine it will be out when this is out?), we also have an LP completed, we are waiting to see how the idea of touring in Fall shakes out but theoretically, it should be out in Fall. I also have a project called Militarie Gun that will be releasing an EP in July, I also almost have an LP's worth of songs finished for that. I'll basically just be writing and recording until someone makes me go back to normal life.
Worst movie you've seen?
The first movie that comes to mind is called GARAGE DAYS. It's about this band and they just wanna be famous and by the end of the movie they get on this big festival stage then you realize they suck so they spent this entire movie trying to be famous instead of writing tracks, I got no sympathy for it. Fuck that movie.
Text: Zane Olson
Photo: Jonathan Velazquez