Formed by members of Outspoken, Drift Again, Eleven Thirty-Four, and Into Another, Minus Numbers is a new band out of San Francisco, California who are pushing the boundaries of sound with a style they themselves describe as “hardcore adjacent,” heavy and a little chaotic, driven and powerful, delivering thought-provoking lyrics dealing with universal but often undiscussed issues of introspection, self reflection, and mental health.
Minus Numbers originally came together in 2019, and it was during the pandemic that they began writing the music that would become their debut LP. Recorded with Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City) at Sharkbite Studios and Antisleep Audio in Oakland, California, their brand new ten song LP is a masterpiece of exploration, both musically and lyrically, as the band expand on their hardcore roots with driving guitar riffs, intense and aggressive rhythms, and powerful vocals with honest, confessional lyrics that relate personal stories and deep feelings that strike a deep personal chord and truly resonate with the listener.
I recently had the chance to speak with Minus Numbers’ drummer Dennis Remsing about the formation of the band, their debut LP, and what they have planned for the future. Check out the interview below and don’t miss their brand new, self released, self titled LP, streaming everywhere now with plans in the works for a vinyl release!
Photos by: Dave Mandel – indecisionrecords.com – @davemandel
To get us started, who is in Minus Numbers and when and how did you all get together to start the band?
The band is Michael Garceau on vocals, Reid Black on Bass, Randy Johnson on Guitar, and Dennis Remsing on drums. We’ve been friends since the late ‘80s. Michael, Randy and Dennis played together in Drift Again. Reid was a good friend from the same music scene. With the four of us all now living in the San Francisco Bay Area, we were able to reconnect and eventually started the conversation about playing music together again.
Where are you from?
San Francisco, California.
How would you describe your sound for anyone who hasn’t had the chance to hear the band yet? Who are some of your musical influences, past or present?
Hardcore adjacent. We have a musical foundation in hardcore however we are musicians and love music in general. We’re trying to push boundaries and are inspired and moved by others past and present that have done the same.
The members of Minus Numbers have each been lifelong members of the hardcore community and participated in numerous other hardcore and punk bands. Can you tell me about some of the other bands the members of Minus Numbers have been in and anything you’d like to share about your history and connection to hardcore and punk?
Dennis first got involved in the Southern California hardcore scene back in 1988 playing drums in his first band Borderline. Soon after, he started Outspoken with John, Mike and Dan. Mike (Outspoken) was his introduction to Michael back when he was doing Fastbreak Fanzine. They became friends almost instantly and the three of them started a band together called Solitude which later became Drift Again. Randy, who was Michael’s friend since high school, was singing for Pushed Aside and playing bass for Against the Wall at the time. Unsure of the exact timing of everything, but he was eventually invited to join Drift Again on guitar. We played together until 1993.
Reid was also from the Huntington Beach area. Though he’s a few years younger than the rest of us, he was in the same circle of music friends. He played guitar in Eleven Thirty-Four in the mid-90s and later bass in The Third Degree and Mike V and the Rats. Currently, Reid’s also playing bass in Into Another.
How and why did you end up choosing Minus Numbers as the band name?
The name originated from an idea that Michael had. We all have our own personal interpretation of its meaning. Just like art, rather than defining it, we prefer that others to find their own meaning in it as well.
You just self-released the band’s debut LP, can you tell me a little bit about the writing, recording, and release process for the album?
We started playing music together back in 2019, well before we had a name or an idea of what we wanted to do. We just enjoyed reconnecting and creating as friends again. Originally, we had discussed doing it as Drift Again. However, as we played more, it really felt like we should be doing something new. This was a bit of a turning point and gave us more focus. It was exciting and the new ideas started flowing.
Music was written throughout the pandemic and once it was safe to do so and we felt ready, we worked with Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City) to record 10 songs at Sharkbite Studios and Antisleep Audio in Oakland, California. After so much time, we wanted to create the best possible recording we could. Scott was the perfect partner to help us bring our music to life. We mastered the album with Dave Gardner at DSG Mastering in Los Angeles, California. We couldn’t be more proud of the end result.
As for releasing the album, we choose to do so ourselves. We took our time to get everything right and wanted to make sure it was released properly on our own schedule. It’s exciting to have it out in the world finally. It’s available digitally for now but will be available on vinyl later.
Your previous bands have been well-known for championing music with a message and embracing music and lyrics as a way to promote positive, inclusive, and progressive thinking and change. Is Minus Numbers continuing in that tradition of political or social messaging through music? If so, what message or ideas do you hope listeners could come away with after hearing your music?
For this band, we chose to take a more personal path. Rather than taking on social or political issues, Michael wrote through a more introspective lens. Personal reflection and mental health issues are things that should also be discussed. Music can be therapeutic for some and help them work through things. At times, it helps us feel like we’re not alone or at the very least that someone understands what you’re going through. Sometimes the music alone can be uplifting and other times hearing the words from someone else can be just as powerful.
What made you, as individuals with busy lives, families, and established careers, want to jump back into hardcore and subculture with a brand new band in 2025?
As you get older and busier, it gets easy to stop pushing yourself. You can get comfortable and forget about the creative spark within each of us. We started to reconnect after many years and eventually began talking about music. It was our common bond. Music and the scene we come from is important. What we came to realize is how important it is to each of us as well. It meant more than just jamming or starting another band. The band has reopened the door to our individual creative expression.
With the new album out, what’s coming up next? Will we have a chance to catch Minus Numbers live any time soon?
We’re now putting all our focus on booking shows both locally and beyond. Full tours are challenging with our families and jobs but we’re going to make every effort to get out there.
As we close the interview, any shout outs or last words?
Thank you for the interview. We hope that our art will continue to inspire others to push themselves and start or continue creating.
