By Daniel Swinney

Hardcore punk is a counter-culture defined by anti-consumerism and a community-driven ethos of self-determination, authenticity, social justice and mutual support.

Few in Louisville represent that ethos better than Neriah Romero, frontman and lyricist for the Louisville hardcore band Basic Needs.

For Romero, hardcore is more than a rock genre marked by distorted guitar chords and powerful lyrics shouted with conviction. It is a way of life, one he has lived for 15 years alongside his good friend Chris Carswell, bassist and audio engineer for Basic Needs.

“Working alongside him has always been motivating because of how talented he is. He’s always setting a bar that keeps me grounded and keeps me striving to get better every time,” Carswell said.

Romero has filled many roles in these projects, from guitarist to lead vocals, but he has always been a show promoter at heart.

“I started booking shows so that my bands had places to play,” Romero said. “And now it’s just something that I do. I enjoy booking a lot.”

Booking hardcore shows presents unique challenges because the community has drawn stigma from larger venues. That reality has created a self-funded and self-managed DIY environment, with shows taking place in basements, VFW halls and anywhere available.

“I book wherever hardcore is welcome,” Romero said.

Hardcore community gives back

One local venue that has embraced the hardcore community is Camp Spaceman.  They will host the Louisville Hardcore Back to School Bash on Sept. 19, an all-ages show organized by Romero with profits donated to special education teachers.

“My sister works with special needs kids at a public school,” said Romero. “Public school teachers are under-appreciated, understaffed and underpaid. So it became this thing, like, let’s donate the money.”

Romero said charity is not just common in hardcore communities, but part of their ethos. He recently organized an anti-ICE benefit show to assist the Minneapolis hardcore community, as well as a show earlier this year to help cover medical bills for a friend diagnosed with cancer.

​”Hardcore and punk has always strived to give back to the community, and that’s a big part of the DIY mindset,” said Carswell. “This is just another moment where we wanted to give back to the most vulnerable people in our community, people who usually get overshadowed.”

That sense of community has been important to Romero since childhood. Both of his parents were pastors for a church with a small congregation.

“I’ve kind of carried that ethic into what I do now,” Romero said.

Despite Romero’s strong work ethic, his goals for Basic Needs remain humble. He has little interest in fame and fortune. Romero doesn’t see Basic Needs as a job, and he hopes it never becomes one.

“I just want to look back in a few years and be like, we wrote albums that people respect and admire, we traveled the world and didn’t lose a s— ton of money, we wrote records that went in the Louisville hardcore canon,” said Romero. “I think I would look back and be like, ‘We did it.’”

Basic Needs has recorded two successful EPs so far. The first, “The World is Not My Concern,” departs from Romero’s usual subject matter. Two of his previous bands, Crossed Off and Head Change, focused largely on racial issues and social injustices. As a Black and Hispanic man living in a white-dominated society, Romero said he felt compelled to be a voice.

While he still feels these issues matter, Romero said Basic Needs’ first EP was a chance to refocus on himself and self-improvement. Romero took this one step further in Basic Needs’ second EP, “Everything I Put My Hand To.”

“The goal was how personal can I be without, like, absolutely bugging out? Like, how personal and how close to the line can I take it?” Romero said.

The EP closes with what Romero considers a quintessential hardcore song, “See It All,” which directly addresses interlopers and posers within the hardcore community. Romero said the genre’s recent growth in popularity has attracted people for all the wrong reasons.

“They’re not really about the community aspect. They’re just there to see what they can get out of it, but aren’t willing to put things into it.” said Romero. “So the concept of writing a song and going, ‘I’m real. You’re f—— fake,’ is the most hardcore thing you can do.”

Both of Basic Needs’ records are available for purchase through the independent Louisville-based record label, LDB. The band will play alongside hardcore favorites such as Destiny Bond, Prevention, Sick of Talk and Jump Ball on Sept. 19 at Camp Spaceman on Barret Avenue. The Back to School Bash will cost $15, with profits going to special education teachers. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with music beginning at 7 p.m.

Image Courtesy / Basic Needs