Interview: Breaking Down “newviolenttrends”, Growth, and the Road Ahead with En

Connecticut-based band En | MASSE had a busy 2024, and this year is already shaping up to be just as eventful. With an East Coast tour alongside Fly Over States and a new EP on the horizon titled newviolenttrends, the trio of Zack Santiago, Peter Parkes, and Jari Javier took a moment to catch up with Ascribe Magazine. They shared insights into their upcoming releases and videos, the experience of getting signed, and what’s next for this rising band.

First off, congratulations on signing with Fever Ltd.! Tell us the story of how this happened. What does this signing mean to you as a band, and how has it shifted your direction or goals moving forward?

Zack Santiago: I had heard of Fever because our friends in Fly Over States are on it and their last EP was released through [them]. When I found out Kam owned it, I was definitely interested as [I’m] a big fan of his projects (Heavenward, The Chain Gang of 1974, ex-Teenage Wrist) so I asked Gunnar about it. He had nothing but nice things to say, [and] then took it upon himself to send Kam our last record which was sweet of him. I didn’t put too much stock into it because newviolenttrends wasn’t a thing at the time. We had only been working on “Masq” and I didn’t hear anything for a while. Honestly, [I] kind of forgot about it. A little after we self-released “Masq”, Kam hit us up and him and I were chatting back and forth for a bit, kinda just getting to know one another. It was a real organic experience that became a no-brainer to work together.

Pj Parkes: Signing is cool and Fever is really cool to work with. We are still moving at our pace and with our own sound and it’s really cool to have support from Fever and Kam.

It’s been a while since we last caught up. Individually, how do you feel you’ve grown—personally or musically—since the release of Burden Youth?

Jari Javier: I had joined after [Burden Youth] dropped but I’d say I’m much more conscious with how I want to approach songwriting in general.

Pj: I feel more mature as a musician and in general. I think that’s reflected in [newviolenttrends].

Zack: I’m definitely different from how I was during that time, not just as a person but with my approach to music now. There’s more of the intention of being tasteful and more professional. I feel like back then, I was just eager to drop music and didn’t really care or think about the release process, which had its pros and probably more cons haha. A whole lot was learned in the past four years, so I just try to apply what I know to whatever we do going forward.

How has your dynamic as a group evolved—both in the studio and on stage? Have your roles or creative contributions shifted since your earlier work?

Pj: It’s collaborative; we all put in our two cents. We also collaborate on a lot of our planning and image, but everyone also has their own unique skills that helps us get our music in front of new people.

Zack: I feel like I’m a lot less hands on with certain things. We work as a unit, not just for the sake of keeping things running smoothly, but because we want to. We don’t let one person carry the load and take on a million things. I wouldn’t even say we have “roles”, we kinda just figure out who wants and can do what. There’s a way to make it work without having it feel strict; we’re all pretty laid back for the most part.

Your upcoming EP, newviolenttrends, features four singles. What’s the meaning behind the title? How did you decide which songs made the cut?

Zack: Essentially the title just stems from being in the age of information and being exposed to horrible things 24/7, whether it’s actual physical violence or just people being verbally cruel to each other. All the negative shit gets the spotlight and eventually everyone is talking about it for better or worse.

As far as songs go, we kinda just did them one at a time. There was a potential 5th song demo and all, but it just didn’t fit the vibe.

If each of you had to describe newviolenttrends as a movie genre—or a specific film—what would it be and why?

Pj: I think a lot about Blade Runner or Alien, gritty and dark but also a futuristic feel. I can close my eyes and just imagine a big metal & neon city and this EP playing out of bars or out of cars.

Zack: Post apocalyptic romance

Jari: I’d probably say some sort of thriller since each song has its own vibe or theme

How do you hope listeners interpret the themes in newviolenttrends? Are there any lyrics you think fans might overlook but hold a deeper meaning to you?

Zack: I don’t care that much about people obsessing over themes as I do about them just applying the songs/lyrics to their life. Interpretation is one of the best things about music and art in general so if our songs can help someone navigate their life even in the tiniest way then great my job is pretty much done.

The visuals for “justthisonce” and “taketwo” have definitely taken things to a new level. Regarding the most recent music video release for “taketwo,” can you walk me through the creative process behind the music videos? Any favorite scenes or moments during the shoot that stand out?

Zack: Both videos were pretty DIY for the most part. I hit up our homies Quintin and Juan for both videos, gave them some relatively simple concepts which they expanded on and they knocked it out of the park. My favorite scenes to shoot were probably the slow motion shots with all the papers flying around us, that was pretty fun.

Personally, “taketwo” really stands out to me—do you each have a favorite track from the EP, and why?

Pj: “Celine.” It’s just angry and gritty and a ton of fun to play.

Zack: I personally have no favorites, I think all of the songs are sick in their individual ways and I’m proud of all of them.

Jari: I would have to go with “Celine” right now. It’s definitely been a ton of fun to play

You guys just released the music video for the last track on the EP, “Celine” which premiered exclusively on Knotfest. Can you tell us a bit about the track and how it ties into the overall musical journey of newviolenttrends?

Zack: The last track “Celine” is probably our heaviest song to date and it’s all of us as a unit, firing on all cylinders. I would say it’s the defining track of the EP not just sonically but lyrically. It took a while for us to get it right but once it clicked we were very stoked.

Pj: [Celine is] a very different sound for us, but it feels like something that has a little bit of all of us in it.

With a new tour on the horizon and eight cities ahead, what lessons are you bringing from your last run? What are you hoping to achieve or experience differently this time around?

Pj: I think it would be really cool to just get in front of new people and see how they react. I’ll say I definitely learned from the last run to take opportunities to rest. It’s just so important to ensure playing well live.

Zack: Emphasis on organization is a big one. Also remembering how hotel bookings work haha. As with any other tour, I’m just excited to play places and potentially get more people to check us out so we can keep playing.

Have there been any standout fan interactions — online or in person — that made you realize the impact of your music lately?

Pj: Big Lew, the dude’s our number one guy and just always makes an attempt to come out when we’re in the area and it feels great to have someone who is always there to support us.

Zack: Random people hitting us up or me personally over social media to say the nicest things is always cool but also kind of bizarre. Getting recognized by people I don’t know at shows is also a little wild but it’s chill. I’m grateful for anyone listening at all.

Is there more new music on the way for the rest of 2025? And are there any dream collaborations—or ones already in the works—you can tease?

Zack: Just shows! We have new stuff we’ll work on probably during the fall/winter. We haven’t had any features on songs yet so maybe we’ll try to do that.

2025 has already been big for you. Any clues or aspirations you can share about what 2026 might look like for En Masse?

Pj: More shows. More riffs. More fun.

Zack: I always have the same boring answer but it’s just hoping to play more shows, bigger ones, maybe a festival or something.

newviolenttrends is set to release on June 20th, following the recent release of the music video for its final single, “Celine.” The four-track EP also includes “justthisonce,” “masq,” and “taketwo.”

The band will hit the road soon after, joining Fly Over States on tour starting August 1st, with stops across the East Coast including Maryland, Florida, Virginia, and more. Be sure to grab your tickets and catch them live—this era is just getting started.

Upcoming Tour Dates: