Hate At First Sight
Hate At First Sight blends punk, post-punk, and industrial influences into an energetic, genre-defying sound. Discover the creative vision, personal experiences, and future plans behind this evolving project.
1. Hate At First Sight blends the angular intensity of Faith No More, the hardcore energy of Drug Church, and the post-punk influence of Public Image Ltd. How did you develop this distinctive sound, and which artists have had the greatest impact on your musical identity?
This album I’m working on, Primal Directives, which comes out 12/15, has developed its sound to a more Turnstile meets Drug Church with punk guitar stylings and industrial blended influences. There’s still the Pixies like solos, but I tried to change this EP to be a bit more cohesive.
2. Your EP Familiar Mutations, released in June 2026, combines aggressive guitars, melodic hooks, bass-driven grooves, and 80s-inspired synth textures. What was the creative vision behind this release, and how did you approach balancing these different elements?
For this new EP, I really wanted to focus on more bounce and groove. I wanted to keep the songs under 3:30, so the whole EP doesn’t get old with one sound. There’s no set way to start a song, it’s whatever triggers the spark. Could be a drum pattern, guitar riff, bass line, etc.
3. You’ve described your music as a reflection of your influences filtered through what feels urgent and relevant today. What themes, experiences, or ideas have been shaping your songwriting, and how important are lyrics in communicating your vision?
Truth be told, I never paid attention to lyrics before this year in songs. I’ve always just listened to the drum patterns, the interlocking bass to guitar to drums, or unexpected synth shots. So writing has been an interesting change. I don’t write love songs, I write about things where people can interpret how they want. For instance, I worked with spinal cord injured people in the past, so Baseline was my perspective on how it might feel to be in their shoes.
4. Based in Reno, Nevada, Hate At First Sight has been attracting international attention, particularly in Latin America. How has this response influenced your perspective on reaching listeners worldwide, and have you noticed differences in how audiences connect with your music?
I’m just happy anyone connects with my music. I’m not pretentious enough to think it’s something amazing, but it helps me express myself. I almost died in 2021 from blood clots, so I wanted to leave my voice so family could hear it if something happened to me. That’s the only reason I started singing. I don’t consider myself a singer by any means, but I get my point across.
5. Your sound draws from several decades of alternative music while refusing to fit neatly into a single genre. Do you see this freedom as essential to your artistic identity, and how do you approach experimentation without losing the project’s core character?
I love not being locked specifically into one sound. I think being able to start a song with different instruments helps that as well. Plus, just being a fan of so many bands and seeing how they have that edge to grab your ear, I study that and try to make it my own.
6. Looking ahead, what are your plans for Hate At First Sight following Familiar Mutations? Are you exploring new musical directions, working on new material, or preparing anything special for listeners in the near future?
After Primal Directives, I already laid out Dysphoria as my next EP for next year, and have 80+ songs written since February. I write 2-3 songs a week on average, so I’m at the point of curating and just trying to get the ones that stand out the most to me. Hopefully others enjoy them as much as I enjoy creating them! I still aim for a song a month to release. I’m not super saturating with just filler, I’m really trying to present well thought out packages.