7 Seconds (band)

2025-08-24T20:41:15Z

76.78.176.91: corrected capitalization

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Short description|American hardcore punk band}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = 7 Seconds
| image = 7 Seconds - August 20 2011 - Richmond VA - by Will Butler.jpg
| caption = Live at Hadad's Lake, Best Friends Day RVA in 2011.
| landscape = Yes
| origin = [[Reno, Nevada]], U.S.
| genre = [[Hardcore punk]]<ref name="Strong"/><ref name="sacramento"/>
| years_active = 1980–present
| label = [[Rise Records|Rise]], [[Alternative Tentacles]], [[SideOneDummy Records|SideOneDummy]], [[BYO Records|BYO]], [[Epic Records|Epic]]
| website =
| current_members = [[Kevin Seconds]] Steve Youth Sammy Siegler Bobby Adams
| past_members = Troy Mowat Tom Munist Dim Menace Jim Diederichsen Alan White Tony Toxic Dan Pozniak Ron Doig Belvyk "Belvy K" Kamillus Spiz Hughes Josef Bansuelo Chris Carnahan
}}

'''7 Seconds''' (stylized as '''7Seconds''') is an American [[hardcore punk]] band from [[Reno, Nevada]], that was formed in 1980 by two sets of brothers. The band has gone through numerous lineup changes over the subsequent years, with only Kevin Seconds, Steve Youth and Bobby Adams remaining constant members. The current lineup consists of Kevin Seconds (vocals), Steve Youth (bass), Troy Mowat (drums), and Bobby Adams (guitar).

7 Seconds is regarded as a seminal punk band, and are credited as early innovators in multiple genres and movements within punk.

== History ==
=== Formation ===
7 Seconds was formed on January 17, 1980, by two sets of brothers; the Marvelli brothers, using the punk rock names "Kevin Seconds" and "Steve Youth", and the Borghino brothers, who were known as "Tom Munist" and "Dim Menace".

Asked about the origins of the band's name in a December 1982 interview with ''Flipside'' magazine, Kevin Seconds recalled:

<blockquote>
"...I was ordering [[The Dils]] single '198 Seconds of The Dils' from [[Bomp! Records|Bomp]] and I wrote it on a desk and the ink it said 97 Seconds; and then we saw this movie ''[[The Day of the Jackal (film)|Day of the Jackals]]'' or something and all through it there were references to 7 Seconds, and the Dils were like our idols... So we were looking for a name and we were looking at this racing book and it said 7 seconds and we said, 'fuck it, must be an omen,' so we picked it. It's a short, intense name."<ref name=Flip37>"7 Seconds", ''Flipside'', whole no. 37 (Jan. 1983), pp. 22–23.</ref></blockquote>

=== Recording history ===
The band's early releases were several [[Extended play|EPs]] including 1982's ''Skins, Brains and Guts'', most of which were later re-released on the ''alt.music.hardcore'' and ''Old School'' compilation CDs.<ref name="Strong">Martin C. Strong, ''The Great Alternative & Indie Discography'', Canongate, 1999; pp. 552-553</ref> All three demos were released on a bootleg release named ''7 Seconds – Hardcore Rules, 80-82''. They also appeared on the 1985 hardcore compilation ''Cleanse the Bacteria'', in addition to numerous other compilations, such as ''Not So Quiet On the Western Front'' (Alt. Tentacles, 1982), ''Something to Believe In'' (BYO, 1984), ''Party or Go Home''/''We Got Power'' (Mystic, 1983), and ''Nuke Your Dink'' (Positive Force, 1984). They became closely associated with the [[Straight Edge]] movement during this time.

Their first full-length album, ''The Crew'', was recorded in 1983–84 and released by [[BYO Records]], as was its successor – 1985's EP ''[[Walk Together, Rock Together]]'', which was expanded the next year into a full length album with live tracks on the b-side.<ref name="Strong" /><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/walk-together-rock-together-mw0002897261 | title=7 Seconds - Walk Together, Rock Together Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic | website=[[AllMusic]] }}</ref> With the ''New Wind'' album, the band dramatically expanded its sound and style with audible elements of a sometimes quieter, slower, more melodic and accessible sound. Though initially criticized by their fanbase, in time it would receive critical acclaim.

Subsequent LPs moved deeper into mainstream territory with a [[U2]]-like sound. The ''7 Seconds'' album continued their musical experimentation. The band broke free in 1995 with ''The Music, The Message'', moving back somewhat into their roots. ''The Music, The Message'' was released on Sony (BMI), the first release on a major label throughout the band's history. Earlier material was on various homegrown labels, completely self-produced, or put out on Kevin Seconds own label, Positive Force Records (AKA United Front), before [[BYO Records]] housed them. However, the band returned to an old-school hardcore sound in 1999 with the ''Good to Go'' album. 2005 came the release of ''[[Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over! (7 Seconds Album)|Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over!]]'' on [[SideOneDummy]], completing the evolution back to their Hardcore roots.

=== Later history ===
In May 2013 it was announced that 7 Seconds had signed to [[Rise Records]], with plans to record a new [[Single (music)|7"]] and a full-length album that summer in [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]].<ref name="underthegun">{{cite web|url=http://www.underthegunreview.net/2013/05/23/rise-records-signs-7seconds/|title=Rise Records Signs 7Seconds|work=Under The Gun Review|last1=Trimboli|first1=Grant|date=May 23, 2013|access-date=May 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112043553/http://www.underthegunreview.net/2013/05/23/rise-records-signs-7seconds/|archive-date=January 12, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On March 20, 2018, 7 Seconds announced their breakup via their official Facebook page.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/7-seconds-announce-split-2270868|title=7 Seconds announce split|last=Moore|first=Sam|date=March 21, 2018|website=Nme.com|language=en-US|access-date=July 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/official7seconds/posts/2387607314598315 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/117299101629159/2387607314598315 |archive-date=February 26, 2022 |url-access=limited|title=7Seconds|website=Facebook.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="punknews.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.punknews.org/article/66303/breakups-7seconds-breaks-up|title=7Seconds breaks up|work=punknews.org|last1=Gentile|first1=John|date=March 21, 2018|access-date=March 21, 2018}}</ref> In their official statement, they would explain that, "This time around, the reality of being middle-aged, working class, not terribly relevant and not being able to bounce back from injuries and personal problems has become a weight just too great for us to bear and all signs finally point to retirement."

On October 4, 2021, 7 Seconds announced via Facebook<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=419864226162102&set=pb.100044155853558.-2207520000
|title=Announcement: 7 Seconds FB tour with Circle Jerks and Negative Approach
|website=facebook.com |date=Oct 4, 2021 |access-date=August 30, 2024}}</ref> a reunion tour in 2022 alongside [[Circle Jerks]] (headliner) and [[Negative Approach]] (opener). For health reasons, longtime drummer Troy Mowat did not join the band. His replacement for the tour was [[Sammy Siegler]] ([[Youth of Today]], [[Judge]]). In 2024, the band announced via Facebook<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/official7seconds/posts/pfbid02SUSeHSfVsydWTGb2DXqJc6A3Fno3fcH3rQLCx28oe5iapY9WTVQSkPwajBNj8c2kl
|title=Announcement: 7 Seconds to be at the "This is Hardcore" festival |website=[[Facebook]] |date=April 15, 2024 |access-date=30 August 2024}}</ref> that they would perform at the This is Hardcore festival along with [[Black Flag (band)|Black Flag]].
==Style and Legacy==
7 Seconds is believed to be the first band to refer to themselves primarily as hardcore. After their first show on March 2, 1980, in Newsletter NWIN/SPUNK No. 1 they described their band as hardcore [[New wave music|new wave]].<ref name="originalsevenseconds">{{Cite web|url=http://originalsevenseconds.com/|title=THE SUBVERSIVE HISTORY OF THE ORIGINAL 7 SECONDS|website=Originalsevenseconds.com}}</ref>
Vocalist [[Kevin Seconds]] has gone on to have a lengthy solo career, becoming an important [[folk punk]] singer too, recording with artists including [[Matt Skiba]] of [[Alkaline Trio]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.interpunk.com/item.cfm?item=83649|title=Matt Skiba/Kevin Seconds – Split|website=Interpunk.com}}</ref> and [[Mike Scott (English musician)|Mike Scott]] of [[Lay It on the Line (band)|Lay It on the Line]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://layitonthelineuk.tumblr.com/mikekevinsplit|title=Tumblr|website=Layitonthelineuk.tumblr.com}}</ref>

7 Seconds has also influenced multiple movements in Hardcore, being cited as pioneers of [[Straight Edge]] and [[Youth Crew]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.annoyances.com/interviews/7seconds.html|title=seven seconds, the annoyance interview|website=Annoyances.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.straightedge.com/whatissxe.html|title=Straightedge.com|website=Straightedge.com}}</ref> They are also considered a seminal influence on [[Melodic Hardcore]] and [[Pop Punk]].<ref name="Kevin">{{cite news|accessdate=May 21, 2016|title=Kevin Seconds on "4am In Texas" and Breaking Punk Rock's Rules|url=http://www.dallasobserver.com/music/kevin-seconds-on-4am-in-texas-and-breaking-punk-rocks-rules-7074361|first=Darryl|last=Smyers|date=March 4, 2014|newspaper=[[Dallas Observer]]}}</ref>

Dim Menace's fist-brandishing scowl on the cover of the ''Skins, Brains, & Guts'' EP is one of the most iconic images in hardcore.<ref name="originalsevenseconds" /> Sacramento News & Review speaks at length of their influence in the [[positive hardcore]] movement and their positive effect on the punk culture.<ref name="sacramento">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/hardcore-devotion/content?oid=27934|title=Hardcore devotion – Feature Story – Local Stories – March 11, 2004|website=Sacramento News & Review|date=July 7, 2005}}</ref>

==Discography==
===Demos===
*''Drastic Measures'' (cassette), 1980
*''Socially Fucked Up'' (cassette), 1981
*''Three Chord Politics'' (cassette), 1981

===EPs===
*''Skins, Brains and Guts'' ([[Alternative Tentacles]], 1982)
*''Committed for Life'' (Squirtdown, 1983)
*''Blasts from the Past'' ([[Positive Force]], 1985)
*''[[Walk Together, Rock Together]]'' (Positive Force/BYO, 1985)
*''Praise'' ([[Positive Force Records]], 1987)
*''1980 Reissue'' ([[Official Bootleg]], 1991)
*''Happy Rain/Naked'' (Eating Blur, 1993)
*''Split with Kill Your Idols'' ([[SideOneDummy]], 2004)
*''My Aim Is You/Slogan On A Shirt'' (Rise, 2013)

=== Studio albums ===
*''United We Stand'' (unreleased and later re-issued as ''Old School'' - Headhunter Records/Cargo Records, 1983)
*''[[The Crew (7 Seconds Album)|The Crew]]'' ([[BYO Records|BYO]], 1984)
*''New Wind'' (Positive Force/BYO, 1986)
*''[[Ourselves (album)|Ourselves]]'' ([[Restless Records|Restless]], 1988)
*''[[Soulforce Revolution]]'' (Restless, 1989); No. 153 on the 1989 ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'' 200
*''Out the Shizzy'' (Headhunter/Cargo, 1993)
*''The Music, the Message'' (Sony/BMI, 1995)
*''[[Good to Go (7 Seconds album)|Good to Go]]'' ([[SideOneDummy]], 1999)
*''[[Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over!]]'' ([[SideOneDummy]], 2005)
*''Leave a Light On'' (Rise, 2014)

===Compilation albums===
*''[[Walk Together, Rock Together]]'' (Positive Force/BYO, 1986)
*''[[alt.music.hardcore]]'' (Headhunter/Cargo, 1995)

===Live albums===
*''Live! One Plus One'' (Positive Force/Giant, 1987)
*''[[Scream Real Loud...Live!]]'' (SideOneDummy, 2000)
*''Live at Cindy's 1980'' (Eyebar Records, 2022)

===Compilation appearances===
*''Not So Quiet on the Western Front'' (MRR/Alternative Tentacles, 1982)
*''We Got Power: Party or Go Home'' (Mystic, 1983)
*''Something to Believe In'' (BYO, 1984)
*''Nuke Your Dink'' (Positive Force, 1984)
*''Cleanse the Bacteria'' (Pusmort, 1985)
*''Another Shot for Bracken'' (Positive Force, 1986)
*''Four Bands That Could Change the World'' (Gasatanka, 1987)
*''Flipside Vinyl Fanzine, vol. 3'' (Flipside, 1987)
*''Human Polity'' (One World Communications, 1993)
*''The Song Retains the Name, vol. 2'' (Safe House, 1993)
*''Ten Years Later'' (Bossa Nova, 1997)
*''Short Music for Short People'' (Fat Wreck Chords, 1999)
*''[[Let Them Know: The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records]]'' (BYO, 2009)
*''Old School Punk Vol.1'' (Walk Together, Rock Together)
== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
*{{facebook|official7seconds}}
*{{instagram|official7seconds}}
*[http://originalsevenseconds.com/ "The Subversive History of the Original 7 Seconds"]
{{7 Seconds}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:7 Seconds}}
[[Category:Hardcore punk groups from Nevada]]
[[Category:Straight edge groups]]
[[Category:American musical quartets]]
[[Category:Alternative Tentacles artists]]
[[Category:Epic Records artists]]
[[Category:BYO Records artists]]
[[Category:Rise Records artists]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1980]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2018]]
[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2021]]
[[Category:Sibling musical groups]]
[[Category:Restless Records artists]]
[[Category:1980 establishments in Nevada]]

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7 Seconds (band)