Almost A Dirty Dozen with FAULT OF THE PEOPLE – June 2026

According to a recent press release: “Fault of the People – Lexi (Vocals), Richard (Lead Guitar), Stina (Rhythm Guitar), Emily (Vocals & Bass), and Joe (Drums) – is a hard-hitting metalcore band rising out of Athens, Michigan, delivering an explosive blend of brutal screams, beautiful clean vocals and layered harmonies, driving bass lines, and soaring melodic riffs. Known for their high-energy performances and genuine connection with fans, the band has built steady momentum across the Midwest, consistently playing throughout Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio while growing a loyal and engaged following. In the studio, the band has completed their debut EP, with new music set to roll out throughout 2026. Each release showcases the band’s evolving sound, a dynamic mix of crushing heavy tracks and high-energy anthems, while staying true to the raw emotion and intensity that first drew listeners in.” We get the band to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Richard: There is one guitar part for me personally that our producer kept turning down until this song when he said, “Do that thing you’ve been trying here.” This was one of my favourite parts of our studio time!

Joe: Haha, we stuck in quick blast beats in a few of the songs! By “we” I am referring to our producer and I. They are done as fills, or quick parts right in between transitions, or within the beginning structure of a song.. I see it as unique to each song but also showing more creativity to find good areas for them. Just something fun we did in songs that don’t really cry out for them if that makes sense.

Lexi: There are a lot of layers that went into this song that it may take quite a few times listening and listening in different ways even to capture everything. On the vocal side of things, we did all kinds of different stacks throughout the song to give more dimension to certain lines. If you pay close enough attention you’ll be able to hear some mid screams over high and low screams all at once. Even instrumentally there are a lot of layers!

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Richard: I was put in the school band in 6th grade by my grandparents and everything took off from there for me.

Joe: My whole family played music, and was in bands from as far back as I can remember. I was given my first guitar when I was really little. I remember being able to play some t.v. shows theme songs. It just went from there.

Lexi: I grew up in a musical household and had always known music had meant more to me than almost anything. I had wanted to be in bands for a long time but never had too much luck and was in sports. I had always gone to a lot of concerts though and can remember in my early 20’s being at a show and just thinking “man, I wanna be on that side of the stage” and now it’s a reality.

Emily: Having grown up in a musical household, I think playing music has always been something I knew I would end up doing. I started out playing in bands around the age of 12 and the feeling that you get when you’re up on stage is just incomparable.

Stina: Since I was a little kid, I wanted to learn how to play the drums. Instead of getting me a drum set like I begged them for, my parents got me a cheap electric guitar when I was about 16 years old. I quickly joined a metal band playing bass and was in different projects throughout high school. Fun fact: I also played cornet and was a band nerd! I took time off playing music when I started college and found my way back into it several years later, with two other projects before settling on this one!

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

Richard: It started with Randy Rhodes, Zakk Wylde, and Slash for me.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Richard: Probably Cody Quistad from Wage War for his guitar playing and vocals!

Lexi: My favorite female vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk from Jinjer or favorite male vocalist Phil Bozeman from Whitechapel.

Emily: I’d have to say for our style, Courtney LaPlante from Spiritbox would make for a killer vocal feature!

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

Stina: Outside of playing our own shows, I love attending concerts!

Richard: Going to music festivals and cooking are two of my favorite things to do.

Joe: Spending time with people I love outside of my bandmates, it’s something I probably over due, but music takes us away a lot from those who love and support us. So it feels important to pour into them whenever I can. I also spend most of my time when we aren’t playing sitting by the fire at night with a cold beer enjoying nature!

Lexi: I love attending concerts / festivals because music is life but outside of music all together I love to chill with my husband at home, maybe doing a craft while he’s doing his own thing. I love to be a home body especially with how busy life can be.

Emily: I love spending time with my family, gardening, camping, kayaking, and cooking. I also do a lot of crafting.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Richard: Our music is very driving and makes you want to move with lyrics that are deep and meaningful. I think one comparison we’ve gotten is Skillet, not that they’re a bad band, it just doesn’t really fit.

Lexi: Our music has a lot of hard, heavy hitting riffs and breakdowns that are sure to make you move and soaring, catchy melodies that get you singing and feeling something.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Richard: We haven’t had a ton of down time to actually hang out too much in the past year with everything happening. I feel like if we did, Joe or I would probably end up cooking and drinking the most out of the group though.

Lexi: A lot of the time we have had to hang out has also been a lot of work time or stage time. Like when we were in the studio and oftentimes the person cooking was the one that was free to do so! But like Richard said, him or Joe would probably do the cooking and definitely most of the drinking!

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Richard: There wasn’t one specific person, but I could barely make any coherent sentences when talking to the musicians at Sweetwater’s Guitarfest.

Stina: I was with Richard at Guitarfest and was in awe when we met Sophie Burrell! I have been getting more comfortable approaching artists when I go to concerts and festivals though. I actually started my own mini video series on my personal platform called “Backstage Banter with Stina” where I interview bands and promoters!

Joe: I’ve had the privilege of sharing the stage with a lot of the musicians who have inspired me, not just sharing the stage, but hanging out all night till they all left. It’s a long list of names as well. lol, I’d say the one who got me was the first interaction with Chris Adler, nothing I said came out right. I laughed it off and shrugged and said I’ll catch up with ya later. Later went much better later!

Lexi: I recently had the privilege of being starstruck and also receiving it back at the same time! On May 30th, we were a part of a festival in Akron, Ohio called Nvmeless Fest and the headliners for that night was Dying Oath. We had performed and after our set the lead singer wanted to talk to me and told how big of a fan she had just become of us and gave us a shoutout on socials and everything! It was a super incredible moment.

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

Richard: I feel the best part is meeting the people who love what we’re doing and connect with the music. I think if I couldn’t be a musician I would want to be a music teacher, that’s the next best thing.

Joe: Meeting people for sure!

Lexi: One of the best parts of being a musician has got to be meeting the people. Especially when sometimes they are just young girls who come to talk to me because they are so inspired.

Emily: Definitely the best part of being a musician is seeing the faces in the crowd. That’s something I love to do when I’m up on stage is to see who all is out there! I feel like if I couldn’t be a musician anymore I would shift gears more into my art, so I’d get a little more crafty.

Stina: I’ve loved networking and getting to meet so many people! The fans who come say hi to us at our merch table after the show make it all worth it, too.

10. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Richard: I feel like there are too many to count, but that’s just life.

Stina: I like to believe that everything happens for a reason. Mistakes are going to happen, it’s how you learn from them and move forward that matters.

11. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Richard: For me it would have to be the Blizzard of Ozz album. It may sound cliche for a guitarist to say but Randy Rhodes and the song “Crazy Train” were a huge part of my guitar journey growing up and it would be amazing to experience the album actually being made. Plus the stories from back then are wild.

FAULT OF THE PEOPLE LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

Category: Interviews