In collaboration with AltPress, Maggie Lindemann’s company SWIXXZ debuted a new series last month called SWIXXZ Presents.
Hosted by Demi Ramos, the videos shine a bright light on a group of inspiring artists in Lindemann’s orbit who span music, comedy, sports, the arts, and more. For its second episode, Ramos is joined by Shapel Lacey, who fronts the hardcore band Mad Peaceful and does stand-up comedy. Put simply, Lacey embodies the spirit of hardcore, as he continuously shows compassion, sincerity, and an open mind, especially as the genre rides its latest wave. “For me, hardcore changed my life and saved my life in a positive way. I feel like it’s still doing that for me to this day. The style and sound have changed, but I embrace all of it because it’s thriving,” he said last year in a conversation with H2O’s Toby Morse.
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“To me, punk rock is about questioning things and making decisions for yourself,” Lindemann shares. “I’ve seen a few of Shapel’s videos on Instagram, and you’d never know that in high school, he joined the cheerleading team while so many of his friends played football and basketball. High school can be rough, and there’s nothing more punk rock than doing something that you want to do despite what others might think. Kids can be cruel, but he didn’t care what anyone thought of him, and now he’s out in LA doing his thing with comedy, following his own path. Punk rock is about individuality, and Shapel personifies that. This music truly helped me find myself, and Shapel’s story has a lot of parallels to mine.”
Watch the second episode of SWIXXZ Presents, starring Shapel Lacey, below.
