Culture
Savage Hands on ‘Trust Issues,’ creative growth, and the Maryland scene
By: Bradley Cunningham
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LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WOUB) – I caught up with Savage Hands after their set at Louder Than Life 2025. Known for their heartfelt lyrics and electrifying live presence, the Maryland/Virginia-based band has built a reputation for fusing post-hardcore intensity with melodic alternative rock. Their mix of warmth, sharp humor, and easy chemistry made the conversation feel more like a hangout with friends than a formal interview.
Find a transcript of my conversation with Michael Garrow (vocals), Justin Hein (guitar), Nathan O’Brien (bass) below, edited for length and clarity.
Justin Hein: You’re from Ohio? We love Ohio. We have some history in Ohio. We tore it up with the boys in Ohio that we just got off tour with.
Bradley Cunningham: So that tour you mentioned — that was with Attack Attack!, right? Louder Than Life is technically the last date on the run. What moment defined that tour for you?
Hein: We had a lot of great shows on this tour. Out in Colorado was great. I broke a string on stage, and our photographer Will handed me a guitar at the exact right moment, right before my part came in. He plugged the input jack in, I started strumming, walked up to the mic, and started screaming.
I love seeing an artist in the flow state, like that Stevie Ray Vaughan clip — beer in one hand, guitar swap mid-song. He was locked in.
Hein: Dude, that’s exactly what I was doing. Probably why I didn’t change my strings before we played — too many beers.
You guys are all from Maryland, right?
Mike Garrow: Maryland and Virginia. Justin and I are from Maryland. Nate’s from Virginia. Our drummer’s from Maryland, and our other guitarist’s from Virginia. So it’s about half and half.
So, would you guys rehearse in Maryland?
Hein: Yeah, we would jam out in Maryland. Our bassist and guitarist drive from Virginia for practice. Our vocalist Mikey lives in Nashville now, so before a tour he flies in about three weeks early, and we lock in together.
How does it feel — going from basements to Louder Than Life?
Hein: It’s wild, man. It started in the basement when I was a teenager with Mike — he’s my cousin. We’ve been doing this since day one. So being here now? It’s surreal. The scene in Maryland was actually sick growing up. I was going to shows every Friday. My first real metal show was Silverstein and I Killed the Prom Queen — it was a great show to be at.
Garrow: Nate and I are the same age, but we didn’t know each other back then. Justin actually used to come to my high school band’s shows — front row, rocking out. When I got out of high school, Justin started his own band… didn’t ask me to join, which I took offense to. (laughs) Then one day their vocalist couldn’t make a show, and Justin called me like, “Hey, I need your help.” And that’s how it started. Back then, the Maryland scene was thriving — super talented people everywhere. Good Charlotte’s from our town, so everyone was kind of chasing that dream. It started to fade a bit, but a few of us stuck it out. We rebranded, became Savage Hands, and pulled Nate into the mix. The rest is history.
You mentioned a creative shift — what changed for you guys artistically over time?
Garrow: Good question. Nate’s old band and ours toured together back in the day. Both were post-hardcore outfits under small labels. We called it the “Five-Day Fail Tour.” But we stayed in touch. Our producer, Andrew Baylis, eventually said, “Hey, you guys together are the recipe for something special.” So he got us in a room together — and Savage Hands came out of that.
Let’s talk about your new single, Trust Issues. It’s glitchy, melodic, and emotional. What’s the story behind it?
Hein: We wanted something emotional — an anthem. Something everyone could connect to in their own way. We kept the lyrics open so people could attach their own meaning to it. We’ve got more coming — a mix of that melodic and heavy.
Garrow: Yeah, that song came together in a really cool way. I live in Nashville now, and our producer, Andrew Baylis, is a great connector. One night he says, “Hey, come hang out.” I show up — it’s Aaron Gillespie from Underoath. Huge inspiration. We kicked it, went to Emo Night, and two days later we’re writing Trust Issues. Aaron brought in the hook, we shaped the verses and bridge, and it just flowed. When we were wrapping up, we almost tried to make it heavier — but we realized not everything needs to be heavy. Not everything needs a breakdown.
So how did Aaron and Andrew challenge you creatively?
Garrow: Aaron’s super supportive — pushes you without pressure. He’d say, “Sing it louder. Full voice.” He just wants you to give it everything. Baylis has a different approach — sarcastic motivation. He’ll be like, “You can’t do that,” just to make you prove him wrong. It works for me. Aaron was just… having fun, man. You could tell he was enjoying himself in the studio, vibing with us. And yeah—he bought us all dinner. It wasn’t my first time eating ever, despite what Nate will tell you, but he got us Mediterranean food and was like, “You’re gonna eat that—and you’re gonna like it.” He was just that kind of energy. Supportive but playful. Then there’s Baylis—he’s a whole different kind of motivator. He’ll throw out an idea, like, “Try this melody.” And I’ll say, “Nah, I can’t do that.” And he’ll go, “Yeah, you can. Just do it.” And I’ll keep arguing, but he’ll double down, just sarcastic as hell: “C’mon, dude. Just do it.” And eventually I do—and it works.
Hein: It’s that brotherly trolling—like the boys messing with each other. “Oh, you can’t do that?” Alright, now I have to do it. It’s like a test and you take it on. And speaking of challenges, a while back we dropped another song called Reload Repeat. That one means a lot to us—it’d been sitting in our pocket for years. It gave us hope when we really needed it. There was a lot of emotion around that time—some heavy personal stuff for all of us—and that song kind of carried it. It was also the first track where I laid down real screams. I do it live all the time, but that was the first one I said, “Alright, I’m locking in.” I stepped into the booth and went off. And Baylis? He doesn’t play. If you mess it up, they’ll hand it to someone else who will nail it. So, I knew I had one shot—and I made it count. It’s there on the track, and now every time we play it live, I feel that same fire. It’s us, through and through.
I love that. Okay, last question — if your music could soundtrack any existing cartoon or movie, what would it be and why?
Hein: Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift.
O’Brien: The Transporter.
Garrow: Probably something Marvel — like Doomsday or a darker superhero film. That’s the dream — a Savage Hands song in a pivotal movie scene.