Feature by Andrew - February, 2004
With Honor has quite a buzz going, which is not surprising considering the band recently released 30 minutes of energetic hardcore in the form of "Heart Means Everything." While With Honor takes straightforward hardcore and gives it a facelift with modern touches of metal and a calming sense of melody, there is passion behind their music, and that's what gives hardcore life. If you like positive, spirited hardcore, this band is for you. To learn more about the band, check out the interview below with vocalist Todd.
Andrew: A lot of hardcore bands (and many somehow related to the genre) have an overwhelming feeling of negativity and bitterness that gives their music a morose feeling. I think this is good for the sake of variation and it works tremendously for some bands, but With Honor is one of the most uplifting bands I've heard since Stretch Arm Strong. Where does your positive spirit stem from?
Todd: Well, the five of us really pull our inspirations and attitudes from different places. I can only speak for myself on this one. I gain a lot of hope and have a lot of faith in God. Not religion or ritual, but the fact that we were made and we were made for reasons. That drives me to realize meaning in what most would call failure and learning in most everything. There is always reason to look upwards.
Andrew: I can see myself being pulled out of the depths of sadness by your music, and I'm sure others find it similarly encouraging. Why did With Honor decide to take their music in this direction while dark, metal/hardcore bands seem to have been all the rage in the past year?
Todd: I think a lot of that feeling has come just from us who are involved.....With Honor is just who we are and what we dream to be as people. So it seems that our energy is just an extension of ourselves.
Andrew: There have been a few hardcore bands getting widespread attention, even on television, but there also seems to be a resurgance in more traditional hardcore of late. While your song, "To Believe," seems to address a lack of excitement or true fun in hardcore, how do you feel about the current state of the hardcore scene?
Todd: Hardcore is doing great right now. There are so many ups and downs and because hardcore is very "scene" oriented, it changes city to city. But that song was specifically written about hardcore in CT where we are from. It just seemed like such a down time for awhile. Things are beyond awesome here now....great people and great bands.
Andrew: While your music drives forward with hardcore's intensity, it also seems more varied than traditional hardcore music. From shifts in tempo to metallic influences, each song explodes with energy and unexpected passages. What I'd like to know is what bands have helped shape With Honor's sound?
Todd: There are so many influences: from hardcore bands like GB, Ignite, and Warzone...to metal bands like Soilwork and Dark Tranquility. We all like so many different types of music, and that is why you will see that in ours.
Andrew: Although it's very early in 2004, I feel comfortable saying that "Heart Means Everything" is one of the, if not the, best hardcore records to come out yet this year. What has motivated With Honor to write such a fiery album?
Todd: Thank you for your kind words. We just wrote music that we liked and I wrote lyrics that I honestly feel strongly about. Things were dealt with that we felt could not be ignored. So we poured as much as we could into a record and "Heart Means Everything" is what came out.
Andrew: I was at a somewhat recent hardcore show, and saw a guy dancing without doing windmills or spin kicking. Some people just stared at him like he was a complete outsider. With this in mind, there are some songs on "Heart Means Everything," especially "When Will We Learn," that speak of unity. Do you think that fans of hardcore could band together more often and see others, who maybe don't wear the typical hardcore clothing or do the acceptable dances, as equal?
Todd: I don't know if hardcore kids will, but I believe we should. We are all people...none more none less. If we ever want to truly get to a new plateau we need to learn to bear with one another and cover some ground...plain and simple.
Andrew: Other songs have a theme of overcoming obstacles and tough times. What has inspired such lyrical content in With Honor's music?
Todd: They are inspired by just that: overcoming obstacles and tough times. Whether it be my personal struggles with issues in my own life, or things that I hope to encourage people with, they bring the sentiment of the majority of those songs.
Andrew: I also think it is worthwhile to point out that "Heart Means Everything" was recorded with Converge's Kurt Ballou. I've been obsessing over his production on a number of albums lately, including "Heart Means Everything." How was it to work with Kurt on the album?
Todd: It was a priveledge to say the least. Kurt is a very talented man.
Andrew: With Honor's music seems to encourage a lot of listener interaction -- I admit to the frequent in-room fist-pumping and shouting to the gang vocals. Do listeners react in a fairly energetic manner during With Honor's live performance?
Todd: We tend to have a lot of sing-alongs and stage dives and what not. The live show is what really drives With Honor's energy. We just want to have fun and leave the show inspired and different than we came...we hope the same goes for everyone who comes out to be a part of it.
Andrew: What do you, or With Honor, hope to accomplish through music in the future?
Todd: Mainly to cause some thought about human conduct....make music and tour...just enjoy living life to the fullest.
Andrew: Can we expect more touring in support of "Heart Means Everything" in 2004?
Todd: Yes, although I can' t give you absolutes. We will be on the road quite a bit. Just like we always have been.
Andrew: Here's something less serious for you. From what restaurant does With Honor gain the greatest satisfaction while touring?
Todd: My guys would kill me if I didn't say Taco Bell, but I am going to go for a place called Happy Gourmet in Sacto, Cali.
Andrew: If you have anything you'd like to add, feel free. Otherwise, thank you for answering this rather lengthy list of questions, and more importantly, your music.
Todd: Thank you...for your time and your interest. Take care
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