Connecticut melodic hardcore vets With Honor are gearing up to release their first album in 18 years, Boundless, on 9/8 via Pure Noise, and today they’ve released its newest single, “The Weight.” As the band gears up for the album, guitarist Jay Aust has also penned a guest feature for BV where he looks back on six pivotal songs from the band’s career. Listen to the new song and read on for what Jay had to say.
With Honor Retrospective: 2002 – 2023 and beyond
By Jay Aust
At the cusp of our first and only European tour (to date), With Honor released a compilation record called The Journey (2006), containing a retrospective of our old material. As we prepare to release our brand-new album, Boundless (Pure Noise Records, 2023), I find myself reflecting on our inception in 2002 and feeling excited for the journey ahead.
Here are 6 key songs from the With Honor catalog, all of which mark pivotal moments in our history:
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Bridges and Gaps: In 2002, on the heels of the breakup of our old band Hamartia, my brother Jeff and I decided to start a more “old-school” sounding project, hoping to capture the raw energy and message of the hardcore/punk bands that initially inspired us (Gorilla Biscuits, Warzone, Fastbreak, Shelter, and many others). Our first completed song was “Bridges and Gaps.” Jeff wrote the initial riffs, which we practiced in a friend’s basement on an electronic drum kit. Our goal was to infuse dueling guitar melodies with fast drumbeats, creating a unique and technical sound of our own. Afterward, we built the band, trying out a couple good friends before settling on our lasting lineup. With our musical ensemble set: me, Jeff, and John (of Hamartia), Jack Caron (of CT band In Pieces), and Todd Mackey (of CT’s Life In Your Way), With Honor was off to its start.
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Milwaukee: “Milwaukee” was the first song we wrote for our [2004] debut LP Heart Means Everything. Though we hadn’t yet played a show on our demo, we were about to face an obstacle. Before we could perform, Jeff was invited to start a new band in Wisconsin (Misery Signals). This would mark our first major hurdle. Due to our initial struggles in finding a singer—and hoping to tour full-time—Jeff decided to take the offer. Crushed but supportive, we committed to playing our first show with him before he left. Our inaugural performance happened at UConn in Storrs, CT, in September 2002 at a very diverse fest, headlined by an anarchist puppet show. I remember watching the final act performing behind cardboard set pieces, complete with socks on their hands. It was definitely a unique night. It was also emotional. Jeff literally left for Milwaukee from the parking lot, starting off on the long drive to his new home. After an adrenaline-fueled performance for an energetic crowd and a tearful goodbye, we swore to keep the band going. In the months before he left, Jeff helped write “Milwaukee,” which would make it onto our first full-length album, Heart Means Everything, and Todd penned the lyrics as an ode to our friendship.
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More Than Heroes: By September 2003, With Honor had picked up full steam and our members all departed school and work to tour full time. In the meantime, Jeff had rejoined the band. That first full year was both cathartic and amazing; we were fortunate enough to play with our favorite bands, groups we’d looked up to for years: Shai Hulud, Stretch Armstrong, Hatebreed, H20, Agnostic Front, Throwdown, Sick of It All, and many others, as well as perform at numerous festivals (Hellfest, Krazy Fest, Skatefest, and Posi Numbers Fest). Although that time period was incredible for us both individually and as a band, there were some disheartening moments. While the scene was mostly flourishing, violence in the crowd was becoming more problematic. Addressing the issue head-on, Todd wrote a song called “More Than Heroes,” encouraging people to unite against it. That song has remained a setlist staple to this day.
- Gun For Hire: After our self-titled EP and first LP, Heart Means Everything, both on Stillborn Records, it was time to try something new: recording a split release with our good friends in CT’s The Distance. Returning to our more melodic roots, both musically and vocally, the release felt simultaneously like a progression and a return to form. “Gun for Hire,” the first track, marked our first attempt at group singing; not only that, but Todd was growing as a lyricist, impressing us with his performance and passion. Despite its brevity, the split material was a bridge to the future.
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Like Trumpets: After several releases on Stillborn Records and the aforementioned joint effort with The Distance—and several years of touring—it was time to write another album. In March 2005, we signed to Victory Records to release our second full-length LP. After many long hours spent crafting songs, we headed to Baltimore to record with the legendary Brian McTernan at Salad Days Studio. Recording that second full-length was both challenging and rewarding. In addition to living at the studio for several weeks (an experience in itself), we’d never worked with a producer. For the first time, we were faced with an outside creative partner, which meant working through structural song changes, compromising, and embracing criticism and change. The process didn’t come without apprehension. At the end of the day, though, we learned an incredible amount about songwriting from Brian. With his guidance, we produced a record that levelled-up our previous material, something we were proud of, something that endured. Despite some initial skepticism, the album found its following, and several of the songs landed a permanent rotation in our live performance. The first single we finished off that album, “Like Trumpets,” felt like a new era for the band.
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My Anchor: After a year or so of touring on This Is Our Revenge, the road got the best of us, and we informally disbanded in 2006. In the years since, we’ve had several reunions, but for the most part, With Honor stayed in the rearview. But then in 2019, two unexpected turns of events occurred. First, Kurt Ballou (Converge) at God City Studios discovered the ADATs for Heart Means Everything and offered to remix them, and then Furnace Fest relaunched, offering us a spot on the bill. Re-inspired, our drummer John took on the project of uploading our old material to Spotify. Because of the era in which we recorded (the mid-2000s), much of our material predated streaming services, which meant only our Victory Records album was widely available. These events sparked a subsequent idea: what if we were to re-release that old album and record a new one? After some talk, and the addition of a great new partner, Pure Noise Records, our dream became a reality: we would re-release our first LP and head back to the studio.
The writing and tracking process for Boundless was long and filled with obstacles (such as the pandemic and geographical difficulties), but we persevered. Engineered and produced by our long-time friend and former band member Greg Thomas, our third record feels like our best.
I’ll never forget the moment we first jammed “My Anchor” at the practice space; it was as if only days had passed. We were a unit again. And a thought kept striking me: perhaps our journey wasn’t quite over. Maybe a new era had dawned.
Boundless is out on September 8th on Pure Noise Records! You can catch us at these upcoming shows:
Friday 9/23/23 @ Furnace Fest, Birmingham, AL
Friday 10/13/23 @ The Space, Hamden, CT (Boundless Record Release Party) w/ Stand Still, Hard Target, Ambitions, Jealous Mind,
Friday 10/20/23 @ House of Independents, Asbury Park, NJ w/ Stretch Armstrong, Folly, Town Liar
Saturday 10/21/23 @Amityville Music Hall, Amityville NY w/ Stretch Armstrong, This Is Hell, Private Mind
About Jay Aust: When not playing guitar in With Honor or singing in Ambitions, Jay is a full-time fiction writer living in Connecticut (publishing under the pen name T.W. Piperbrook). He has penned articles for indie book blogs, as well as completed several reviews for Punknews.org. You can find him at: www.twpiperbrook.com.