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Biography
Gainesville, Florida's As Friends Rust formed in 1996, in Miami
and Ft. Lauderdale. Though the band has undergone several lineup
changes in its five years of existence, they manage to tour almost
constantly, churning out their first few EP's at a good, systematic
pace, until finally taking a lengthy break to re-organize and
write an album's worth of material.
Compared most often to the likes of Dag Nasty, Avail and even
Gorilla Biscuits, As Friends Rust have quickly become a quintessential
band for fans of energetic hardcore with strong melodic leanings.
They blend punk/hardcore angst with indie-pop hooks and leads,
never neglecting the timeless rock n' roll backbone that bonds
it all together. Live, no urgency, or pop-sensibility is compromised,
as shows often end with showgoers stampeding the stage, leaving
the band wondering exactly where their microphones went.
Belgium's Goodlife Recordings introduced As Friends Rust to a
hardcore world dominated by tired and redundant metal bands, with
a five song EP entitled, The Fists of Time, soon followed by a
split EP with pop-punk legends Discount. The next release, a self-titled
EP, was put out by both Goodlife and Doghouse Records, and eventually
Doghouse reissued all of the band's previous efforts.
As Friends Rust has done extensive tours of the United States
with internationally acclaimed punk acts like Dillinger Four,
Discount, and most recently with Strike Anywhere. In Europe, the
band has headlined several tours, as they alone have not experienced
much difficulty pulling in 400+ show-goers. They have also been
invited to play festivals everywhere, sharing bills with anyone
from The Get Up Kids to Buzzcocks and Motorhead.
Back from a healthy hiatus, As Friends Rust plan to continue this
pattern of releasing and touring. The new full-length album, entitled
Won, is due out October 15th on Defiance Records in Europe and
Doghouse Records in the US and will be promoted by tours of the
United States in September, and Europe with Strike Anywhere in
November.
AFR Discography:
The Fists Of Time (Goodlife 025)
split with Discount (Goodlife 035)
God Hour (Goodlife 043)
self titled (Doghouse 064)
The Fists Of Time (reissue Doghouse 070)
Won (Doghouse/Defiance Records XX)
A Young Trophy Band in the Parlance of our Times (Defiance Records
XXXIII)
pictures
(click thumbnail to view picture a new windows)
damien's statement Why he left AFR
Hello all. I have recently made the very difficult decision to
leave As Friends Rust. This was an extremely confusing and stressful
situation for me, as I started (and held the band together through
various line-ups) for 5 incredible years. Even more difficult
was the fact that the current line-up is the best and most productive
that the band has ever had, and we accomplished so much together.
So much, in fact, that the opportunities created by our hard work
became the impetus for my departure.
Let me explain. For years, I wanted nothing more from life than
the opportunity to tour non-stop (and actually be able to pay
rent - which never happened) and to have AFR recognized as the
fun-yet-provocative institution that I feel it is. I labored under
incredibly hostile and changing conditions in pursuit of this
goal. It never came. Then this new incarnation of The Rust arose,
and since the release of the album Won, things began to take a
sudden turn for the best. Tours began presenting themselves to
us, reviews and features started sprouting up everywhere, various
managers sought the band out, and well-respected labels offered
contracts.
What, then, is the problem? The problem is that just as these
opportunities surfaced, I was stricken with a bad case of burn-out.
A new and unexpected (and highly uncharacteristic) distaste for
touring grew in me, as the expectation and need to tour more developed
for the band. I began focusing on school and my fiancee more,
as the bands' focus on being away from home increased. We were
no longer on the same page.
There were several ways to go. Could I continue expecting the
band to compromise tour after tour to accomodate me and my life
at a point where doing so would only be injurious to theirs? Should
the band break up, simply because the singer couldn't "get in
the van"? Especially at a crucial point in the band's life?
No. I felt, as we all did, that the only bigger waste of 5 years
of hard work than leaving the band, would be for it to end completely.
There are still so many things to be accomplished for AFR, and
those in the band with the drive and time should enjoy whatever
success the next years may bring the band. Won is a great album,
and the EP we recently recorded for EVR is another huge progression.
The members of the band are awesome songwriters, and great friends,
and I feel that they will not suffer from this change. Instead,
I am pretty confident that it's the best thing for them. They
will no longer be held back, and have to pass up shots at something
great because I want to be home.
I simply could not hang. Not at the pace needed.
If you have ever supported AFR, do continue. The feel is the same.
The ideas are the same. The songwriters are the same as on Won
and the forthcoming EP, which are the band's finest moments ever.
This is not a setback, but a graduation. Freed from the anchor,
so to speak.
I plan to do another band, one that would require less serious
and rigorous things of me. And I'll be taking a crack at some
different music-related things like maybe a label or doing booking
and/or publicity. So, much to many peoples' dismay, I never disappear
entirely.
Anyway, thanks so much for everything. For listening, for being
there. I will always love The Rust and all of you. Goodbye. |
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