Histories

Fri(ends) is the second EP from Springfield, Missouri pop-punk four-piece Histories. The follow up to 2013’s I’m Still Doing Well, Fri(ends) might be short - it’s only three tracks long - but it features a maturity many bands spend years trying to find, and is a release every pop-punk fan needs on their iPod.

Fri(ends) begins with the catchy and personal “Not Really, But Okay”. With its melodic guitars, screaming vocals and incredibly personal lyrical content, the track is essentially an overview of what the rest of the EP has to offer. It’s quickly followed by “Think Of My When You Shave Your Legs”, a title that is reminiscent of Fall Out Boy circa Infinity On High. The song is arguably the release’s best showing, leaning toward the poppier side of the spectrum. “Turtle Dove” closes out the EP with your typical pop-punk sentiments, showcasing screaming vocals, hard-hitting drums and lyrics that’ll leave you hitting repeat over and over again.

Overall, Fri(ends) is an EP of growth and potential. One listen-through shows listeners that Histories are definitely one of pop-punk’s strongest up-and-coming acts and is sure to gain the band the exposure and attention they deserve. While short, it’s a solid release and one I’ll be keeping on repeat for the foreseeable future.

4.5/5 - Legendary Kids Press

Post-rock outfit, Histories, are chasing their own legacy. the four-piece outfit from Springfield, MO captures the essences of mixing sad melodies with the intimate vocal style and lyrics of similar groups such as Brand New and Circa Survive. The group’s newest release, Fri(ends), is a powerful and well mastered EP which you can check out on their Bandcamp below.

Current Single: “Turtle Dove”

Members:
Aaron Klimmek // Vocals
Grant Stafford // Guitar/Vocals
Keaton Katzfey // Drums
Shon Tetlow // Bass/Vocals

How did you form?

“We formed pretty gradually, just through Craigslist ads, music store flyers, and the recommendations of friends.”

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

“For me, the best part so far has just been spending any extended amount of time on the road with these guys. I’ve got a lot of places I still want to see, and there’s no way I’d rather experience it than bumming around with my best friends, playing songs that mean the world to us.”

Why should people listen to you? What makes you different?

“I couldn’t tell you an answer to that. Everybody has biases, and some people will like our music while others won’t. And that’s fine. I can say that I, personally, hold a strong sentiment toward our music because the lyrics are typically drawn from a perspective of reflection and self-improvement, which are spiritual skills I deem essential in such an egocentric world and have always looked to music to help me learn. Not to mention, the creativity and musical talent of the other guys in the band far exceeds any project of which I’ve ever been a part. They’re a constant inspiration to me and never cease to push my own ambitions.” - Highlight Magazine

Read an interview with Springfield, MO’s own Histories below!


-Is this the first band the members of Histories have been in? If not, did the previous bands sound anything like Histories does now?

Keaton: All four of us were part of different bands before we met, and they were all pretty different genres compared to our music now. We all come from different music upbringings, but we have enough similar interests to make our music work still. I personally think it’s really cool that we all enjoy different types of music, but we can come together to make it all work. When the four of us first met, we were brought together to be a part of our previous band; Ambrister, which even then didn’t sound a lot like we do now. It’s been a few years and we lost a member so that has really impacted our direction. We’ve musically grown up together in this band.

-Going back to your first EP ‘I’m Still Doing Well’ the track ‘Jim Jones’ is very biting both lyrically and musically. Do you find creating music and art as a form of therapy and way not to go insane day to day?

Aaron: Definitely. I’ve got a lot of thoughts in my head that need to go somewhere, but I know I can get kind of anxious and come across poorly when I try to address tense subjects in person. Writing helps me to slow down and level my head before I speak, which is especially important in songs like Jim Jones, where I’m primarily just venting.

-The opening track on your new EP ‘Fri(ends)’ seems pretty obvious about a friend dating an ex. Do you know if they have heard the song or have talked to them since its release?

Aaron: I haven’t talked to either of them, so, no; I don’t know. And that’s one of our newest recordings, but it’s been almost two years since we finished writing that song. I suppose how unspoken everything is makes it still somewhat relevant to me, but my year-and-a-half worth of whining seems awfully petty in light of their, now, marriage. I really do wish them nothing but the best.

-The band seems very comfortable writing about pretty personal topics. Do you find it easier to write songs about your own experiences or writing from a third party type of view?

Aaron: I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m comfortable in it. I struggle a lot with wondering if I get too personal and actually further damage the relationships that I mean to improve. Art demands an extent of transparency, though, and I know it needs to take priority in my lyrics if I really want to connect with or impact anybody else. Third person writing certainly has its place; I just wouldn’t call it my strongest suit.

-What was the first song the band wrote where you sat back and thought ‘We might really have something here’ and decided to go full force with Histories?

Aaron: The first song the four of us ever wrote is called Holy Ghossip. It’s not very popular, the recording isn’t great, and I regret putting the ‘h’ in ‘gossip,’ but it still means so much to me. I’ll never forget playing that song acoustic by a fire for some friends in our backyard the summer before it was released and really feeling for the first time like somebody else believed in us and understood the struggles I was going through. We’ve had intentions of going full force with Histories from the beginning, but it’s, ultimately, only through the support and encouragement of our friends that we’ve had any means to do so.

-Do you ever compare and contrast your past material from what you are writing and try to find out where the band wants to go musically or what to correct/improve on?

Keaton: That’s one of the reasons I feel so lucky to be in this band, because, from song to song, the direction and feel of the song varies so much that we don’t have to worry about changing stuff or the material sounding too similar to other bands. We’re all pretty critical of our own music, so improving is always the goal. Between our two EPs, I think we’ve already improved. It took us the whole first EP to figure out how to write as a four piece. With Fri(ends) we really found what works, and I can say that for our upcoming full length as well. It has the most variety of anything we’ve done so far, on the lighter and heavier perspectives. As a drummer, I always try to play for the song no matter what. There’s always a very fine line between playing a busy part because the song needs it, and playing a busy part to show off. The guys give me a lot freedom so that hasn’t ever been an issue. I play for them, they play for me. No one is fighting for the spotlight in this band.

- What major changes were made musically from your first EP to your second musically?

Grant: We didn’t really change much on purpose or with any specific goal in mind. Writing as a democracy lets us take turns trying out different ideas to see what what we like and what we don’t. And as Keaton said, we’re relatively new to writing as a four-piece, so any changes in the music have just been us learning how to better compliment each other’s writing styles.

-One of my favorite lyrics that you guys have ever written is ‘Don’t wait up, dear. Rest now. Don’t burden with strife. Death don’t scare me; I’m scared of eternal life… alone.’ Can you describe the inspiration and motivation behind a lyric such as that?

Aaron: Spirituality has always been a integral part of my family, and this ep was written around the time that I’d recently lost my faith. They seemed so confident that I’d just “backslidden” and would bounce back, but the conflicts I was dealing with weren’t that simple for me. It’s a really difficult position to be in when you’re trying to stay close to your family but feel like you only crush their spirits the more open you try to be with them. They can be a little prying too. I wish I could lie and grant them the comfort of my eternal salvation, but for my own sanity, I needed to be honest in my stance; protesting an overly harsh punishment with the serfs just seems more honorable than hiding out in a lonely mansion with the Lord.

- I’ve noticed that as a band your music can go from fast paced to ambient to sometimes heavy. Does the way a song turns out musically depend on what emotions the lyrics bring out of it or does the music come first then the music?

Grant: I can actually see Shon, Myself, and Keaton’s influences, respectively, in those three adjectives. For the most part, we write the music, though, and then give it to Aaron to do his thing. Sometimes the order varies or Aaron might have some musical input, but we’re all passionate dudes, and I think it comes through in our music as far as the different moods and dynamics.

-Can you name three songs by bands or artists that have shaped Histories sound and describe why?

Shon: You see, the 4 of us collectively come from such different musical backgrounds. That fact alone brings a lot to the table. Taking Back Sunday, Circa Survive, and Weezer are three bands that brought us together musically, really shaping the way we manifest our art. Each of those bands have created such beautiful formulas for writing their songs, while at the same time growing from each album to captivate the listener in something every time.

-How did the band decide on Scott Goodrich to produce its first full length?

Shon: Scott Goodrich was a friend of a friend. His band Hear The Sirens played one of our first shows with us while they were on tour. Myself and the Histories guys had been weighing our options by checking out a lot of places where upcoming bands had been successful getting the sounds they want. After hearing the opening track from Stickup Kids latest album “Future Fire” we knew Nu-Tone studios and Scott was the path we wanted to take. Couldn’t be more stoked to have the opportunity.

-What does the future hold for Histories?

Shon: This is a funny question. When we first started Histories, we believed our band’s name really set the tone for what we’ve set out for, being: life’s full of deciding moments you’d either be completely certain of or you’d have to breathe it out and take time before moving forward. Whether it be letting go or holding on to those histories, we wouldn’t let it between us, this band, and the notion of truly helping someone feel more at home with theirself listening to our music. Histories is here to stay. It’s our lives; It’s everything we ever wanted to believe in, and we’re all, truthfully, pretty anxious to see what’s next. - Rotten America

Histories are a pop-punk four-piece from Springfield, Missouri. With the release of two EPs under their belts and a full-length slated for later this year, the band are hoping to make 2015 one to remember, and I was recently able to discuss their plans with bassist Shon Tetlow.

How would you describe Histories to those who have never listened to the band before?

Collectively, I think we’d go alongside the line of a “progressive pop-punk” or [an] “emo punk” kind of stereotype. Though our friends often tell us we’re a “depressing party” band, whatever that means.

What made you want to pursue music for a living?

Since all of us were younger, long before we met each other, we found some sense of solidarity in ourselves through music. For us now, it’s far from making music for a living - because of us, music is living.

You’ve announced that you’ll be releasing you debut full-length this coming spring. Is there any other information you can give us about it?

Our full-length, Decisions and Everything After, will be recorded the first two weeks of April at Nu-Tone Studios in lovely San Francisco. As for its release date, it’ll be a lot sooner than you think!

How will the music on it differ from your previous releases?

Histories’ writing process has always been so much fun for myself and the other guys. There is no solo writer. We all make the cake and bake it too. This release will really show the direction we’re headed, not only just by the songs, but the tonal asset we feel has been missing from the other releases. If you liked either of our EPs, this album will definitely keep [you] anxious for another.

When listening to I’m Still Doing Well and Fri(ends), it’s easy to see a lot of growth and progression between the two. What do you attribute to this?

When we started writing the I’m Still Doing Well EP, it was after we broke apart from our previous band out of [a] mutual agreement. Grant [Stafford, guitar], Keaton [Katzfey, drums], Aaron [Klimmek, vocals] and I all looked at each other and said, “Let’s write the songs we want to write.”

Both EPs had been written and recorded within eight months of each other. The flow of creativity and the want to keep making artistically articulate songs just keeps going for us. Confidence plays a big factor. The more we believe in ourselves, the better our music gets.

The majority of Histories’ tracks are written from a very personal perspective. Do you feel this transparency helps you better connect with listeners?

When I was 19, I was running sound a lot for venues and my best friends actually brought The Wonder Years to our town on my birthday. This was about a year before they released The Upsides LP. I remember talking to Soupy [Dan Campbell] about his lyricism and he told me that a lot of his writing was repositioned quotes developed from life situations. I knew that’s why I enjoyed [the band’s music] so much. Because it was him, not what someone told him to write about, not just writing songs for the sake of it. [He] writes for him, and hopes that [they’re] relatable.

Aaron, Grant and I flourish in the idea of saying exactly what we mean, and how it happened. Aaron [has] such a steel tongue at times – we love it. We only hope that our personal experiences are tangibly relatable. Making us far from a “fake it til you make it” band and more of “we’re Histories, whether you listen to us or not”. We hope our honesty in our writing connects and brings the listeners onto ship with us.

What can fans expect from the band in 2015?

An album we hope you want to put on repeat, us being as close to your hometown as possible and a slew of merch your friends can be jealous of.

What bands or artists would you like to see Histories tour with in the future?

There’s always the legends: Brand New, Taking Back Sunday and Circa Survive. If we were to play any show with Pianos Become The Teeth, The Hotelier, Foxing, Tiny Moving Parts and Moose Blood, that would be [one] not to miss.

Final question: what’s your go-to karaoke song?

For me, it would have to be either “Bad Moon Rising” by CCR or “What Is Love” by Haddaway because you can’t beat a karaoke song everyone knows.

This is Shon from Histories. You’ll be hearing more from us soon. Stay rad!

You can find Histories’ music on Bandcamp, and be sure to follow the band on Facebook and Twitter. - Legendary Kids Press

Drawing heavily from the thoughtfulness of early Transit with elements of the angsty pop-punk sound of Real Friends, Histories is a four-piece alternative rock band from Springfield, Missouri. Formed in 2012, Histories released their debut EP I’m Still Doing Well in 2013 followed by their three-track EP, Fri(ends). Though both of their EPs are superb, it’s clear that Histories is on an upward trajectory.

I’m Still Doing Well features five tracks that range from punk, rock, to pop in sound. Out of the five songs, one of my favorites would definitely have to be “Obliviate” because it truly stands out from the rest. I love the unique melodies, lyrics, and the fleeting moments the xylophone has in the song. I also think it shows a great deal of creativity when a band creates a word for what their trying to convey — obliviate isn’t actually a real word in the conventional sense, but J.K Rowling used the term “obliviate” in the Harry Potter series for a memory loss spell — so I guess you could say “obliviate” means “forget” which adds a great deal of meaning to the song.

Following Histories’ debut EP, the release of Fri(ends) in early 2014 proved that the band’s sound matured a great deal from their original work. Fri(ends), though short in length, is cohesive in sound — it’s very much punk and very much original. My favorite track of the three is definitely “Turtle Dove”. I think the combination of fast paced beats with the alternating slow, softer vocals and fast, heavier, punk vocals makes for a unique track that stands apart from the rest.

Since Histories honed in on their own sound on Fri(ends), it helped propel them on tour around the Midwest and the rest of the country in 2014. The band’s progression over the year has led them to Nu Tone Studios in San Francisco where they will join forces with Scott Goodrich in the spring to work on their full-length album — you can expect to hear their much anticipated work sometime in mid-2015, but in the meantime listen to their addictive music here or on Spotify!

xx

Danielle - Kryptonite Music Magazine

While they’re hard at work on their full-length album, Springfield, MO band Histories found some time to sit down and answer a few questions for us.

TDS: To start off, can I have your names, role in the band, and your favorite type of pizza?

Grant (guitar, vocals): Pineapple and Jalapeño

Keaton (drums): Pineapple and jalapeño

Shon (bass, vocals): Bacon and jalapeño, thin crust

Aaron (vocals): Bacon and jalapeño, stuffed crust. We like jalapeños.

TDS: Out of all the milestones you’ve hit as a band, which do you think is the one that has defined you the most?

H: I suppose milestones are typically supposed to be exciting or glorious, but the most monumental thing we’ve done has probably been quitting our jobs and ditching our lease. Some of the best times of my life have been in that house, but momentum can only take you so far when the money from your minimum wage job is all going to support a contract to a house that’s both literally and metaphorically falling apart. We needed to get out of there and, somehow, survived the transition. After everything that we’ve gone through in the last year, I think our relentless determination and faith in each other is what has defined us the most.

TDS: Which bands or artists are you currently listening to?

H: Desaparecidos, Dads, As Cities Burn, The Hotelier, Pianos Become the Teeth, Grammer, and The Rentals to name a few

TDS: Which bands or artists do you feel influence your music the most?

H: I’m sure our influences can vary from song to song, but probably Pianos, Circa, and Brand New

TDS: Do you have a certain process in writing songs together?

H: When we’re together, typically just jamming off of what one of us comes up with, but we’ve been apart for a few months now, so we’ve just been writing separately off of the demos we’ve got recorded. We’re all pretty anxious for the guys to get together next weekend, though, and hash out what we’ve been working on.

TDS: What were the high and low points you faced when recording and releasing your Eps?

H: So many of our friends turned out for our “Fri[ends]” release (ironic, I know); I’d probably call that the high point…just finally getting those songs out there and realizing all the support we had. The low point for me was when I was supposed to go record vocals for “I’m Still Doing Well.” We were really hoping to get that ep finished and release those songs earlier in 2013, but I got pretty sick right when vocals were supposed to start and was going to a wedding in India at the end of the week, so everything just got pushed way back. It was hard to find the time to get back into the studio and get everything done since I’d missed my allotted slot, and I know everybody was pretty discouraged by that.

TDS: Besides the LP (which we’ll get to later), do you have any big plans in the near future?

H: Touring. Traveling. That’s all we want to do. We’ll surely try to put together another music video for one of our newer songs, but until then, we just want to play.

TDS: What is the weirdest experience you’ve faced together?

H: The first time we all recorded together in our previous band [we] ended up being with a mechanophiliac(he (somehow) banged cars), so that was pretty weird to find out midway through.

TDS: I see you guys are planning an LP, would you like to talk more about that?

H: The lyrical content is definitely a good combination of addressing internal conflicts and struggles with other people in our lives. The ultimate goal has always been to continue to learn and grow from our experiences and surroundings through writing, and these songs are certainly no different.

TDS: What are you guys bringing to the table this time around?

H: A lot of hard work. We’re all extremely critical of our individual parts, so we’re creating the best of what we possibly can after having had some time with our previous releases to become more congruent and time apart to critique. Some of the songs reflect the pop aspect of fri[ends], but we’ve been really pushing on this album to find new ways to push ourselves and be creative. The ambience and dynamics in some of these new songs seems to be a pretty strong reflection of that.

TDS: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

H: Our first two ep’s are free on Bandcamp. Download ‘em, and keep an eye out for our tour dates this year! We’ll have em up in just a few weeks! Thanks, Daily Slice! - The Daily Slice

One of the scene's bigger story lines of the past couple of years has been the "emo revival". Emo - which in itself is a polarizing genre name - had its commercial peak in the early 2000s, but nowadays several artists are bringing that sound back to prominence. Part of that next wave is Histories. The Springfield, Missouri quartet was formed in 2012 and features Aaron Klimmek (vocals), Keaton Katzfey (drums), Grant Stafford (guitar/vocals) and Shon Tetlow (bass/vocals). They have two EPs - 2013's I'm Still Doing Well and last year's Fri(ends) - and 2015 is set to bring their debut full-length. Coming from an area that's well-known for what they do musically, Histories has an immediate intrigue factor.


Histories rose from the ashes of Ambrister. Were all of you in that band, or just certain members?

Ambrister was all four of us, plus one more guitarist. We felt ourselves moving towards something different. And what a lot of bands go through, we had musical differences, nothing more.


The Kansas City area has an active indie rock scene, including modern pioneers The Get Up Kids. St. Louis gave us Brendan Kelly of The Lawrence Arms and Story of the Year. What's the rock scene like in Springfield?

The scene of Springfield has really changed the past few years. Bands seem to come and go pretty quick, and very few of them get past the local scene. There's been a lot of awesome bands come out of Springfield though. When I was younger and started going to shows it was the pop-punk scene that dominated Springfield. But now, I can't really say what single genre is. It's all over the place, but it's mostly towards the heavier side now with hardcore and metalcore, bands similar to that, and that's partly because of the bigger promoters here and what bands they choose to bring. So there's very few bigger shows here that we would fit comfortably in.


After two EPs, you're hitting the studio in the spring to record your debut full-length. How will it differ - you know, besides being longer - from Fri(ends)?

We are shooting for 12-14 songs, we have a lot of material right now, I don't think a length will be decided until we get there. So far, our writing style has been pretty mixed. Some of these songs were written around the same time as Fri(ends) so they lean more towards that feel. But there's also a whole batch of songs that are going in a little different direction. Our spectrum has really widened. We all have been through a lot of personal setbacks and other things this past year, along with living in two different states for the past few months, and that is really going to show on this album.


Emo and pop-punk have seen a revival the past couple of years with acts like The Wonder Years, Modern Baseball, Man Overboard, Transit and Real Friends. Where do you guys feel you fit in the whole movement?

I am not really sure where we fit in the grand scheme of "genres". I sometimes think people get way too wrapped up in labelling bands that they don't even care about the quality of the songs, they just want to put it all in the right category. People have called us pop-punk before, and we got compared to Real Friends in a recent interview, but I personally don't see that much pop-punk in our music. We are all fans of those bands, but our music doesn't show it. I suppose we have enough "pop-punk" to appeal to fans of the genre, but there's also other influences too. I've always had a hard time labelling us to just one thing.


Your 1950s-inspired poster for the March 28th Outland Ballroom gig, and the "Missouri Loves Company" wordplay is pretty funny. Whose idea was that?

Missouri Loves Company is actually one of the bands playing the show with us (ed. note: I r3ad p0sters g00d!). Actually, it is the band that the other guitarist from Ambrister is in now. We are all really excited to finally get to play a show with him again.


Besides the aforementioned, what does 2015 hold for Histories?

We haven't gotten too far past our full-length, but we plan to play a couple weeks of shows right after our studio time in April and May. The album will be released in the summer, and we plan to play as many shows as we can, and just see how far this journey can take us. - The Perfect Scene

We’re excited to bring you the exclusive Track-By-Track for Histories‘ Fri(ends) EP, available now as a free download here, as well as streaming below.

1. “Not Really, but Okay”

This song’s pretty blatantly about a friend dating your ex. This particular friend is now married to said ex, so I feel like I may have overstepped my bounds a little bit when I wrote this song. It just hurt a lot to feel like a family that I considered my own were being stolen from me by someone that I felt had emotionally bullied me. Don’t get me wrong, I did plenty of wrong in that relationship too, but I felt slandered and was worried that my crimes may have been exaggerated in her favor (they may not have been). Either way, I just wanted a chance to clear the air, and it upset me that my friend never tried to talk to me, himself, and make sure that we were still good (which we are, and I hope you’re both doing well).

2. “Think of Me When You Shave Your Legs”

This is the love song I never wrote for the first girl I ever truly tried to love. We were young, naive, and hated ourselves, and I thought it was my responsibility to “fix” her. In a religious, ass-backwards attempt to do so, I became controlling and resentful and have regretted it ever since. Despite what I became, though, I cared about her very much and felt like I owed her this; it was my attempt to (six years later) put into words how helpless I felt to get her better. Title stolen from Girl, Interrupted.

3. “Turtle Dove”

I wrote this song to my best friend because having a conversation with someone is just WAY too difficult to do. [sarcasm] It’s about making time for the people you care about and being open to make new friends. I felt like I had to work around his schedule, at the time, just to get him to hang out, and he seemed surprised that no one else wanted to do the same. In my senior year of high school, I only ever made time for my girlfriend, and didn’t realize how I much I’d blown off my friends until he told me how they felt. He’s always told me the things I didn’t want to but needed to hear, and this was my attempt to “return the favor.” - New Noise Magazine

Histories is a four-piece rock band from Springfield, MO.

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

Aaron Klimmek - Vocals
Grant Stafford - Guitar/Vocals
Keaton Katzfey - Drums
Shon Tetlow - Bass

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Histories? How long has the band been around?

We've been Histories since the end of 2012. Grant played in some bands in Texas, and Keaton and Shon played in their own projects, growing up in Springfield(Money Tells the Story, Only the Brave, Met by Waves).

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

We were originally rounded up for the band Ambrister, but we started heading a different direction and broke off into Histories. The name, for myself, represented a never-ending goal to draw from our own histories when we write, in hopes that we or anybody else might be able to learn from our past fuck-ups. Writing shit down is one of the best ways to separate your present self from the person you used to be.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

We write our own music, mostly handling our respective parts. And there are a lot of reasons to write, whether it be to communicate our feelings, learn, or just to reiterate something. I'd certainly hope that we grow and change over time and that our lyrics will be a reflection of that.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’'re making?

Piano's Become the Teeth, The Hotelier, Ramona Falls, Portugal. the man, The Shins, and about a billion others.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

Not really. New Found Glory got me interested in singing in the 7th grade when I realized you didn't have to play guitar to sing in a band, but I kept it to myself and didn't really consider starting one. This opportunity just kind of fell into my lap.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …

I drink water in excess, take a shot of honey, and that's about it. Now that you mention it, though, I probably should make a routine of stretching or warming up or something.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

Playing in Colorado has probably been the highest point for me.(Triple-pun intended) Any time we get to go on the road together is a highlight, though.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

That's a hard question to narrow down. Assuming this hypothetical tour only has 4 bands on it, maybe Jimmy Eat World, Circa Survive, and Brand New. It'd just be nice getting to know any of them or learn any more than I already have from them....possibly over a blunt. Or possibly not; I guess they're all old guys now.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We're recording our first LP in San Fran this coming spring, so keep an eye out for that next year if you don't hate our tunes. In the meantime check us out on social media! Thanks for the spotlight, Kill The Music! - Kill the Music

HISTORIES TAKE EVERYTHING WE all love about old school progressive pop-punk and keep it relevant. Their latest EP, Fri[ends], dropped in March of this year and features upbeat tracks peppered with earnest lyrics that tug on the heart strings of the listener. This follow up to their previous EP, I'm Still Doing Well, is certainly no different as far as sound and intention, and seems to be an extension of the characters they created the first time around. Aaron Klimmek's light and playful falsetto paired with clever vocal harmonization and fast paced drum beats may distract from some of the deeper themes hidden in their lyrics, but that isn't a bad thing. Their sound is one that is easy to fall immediately in love with and makes for a perfect summer album because of the tendency toward upbeat instrumentals. Give it a second listen and it's not hard to find the emotion behind the music. This is an album rooted in reflection and best listened to while the sun goes down over a cold beer and a cigarette. Find this EP along with their last release on Bandcamp. - Deitra Magazine (Issue 8)

Histories sounds to me like an amalgamation of styles I don't normally seek out, but came away refreshed. The I'm Still Doing Well EP, released in September, is five tracks on the heavier end of emo -- double bass drum pedals and heavy distortion but limited growling. It's amazing how Aaron Klimmek's melodic vocals change the tone of an otherwise heavy band. Histories plows in with "Jim Jones". Klimmek's poetry is introspective, with pointed metaphors of life, love and death. On "Obliviate" the pace comes down and Klimmek croons "death doesn't scare me, I'm scared of eternal life alone." "Obliviate" is the closest thing to a ballad and Klimmek's vocals shine over a backdrop which continuously builds only to fall again. This, for me, is the EP's winning track. Histories built a solid starting point with its debut release; catchy melodies, tight instrumentation -- Grant (guitar), Keaton (drums), Shon (bass), and a few fun toys to hear in production (like armies of people singing on choruses). - Tag SGF Magazine (Issue 33, December 2013)

The night we made our first and only music video (“Success Is Not Killing Yourself”) is a night that I will never ever forget…excluding the details I’d already forgotten by the next morning, of course. The video captured nostalgic times with great friends at a typical 2013 weekend party in the Histories basement, but it really only depicts a fraction of the events that occurred that night. I’ll attempt to describe the account of this exceptionally weird night, and one which I recall every time I watch the video!

Our friends had volunteered to help us shoot a video in October. After some brief planning and vigorous cleaning, we met in the basement and played through the song a few times to get some “serious” footage before everybody got there for the show. I can be a little camera shy, so my awkwardness during the close-ups is pretty easy to pick out in the video, but we got through it. Everybody eventually started showing up, we played our set like normal (two extra times for Success), and the party began.

Now, I remained (relatively) sober up to this point, but the moment we were done playing that quickly changed. Soon after, I got word from Shon that the local party bus had taken a stop in front of our house! I promptly dropped everything, and we forced our way through the crowd to get on the bus before it left. As I got outside and was approaching it, I noticed my girlfriend of the past two weeks dumbstruck and irritated in the front yard, so I motioned vigorously for her to come with us. She declined, so I did what any rational human would do and got on the bus without her. In my defence, I had been dreaming about hopping on and crashing a bunch of strangers’ party for some time, and it was PARKED IN FRONT OF OUR FUCKING HOUSE.

We proceeded to drink in a moving vehicle and dance to top forties while the bus took us on a tour of downtown. I was a delivery driver, at the time, and knew just about every address in downtown SGF, but even I didn’t have a clue where we were when we were kicked off the bus shortly after. I jumped off only to find that my girlfriend had been following us the entire time! She was livid for reasons I didn’t fully understand, but it actually worked out great because we needed a ride back to the house.

Sure as daylight, a cop turned on his lights right behind us as we got home and said he was shutting down the party. Shon, being the only guy good at handling cops, stayed outside and sent his girlfriend in to start shutting down, a move which quickly developed into a catfight in the kitchen…

We eventually re-convened on the trampoline in the wee hours of the morning and reflected on what had just happened. Our camera guy joined us and informed us that he and his best friend (assistant) were, in fact, under the influence of a variety of substances that night and didn’t want to risk damaging their thousand-dollar school equipment, which is completely understandable! Up to that point, though, we thought the whole night had been getting filmed, but it seems the party took over, which almost makes it better. It’s just a memory we forever get to keep in our minds, and now the readers of Infectious Magazine. Thanks for reading, guys! - Infectious Magazine