Hurdcore.com is still working as an internet resource with tentacles stemming from our web-based operations that bring our audience a unique peek into the entrails of local music. For our latest local artist interview, we call to your attention an Oregon grown local group reading to bring rock to a neighborhood near you. Obscure poetry and five dudes from Medford (Oregon) residing for over a year in a living room somewhere near Oregon State University form the petri dish and catalyst for the musical life spawn known as Her Death and After. HDAA has endured lineup changes, interstate relocation and the financial constraints of aspiring artists to continue their run at making a mark in the music world.

Your name, Her death and After, is a nod to a Thomas Hardy poem of the same title written in 1898. A poem, as you say, that exemplifies the inevitability of beauty after tribulation, could you elaborate some on that concept?
HDAA Our band came together in the fall of 2006 with a totally different line up. Along the way we’ve had a lot of personal struggles as friends and band mates. As a result of all of our conflicts, Her Death and After is our “beauty after tribulation”. We have finally assembled five guys who share the same goals and are willing to sacrifice anything and everything to make our dreams come true. Even when that has meant the whole band living on a friends living room floor for a year.

Have the writings of Hardy always been a part of your lives or did this poem just happen to resonate at a specific time in life?

HDAA At first, when the name was chosen we didn’t realize how much it would ultimately mean to us, but as time has passed the meaning behind “Her Death And After” has become more and more personal to the band and ourselves as individuals. So yes! We guess you could say it did resonate at a specific point in time but everyday since then we come to realize how well the name really fits our band.

The current persona of Her Death and After was formed in 2007 from the involvement and death of several other ventures. What is different about the current HDAA that sets itself up for a long term run at making a mark locally and nationally?
HDAA Well first off, we don’t suck anymore and of course our stamina in the bedroom has increased….by about five minutes. Ha! but really, one of the biggest reasons we can see ourselves making a long term run is because of a lot of improvement on communicating with each other. Like we said, we spent a year living in a two bedroom apartment and we’ve really learned each others boundaries. It pretty much all comes down to the fact that we’ve grown up. We are stronger than ever and we’re all here to see this band through no matter what gets thrown our way.

For those who are unfamiliar with your set, how would you describe yourself? What can we expect from a Her Death and After show?
HDAA Super sweet dance moves, bad jokes and Sean.

Her Death and After is based out of Medford (Oregon), was in Corvallis for a time and now back in Medford? What brought you to Corvallis and what takes you back to Medford?
HDAA Our drummer Andrew was accepted into OSU and we knew that if we didn’t follow him to Corvallis the band wouldn’t be able to continue. So one by one we all moved up. As time went by we discovered all the perks of being on our own. The freedom, the nice practice space and being secluded from all distractions back in Medford. After a year of writing and partying we found out that a huge part of being in a band requires money that we didn’t have. We looked for jobs and found nothing. So we had a band discussion about what our next step should be. The conclusion was that Medford was our only option because of the fact that it’s our hometown and we knew it would be the best financial step for the band.

Do you notice any difference in the local music scenes from Medford to Corvallis and even Corvallis to Portland? How often do you play locally?
HDAA It’s hard to say because Medford and Corvallis have two very different vibes. But we can say that the Medford music scene is growing and we know that we will end up growing with it. It’s pretty much the ultimate foundation for our band right now. As far as Portland goes we don’t have much experience in that music scene.
Our local and state wide shows are going to be growing exponentially in the very near future.

You recently parted ways with your guitarist (and Kevin’s younger brother?), Mike, have you been able to recruit and fill that position or does HDAA proceed as a fourpiece?
HDAA We recently filled that position with one of our long time friends, Aaron Hammericksen, who thankfully for us also happens to be an outstanding musician.

The bands most recent recording is the Living Room Wars EP, is the recording out yet or still in the works? Is this your first recording, what did you learn from this process of being in the studio?

HDAA Living Room Wars is our 4 song EP that you can find on our myspace! This isn’t the first time we’ve recorded but Living Room Wars was our first professional recording. We practiced a lot before we headed into the studio so the process went very smoothly. One positive lesson we learned from that experience was that having legit recordings gets you so much more respect. So we recommend spending the extra money to sound professional.

What are some of your early influences that got you into music? Who were some of the influences that helped you launch HDAA?

HDAA Almost all of the band shares a very similar music background. Blink-182 was probably one of the most significant influential bands for us. As far as HDAA goes we didn’t have any certain bands in mind while writing our new material. Our sound has evolved from all of our personal inspirations.

Where are you currently grabbing inspiration from and how has this been affecting your music?
HDAA New opportunities, new albums and [other activities]. That seems to be workin’ for us.

Where can those interested best connect with you to find out about news, releases and tours?
HDAA www.myspace.com/herdeathandafter

What do you enjoy most about the local music scene? Who have been some of the funnest bands and venues to play with locally?

HDAA The Broadway Waxers Music Hall in Coos Bay [Oregon] was an awesome venue! As far as bands go we recently played a show with a band called ” Hit em’ where it hurts” from Chico [California] and they were really awesome guys.

What are the weapons (insturments) of choice HDAA?
HDAA Present Gear – Kevin: AKG mics; Sean: Jackson DXMG, Peavey 5150 II and Marshall Cab; Aaron: Ebanez RG, Peavey 6505 + (half stack); Josh: Mark Hoppus signature precision bass;
Andrew: 4 piece Pearl kit export series, 18 inch A custom fast crash, 21 inch Zildjian Aedius, 18 in Zildjain Oriental China, 13 in aax zildajian hi hats. 23 in A custom ping ride (i wish)

Favorite place to eat in Medford? If we were coming to a show in your hometown of Medford, and arrived a little early what is one place/site in town that is a must see before departing?

HDAA Muchas Gracias! we recommend the chicken fajita burrito!!!

What have been some of the most important lessons for you as an aspiring artist? Any words of wisdom for those wanting to pursue their dreams of music stardom?
HDAA We still have a long way to go and a lot more to learn but communication is one of the biggest things we’ve learned keeps our band together.

UPCOMING SHOWS:
November 28, 2009 10PM – Rooftop Show Downtown Medford. $5 – message HDAA for show details.

Her Death and After will be at Riley’s Bar & Grill in Albany, Oregon with fellow hurdcore alumn Abandon the Shore on Thursday, December 10, 2009 @ 7PM ALL AGES!!! 124 SW Broadalbin St, Albany, Oregon 97321

Life is a journey that is not traveled without its trials, thankfully it is seasoned with its share of beauty as well. A Hope For Home assembles as a group of young men grafted together through tragedy and committed to pressing forward in pursuit of their dreams, a process that they invite others to share in through the medium of music. So, whether you are a dancy dude or not, I think you will find a sincerity and even a challenge in A Hope For Home that can be appreciated by all.

Is there any significance or story behind your name? What are the origins of A Hope For Home and how long have you been at it?

AHFH When we first started up, our guitar player, Kyle was dying of cancer. It was a rough time, and it was actually a name he came up with, that obviously had a lot of meaning to him. That was 3 years ago and while that hardship has come and passed, I think its a really cool reminder of him.

For those who are unfamiliar with your set, how would you describe yourself? What can we expect from a A Hope For Home concert?
AHFH Well, for starters we aren’t really a dancy band, which doesn’t really go over all that well sometimes when we play with a lot of the bands we do, haha. Nothing against that! Its just not really our thing. We try to convey a lot of emotion, I guess, and we actually have a really cool concept we might be trying to convey live with this record we are doing.

A Hope For Home is currently based out of Portland (Oregon), are you all natives? With your signing is the band discussing relocating or will you stay local?
AHFH We are actually technically from Vancouver [Washington], except for our guitar player Tanner, he lives in Portland. I (Matt) grew up in Portland though, and other than that, most of us have lived here in Portland for the greater part of our lives. We won’t be relocating, but we probably wont be home a lot!

You were signed earlier this year to Strike First Records and have recently signed over to Facedown Records, how have you enjoyed being a member of the Strike First and Facedown families? How has being signed benefited the band?
AHFH I can’t say enough good things about Facedown and Strike First. Since record sales have so violently plummeted over the past couple years some might see signing as a foolish thing to do, but it honestly has been such a blessing. They help keep us on the road and push us in ways we couldn’t do otherwise.

Strike First Records is a subsidiary of Facedown Records, is it not? In signing with Facedown are you working with a completely new team or is there some carryover from the relationships you’ve already established at Strike First?
AHFH Strike First is basically somewhat of a “training ground” for Facedown Bands. Its run by the same people. Its not at all that the bands aren’t as good as Facedown bands, its just that they are not as well known, so it becomes somewhat of a megaphone or stepping stone. All the bands on Strike First are really great at what they do.

A Hope For Home has worked the local and national scenes, gained a strong following and obviously the recognition of established indie labels, how often do you reflect on the process of getting to where you are?
AHFH It is quite humbling but to be honest I try to not think about that too much and just kindof live in the moment-focus on what is ahead of us and what we are currently working on.

As you move forward, what are some of the defining moments that have brought A Hope For Home to this point?
AHFH So many to count! Lots of days where things felt pointless and that we were accomplishing nothing, and I can definitely say its not the case. I don’t really think of us as at a different place than before we signed other than semantics like having an album ad in a magazine or getting better tours.

You have stated that your upcoming album will address the concepts of dealing with doubt and the search for meaning from a first person perspective of reconstructing reality from meaninglessness. Is this a reflection of where you are at as a band ideologically? Is your purpose to create a discussion platform or do you hope to inject some insight and/or experience into the conversation?
AHFH Well I can’t speak for everyone in the band and the things they go through, but we will all bring our perspectives to the table for this record. This concept is something that sort of sprouted from conversations with Nathan, our singer, and just emotions and things we have been feeling. We had been exposed to a lot of different kinds of bands and scenes as we toured this year, seeing a lot of different facets and faces to the idea of a “Christian band.” We have never been too comfortable with that label, because there are a lot of expectations that come along with it. I’m not denying faith, but I’m simply stating that I (and we) believe in what we do because we believe it, not because we are a part of this “Christian band” club. I also don’t really feel like I have some grand metaphysical truth that no one else understands, and that this record will be me telling people that they are wrong, or whatever. It comes from a point of trying to understand what is real, what I believe, which is something that, at least I think, anyone who claims a particular ideology should do. I hope we can reflect the emotions that go through peoples minds and the doubts people fear, but are too afraid to talk about when your favorite band might tell you you aren’t a “good” enough Christian if this, or that, or whatever. My goal is mostly just for us to express ourselves, and maybe it will resound with other people.

What are some of your early influences that got you into music? Who were some of the influences that helped you launch A Hope For Home?
AHFH I think all of us can safely say that the mid 2000’s bands like Thrice and Thursday are the bands that really got us heavily into music. For me anyway, those two bands have had the most effect on my life and I don’t think I would be doing what I am now were it not for them.

Where are you currently grabbing inspiration from and how has this been affecting your music?
AHFH I got really burnt out on heavy music touring this year, just playing and listening to it every night. Everyone else in my band is probably going to hate me for bringing this up but I really heavily got into Pink Floyd this year and honestly probably spent the better part of the year really digesting their album concepts and music, which is definitely and inspiration for making this concept. Bands like Sigur Ros, Isis, This Will Destroy You, and of course the mainstays are probably what I can say for the rest of the guys.

Where can those interested best connect with you to find out about news, releases and tours?
AHFH We always have dates posted on our myspace and keep it updated with info. Recently we have been using twitter a lot (twitter.com/ahopeforhome) and started up a blog (ahopeforhome.tumblr.com) that we will be updating during this process. A facebook page too. So definitely check those out!

What do you enjoy most about the local music scene? Who have been some of the funnest bands and venues to play with locally?
AHFH It definitely comes in waves in Portland, and we are gone a lot so I can’t speak with the best authority. I know that we always have some good friends to come home and jam with like Something About Airplanes and Fallstar. Recently some awesome new bands have propped up like The Sky Electric from Seattle and this amazing new band called Amos Val that you need to check out now. They are all on our top friends so go check them out!

What have you tasted of the national scenes? What have been some of your best experiences on the road?
AHFH Southern California is nuts. The midwest has some pretty rad scenes too. We recently did a tour with our label mates in Hands and every show had a really solid group of kids, and that was in like the midwest/north area of the country. It was a lot of fun.

What are the weapons (insturments) of choice for A Hope For Home?
AHFH We’ve been experimenting with a lot of different things recently! So other than the usual guitars and keyboards we’ll see what ends up being used on the record.

Favorite place to eat in Portland? Craziest thing you’ve eaten on the road?
AHFHThis is difficult! Chipotle is always good but I feel like a tool plugging a national chain. I might have to say the Montage. Get the spold mac!! Craziest thing on the road…there is this gas station somewhere on I-90 in Washington, I forget where, and they sell pickled eggs…which, seriously who eats pickled eggs? One of our friends pretty much told us we had to try it and I seriously wanted to puke, it was awful.

What have been some of the most important lessons for you as an aspiring artist? Any words of wisdom for those wanting to pursue their dreams of music stardom?
AHFH Umm….just work really hard, play music because you like it, not because you A) look cool on stage doing it or B) can get really famous and popular. I mean, I guess if you really want do to that, go ahead, but I don’t see much worth in that.

Any funny and/or scary stories from recent shows or tours?
AHFH We aren’t too crazy, but every touring band has had their share of stories. Driving the van off the road in a snowstorm in Montana, getting stuck on a hill about 34 times when it rained at Cornerstone while everyone walked past and laughed, meeting interesting people at gas stations in rural America at 4:00 AM, the like. Mostly weather for me. I’m dead scared of driving in snow. hah!

A Hope For Home is currently in the studio, look for them to explode onto the local and national scenes again soon and an album ready for listening pleasure! *All pictures taken from A Hope For Home’s Myspace album – give credit where due to these talented photographers!

If you hear the beast rumbling into a town near you, get yourself to the venue for Upon Departure is on their way – but keep your eyes open, because they might need a lift (ha ha). Ever pushing to evolve their sound and bring a mind blowing performance, Upon Departure may be the only band able to go from intense to melodic and happy in 2.5! Renewed by a lineup overhaul and the addition of elements that with expand their sounds, Upon Departure is set to record and will be assaulting venues throughout Oregon, Washington and beyond with their metal mayhem.

HC Is there any significance or story behind your name? We know Upon Departure started with Lowen’s sticks and Justin’s riffs, looking back, how has UD evolved in the past 2 years and what have been some of the most significant changes?
UD - (Justin) Our name came from a few different concepts. We really just wanted to start something new, do great things collectively with our talents, and be able to get out in the world and upon departure go anywhere we wanna go and take our music to its heights.
- (Lowen) First of all our member change, but more importantly our music has become more dynamic. We have definitely found our specific sound since our last EP.

HC The Upon Departure bio mentions that there have been several lineup changes since starting the band in 2007, with some of the recent being your founding drummer (Lowen) stepping out to take on guitars and acquiring a new drummer. How has the depth and diversity of talent shared amongst your members benefited the band? Does it ever make the writing process harder?
UD - (Lowen) We can all play each others instruments for the most part, so when someone has a new idea it can flow pretty easily out for us to hear. We all have different influences also, which helps give us a diverse sound I think.
- (Trevyn) It seems to me that the writing process is much easier! We all are very versatile musicians, which helps us bounce ideas off each other when writing new material.
- (Adam) I feel that Lowen is where he belongs, behind the guitar, it was easy since him and Justin wrote most if not all the music in the beginning anyways. This way, it leaves our best musicians exactly where they need to be to give the best performance and talent.

HC For those who are unfamiliar with Upon Departure’s set, how would you describe yourself? What can
we expect from a UD show?
UD - (Trevyn) We are a powerhouse! At least thats what we’ve been told. Everyone came to see a show, and we’ll give you a show! No matter if you like our music or not you will remember us long after the show is over.
- (Justin) Performance wise, Brutal!!!! ‘nough said HA.
- (Brandon) Very intense, powerful and crazy performances… We try and throw it down harder every show, so that the fans don’t get bored with the same ole’ same ole’.

HC UD wants to be a band that doesn’t just create music to jam to but music that you can feel, what does that mean to you as a band as you write/perform and how have you seen fans responding to that mission?
UD - (Adam) Well when we write music, we go through a lot of different sounds, but we know when something feels right. We’ll stick to a riff and expand on that till we have a rough sound for a song down, then each practice we fine tune it.
- (Justin/Lowen) We’ve both been here since the start, and since then our fans have grown strong and true, and everywhere we go we have someone whether a metal head or not that enjoys our music and our performance. We get people all the time that are just “in awe” about us. And the feeling we get from that response is epic.

HC The band lists itself as Metal/Hardcore/Experimental – what is the experimental element of Upon Departure? How has the recent addition of keys enhanced UD?
UD - (Justin) Metal is pretty self explanatory, along with the hardcore portion of our music. The experimental part is where people get confused… We added the keys/synth to acquire a more full sound and to add expression and more emotion to our music. And besides that, we are not your typical band when referring to our writing style. The normal basis is intro; verse: chorus: verse II; build up; chorus and so on… we don’t particularly follow these modern techniques. We are all about how we think the song should, and the reaction we think we will acquire from the techniques we use for transitions and how we could go from intense to melodic and happy in 2.5!! and we all effin love it!
- (Brandon) The experimental part of the keys is how Dan uses them to our advantage such as adding something super mellow over something super heavy. There for making the perfect experimental melody to rock out to.

HC Upon Departure is set to record mid Nov (09), will this be a full length or EP? When can we expect to see the album available? What is new for this album?
UD - (Trevyn) It will be the start of our full length, we are recording it in stages. We have around 4-5 songs ready to record this coming November. Then we hope to finish up sometime early next quarter. We feel that doing it this way our fans get to hear what our current line up sounds like and so they will have some newer tunes to enjoy before we release them all. We are trying for a late summer release but if everything runs smooth we could be looking at releasing it in late spring. We are trying to add more melody without changing what our fans have come to love.
- (Brandon) It will be just as Trevyn says, we are starting with 4-5 songs of intense crazy heavy music. These new songs are going to be really good and we are all super excited to see how our fans react towards our new stuff and style. Plus the brand new line up.

HC Where are you currently grabbing inspiration from and how has this been affecting your music?
UD - (Adam) well I know that most of the band uses The Devil Wears Prada and like minded bands for inspiration, with a couple of us having influences from the Black Metal scene in Europe.
- (Justin) along with relevant bands, I also take a lot of inspiration from most bands in the rock genre even from the early 70’s and 80’s. They started the metal scene, so I believe you can’t leave out their knowledge.

HC Where can those interested best connect with Upon Departure to find out about news, releases and tours?
UD - (Trevyn) We have a lot of sites that we are currently apart of, but the best way to get all the info right away would be through our myspace profile (like most bands nowadays). It is constantly updated and one of us is usually always logged in to answer questions or to comment back. We also send out bulletins for any and up coming shows also for merch updates.
- (Justin) People can also check us out on our YouTube channel, we have several live videos posted there. It gives people a feel for what we do.
HC Upon Departure is currently based out of Longview, are you all natives?
UD - (Trevyn) I have lived in Rainier, OR most of my life. For those of you that don’t know where that is, it’s right across the river from Longview, WA. I just recently moved the Longview/Kelso area about 2 and a half years ago.
- (Lowen) Yes, for the past 19 years I have lived in Longview, except for the four months that I lived in Kelso.
- (Adam) I actually grew up in Toutle about 10 miles N. of Longview. I joined the military and lived all around the country for almost 4 years then moved back with Dan, now I live with my girlfriend in Longview.
- (Justin) I was born in Longview at the Peace health hospital. I lived in Kelso til I was 2, then my family moved to Kalama where I resided until 2004/2005 when I moved into Longview to finish high school. I lived there until just a few months ago now I have moved back to Kalama with the love of my life!
- (Brandon) Born in Portland, my family moved to Death Valley for a few years then moved to Texas. I have lived in Washington for a couple years now.
- (Dan) I was born in Wichita, Kansas. My family then moved to the Toutle, WA area. For the last 3-4 years my residence has been Longview.

HC Have you played more shows in Vancouver or in Portland? What do you enjoy most about the local music scene? Who have been some of the funnest bands and venues to play with?
UD - (Trevyn) I guess you could say that we’ve played in Portland more. We are just now breaking into the Portland scene and we hope that it doesn’t stop there!
- (Adam) I like playing with We Move Mountains the most I think, but that is because I have only played a couple of shows with the band so far.

HC Favorite place to eat in Vancouver?
UD -(Adam) Golden Tent!!!

HC What are the weapons (instruments) of choice for Upon Departure?
UD - (Trevyn) I currently use a Ampeg B410HE 4×10 paired with a Fender Bassman 250 Head, along with a ESP F-105 Bass and a Fender Percision Bass.
- (Lowen) Right now I’m Using a Epiphone SG, with a Ibanez 50W Toneblaster amp. Looking to upgrade soon!
- (Adam) Gretsch Drums with Tama heads, 5B Vic Firth drumsticks, Pearl and Tama hardware, and GP cymbals, about to upgrade to Zildjian Pro ZHT cymbals
- (Justin) Currently running a Marshall 1/4 stack valve state combo. Fender Squier Stratocaster and Epiphone gothic “V”. by the end of the year should be grabbing up a Marshall half stack with 200w head. Or a Line 6 head and half.
- (Dan) Rocking a Micro Korg Synthesizer/Vocoder, and I am currently trying to resurrect my Korg M1 Music Station.
- (Brandon) Shure Microphones!!!!

HC What have been some of the most important lessons for you as an aspiring artist? Any words of wisdom for those wanting to pursue their dreams of music stardom?
UD - (Trevyn) I think that one of the most important lessons is to be respectful toward EVERYONE! Bands, venue owners/staff, promoters and the fans. Don’t treat anyone like dirt just cause you had a bad day, a string broke in the mid of a song or you feel that you messed up on one of your songs so bad that others will look down on you. Those are the people that are going to help you throughout your career. Oh and always bring along extra guitar picks! Never know when you’ll run out.
- (Lowen) Never lose your drive for playing music. You might get to play for a full crowd, when other times there might be 4 people there to see you. Either way, just go out and show that you love doing what you are doing. Just have fun.
- (Adam) Always have fun and bring your A-game, you never know who is watching you!
- (Justin) Never give up. There is so much talent out there. Just remember its not all about how fast or how much over all skills you can show off. Its all about a good solid sound and to have as much fun in doing it as possible. Also don’t let a new idea throw you off, go with it. It may turn out to be more than you hoped.

HC Any funny and/or scary stories from recent shows or tours?
UD - (Trevyn) Well, we were heading down to Portland on the 27th of October, to play the PacTour Finals. When our van broke down right as we were getting off the on ramp to I-5. We ended up pushing the beast (if you’ve seen our van you’ll know BEAST is the perfect term) back down the on ramp, across 5 lanes of traffic only to end up in a Burger King parking lot. After we called a few friends we got a small army of people to meet us at this BK to unload the van and divide the equipment (along with all of us) into 4 separate vehicles.