July 22, 2013

Highstrung

 

Biography (source: Highstrung website)
Chapter 1:
 In the beginning there were 2 bands - Optimistic Red & Sticker, who played together on a regular basis and got along well.  Both bands were going through a change in line-ups due to various differences and people going away to school.  Optimistic Red consisted of Sam, John, Pat, and Mike.  Sticker consisted of Bill, Jack, Dave, and Jeremy.  Mike had to resign from the role of vocalist in OpRed and Dave of Sticker was leaving for school.  Jeremy filled in at one OpRed show for John while he was away on a trip, and Pat played a sticker show for Jack.  Thus, things started to come together.  Jeremy, John, Pat, and Sam started jamming and Highstrung was born.

Chapter 2:
June 20-April 18
 Highstrung started playing out.  Our first show was in Dumont and was also Sticker's last show. This original line-up of John, Jeremy, Pat, and Sam played for just short of a year.  We released our first tape on our own entitled "Something has changed" and sold approximately 700 tapes.  We started playing more often and started developing a following and also became friendly with bands like Humble Beginnings, Congress of Cow, Right Turn Eddie, Boxcar, and others.  We played with these guys a lot and had a lot of fun.  We made 4 recordings with the original line-up.  Our first tape, a second recording of 7 songs that were released on various comps (not all of them), a $500 dollar recording of "Friends" that disappeared (that sucked), and our 10 song full length CD (plans of whether to release it are up in the air).  Organization with recordings has not always brought the best luck to us.


Chapter 3:
May-Current
 The original Highstrung line-up was altered when Jeremy H. began to look to make things more serious than the rest of the group.  Jeremy left us on good terms and started playing with Humble Beginnings.  The remaining 3 of us began to write new songs and began our search for a new guitarist/singer.  We stumble upon a fine young midget with a similar name - Jeremy Comitas from Teaneck NJ (Watch out, he's whipped).  We started practicing, writing, and reorganizing until June 13 when we played our first show with the new line-up.  The sound was different, as were the member of the band.  Since then we've been playing as much as our busy schedules permit us to.  During the early part of the summer, most of us were away which explains our lack of playing out, but we've been back and playing for a while now.  We went into the studio during the latter part of August to record our CD-EP that came out on May 7, 1999 featuring a combination of the new and old material.  That just about brings us up to date.  Keep coming out to the shows and look for all the comps and the CD-EP.  We're still in the process of writing new material, which we will randomly play at upcoming shows. Hope to see all of you soon


Discography:
- Something Has Changed (1997) TAPE
- 10 song album (Title Unknown) (1998) *Unreleased
- This Time Aroung (1999) CD
- Highstrung (2000) CD

9 comments:

  1. Great band! Thanks for the post Louis. :)

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  2. Great Band I first heard of them on the Trash This comp. from 1998.
    Whats with 10 song album....have you got the songs to post?

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    1. I've tried to contact the band for the songs but with no success.. I've been told that those songs are the most skatepunk stuff they recorded. I'll keep searching for them..

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  3. Yeah try your best because the demo is such amazing.Have you other nj pop punk stuff like Mohawk Barbie or Ol Rebellion to post?

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  4. I have a couple more nj pop punk I have a few songs by OL Rebellion, I also have the Wholesale CD you probably know I think its the same members as OL Rebellion but I dont have Mohawk Barbie

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  5. That sounds cool please post the Ol Rebellion and Wholesale stuff.
    What else have you from nj bands to post?

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  6. Thanks for the mention and sharing the music, Louis. I stumbled upon the site while looking for CD artwork to post on the facebook page, which I may occasionally post updates on (though I don't actively manage it).
    By the way, the track listing for Unreleased album is:
    1. Not My Time
    2. Too Much
    3. Star
    4. My Best Friends Live Inside My Head
    5. Asking Why
    6. Someday
    7. Look Ahead
    8. Worst Enemy
    9. Expect
    10. Friends
    (Tracks 1,2,3,6,9,10 lyrics by Jeremy Hernandez who left before the CD could be released; 5,7,8 were rerecorded with Jeremy Comitas for TTA; 4,10 were on compilations)

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  7. I have a lot of Mohawk Barbie stuff for sale.
    https://www.discogs.com/user/Outhouse221

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