"mEMOries" Part 3 feat. Former States

8 years ago, back on the old site, we did start a series called mEMOries. It was all about asking new Emo-bands or other scene affiliates about their all time favourite (Midwest-)Emo-record. It was about nostalgia. And it was about connecting the new with the old. I had big plans for this series, wanted to collect 20 parts and then release some sort of a sampler with an XL-booklet attached, that features all of the text pieces...

...after 7 parts the series was buried, when the end of borderline fuckup 1.0 was on the horizon. I'm still in love with the idea and tried my best to start a relaunch in 2021, but it mainly was a chore. However, I already have some new material waiting to be released. To start it off correctly I'll recycle the parts from the old site. Now, here's part 3 for your reading pleasure!

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// The band // Former States

FORMER STATES out of Detroit, Michigan formed in 2012, released their stellar "Heritage"-EP in 2013, and disbanded already in 2014. A few members were part of some projects afterwards, but there's not much information available about their current band activities. Their lead singer Alex Boundy told us about his "mEMOry" back in 2014...

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// The record // Saves the Day - Stay what you are

Release: 2001 // Label: Vagrant

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Alex on "Stay what you are" by Saves the Day

When I think about a record that represents what Emo-music means to me, I always come back to Saves the Day’s „Stay what you are“. This record is on an entirely different level. It was the first departure from their „Lifetime Jr.“-days and a vital stepping stone to what „In Reverie“ was to become.

I still remember the first time I heard this album. I was in the 4th or 5th grade and my best friend’s older brother was really into Saves the Day. And, naturally, so was my best friend. The day he showed me them changed my perspective on music completely. The blatant and honest lyricism on tracks such as „At your Funeral“ and „Cars & Calories“ was sort of shell-shocking for me, as I was conditioned to listening to music like Springsteen and Lennon. The songs were fast and melodic, but they were sad. The sadness was a revelation for me. I had spent my life sheltered from this whole area of music and, as soon as I heard it, I couldn’t get enough of it. This record soon led me to seek out artists like Elliott Smith, Jimmy Eat World, and so on.

It’s safe to say that if it wasn’t for this band, we wouldn’t be a band.

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"mEMOries" Part 1 feat. Mosey Jones
"mEMOries" Part 2 feat. Daniel Becker (Time as a Color Records, Amid the Old Wounds)