As Friends Rust is an American melodic hardcore band based in Gainesville, Florida. The original line-up, which included vocalist Damien Moyal, guitarist Henry Olmino, bass guitarist Jeronimo Gomez, and drummer Matthew Crum, formed in Davie, Florida in September 1996. After recording a demo tape but failing to secure a record deal, the band parted ways in February 1997.
Following his move to Gainesville, Florida, Moyal reformed As Friends Rust in June 1997, with a new line-up made-up mostly of then-members of his other band Culture, ultimately stabilizing the band with drummer Timothy Kirkpatrick, guitarists Gordon Tarpley and Joseph Simmons, and bass guitarist and backing vocalist Kaleb Stewart. The band released its debut EP, The Fists of Time, via Good Life Recordings in 1998, prior to which Tarpley was replaced by Peter Bartsocas. After an American tour, Bartsocas was replaced by James Glayat and As Friends Rust released a split with Discount, also on Good Life in 1998, supported by a European and British tour. The band signed with Doghouse Records and released the 1999 EP, As Friends Rust, ensuing a series of American, European, and British tours for the next two years, along with reissues of early material.
Inner tensions caused line-up changes in 2000, culminating with Glayat, Kirkpatrick, and Stewart quitting. Moyal and Simmons reconstructed the band by recruiting guitarist and backing vocalist Christopher "Floyd" Beckham, drummer Zachary Swain, and bass guitarist Thomas Rankine. The new line-up recorded As Friends Rust's debut full-length album, Won, for Doghouse / Defiance in 2001, and embarked on extensive American, European, and British tours. As Friends Rust signed with Equal Vision Records and released the 2002 EP A Young Trophy Band in the Parlance of Our Times, by which time tensions had again surfaced, resulting with Moyal quitting the band at the peak of its popularity. Beckham quickly took up lead vocals, until Adam D'Zurilla was welcomed as Moyal's replacement a month later. With D'Zurilla, As Friends Rust toured the United States, Canada, Europe, and the United Kingdom several times, before Beckham, too, quit the band. In September 2002, the remaining members of As Friends Rust announced their continuation under the new band name of Salem.
As Friends Rust reunited in March 2008, with Moyal, Kirkpatrick, Stewart, Simmons, and Glayat reprising the 1998–2000 line-up. The band embarked on a European and British tour in 2008, followed by a Japanese tour in 2014. As Friends Rust has since performed a series of American and European festival dates in 2015 and 2019, supporting its compilation albums Greatest Hits? and The Porch Days: 1998 to 2000. In 2019, Stewart was dismissed; the band has since been without a permanent bass guitarist. In 2020, As Friends Rust released the EP, Up from the Muck, through Unity Worldwide Records and Stick to the Core Records, containing its first-recorded material in eighteen years. The band's second full-length album, Any Joy, was released via End Hits Records in 2023. The material features contribution by bass guitarist Andrew Seward, who also accompanied the band during its European tour promoting the release. 2024 saw the band release another EP, Lightless, which coincided with another European tour.
Contents
History
First incarnation (1996–1997)
In September 1996, vocalist Damien Moyal was invited to a band practice in Davie, Florida by guitarist Henry Olmino, bass guitarist Jeronimo Gomez, and drummer Matthew Crum; the three had been playing under the name Wayside, originally with vocalist Robert Rudas, since 1994. Moyal had previously been the vocalist in Culture, Shai Hulud, and Morning Again, and was then simultaneously playing in Bird of Ill Omen, and had just rejoined Culture (having originally left that band in April 1995).
Moyal named the new melodic hardcore band As Friends Rust, after the lyrics "as days count down and as friends rust from exposure to exposure," penned in early 1996 while in Shai Hulud, planned for a song titled "Now Ruin Is". Instead of using Moyal's lyrics, Shai Hulud guitarist Matthew Fox wrote new lyrics and the song became "My Heart Bleeds the Darkest Blood" (originally sung by Moyal, but later recorded with vocalist Chad Gilbert). After being kicked out of Shai Hulud, Moyal took the unused lyrics to his next band, Morning Again. While Morning Again did write a song titled "Now Ruin Is" using Moyal's lyrics, it was thrown out shortly after Moyal was kicked out in June 1996. Moyal again re-used the abandoned lyrics for a Bird of Ill Omen song in August 1996, and a month later As Friends Rust was formed. Bird of Ill Omen later recorded the song "Now Ruin Is" for its debut album, Self, Dare You Still Breathe?, but with vocalist William Shane Post, who replaced Moyal in April 1997.
Moyal later described the meaning behind the band's name:
"It's basically about relationships coming and going. Sometimes you place a lot of energy and focus on your relationships or friendships with the wrong people. Or sometimes you don't place enough focus or attention on your relationships with the right people, and people just come and go out of your life".
As Friends Rust played its first show on September 19, 1996, at Cheers in Coconut Grove, Florida. The event was a Pixies tribute show and As Friends Rust performed covers of the songs "Hey" and "The Sad Punk". After writing nearly a dozen original songs (including some that were never recorded, like "Superheroes," "Kid," and "I Know"), the band entered Wisner Productions in Davie, Florida to record six of them ("Encante," "Ruffian," "Broken Brain," "When People Resort to Name Calling," "The Only Point," and an untitled instrumental acoustic song) with producer James Paul Wisner from November 19–22, 1996. Three of the songs, "Encante," "Ruffian," and "Broken Brain," were used on a demo tape shopped to such record labels as Revelation Records (which had signed Moyal's previous band, Shai Hulud, earlier that year, and would shortly thereafter sign Morning Again, also based on material recorded with Moyal), Doghouse Records, Equal Vision Records, Jade Tree, Art Monk Construction, and Network Sound; however, the band only received rejection letters.
The "Porch House" era (1997–2000)
The idea to reform As Friends Rust was brought up in June 1997, by Culture's guitarist, Stephen Looker, who had been a fan of the band's demo. Unbeknownst to Moyal, Looker had been approached by Olmino earlier that year as a potential second guitarist for As Friends Rust shortly before its first break-up. Moyal was still commuting from Miami, Florida to rehearse with Culture, but had made plans to move to Gainesville, Florida in August 1997, following the band's first European tour. To complete the second incarnation of As Friends Rust in Gainesville, Moyal and Looker invited Culture's new drummer, Jason Dooley, and Culture's bass guitarist, Gordon Tarpley, the latter of whom agreed to play guitar in the side-project. Looker then approached Hot Water Music's bass guitarist, Jason Black, who agreed to take up the same position in As Friends Rust. Inspired by the band's proposed line-up, Moyal dubbed a new batch of As Friends Rust demo tapes with updated liner notes announcing its new members, to take with him on Culture's first European and British tour and secure a record deal. Culture's Belgian record label, Good Life Recordings, showed immediate interest in signing As Friends Rust and plans were made for the band to become active again before the end of 1997. However, Culture and Hot Water Music's busy touring schedules and recording agendas kept As Friends Rust on the back-burner for several months, and neither Dooley nor Black took active parts in As Friends Rust's eventual activities.
In September 1997, drummer Timothy Kirkpatrick (formerly of the emo band Roosevelt) replaced Dooley in both As Friends Rust and Culture. Though Looker and Kirkpatrick wrote a handful of new As Friends Rust songs together between Culture tours, the reformed band came to a halt when Looker quit both As Friends Rust and Culture to join Morning Again, moving to Coral Springs, Florida in March 1998. Looker would later join ex-As Friends Rust members in Red Letter Day (with Chris Carrabba having replaced Rudas), and play in Crucible, Poison the Well and Reggie and the Full Effect, until he became a band manager, representing such artists as Further Seems Forever, The Bled and As Friends Rust's successor, Salem. Moyal quickly asked recently fired ex-Morning Again guitarist and former Bird of Ill Omen band-mate, Joseph Simmons (who had just finished recording Morning Again's As Tradition Dies Slowly), to join both Culture and As Friends Rust (thereby switching places with Looker), and also recruited Hot Water Music's roadie, Kaleb Stewart, as bass guitarist and backing vocalist for As Friends Rust. With an intact line-up, As Friends Rust recorded the song "Home Is Where the Heart Aches" at Goldentone Studios in Gainesville, Florida in late March 1998, with producer Rob McGregor. Stewart invited three close friends, Chuck Ragan, George Rebelo, and Chris Wollard (all members of Hot Water Music), to provide backing vocals on the recording.
Won (2001)
In February 2001, Moyal, Simmons, and Beckham recruited former Twelve Tribes drummer Alexander Vernon (who had relocated from Ohio to Florida to play with metalcore band Red Roses for a Blue Lady), and future Rehasher bass guitarist Guillermo Amador. This line-up wrote and recorded two songs, "Morningleaver" and "This Is Me Hating You," at Goldentone Studios with McGregor in late February 2001, both of which were released as Morningleaver / This Is Me Hating You by Doghouse Records as part of its 7-inch vinyl Fan Series in March 2001. Further line-up changes resulted with Zachary Swain (formerly of Rosalind, Adversary, and Carlisle) replacing Vernon on drums in March 2001, and Thomas Rankine (formerly of Crestfallen, Bird of Ill Omen, Dead Men's Theory, Anchorman, and Crucible) replacing Amador on bass guitar in April 2001. Within four months, the band had written enough new songs for a full-length album.
As Friends Rust recorded ten songs for its debut full-length, Won, in July 2001, with producer James Paul Wisner at Wisner Productions. Recorded material included new versions of "Morningleaver" and "This Is Me Hating You," newly written songs "We on Some Next Level Shit," "Fourteen or So," "Austin, We Have a Problem," "Won't Be the First Time," "Perfect Stranglers," "Laughing Out Loud," and "Last Call," as well as "Ten" for which Moyal improvised lyrics in the studio. Former As Friends Rust drummer Matthew Crum contributed additional percussion, while backing vocals were provided by Beckham and Further Seems Forever bass guitarist Chad Neptune. Won's release was delayed by several months, ultimately coming out on October 5, 2001, in Japan through Howling Bull Entertainment, on October 15, 2001, in Europe through German record label Defiance Records, and on October 23, 2001, in the United States through Doghouse Records.
The band began touring full-time in support of Won, starting with an American summer tour with Vangard, Keepsake, and Further Seems Forever from early August to mid-September 2001. The last leg of the American tour was cut short due to the September 11 attacks in New York City (As Friends Rust was scheduled to play the city three days later), but the band managed to perform at the Orlando Magicfest in Orlando, Florida, Furnace Fest in Birmingham, Alabama, and Philly Music Festival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Another North American tour with Where Fear and Weapons Meet was initially booked for October to December 2001, but was cancelled when Where Fear and Weapons Meet's original vocalist quit and the band announced its breakup (though the band would ultimately reform a year later).
Moyal's departure and transition into Salem (2002)
In mid-February 2002, As Friends Rust recorded five songs ("More Than Just Music, It's a Hairstyle," "The Most Americanest," "Temporary Living," "Born With a Silver Spoon Up Your Ass," and "Where the Wild Things Were") at Wisner Productions with producer James Paul Wisner, as part of a one-off loan-out to Equal Vision Records. Tension within the band resulted with Moyal recording his vocals separately and co-producing the material without the other four members' presence. During his studio session, Moyal recorded a guitar and vocal interlude titled "Up and Went" (with Wisner contributing additional guitar and synthesizer), which he later pointed out as a precursor to his solo project, Damien Done.
Less than two weeks after the recording session, Moyal quit As Friends Rust, citing dissatisfaction with touring and wanting to focus on school and his then-girlfriend. In retrospective interviews, Moyal reflected that the new members (Beckham, Swain, and Rankine) were taking As Friends Rust in a more mainstream and polished direction, which in turn led to his loss of interest.
In an interview conducted shortly after Moyal's departure, Rankine revealed that frictions with the vocalist had become increasingly problematic, especially since the band's European and British tour from October–December 2001. Rankine voiced that Moyal's attitude had been negative and holding back the band from progressing in a natural direction, and yet, by quitting suddenly, he had left the band in a precarious situation with record label and touring obligations to fulfill (for both Won and the forthcoming A Young Trophy Band in the Parlance of Our Times). At the time of Moyal's departure, As Friends Rust already had several upcoming shows scheduled and was in the midst of booking an entire year's worth of tours. The band was also talking about writing a second full-length album (to fulfill its Doghouse Records contract), and was being courted by larger record labels, including Victory Records. Moyal, nevertheless, encouraged the band to find a new vocalist and continue under the established name. The vocalist went on to form Damien Done, a solo project which eventually expanded into a full band.
Beckham initially stepped up as temporary lead vocalist, and Tarpley returned to fill the vacant guitarist position, as the band embarked on a short Midwest tour supporting Sick of It All, Shai Hulud, and Thursday during the first week of March 2002. This was immediately followed by a week-long east coast tour with This Day Forward, Coheed and Cambria, The Stryder, Fairweather, Liars Academy, and Prevent Falls as part of the Equal Vision Records Presents: Spring Showcase 2002 Tour, and a one-off date opening for Agnostic Front on Long Island, New York.
Reunion (2008–2019)
In March 2008, Moyal announced that As Friends Rust would reunite for a series of European and British shows as part of the band's Back in Coffee Black Tour '08. It was further revealed that the band would be performing with its 1998–2000 line-up (referred to as "The Porch Days" line-up), including Kirkpatrick, Simmons, Stewart, and Glayat. At the time, Simmons and Stewart were still living in Gainesville, Florida, but Moyal had relocated to Ann Arbor, Michigan in September 2006, Kirkpatrick had been living in Los Angeles, California since January 2005, and Glayat had been based in Brooklyn, New York since August 2002.
The Back in Coffee Black Tour '08 kicked off with a single American show at The Atlantic in Gainesville, Florida (a venue co-owned by Simmons and Rankine), on August 15, 2008. Three days later, the band flew to the United Kingdom and Europe for six shows spanning August 18–23, 2008. The reunion tour included concerts at the Camden Underworld in London, England, Conne Island in Leipzig, Germany, and Ieperfest in Ypres, Belgium. Due to a passport issue, Glayat was unable to travel with the band on its initial flight to England, so the band played its Camden Underworld show as a four-piece, with Simmons as sole guitarist.
On April 24, 2011, As Friends Rust social media accounts were created on Facebook and Twitter (an official Myspace profile had previously been created on December 29, 2005). On June 6, 2011, As Friends Rust recorded demos of six new songs; although news leaked that an extended play was on the horizon, the band was not satisfied with the result and ultimately shelved the material. The band continued writing more material over the next several years.
As Friends Rust travelled to Asia for the Japan Tour 2014, which spanned from June 12–15, 2014, supported by Japanese hardcore bands Endzweck, Noy, and Nervous Light of Sunday. As Kirkpatrick was unable to tour, he was temporarily replaced by former Culture drummer Joshua Williams (Williams would join Morning Again two months later, and eventually played in the hardcore band On Bodies with Moyal). In promotion of the tour, the band created an Instagram account and Japanese record label Cosmic Note released a best-of compilation album on compact disc, titled Greatest Hits?, on June 4, 2014. The release included a selection of the band's recordings from 1996–2002, hand-picked by Moyal. The compilation was also released on compact cassette by Indonesian record label D'Kolektif on December 27, 2014, and on 12-inch vinyl and compact disc by Dutch record label Shield Recordings on April 29, 2015.
Up from the Muck, Any Joy, and Lightless (2019–present)
In January 2019, As Friends Rust announced that it had been actively writing and demoing new songs for its second full-length album since 2011, and that its songwriters were finally proud of and happy enough with the current material for it to be properly recorded and released. Kirkpatrick had since moved to St. Augustine, Florida in 2018, and with three members living in Florida, the logistics of getting together to record material became more feasible. Moyal also announced that the band would be recording and releasing a two-song extended play in mid-2019 (though this was ultimately delayed by a year), as a precursor to the band's sophomore album.
As Friends Rust performed three shows in 2019: one at The Kingsland in Brooklyn, New York on April 25, 2019, and two on the same day, on June 8, 2019, at the Molotow Musik Club in Hamburg, Germany, as part of the Booze Cruise Festival. Upon returning from Booze Cruise, As Friends Rust parted ways with Stewart, though the band did not immediately look for a replacement bass guitarist.
The band recorded two songs, "Up from the Muck" and "Last of the Famous International Scumbags," for its planned comeback extended play in early March 2020. The recording sessions were tracked individually at various studios in Florida and New York: Kirkpatrick recorded his drum tracks at Warhouse Studio in Gainesville, Florida; Simmons recorded his guitar tracks at his home studio, Jazzberry Jam Audio, in Tampa, Florida; Glayat recorded his guitar tracks at Tall Pine in Brooklyn, New York (engineered by Bartsocas); and Moyal recorded his vocal tracks at Wisner Productions in St. Cloud, Florida (Wisner having since relocated from Davie, Florida). The songs feature bass guitarist Chad Darby (who also plays in Samiam and Ship Thieves), who recorded his tracks at his home studio in Gainesville, Florida. The songs were then mixed by James Paul Wisner at Wisner Productions.
"Up from the Muck" premiered digitally on March 23, 2020, while "Last of the Famous International Scumbags" premiered digitally a week later on March 30, 2020. Both songs were released on a 7-inch vinyl by Unity Worldwide Records on July 3, 2020, and on a cassette tape by Stick to the Core on May 1, 2023. "Up from the Muck" was also included on the Moyal-produced Various Artists compilation, Peace Is Earned: A Benefit Compilation for Black Lives Matter, released on June 6, 2020. Both songs were later included as bonus tracks on the compact disc edition of Any Joy in 2023.
Members
Current members
Damien Moyal – lead vocals (1996–1997, 1997–2002, 2008–present)
Timothy Kirkpatrick – drums (1997–2000, 2008–present)
Joseph Simmons – guitar (1998–2002, 2008–present)
James Glayat – guitar, backing vocals (1998–2000, 2008–present)
Andrew Seward – bass guitar (2022–present)
Discography
Studio albums
Won (2001)
Any Joy (2023)
EPs
The Fists of Time (1998)
As Friends Rust (1999)
A Young Trophy Band in the Parlance of Our Times (2002)
Up from the Muck (2020)
Lightless (2024)