The Honesty started in September of 2009 with singer Tasha Gilbreath and Mikey Davis, former drummer of The Bigger Lights (Doghouse Records), and were later joined by guitarist Aaron Aparicio, bassist Bryce Hoffman, and former guitarist of A Thorn For Every Heart (Interscope Records), Jeff Harber. They pushed the boundaries to meld a sound comprised of Rock, Pop, Alternative, Pop-Punk, and Indie that’s so edgy and energetic you can’t stand still.
For Fans Of: early Paramore, VersaEmerge

*Responses from Mikey Davis

For the record, could you state your name and role in The Honesty?
I’m Mikey and I play drums in the band. Tasha sings, Aaron and Jeff play guitar, and Bryce plays bass.

Big things have been happening for the band in the past six months starting with the release of your debut EP, The Things We’ll Never Know. Can you talk about the reception to the EP from listeners and just how much it’s helped you grow as a band since its release?
The reception we’ve gotten from listeners so far has been beyond anything we’ve expected, being such a new band and all. The response has been incredible and we couldn’t have asked for more really. The promotion and press we’ve been getting has helped the band grow tremendously, and definitely has made us make sure that we step things up a notch or two for this new record we’re about to record.

The EP also made it up to the number one spot on Purevolume charts. How fantastic of a feeling was that when you saw it? Was it shocking at first?
When we saw that the EP was number one it was pretty shocking. I think it was around the same time Underoath’s new album had come out too, so it was just an amazing feeling to be atop the charts with other notable artists such as them.

The Honesty are a female-fronted group, which will always make listeners draw comparisons to early-Paramore and VersaEmerge, but what do you think sets you a part from bands like these?
While we appreciate the comparison to any successful band, we feel our sound varies from other female fronted artists such as Paramore, VersaEmerge, Hey Monday, etc… Yes, our sound has the same blends of pop, pop-punk, and rock, energy, power, and relatable-ness, but we definitely put our own unique twist on it. Check it out for yourself, but we put everything we have into our music, and those feelings and emotions in our lyrics and music hopefully grab your attention and make you want to come back for more.

The band finalized its line-up after the release of the EP and is now a full five-piece act. How has that changed the writing process for you and Tasha? Was it certainly an adjustment to get used to at first?
The writing process definitely changed a bit. It was just Tasha and I on the first EP, so I got to write the music and she got to write the lyrics. It wasn’t a hard adjustment to make with the rest of the band though because we all are very open and make sure to talk things out until everyone is satisfied with the songs we’re writing. We all get along and write very well together, and all have the same goal: to write and put out something we love to play. I think you’ll see with this new record that our sound will stay ultimately the same, but we’re always trying to mature and grow as musicians.

You guys will be hitting the studio very shortly to record your second EP with Mike Bridgett. How are the songs sounding compared to The Things We’ll Never Know?
We actually just finished the pre-production for the record, and think the songs are turning out great. We’ve tried to stick to the same energetic, powerful sound, but we’re throwing in a few new twists and turns. We’re quite excited to see the response we’ll get.

How many songs are in the works to be released at this point?
We’ve chosen three new songs, and we’re hoping to put out a special cover song that we can’t say too much about yet.

Is there anything that you and Tasha look back at now on the EP that you’ll be looking to adjust on the next release?
We’ve definitely made a few adjustments, but more so just tried to make improvements and just mature as musicians. We always want to put out the best song we can write, so we’re always trying to find new ways to approach writing, to ultimately come up with better ideas.

It was announced just a few days ago that Aj Perdomo of The Dangerous Summer would be dropping his vocals on a track for the EP. How did that all come together and how big do you think the song could potentially be for the band?
AJ and I go way back actually. We lived in the same town basically grew up playing shows together in fellow bands. His band is actually in the process of recording their new album in the same area we are planning to record, so I asked him if he’d be willing to help out a friend, and he agreed. We don’t know how big the song could potentially be, but we are so fortunate to have him be joining us on the record, and couldn’t be more excited for it. If anything, it should be a great precursor to their new album release.

Is an early summer release date a good possibility?
We’re actually hoping to release it sooner than that. We’re shooting to at least release the single in early April.

I think a lot of people might be assuming that this EP won’t be self-released considering how much attention the debut got. How far along are label talks, and have they been narrowed down to one yet?
The new album is actually scheduled to be self-released digitally, at least for now for that reason. We’ve been in talks with a few labels, but we haven’t narrowed anything down quite yet. We’re hoping the new EP will give us the push we need to show the labels how serious we are as a band, and if given the right attention, how big we could potentially be in the industry.

Are there any concerns with signing to a label because the band is still so new, or is it the most ideal situation for you guys at this point?
I think being a new band is always a concern for certain labels, but all you can do then is prove to them that you do have what it takes, and will succeed if given the chance. We’d love the chance to sign to a label, and if the right offer is presented, I’m sure we’ll take that next step in our career.

The band hasn’t done much touring yet at this point, but you’ve certainly hinted that some sort of larger tour is on the way. When can we expect that announcement and just how much touring is on the books and confirmed so far?
I can’t say much yet, but we’re in talks with a few bands about touring later this year which is definitely our goal. We do have a bunch of show announcements coming soon for the California and surrounding areas though, but that’s all I can really say right now.

Thanks so much for your time, is there anything else you’d like to add or that we should be on the lookout for?
Thank you so much again for giving us this opportunity. Our debut EP is on iTunes now, and please stay tuned for our new EP which should be released in the next few months!

If you haven’t heard of us before and are looking for a fresh, new, powerful, energetic female fronted Pop-rock band, with a sound different from bands like Paramore, Hey Monday, and VersaEmerge, then we suggest you give us a listen. Our music is honest, true, and from the heart.

Check out The Honesty on Facebook, Purevolume, Bandcamp, and Twitter.

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