Knoxville, TN’s pop-punk outfit On My Honor officially announced their breakup earlier this week, releasing an official statement via their website. The band had caught widespread media attention after being featured in AP magazine’s 100 bands you need to know and frontman Drew Justice released a statement coming out as a gay Christian.
These were hardly the defining factors that set On My Honor apart from the rest of the pop punk crowd. They were the kings of the music scene in my hometown, setting the pace for a lot of what went on in that city. A few of the members of this band ran the local venue where I played my first rock show and where my old band, Ramsey, played their first show. Honor and integrity were a few of the defining factors that set this band apart from others. There was never a question from anyone about how much of themselves they put into their music. For a long time On My Honor defined, for me, what it meant to be in a band.
I’m not the wisest person, nor am I the best at writing pithy epitaphs. Rather than attempt to surmise their 8 year career with a few media catchphrases, I’ll attempt to convey what they meant to me as people. Doubtless there are a number of personal stories about this band, and I’d love to hear every single one of them.
For me, though, I just know the friendship and conversations had with some of these guys over the years have meant a lot to me and served as guiding lights in tough times. I’ll never forget when Jake Jones told me from across the upstairs bar at the Longbranch Saloon that I had “better watch out for myself” before I moved away to Worcester. There were about a dozen times that I had wished I listened to him after that night.
Many times artists are left to wonder about their legacy after a dissolution or when they move on to other things. I don’t think On My Honor will be left with the same questions. Just like I’ll always say that Knoxville is my home music scene, regardless where I am in this country, On My Honor will always have a place in the hearts of their fans. I wish them the best in their future endeavors, and hope that one day I’ll be able to pass along some of the guidance they’ve granted me.
“Friends,
On My Honor has been a band now for nearly 8 years. For some of us, On My Honor has been the majority of our adult lives. Since 2007, we’ve gotten to do a lot of great things. We’ve made music that we love, with people we love, we’ve gotten to meet a lot of you, and we’ve been able to see a lot of the world that we never thought we would.
When we really started getting going as a band, we always talked about how our main goal was to make other people feel how our favorite records made us feel. Although we’ve made some mistakes along the way, we did our best to keep sight of that goal. We hope that we did this for some of you. With that being said, we’ve decided it’s time for On My Honor to come to an end. There was a lot that went into this decision, but most of it just comes from an overwhelming feeling that it’s time for us to move on with other parts of our lives. We’d like to thank everyone that’s ever been a part of this. From everyone that’s booked a show for us, played a show with us, let us sleep on your floor, helped us put out a record, helped us record a record, helped us with press,or anything else thank you for helping us make On My Honor something we can look back on and be proud.
We will be booking one last show in our hometown for anyone that
would like to see us and it will take place early next year. We’ll have more information on that as soon as it is available.
Our bass player Jake and drummer Tobias are actively seeking new projects. They can be reached at jjonesyfh@gmail.com and tobiasomh@gmail.com. Both of these guys are beyond great guys and great musicians, and any band would be lucky to have them.
Thank you,
On My Honor”
