Better Words for a Farewell

In a state where cover bands and heavy metal dominate the scene, it had been a long time since the Montana hardcore scene had anything promising pop up. That is, until Better Words For A Farewell came along. Forged from the remains of previous death-metal outfit Deth Label, the members of Better Words For A Farewell had a new direction in mind: Playing the music they grew up with and loved hearing. It wasn't about playing what people wanted to hear, or sticking to a specific genre. If they enjoyed hearing it, they wanted to play it. Guitarists David Purdy and Jacob Riddle, alongside drummer Philip Grimshaw and fry vocalist Sam Allison, were the original line-up of the band, playing shows locally at the 406 Club in Great Falls. It wasn't until they discovered the abilities of clean vocalist Jordan Lee Smith and the talents of bassist Tavis Reiche that the band would become complete. The band began writing and performing their material for their debut record, "Real Like the Movies", in October of 2011. Things took off quickly for the band, gaining momentum not seen in the Montana music scene in years. "I haven't seen this kind of reaction from fans since before 'The Lookout' left town," The Hope Movement vocalist/guitarist Eric Brown said of the group, "It's awesome." "We never had the intention of getting the local recognition that we did," from the perspective of vocalist Jordan Lee Smith, "It was really neat to meet all of these people from around the state we wouldn't have met otherwise. It's definitely a weird feeling having people recognize you from your band and telling you how much they enjoy your music." In March of 2012, the band took to Fourth Avenue Studios with producer Matt Johnson to record their debut. Released April 4th, 2012, the record sold out of it's physical copies within weeks, and still continues to sell online. "It was definitely a humbling experience," Smith said of the record sales, "For a band that funded this project with every dime we had, it's refreshing to see that people still care enough to buy music, especially from a bunch of local musician kids who really aren't as good as the bands that have their music pirated on a regular basis." In terms of staying power, the band hopes to have at least influenced others to continue the Montana music scene, especially in the hardcore and pop-punk areas. "We didn't start this band to get big. We never had any intentions of becoming relevant to society or having any impression on a big percentage of people." Smith said, "I could care less about being relevant. I did it for the music. What I do want, however, is for more kids to step it up and take our place. There are tons of talented young people in the area, and to see the scene thrive again would be incredible. Even if our band isn't around, that shouldn't hinder people from continuing to do what they love." The band announced their indefinite hiatus in August of 2012, after Smith relocated down to Florida for new life opportunities. "I'll miss these dudes. I have no doubt in my mind that we will play music together again someday... I can't imagine my life without doing that one more time. It'll be interesting to see how we've grown, and how our fans have grown as well." Post hardcore from Great Falls, MT. We sing, scream, shred and throw down until you're bleeding.