User:Probly658/Following HereAfter

Following HereAfter is currently a four-piece progressive post-hardcore band formed in Muncie/Selma, Indiana, in 2004. The band was formed by Aaron Price (guitar) and Jake Watson (drums) late that year and, at that point, was heavily influenced by bands such as P.O.D. and Story of the Year, resulting in a much more structured style with definite versus and choruses.

Always having pushed toward a more creative sound and a broader horizon of influence, they began to listen to bands more along the lines of Underoath, Coheed and Cambria, and Chiodos. It was at this point that the band really made the switch from a more main-stream, alternative sound, to that of the more underground, prog-rock/post-hardcore scene. Early in the year 2006, the band wrote the song "By the Pathways of Destruction". This song was a very important first step for them, as it did away with versus and moved them closer to there present sound. The song has a number of choruses that drive the song to create a more impacting and meaningful conclusion. Later the same year was a just-as-important second step in the writing of the song "A Stronghold Not Strong Enough". This song did away with the chorus as well. Opening their eyes to the world of progressive rock, this song really motivated the band to focus on finding their sound and pushing their creativity further than the average radio band could inspire them to.

To date, the band has only ever released one EP titled Embrace the Impact (2007). The band only ever printed 100 copies but, other than a few the band themselves held back, it sold out. They are currently recording a full-length album which is still untitled. Recording started in August of 2008. They currently have guitar tracking done and are working on drums and bass. The album is supposed to be 16 tracks according to their most recent update.

Background (2000–2004)
In August of 2000, Aaron Price (guitarist) began playing drums during his 7th grade year of school. It wasn't until 2001 (his 8th grade year) that he started learning to play on a set. It was this same year that the idea of Following HereAfter first came to fruition. On the way to an amusement park in Ohio, Dustin McClain (former vocalist) showed Price the band P.O.D. for the first time. They both liked the band so much that they began talking about forming a band of a similar genre.

Over the course of their freshman year (2002-2003), Price taught Jake Watson (current drummer) to play drums. It was during this year that Watson purchased his first drum set (A Pacific Drums and Percussion Maple kit). During their sophomore year, both participated in the school band. Though they consider the experience more of a joke than a musical enlightenment, they both agree that it was fun. They would both continue participating in the school band through their junior year but only Price continued through their senior year.

Formation and First Live Performance (2004–2005)
In 2004, the idea that was formed three years prior finally came to be more than an idea. Long-time friend of Price, Chris "The Christophe" Taylor purchased a bass guitar and began learning to play. Price had decided to switch over and learn guitar based on two different reasons: Watson had exceeded all expectations with drums and Price wanted to pursue an instrument that would better express his creativity where he felt drums could not. Watson on the other hand has always made drums his form of expression and where they weren't quite satisfying for Price, they were and still are for Watson. Price purchased his first guitar (Epiphone Les Paul, Special II) and amp (a Rogue 100W 2X12 combo) during October of 2004. He taught himself to play and had written their first (titled "I Will") and second (never titled) songs by the end of that year. The band (consisting of Price, Watson, and Taylor) learned the two songs as a whole and began planning to find members and schedule shows.

In March of 2005, the band welcomed long-time friend and fellow band-mate Josh Johnson into the band as guitarist. Johnson picked up guitar for the first time the day he was invited into the band and learned to play over the course of that year. He purchased his first guitar (Epiphone G-400 SG) within a couple weeks of starting to play. At this point the band had been talking to three of their friends from school about doing vocals: Jordan Harris, Scott Duncan, and Dustin McClain. No one really had a formal try-out and none were immediately offered a spot in the band.

The band had posted an update on their website regarding Johnson joining the band on March 13, 2005. It was the very next month on April 2nd that the band would play their first show at a church called The Lighthouse on the west side of Muncie, IN. Johnson and Duncan had both decided they weren't ready for a show yet, McClain had to work, and Harris had sports practices at school so the band ended up playing only two songs, instrumental, and as a three-piece with a lot of borrowed equipment.