Far-Less was a five-piece post-hardcore/alternative rock band from Marion, … Read Full Bio ↴Far-Less was a five-piece post-hardcore/alternative rock band from Marion, Virginia, United States, with members from Marion and other surrounding areas, including Pulaski and Blacksburg. They were signed to Tooth & Nail Records and Silent Uproar Records.

Far-Less began in the summer of 2001 in Marion, Virginia. The original lineup included vocalist Jordan Powers, bassist Joseph Powers, drummer Ray Felts and guitarist Jacob Murray. The quartet quickly wrote and recorded the Emerge EP, playing a handful of local shows before the exit of Murray near the end of the year, a change which prompted Jordan’s shift to guitar and the inclusion of Brandon Welch as lead vocalist. The band's name originated in a friend's last name, with an added hyphen. This lineup was stable for the following year, in which the band released the Apossibility EP and recorded their full-length debut Broken Hearts Unite for the Raleigh, North Carolina-based indie label Silent Uproar Records. Regional tours continued as the band started to garner more attention with Broken Hearts Unite, and eventually Mark Karsten was added as second guitarist.

In 2003 Far-Less started to earn the attention of larger record companies, and in 2004 was invited to perform in a showcase for Seattle’s Tooth and Nail Records. This performance ultimately led the band to sign on to the label’s roster, and the Turn to the Bright EP followed later that year. Following a long period of touring the band returned to the studio to record a second full-length album, Everyone Is Out to Get Us. The record received many positive reviews, as well as a notable 4/5 rating in Alternative Press. More touring ensued, and in 2006 the band parted ways with drummer Ray Felts.
North Carolina native Todd Turner immediately took over the reins as the Far-Less drummer, and with the shifting dynamic of the band came a renewed creative energy, which ultimately culminated in the group’s third album A Toast to Bad Taste. In the middle of the recording process the group decided a full-time keyboardist would be beneficial, and added Elizabeth “Bitsy” Pina to its ranks. Touring in the United States and Canada followed, with the record being released in 2007—again to critical acclaim, but with low record sales. Bassist Joseph Powers left the band to return to school, leaving a huge gap which was opened even more when Karsten and Turner followed in his footsteps.
2008 proved to be a strenuous year for Far-Less, yet the band pushed on with the aid of long-time friends (now current members) Brandon Hackler on guitar and Tyler Hill on drums. A national tour in the spring of 2008 resulted in the loss of Pina, but the band managed to finish the tour dates with help from Mike Schey (of The Format and The Honorary Title), Josh King (of House of Fools) and Robert Smith (of MAE and Tokyo). After a brief hiatus the band filled the empty bass slot with Brian Freeman, moved to Radford, Virginia and continued the writing process. The forthcoming Headache EP is the result, and was due to be released digitally by Tooth & Nail Records in the summer of 2009, but for unknown reasons the EP has yet to come out.

Far-Less played their final show on August 14, 2009 at the Greene Street Club in Greensboro, NC. The band ended its career with a twenty song set including songs from all past albums and EPs. The band had many special guests at the show, including Josh King of House of Fools, and they were able to reassemble many of the past members to create a Far-Less "super group" with performances by Ray Felts, Joseph Powers, Todd Turner, and Mark Karsten, along with the final line-up of the band (Brandon Welch, Jordan Powers, Brandon Hackler, Tyler Joel Hill, and Brian Freeman).

Final line-up:
Brandon Welch - Lead vocals
Jordan Powers - Guitar, vocals
Brandon Hackler - Guitar
Brian Freeman - Bass
Tyler Hill - Drums

Former members:
Mark Karsten - Guitar, vocals (2003-2008)
Todd Turner - drums (2006–2008)
Elizabeth "Bitsy" Pina - keyboard (2007–2008)
Joseph "Joep" Powers - Bass (2001-2007)
Ray Felts - Drums, vocals (2001-2006)
Jacob R. Murray - guitar (2001–2002)

Discography:
Recorded 2008 - Headache (EP) (Never officially released) - soundcloud.com/saintdopeium/sets/far-less-headache-ep-unreleased
2007 - A Toast To Bad Taste (Tooth & Nail Records)
2006 - Everyone Is Out To Get Us (Tooth & Nail Records)
2004 - Turn To The Bright (EP) (Tooth & Nail Records)
2003 - Broken Hearts Unite (Silent Uproar Records)
2002 - Apossibility (EP) (Self-released)
2001 - Emerge (EP) (Self-released)

Your Antidote
Far-Less Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We grip onto our lives so tight
But that's built into us all
It seemed to be a parasite that was tearing through its host
I'd love to take your pain away
But I cannot do it all
I'd love to see you walk away..

You don't have to die

Learn to fly away
I'll see you in the end
I'm not scared at all
'Cause you found your antidote

Your antidote

We grip onto our lives so tight
But that's built into us all
It seemed to be a parasite that was tearing through its host
I'd love to take your pain away
But I cannot do it all
I'd love to see you walk away..

You don't have to die
Learn to fly away
I'll see you in the end
I'm not scared at all
'Cause you found your antidote

La la la..

Now that I see you i've found
A way to beat this and i'm
Beating it into the ground
I've found the courage and i
Now that I see you have found

You don't have to die
Learn to fly away
I'll see you in the end
I'm not scared at all
'Cause you found your antidote

Now that I see you i've found
A way to beat this and i'm
Beating it into the ground
I've found the courage and i

Now that I see you have found
A way to beat this

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Far-Less's "Your Antidote" speak to the universal experience of holding onto life tightly, even when it seems as though a parasite is tearing through our being. Despite wanting to alleviate the pain of those we care about, the singer recognizes that this is not always possible. The chorus serves as a message of hope and reassurance that one can find a way to overcome the struggles of life and that death is not the only solution. The final verses imply that seeing someone else find their own antidote can provide the motivation and courage one needs to do the same.

Line by Line Meaning

We grip onto our lives so tight
We hold on so tightly to our existence.

But that's built into us all
This clinging is innate to our nature.

It seemed to be a parasite that was tearing through its host
This clinging is like a parasite that consumes the person.

I'd love to take your pain away
I wish I could remove your suffering.

But I cannot do it all
Unfortunately, I do not have the power to solve everything.

I'd love to see you walk away..
I wish for you to be free from your pain.

You don't have to die
You do not have to give up completely.

Learn to fly away
You can find a way to escape this suffering.

I'll see you in the end
I will meet you again, no matter what.

I'm not scared at all
I am not afraid because I believe you have found a solution.

'Cause you found your antidote
You have found your cure.