With Chris Sligh, what started off a… Read Full Bio ↴Talking With Half Past Forever
With Chris Sligh, what started off as a simple love for music and a desire to be a songwriter, has slowly transformed into something bigger. "Over the last few years, I have worked hard at the craft of songwriting, and even harder at becoming a great singer. I'm not saying the work is paying off, but I am starting to see some dividends...finally."
When you sit down with the members of Half Past Forever, it is a welcome breath of fresh air from the expected. The band, made up of Chris, Adam Fisher and Cole Edmonson, is polite, concise and funny. It seems that the only things the band takes seriously are their faith and their music. Otherwise, nothing is taboo - from politics to what they call religion to just simply cracking jokes on each other, it’s all part of their genuine friendship .
“We feel like rock stars should be fun. For way too long, people have been taking themselves way too seriously when it comes to music," says Cole, the band's bassist.
The band's lead guitarist, Adam, chimes in. "We take our music seriously, but we certainly do not take ourselves seriously."
Adam is also the resident drummer; they hire out for live shows.
"The vision of this band, from the beginning," says Sligh, "was for me to write good songs that we could put together in a way that would not only rock, but would encourage our audience to take part in our music. There are not a lot of bands now-a-days that walk that fine line between art and commerce - not that we're successful at that - but we wanna be."
When pressed for more meaning on this, Adam says, "There is nothing wrong with a band aiming to please audiences while still being true to themselves. No one is just one thing: no one is all artist. We are all complex - why do we expect for musicians to limit themselves one way or the other - making art or making music that isn't so artful?"
Chris responds: "Yeah, I mean, why do we look down on certain bands because they make accessible music? Obviously, the goal of art is to transcend, but really - when it comes down to it - we make music for the audience, and if we make self-indulgent crap that only we like...well, we've failed. The greatest way to make music, the way you see great bands like the Who and the Beatles and Pink Floyd is that they make music that the audience can connect with, then surround it, or perhaps infuse it, with stuff that is perhaps a little more self-indulgent...a little more 'strange', if you will"
Cole, who at age 19 is the youngest member of the band, injects his version of the concept it takes many musicians years to figure out. "We want to make music that we like. But we want to be successful and we don't think there's any thing wrong with 'selling out' - as long as 'selling out' doesn't change the way we make music."
The band's "way of making music" has always been to write great songs that audiences can sing along with, then "smarten them up" by adding in as many elements as they can. They are never satisfied with the sound that would be expected.
On this sophomore album, set to release February 20, they have taken this process and, in their own way, nearly perfected it. Take a Chance on Something Beautiful is a cacophony of catchy songs that will have audiences singing along interspersed with odd, esoteric instrumental tracks and effects. The 14 tracks come together to form an album that is an experience from start to finish. Half Past Forever seems to be a long-lost band that makes albums instead of singles.
"I would say that I write more from an album standpoint that I do from a single standpoint," says lead singer and main songwriter Chris. "Don't get me wrong, I think a song like Know or In a Moment are both singles...but as I write and as we produce and record, I am thinking about how to tie in a whole album together."
Adam concurs, "An album is a lot bigger than a simple song. Lots of people can write great songs, but it's tough to put together a full album that ties together and is a call-back to the days of making great albums, like the late 60's and 70's."
"My goal with this album," says Chris, "Is that people would come away with a sense that there is more to hear with each successive listen...yet there is something familiar in the way I write. I think when I listen to my favorite writers, that's the feeling I get. With my favorite artists, I want to hear more in the turn of a phrase or listen for distinct musical performances, yet the songs feel familiar. I really hope that the listener feels the same with this album."
bio.HPF
Name: Half Past Forever
Chris Sligh: Lead Vocals, Guitar
Adam Fisher: Lead Guitar, Vocals
Cole Edmonson: Bass, Vocals
(taken from http://www.halfpastforever.com/bio.html)
How Long
Half Past Forever Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And now I know the pictures I hold on to
Are gone away, they're gone away
And I'm just getting older
Maybe getting older brings me closer to you
All my days are spent away
In daydreams and all I wonder is...
How long, how long
How long till I get to be with you
How long, how long
My heart is longing for you
All my life's been leading to this:
I've been dreaming
I know that life was meant for so much more
All the dreams and hopes to be
Are just dreams of something bigger
Maybe all this dreaming brings me closer to you
How long, how long
How long till I see your face again?
The lyrics to "How Long" by Half Past Forever discuss two main ideas: the passing of time and the singer's longing for someone they have lost. The opening lines, "Shadows fill the places where I used to be / And now I know the pictures I hold on to / Are gone away, they're gone away," symbolize the idea that memories of the past are fading away with the passing of time. The singer realizes that time is slipping away and they are getting older, but this idea is coupled with the hope that this passage of time will bring them closer to whoever they are longing for.
The second verse continues the theme of the passage of time, with the lines "All my days are spent away / In daydreams and all I wonder is... / How long, how long / How long till I get to be with you." The singer is lost in thought, dreaming of being reunited with their loved one, and wondering how much longer they will have to wait. The chorus brings this longing to the forefront, repeating "How long, how long / My heart is longing for you" twice.
The final verse has a slightly more optimistic tone, suggesting that maybe all of the dreaming and hoping for something more in life is bringing the singer closer to their loved one. The song ends on the poignant lines, "How long, how long / How long till I see your face again?" which bring the focus back to the central idea of the song: the singer's longing for someone they have lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Shadows fill the places where I used to be
The memories of my past are fading away from my present, leaving me feeling lost.
And now I know the pictures I hold on to
I realize that holding onto the past is a futile attempt, as time moves on regardless of whether we want it to or not.
Are gone away, they're gone away
The things I cherish and hold onto vanish as time passes, reminding me of the transience of life.
And I'm just getting older
As time passes, I am getting older, and I am coming to terms with the reality of aging.
Maybe getting older brings me closer to you
Through the passage of time, I feel more connected to you and the memories we share together.
All my days are spent away
I spend my days lost in thought and daydreaming, thinking about the things I desire and yearning for a brighter future.
In daydreams and all I wonder is...
Lost in my thoughts, I am constantly contemplating the future and the possibility of being with you again.
How long, how long
I am impatient in my longing for you, wishing to be reunited with you as soon as possible.
How long till I get to be with you
I desire to be with you again, and I am continually asking myself and the universe how long it will take for that to happen.
My heart is longing for you
The deep yearning for your presence is in my heart, and I can't shake it no matter how hard I try.
All my life's been leading to this:
My entire life has been building up to this moment, this time when I can be with you again.
I've been dreaming
I have been fantasizing and dreaming of what it will be like to finally see you again and be reunited with you.
I know that life was meant for so much more
I am aware that life has a greater purpose, a more profound meaning than just the trivialities of day-to-day living.
All the dreams and hopes to be
My ambitions and aspirations for the future shine brightly in my mind, keeping me going in the present.
Are just dreams of something bigger
My hopes and dreams are merely a small part of something much greater and more magnificent than myself.
Maybe all this dreaming brings me closer to you
Through my endless dreaming and yearning for you, I feel ever closer to being reunited with you once more.
How long till I see your face again?
I can't wait to see your face again and be reunited with you, and I am anxiously awaiting the day when our paths cross again.
Contributed by Zachary J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.