Title Fight was an American punk rock band from Kingston, Pennsylvania, for… Read Full Bio ↴Title Fight was an American punk rock band from Kingston, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. The band was comprised of Jamie Rhoden (vocals, guitar), Shane Moran (guitar) and brothers Ned (vocals, bass) and Ben Russin (drums). Title Fight plays music in the vein of Jawbreaker, Kid Dynamite and Lifetime; taking influence from such melodic punk rock acts as Saves the Day, emo bands Knapsack and Seaweed, and, more recently, indie rock acts like Dinosaur Jr. and My Bloody Valentine.

Title Fight would release their first single, Flood of '72, in April of 2007 under SideOneDummy Records. Later they would release their first studio album, The Last Thing You Forget, in July of 2009 under Run For Cover Records. They would release their second studio album, Shed, in May of 2011. Their third studio album, Floral Green, would release the following September of 2012, once again utilizing SideOneDummy Records.

Ned Russin, the lead bassist, recalls in a 2015 interview: "When we did ‘Floral Green’ so close to ‘Shed’ it was just basically a logistics thing. After we finished ‘Shed’ we had some tours lined up and we had some stuff going on. We looked at it and said if we don’t do a record in whatever it was – May to June – then we won't be able to do it until next January, and then it won't be out for another six months after that. So we could either really bust our asses and make it straight away, or wait really long and play that game. We were so hyped from doing ‘Shed’ and touring we decided to take that. It worked out because it put a kind of interesting pressure on us."

In April of 2013, they released the single Face Ghost under Secret Voice and would proceed to release their first EP, Spring Songs, that November under Revelation Records.

The band decided to take their time with the production of their fourth studio album, Hyperview, allowing them to experiment with new ideas and implement deep reflection on the overall production of each song. This thought process is manifested in the unique sound Hyperview provided, being different from the overall sound the band had provided prior to this release. Ned states that the inspiration for Hyperview's sound was "all over the place", being influenced by sounds such as Morrisey, The Strokes, Neko Case, and more. Ned goes on to clarify, "We weren’t trying to rip something off, we weren’t trying to say here’s a band that we like, let’s sound just like them. We were saying these are bands we like in one sense or another, let’s reference interesting parts of that and try and bring it into our sound, using the general idea rather than copy the sound completely." Hyperview would release in February of 2015 under their final label, Anti- Records.

Hyperview would be the bands last release before entering an unannounced period of inactivity following their final show in 2018. More recently, in August of 2023, Ned Russin once again came forward in another interview in which he provided further insight on this period. Russin states; "We've never said 'hiatus,' we've never said 'broken up,' we've never said any of those words. These are words that have been put on us, but it's not anything we've ever said ourselves so, like, everything is a misconception."

He continues on to emphasize, "I get that 100-percent ‘yes’ or 100-percent ‘no’ is a thing people want to hear, but then also as soon as you give one of those answers, people start pestering you — like, 'Oh, what will it take for you to do this'— and that's also a thing I'm not interested in."

Ned recalls that during the duration of Title Fight's activity, each member was at a far different point in their life than they are currently. They were around the age of 19 years old, living at home with their parents and unsure if they could make their music pay the bills. "We kind of felt like we had a two-year window to figure out if we could make it work. It ended up becoming something that was sustainable, but we were well aware that it could be taken away at any minute." He explains, mentioning that- at the time- it was something that concerned all of them. "Ten years later, it’s not a thing I’m worried about now. I’m perfectly content with the choices that I’ve made and the choices I continue to make to play music and to live this kind of lifestyle."

Currently, Ned Russin has been active with his project Glitterer, which initially was a solo project, but more recently includes his brothers Ben and Alex Russin on drums and guitar, effectively creating a band.

Ben Russin is also the lead drummer for Citizen. Shane Moran has been working with artist Kenny Mason on his recent projects. As for Jamie Rhoden, he has kept a considerably low profile since the bands' period of inactivity began, even before then having expressed distaste in the overall structure of social media.

Room 200
Title Fight Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Another page written in this chapter,
and I can see the ending's clear.
So much for these feelings for you.
There's nothing left for me to hold on to.
Shot down in flames.
Dust and smoke is all that remains.
Things aren't the same.
I think that you're the one to blame

for all that I have gone through for you.

Now it's going to stop.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Title Fight's "Room 200" provide a sense of finality and frustration in a failed romantic relationship. The lyricist seems to be coming to an emotional realization that their love for their partner is no longer viable and they can see the end in sight. They express a feeling of emptiness, and acknowledge that there is nothing left for them to hold onto. They feel betrayed, pointing the finger at their partner for the turmoil they have gone through, and this realization leads them to a decision to break it off.

The line "Shot down in flames" provides a metaphorical image of the destruction of their love, leaving behind only dust and smoke. The imagery of destruction and fallout adds to the sense of finality of the lyrics. There is a deep sense of pain and hurt expressed in the lyricist's confession that the relationship has come to an end. The lyrics in "Room 200" ultimately reveal a difficult but necessary decision to end the relationship, leaving behind the painful memories and hurt caused by the partner.

Line by Line Meaning

Another page written in this chapter,
Continuing on with life, another event has occurred that will contribute to the story of my life.

and I can see the ending's clear.
Looking at the events that have occurred, I know where this story is headed and how it will end.

So much for these feelings for you.
I once held strong feelings for you, but now they have faded away into nothingness.

There's nothing left for me to hold on to.
At this point in time, there is nothing remaining that can bind me to you or the past we shared.

Shot down in flames.
The relationship we had has come to an end in a spectacular and dramatic fashion.

Dust and smoke is all that remains.
Nothing but ruin remains from the once-great emotions that were shared between us - now there is only ash.

Things aren't the same.
The difference between how things used to be and how they currently stand is night and day.

I think that you're the one to blame
Pointing the finger at the person responsible for the failure of our relationship has finally become clear.

for all that I have gone through for you.
To hold onto this dying flame, I put myself through a lot of pain and suffering caused by your actions.

Now it's going to stop.
This destructive cycle of pain, anger, and confusion will come to an end at this moment - it's over.

Contributed by Aubrey T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.