Honour Before Glory is the solo project of whiskas (¡Forward, Russia! / Dance To The Radio), the extension and fulfillment of songs that were written throughout his time in Forward Russia and beyond. After numerous false starts, Autumn 2009 saw the songs finally brought to life in the studio with the help from numerous friends (Simon & Dave from I Like Trains, Jon Duels, Fran ex-Shut Your Eyes.. and Fran Rodgers), and then released unto the world.

 

"a great, naturally tentative and atmospheric piece of work. It’s like Bernard Sumner without the baggage or New Order’s Other Two, but with flowers in their hair" - Steve Lamacq, Going Deaf For A Living

"[Honour Before Glory] vibrates and reverberates with fractured atmospherics digital and otherwise, at the core of which lies heartfelt, wracked songwriting that glows even as everything around it lifts into the stratosphere. M83 would be the closest reference point, but without the recently overbearing nostalgia angle or so much deference to MBVisms. Maybe Ride after a course of Spencer Krug records would be more accurate, so that you can't help feeling that were he from Toronto rather than Leeds Whiskas would have been corralled into Broken Social Scene long before now" - Sweeping The Nation

Growing interest in the songs and the project sparked whiskas to strip the songs back to their orginal form, playing a number of solo shows with Sunset Rubdown, Damien Jurado, as well as a tour in Germany. With an expanding repertoire and sonic ambition, 2010 sees new friends and old join whiskas for what will be the fully blown technicolour live experience. Gigs will be a rare and special event, so catch it when you can

Honour Before Glory feature contributions from:

Simon Fogal & David Martin (I Like Trains)
Fran Rodgers
Fran McCrossan (ex-Shut Your Eyes & You'll Burst Into Flames)
Jim & Jon Foulger (Duels)
Sam Airey
Chris Kirkpatrick (Normal Man)

Read my initial thoughts on stepping out into the light here