The Honor System initially consisted of former Broadways members Dan Hanaway (vocals, guitar) and Rob DePaola (drums), along with Nolan McGuire (guitar), and Tim McIlrath (bass). Their first release was a 1999 demo cassette comprising the songs "Fool's Good", "Facelift" and "Single File".
Soon after, Chris Carr replaced McIlrath, who went on to form Rise Against. The band recorded and released their first full-length album Single File on Asian Man Records in 2000, which featured re-recordings of the demo's first 2 songs.
The band's second release, the six-song EP 100% Synthetic, was released on Double Zero Records in May 2001. Later that year, McGuire left and was replaced by Tyler Wiseman, formerly of Tuesday.
After a couple of national tours, a self-titled three-song EP was released featuring the songs "Moving Day", "The Sound of Sinking" and "American Math" and showing a move toward a heavier sound, bolstered by the arrival of Wiseman. This was followed three months later by the band's second full-length recording, Rise and Run, featuring re-recordings of the EP's first 2 tracks.
Shortly after Rise and Run's release, the band went on hiatus when DePaola left to look after his ailing mother.
Hanaway and Wiseman went on to form Whale|Horse with some fellow Chicago musicians; this line-up recorded some demos before Carr returned on bass (joined by ex Sweep the Leg Johnny drummer Scott Anna on drums). The new line-up recorded and released a self-produced debut EP, "Count the Electric Sheep", in 2006.
In August 2008, Solidarity Recordings releases Single File on vinyl for the first time, in two colours (limited to 400 and 100).
In September of 2008, I Hate Punk Rock Records reissued Rise and Run in 3 colours and as a special edition featuring all 3 standard colours and 3 rare presses, limited to 5.
While the other band formed from The Broadways' breakup, The Lawrence Arms, favour more introspective lyrics, Dan Hanaway's lyrics with The Honor System retain his socio-political perspective, covering issues including police corruption ("Nails", "The Blaming Game"), criticism of the media ("The Blaming Game", "Losing Connection", "Hz"), capitalism/anti-corporatism ("Fool's Gold", "Muffled By Concrete", "Replacement Parts", "Moving Day"), war ("Clockwork"), religion ("Witchhunt"), etc.
Musically, the band built upon The Broadways' melodic punk rock, dual guitars and non-traditional song structures, incorporating more developed instrumentation and an increasingly heavy sound, further augmented at McGuire's replacement by Wiseman. Hanaway's vocals show a continued evolution from their rougher sound on his earlier works.
Rise and Run LP
