American Standards

An emotionally charged and politically driven hardcore punk outfit hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, American Standards came together in 2011 with Brandon Kellum, Brennen Westermeyer, Geoff Gittleson, Cody Conrad, and Corey Skowronski at its core. Their sound fused metal, punk, thrash, and emo in a manner that called to mind Refused, Every Time I Die, and Gallows. The group first put out an independent three-song EP pressed in a run of just 500 copies, then delivered its debut album Still Life in 2012. That release earned the band a contract with We Are Triumphant, which reissued the album in 2013 while also issuing the new EP The Death of Rhythm and Blues. Conrad, Westermeyer, and Gittleson all exited that same year, leaving the band to continue as a quartet by 2014 comprising Kellum on vocals, Skowronski on guitar, Steven Mandell on bass, and Mike Cook on drums. Hungry Hands, the group’s second full-length effort, appeared independently during that year.