Combined with the vocal talents from Emarosa (then also known as Corsets are Cages), and instrumental energies of Soft Spoken, and A Scent of Wolves, members Chris Roberts, Chris Wethington, Cody Frain, and Garrett Harper are bringing back the perfect blend of nostalgic progressive metalcore that is bound to make a few heads turn this year in new band The Difference Between with new introspective and dark single, "Cold Comfort" via Theoria Records.
Sometimes the best of memories can span from touring with other bands. They can last a lifetime. But sometimes, those memories can foster or even entertain a new idea. Ever since respective bands A Scent of Wolves and Softspoken toured together back in 2017, drummer Cody Frain and guitarist Chris Wethington always entertained the idea of creating a new project together. Little did they know that years later, this project would then be birthed into reality.
“Metaphorically speaking, Everyone is “haunted” by someone or something. That “ghost or spirit” can be a longing for someone, or maybe a situation that has not yet fully been resolved. It can also be a vice that is constantly haunting our minds such as alcohol. The only way to come to terms with the “haunting” is to face whatever “spirit or ghost” it may be head-on and get things resolved. ”
Four years later, after touring across the world, millions of streams, and releasing Billboard-charting albums separately, their talents would come together to produce some of the most euphonious progressive metalcore grooves to come to the genre currently, The Difference Between. With beautiful multi-faceted vocal control held up by former post-hardcore band Emarosa (Also then known as Corsets are Cages) vocalist Chris Roberts and Softspoken's bassist Garret Harper, their poignant new single "Cold Comfort" is delivering something nostalgic, introspective, but gorgeously hued and dissonant at the same time. The first single this sparkling new metalcore band has released thus far since their previous singles Detach: Envenom, "Cold Comfort" is part of an LP, set to release in early 2022.
The Difference Between proves that you can start over, even if you had all the fame and numbers before. Sometimes what is needed is to enjoy the process of making music again, and if you accumulate that fame and following again, then that's great too. Part of any artform is enjoying the process to reach the end result, and it seems that these guys have found that true passion once again.
What started The Difference Between? I know all of you came from quite famous backgrounds band-wise within the scene. What was going on at the time you guys wanted to make this transition into the band you are in now?
Cody Frain (Drums): Haha..famous. I definitely wish, but I appreciate that! But yeah… so it’s interesting how this all came together. I have known Chris Wethington (Guitar) since 2016, and then our bands A Scent Like Wolves, and Softspoken did a tour together in 2017. That tour was an absolute blast, and we became great friends. Chris and I are also pretty involved in the music industry and had various business endeavors together. During the shutdown last year, we both were looking for another creative outlet, so he and I started writing some music back and forth. It starts by me structuring a whole skeleton of a song on the drums, and then I send it over for him to jam to.
He then fills in the blanks on guitar and brings my skeletons to life. It is a pretty backward way to write a song, but it works out really well for Chris and I. After we had a couple of songs demoed out, and decided that this was something we wanted to pursue more, we next needed to find a vocalist. Chris’s immediate first choice was Chris Roberts, and I totally see why after working with him. Chris W. First met Roberts while playing shows in KY. Roberts was playing in the band Corsets are Cages (now known as Emarosa), and Chris W. was playing in a band called Thwomp in the House of Boo.
Chris Wethington sent him a couple of demos, and for whatever reason, Roberts was all about getting back into the music scene and working with us. We then asked Garret Harper to play bass to round off and solidify the lineup. Garret is an awesome musician and overall dude, and he also worked with Chris W. In both Thwomp and Softspoken. It was a no-brainer to add him to the lineup.
The Difference Between feels like a new start for most of you guys to make something different. It's exciting. Coming back four years later, racking up millions of streams, and making chart-topping albums respectfully within your separate bands, do you guys ever feel that pressure to do that here? Or does that not bother you?
Cody Frain (Drums): This project is actually insanely refreshing for all of us. It is essentially a completely fresh start, and it is incredible going into something brand new knowing everything that we do now. We have all learned so much over the years from the trial and error of our other projects. It is great to apply some of those learning experiences to something so fresh. It is also an artistic escape for all of us since it is so new. We simply just write what we all want to play, and it's all a very freeing experience. It is a lot less pressure, in my opinion. We aren’t trying to prove anything to anyone. It is just a complete passion project that has really grown into something that we all consider to be really special.
What are your musical interest? Because you do come from different bands with different degrees of sounds between all of you. How did they find their way into your new single "Cold Comfort?" There are these progressive metalcore flavors intertwined with these beautiful melodies that make this feel very nostalgic for the metalcore genre.
Cody Frain (Drums): That's actually exactly what we were going for! Honestly, we are all super into some good ol’ nostalgic post-hardcore, Emo, and Metalcore. Bands like As Cities Burn, Underoath, Poison the Well, Glassjaw, Misery Signals, Oceana, Of Machines, Lydia, Thursday, Thrice, Taking Back Sunday, Minus the Bear, and Lower Definition. All of these bands were huge influences on us growing up. It has been really fun for us to revisit some of the “old school” post-hardcore elements that we all love so much.
I want to dive into the lyrical content of "Cold Comfort." It's a strong, provocative, yet poetic track that dives into this female ghost or entity within this person's dreams that preys on this said person's mind or control of their will. I think at times we are often seduced by things that are often beautiful, but when you peek under the surface, they can be ugly and twisted, like this ghost or demon, yet we still hold on to them. Where did this idea come from to write such a piece? Where were you guys at in life when this piece came to fruition?
Chris Roberts(Vocals): The literal explanation subconsciously is that I just missed my ex. It is something I have lied to myself about. The feelings and emotions that I choked down for years to avoid revisiting that pain manifested into a reoccurring nightmare. The spirit in these dreams resembled her. I found peace and solace in the spirit’s presence even though it hurt to think about anything that resembled my ex, or what I thought was her. She haunts me, sometimes even attacks me, but I don't mind? There's a comfort in being close to her, whatever /whoever she is. If that makes sense.
I believe that finally admitting to myself that it's okay to miss someone and that it's okay to be alone and feel vulnerable, led to the dreams stopping. Because I haven't seen her since
Another way to look at the meaning behind “Cold Comfort" is that there’s this overwhelming feeling of dread that sits on my chest. Fear of the future, and regret from my past. I drink so I don't sit there and dwell on it, but it's still always there creeping up my back. When I try not to drink, there is this constant itch that haunts me. I try to hide from it by sleeping which results in the nightmares I mentioned above. Doing this cycle over and over again made sleeping and being awake feel the same. I dreaded both. When I say "she" I mean my vices. But also "she" is regret.
How was this recording process different from anything you have done in the past with other projects within other bands?
Cody Frain (Drums): The recording process for The Difference Between is very laid back compared to what we are all used to in our other projects. I think that is a huge component that makes this project so much fun for all of us. We recorded all of this music with a very good friend of ours, Cole Clark, at Sightglass Sound, which really led to a great experience. He is an absolutely awesome guy, and we did two different week-long sessions with him.
I actually live in PA which is about ten hours away from the rest of the guys in KY, so it was great to just hang out with everyone face to face instead of always talking in chats and phone calls. We are used to just sending ideas back and forth in a band chat, so it was nice to jam together. We are all also used to very strict scheduling/financial timelines in our other bands which can sometimes lead to a rushed feeling that takes a lot of the fun out of the recording process.
What have you taken from this release personally that you want listeners to take from this new single? Does this feel different compared to anything you have done on your previous work? In what ways?
Cody Frain (Drums): Metaphorically speaking, Everyone is “haunted” by someone or something. That “ghost or spirit” can be a longing for someone, or maybe a situation that has not yet fully been resolved. It can also be a vice that is constantly haunting our minds such as alcohol. The only way to come to terms with the “haunting” is to face whatever “spirit or ghost” it may be head-on and get things resolved.
Instrumentally, I think that "Cold Comfort" is a great follow-up to our previous two singles Detach and Envenom. All of the songs have an eerie kind of vibe to them, but they all showcase different themes. "Cold Comfort" is probably the heaviest and most progressive out of the bunch so far.
What is next for you guys this year?
Cody Frain (Drums): We have a new single called "Be Treated: Be Cured," which is actually a follow-up to "Cold Comfort." This will be coming out on November 19th. Then we just plan on spending the rest of the year writing new music and practicing. We plan on coming out really strong in early 2022 with new singles, a full LP, and some touring.
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