Title Fight
Title Fight was an American rock band from Kingston, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. Beginning their career playing pop-punk, the band consisted of twelve year old twin brothers Ned and Ben Russin, as well as Jamie Rhoden. In 2005, the band began to gain local attention, coicinding with the addition of Shane Moran, and the opening of their short-lived squat venue the Future. During this time, the band released five demos and a split EP, which culminated in the 2008 EP Kingston, which was a stylistic shift to emo-melodic hardcore.
In 2009, they signed to Run for Cover Records, who release their EP The Last Thing You Forget, which helped to establish the fourth-wave of emo. In 2011, they released their debut album Shed, which coincided withe founding of their all-ages venue the Redwood Art Space. For their second album, Floral Green, they embraced the influence of alternative rock, which was a pioneering release for soft grunge music. On their final album, Hyperview, they leaned further into their alternative rock influences, creating a sound more similar to shoegaze.
Title Fight's activity began to slow in 2016, playing only a small number of shows in 2017. They played their final show January 26, 2018, soon entering an indefinite hiatus.
History
Early years (2003–2006)
Twin brothers Ned and Ben Russin were introduced to punk rock around 1997 through their older brother Alex Russin who played guitar in tough guy hardcore band Cold World, who had gifted them records by Blink-182 and Pennywise and taking them to some shows. When Alex had moved away to college, the twins were twelve years old, and began searching deeper into his record collection, introducing schoolmates to it and beginning to learn instruments, intent on forming a band.Title Fight formed in 2003 as a three-piece band consisting of Jamie Rhoden on guitar and vocals, Ned Russin on bass, and Ben Russin on drums, playing local shows in Kingston and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Ned Russin has stated his older brother, Alex Russin, was a major influence in the band's formation. The band's name came from the cover of an old HBO Showtime guide that Ned had read in the attic when he was younger. Many of Title Fight's earliest shows were due to Alex's connections. Their first was opening for Alex's band Frost Bite at their final show, alongside Blacklisted, Drug Test and Scraps and Heartattacks. Another early show, they joined last minute after emailing influential promoter Bobb Mac, who accepted because of their connection to Alex, under the stipulation that they cover Gorilla Biscuits. Their debut demo Down for the Count was released in 2003.
Just prior the band's formation, the Wilkes-Barre hardcore scene had included a variety of sounds including emo, metalcore and screamo. However, by the time Title Fight's formation the scene's music had narrowed largely to tough guy hardcore. Title Fight sought to continue the scene more diverse history. Around 2004, many members of the established Wilkes-Barre hardcore scene moved away, with that year holding the final Positive Numbers festival, an instituion of the scene. Title Fight were one of only a small number of bands remaining, this led the band to begin encouraging their schoolmates to form bands and attend shows. In Summer of 2005, they opened their own venue The Future, it was at this time that Title Fight began to gain attention locally, and added Shane Moran on second guitar. They recorded two demos that year.
''Kingston'', ''The Last Thing You Forget'' and ''Shed'' (2007–2011)
They released a split with the Erection Kids in 2007 on FlightPlan Records. The band quickly followed up their first release with the Kingston 7" in February 2008. Around this time they locally played shows in a scene that Ned Russin called a "small, tight-knit community" around Kingston, featuring Scranton band Tigers Jaw, and nearby Doylestown bands Balance and Composure and Daylight. Title Fight played with Fireworks on their tour with Set Your Goals in the summer of 2007, ultimately leading to their discovery by Jeff Casazza, the owner of Run for Cover Records; on October 16, 2008, it was announced that the band had signed to the record label. The band release a 7", The Last Thing You Forget, in December 2008 at the Getaway Group in Massachusetts with Jay Maas. It was released in June 2009 on Run for Cover Records and featured three new songs, while the CD version of the release featured all their releases to date. The artwork for the album was done by John Slaby, a friend from Wilkes-Barre. Following its release, the members dropped out of school in order to tour full time. Later in June, the band went on tour with Crime in Stereo and Fireworks, followed by a US tour with New Found Glory. In 2010, Title Fight was featured on the Triple B Records compilation America's Hardcore with a song titled "Dreamcatchers". They also toured the US with Bayside, Senses Fail, and Balance and Composure, as well as Japan with H2O.On January 19, 2011, Title Fight signed to SideOneDummy Records and announced they had finished recording their debut full-length album, Shed, which was produced by Walter Schreifels and engineered by Will Yip at Studio 4 in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. The band also embarked on their first headline tour in 2011 with the Menzingers, Touché Amoré, Dead End Path, and Shook Ones. Shed was released on May 3, 2011. In addition to the Shed album artwork, the album's lead single, "27", was released as a free download on February 10. On February 23, SideOneDummy Records opened preorders for a new 7" titled "Flood of '72", the album's second single; it was released on April 12 and included an acoustic version of the song.
In July 2011, the band went on a tour of the UK and Europe. The band also played both dates of the 2011 Reading and Leeds Festival. In October and November, the band supported Four Year Strong on the AP Fall Tour. In February 2012, the band went on a tour of Japan, titled Alliance Trax A.T. Tour, alongside Foundation, Country Yard and Inside. In April and May, the group supported Rise Against on their US tour. In between dates on this tour, the band performed a number of headlining shows. Title Fight toured Australia for the first time in September alongside Touché Amoré.
''Floral Green'' and ''Spring Songs'' (2012–2014)
Title Fight announced via Tumblr in July 2012 that their next album, Floral Green, would come out on September 18, and its lead single "Head in the Ceiling Fan", was released as a free download. On August 14, the band premiered another song, "Sympathy", on NPR Music's All Songs Considered program. On September 13, 2012, SPIN premiered a full stream of the record on their website. Floral Green debuted at #69 on the Billboard 200.In August, the band performed at This Is Hardcore festival. In September and October, the band went on a European tour with La Dispute and Make Do and Mend. On October 19, 2012, Title Fight hosted a record release show in Warrior Run, Pennsylvania, along with the Menzingers, Tigers Jaw, Gypsy, and Grey Zine. They then headlined a US tour with supporting acts Tigers Jaw, Pianos Become the Teeth, Whirr, Young Beats, and Single Mothers. In March 2013, the band went on a tour of Australia with support from Luca Brasi. In April and May, the group went on tour of Europe and the UK with support from Dead End Path and Whirr. In August, the group appeared at FYF Fest. In September and October, the band went on a headlining US tour with support from Balance And Composure, Cruel Hand and Slingshot Dakota. In November, the band performed at the July 2013 Fun Fun Fun Fest.
Title Fight released the four-song EP Spring Songs on November 12, 2013, through Revelation Records, with its second track, "Be a Toy", premiering on August 12 via SPIN. The music video for the track—directed by Suzy Cereijo and filmed on a Super 8 during the band's 2013 Spring European Tour—was released on November 20, 2013.
''Hyperview'' and disbandment (2014–2018)
In July 2014, the band announced on their Instagram account that they had signed to ANTI- and were in the process of recording a new album with producer Will Yip. On December 1, the band announced that their new album would be called Hyperview and was set to be released on February 3, 2015; a music video for the album's lead single, "Chlorine", was released via The Fader the same day. The band held a record release show at Gallery of Sound in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. In mid March, the band toured the U.S. with support from Merchandise and Power Trip. In late March and early April, the band toured alongside La Dispute with support from the Hotelier. In May, the band toured across Europe with support from Milk Teeth, Cold World and Drug Church. The band went on a tour of the U.S. in October and November.Title Fight stopped touring by 2016, only playing a few select shows that year and 2017. While headlining Outbreak Festival in the UK on April 29, 2017 – in what would end up being the band's second-to-last show before going inactive – vocalist Ned Russin said, "If this is it, it’s been a wild and beautiful ride. Thank you so much. We’re Title Fight. See you on the other side." The band's final show was a benefit concert for their friend Aaron Warman, held on January 26, 2018 at the Revolution Bar & Music Hall in Amityville, New York, with Turnstile opening.
Hiatus (2018–present)
During the hiatus, Title Fight's social media accounts occasionally post updates with information regarding merchandise and the members' other projects. In September 2023, the band announced that some members started a record label, Purple Circle, to re-press Kingston. Ned Russin also said about Title Fight's inactivity, "we've never said 'hiatus,' we've never said 'broken up,'... 'the big breakup' is just something I do not care to be a part of, but it’s also something that doesn’t really exist anymore. There is a chance that any band will play again, no matter what."In 2017, Ned Russin started a solo project called Glitterer, which later expanded into a full band in 2023. Ben Russin took over as the drummer for Citizen in 2023.