The Used Announce New Album ‘Heartwork'

The American rock band’s bassist Jeph Howard talks about making epic-scale records and the ‘emo’ categorization

- ANURAG TAGAT

IN THE EARLY AND MID-2000s, emo and screamo remained top of the lexicon thanks to bands like The Used. More than a decade on, bassist Jeph Howard says the Utah-origin based band never really associated with the ‘emo’ term and won’t be ones to ride on any nostalgia value attached to the subculture even now as they prep for their upcoming album Heartwork.

Howard says over email from Sacramento, part of their ongoing U.S. tour. “We’ve never considered ourselves an emo band, what is emo anyway? Emotional? Isn’t all music and art emotion-based? But I totally understand that people love to attach labels to things in order to classify it. I always just say we are a rock band.”

Currently comprising Howard, vocalist Bert McCracken, drummer Dan Whitesides and guitarist Joey Bradford, The Used are now spread out “all over the world.” McCracken lives in Australia, while Whitesides resides in California while Bradford lives nearby in San Diego. Howard adds, “Our gear lives in Los Angeles, we meet up there to practice, record, write. Plus, the internet makes everything easy to do. We can still send music ideas to each other and plan out tours no matter where we live.”