108 seem to have resolved the internal conflicts that hindered the band in 2010, and have booked a pair of East Coast shows in January. Dates are below:
Jan 08 New York, NY @ The Cake Shop w/ Ensign, Incendiary
Jan 09 Philadelphia, PA @ The Barbary w/ Damnation AD, Vision & more
108 guitarist Vic DiCara has released an in-depth statement in regards to the recent departure of frontman Robert Fish, as well as the future of the band. DiCara comments:
“Robert Fish first joined 108 midway through the recording of our first record, Holyname. He came into the studio and contributed vocals to many of the songs. Soon after, he felt 108 wasn’t right for him and dropped out of the band.”
“In the meantime we played a few shows, and I wrote a bunch of songs which would eventually make it to Songs of Separation. Then we disbanded as I wanted to run away from everything and become a hermit in India. A few months later, I decided to restart 108 and Robert contacted me saying he also changed his mind and did in fact want to sing for the band. He has been with us ever since.”
Though 108 frontman Robert Fish announced his departure from the band last week, the group apparently has not broken up. The band commented:
“108 HAS NOT BROKEN UP. Rasaraja has left the band, but 108 will continue in full force with a new direction and focus. We will be writing, recording and playing shows this year to support 18.61 and create new music.”
108 have officially called it quits. Frontman Robert Fish comments:
“Aside from the practical side of being in a band with members spread throughout different continents I have found myself struggling to find my place within 108 due to the personal evolution I have gone through. I still find myself, at my core, aligned to the spirit of 108 but I am no longer comfortable with what 108 represents to most people and how that aligns to who I am. Over the years I have tried my best to disregard that aspect of being in 108 but I am tired of answering the questions about it and, more importantly, wrestling with how I address it personally without misrepresenting the rest of the band. We are a band with meaning but not a band defined by a meaning. What does that mean exactly?”
“Throw out what you think 108’s purpose is/was because there was no specific purpose other than to explore who we are and how we relate to the world around us. That was it; plain and simple. In the beginning we all held a common interest in Gaudiya Vaisnavism (i.e. Hare Krsna) but even then it wasn’t about being a Hare Krishna rather it was about the personal journey to navigate through all we experience as individuals in a world we can barely understand. People never got that which is understandable as sometimes I think it became blurry to us. When we got back together in 2006 we wanted to focus on who we are today and start redefining how people understood 108. In my eyes it never really happened and it has been a constant source of frustration for me. Here is what I know:”
108 will release their new record, “18.61”, on April 13 through Deathwish Inc.