Ontario, Canada’s HANDHELD release “new” single called “Once Again” to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary. The song was initially released as “ONCE” on their debut album “HOMEBREW” in 1998.

“Short, to-the-point, poppy skate punk which “has been refined to the purest form of the genre.”- Exclaim!

“Undeniably excellent”- Powered By Rock

For Fans Of: Face To Face, Bad Religion, NOFX, Rise Against, and Millencolin

Ontario Canada skatepunks Handheld are releasing a new single today called “Once Again” to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary. The song was initially released as ONCE on their debut album “HOMEBREW” in 1998.

Here’s what Andy Dietrich of Handheld has to say:

In 1998 a few guys in high school started a punk rock band. One of the first songs they ever recorded was called “Once”, which became the first song off their debut record. It was a snapshot of youthful dreams and aspirations. Fast forward to the present day, and Handheld has revisited that iconic track with a retrospective twist that tugs at the heartstrings. The passage of time has added layers of depth and emotion, turning what was once a hopeful anthem into a poignant journey through the years. Or something like that…

Stream on DSPs: https://bfan.link/HH-once-again

We know today

It’s hard to make it

Nobody knows this like me

Like we really cared

Why can’t they all see what’s important?

Popularity was never in our minds

We just wanted to share

Back in the day we took a chance

We took the stage and we were okay

We didn’t care, we just wanted to play

Sometimes we sucked and we made some mistakes

Maybe they’ll like us, maybe they won’t

But do you think I care? I don’t

Somebody out there has got to see

What this music means to me

There was no record deal

Just some kids being real

The best nights were spent at the old band hall

(Upstairs on Queen)

Basement shows, sleeping on floors

Empty dive bars were the norm

There was always something new

Like the london alleyway brawl

Then the next trend came into play

And we were out like the ones before us

We kept on going, it’s what we did best

We kept on playing with no regret

Maybe they’ll like us, maybe they won’t

But do you think I care? I don’t

Didn’t know at the time, but now I can see

What the music meant to me

God Damn we’re proud

More like back, than still around

After all this time we’re still having fun

Some might think that we are wrong

that we’re still bother to caring on

At this point we’ll just go until we’re dead

We still don’t have to prove anything

We still only play what we want

We still don’t answer to nobody (except wives)

We only have what we got

Maybe they’ll like us, maybe they won’t

Do you think we cared? Hell no!

20 years later, I hope you can see

What this music means… the first song

we recorded was once

Once again we record once again

But this time the song takes a long look back

The first version looked forward as kids

And after all the time, and a long break,

the meaning behind the song still remains

The question asked what the music meant, can be answered now simple and plain

It means friends, and good times

Even though we are a bit past our prime

It’s means retelling the stories time and again

It means the inside jokes only we only we understand

The impact we left in the grand scheme was small

And we wouldn’t change a single thing at all

Cause right from the start we made the music

And the music made us who we are

Liner Notes:

Recorded by: Pat Dietrich

Mixed by: Pat Dietrich

Produced by: Pat Dietrich

Mastered by: John Harcus

Artwork by: Pat Dietrich

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