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Outspoken was formed in 1990 when longtime friends John Coyle and Mike Hartsfield started writing songs together John had just finished with his band Stand Alone and Mike was done with Against the Wall. They enlisted drummer Dennis Remsing and Dan Adair to play bass, with Hartsfield handling guitar duties and Coyle covering the vocals. The band quickly recorded the Survival 7" and then followed that up with the A Light In the Dark full length 12" and CD, both of which came out on the combined labels New Age and Conversion Records.

"In those days the scene was different, not better, just different," says Coyle. "There werent as many labels or bands doing what we were doing or saying the things we were saying. You could reach more people it seemed because the idea of putting out your own music seemed like something only a people knew how to do".

Outspoken instantly found comraderie with bands such as Inside Out, Insted, Judge and Chain of Strength. The band continued writing songs with Dan Adair leaving the band, and Jae Hansel (Mean Season taking over for him on bass. Wanting to increase the power of their sound, they also added Travis Guichard (also from Mean Season). Shortly after that Outspoken went into For the Record Studios in Orange, CA. to record the CD that for many, would come to define the mid-90s hardcore sound.

It was called The Current...

"As far as bass playing I really think I was reaching a level where I could create anything I wanted. Though I was dealing with a lot in my personal life, recording that record was a great time for me." Says Jae Hansel.

With the release of "The Current" on New Age/Conversion it became clear that Outspoken was one of the biggest bands in hardcore. Playing to 600 person venues in their hometown, the band created a stir when they toured. The band ventured to the East Coast 3 times and did the West Coast twice. Sadly, due to the demands and responsibilities that creep up as we get older, Outspoken was never able to tour as much as they would have liked.

The band decided to call it quits in 1994, playing a sold out show with a bunch of up and coming hardcore bands at the Ice House in Fullerton.

"For a lot of bands, especially ones that would come later, I am sure playing a last show would mean packing it with big bands and going out in a blaze of glory." Hartsfield laughs. "When I set up that show my goal was to pick bands that hopefully would lead the way for So Cal. Hardcore".

In 1998, Outspoken got together to play a show with Unbroken to honor their former guitar player, Eric Allen. 1400 kids packed the San Bernardino Arena and truly showed their spirit. This seemed like a one shot deal but the band has continued to play here and there in the 21st century. The second reunion came in '03 again in So Cal. at the "Sink With Cali Fest", another in September '05 at the "Coming of Age" fest then again in October '05 when they played in Conneticut with Bold and Up Front. Though reunion shows could be seen as delcasse in the hardcore scene, for Outspoken its more about four friends getting on stage to share in the same feelings and passion that brought them together in the first place. "We'd never get back together for any amount of money, it's not they way we are, if we feel like doing it, we do it". Hartsfield says. "If it wasn't for getting together every so often, we'd never see each other".

Recently, Indecision Records put out a complete discography of Outspoken recordings titled Spotlight with never before heard songs and a complete remix of the "A Light In the Dark" record.

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