--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The reason Strapping Young Lad was such a…" description: "\"The reason Strapping Young Lad was such a good band was we were honest about what we were doing.\" — Devin Townsend" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/devin-townsend-4830_band_the-reason-strapping-young-lad-was-such_1650748.jpg" --- # The reason Strapping Young Lad was such a good band was we… ![“The reason Strapping Young Lad was such a good band was we were honest about what we were doing.” quote by Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/devin-townsend-4830_band_the-reason-strapping-young-lad-was-such_1650748.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/devin-townsend-4830_band_the-reason-strapping-young-lad-was-such_1650748.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/devin-townsend-4830_band_the-reason-strapping-young-lad-was-such_1650748.jpg) > “The reason Strapping Young Lad was such a good band was we were honest about what we were doing.” [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Honesty about artistic intent creates authenticity and connects with listeners. **In simple terms:** Honesty makes a band great. Key Takeaway Be truthful about your creative work. Themes authenticity music creativity integrity Mood reflective passionate Type musical philosophical When to use this quote - songwriting - live performance - fan engagement - marketing strategy Key Concepts artistic expression band dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What does honesty mean in your creative process? - How does transparency affect audience trust? A Different Perspective Fans may not always appreciate raw honesty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [What made Strapping Young Lad important, at least to me, was I was being honest about whatever was important to me at that time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/what-made-strapping-young-lad-important-at-least-to-me-was-i-was/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [Strapping Young Lad is a vehicle for me to be wild and extroverted and ridiculous. It gives me the chance to say, 'Look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/strapping-young-lad-is-a-vehicle-for-me-to-be-wild-and-extroverted/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [I think that, as well as Strapping Young Lad kind of having the name for themselves based on brutality and aggression, I think there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/i-think-that-as-well-as-strapping-young-lad-kind-of-having-the-name/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [I love Strapping Young Lad. I'm incredibly proud of that band; I'm incredibly proud of everything we did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/i-love-strapping-young-lad-i-m-incredibly-proud-of-that-band-i-m/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [Strapping Young Lad is a representation of me, just as much as 'Ki,' 'Ghost,' 'Ziltoid' or 'Infinity.' There's no difference; it was just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/strapping-young-lad-is-a-representation-of-me-just-as-much-as-ki/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [I have a really good band, and just returned from a short tour in California. It hasn't always gone that well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-taylor/i-have-a-really-good-band-and-just-returned-from-a-short-tour-in/) [Mick Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-taylor/) > [I've heard some people say that I'm selling out, but I'm not. If I hadn't done 'Black Radio', and just kept on doing just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-glasper/i-ve-heard-some-people-say-that-i-m-selling-out-but-i-m-not-if-i-hadn/) [Robert Glasper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-glasper/) > [I like to start my day off every morning, take the first half hour and just search my own heart, see if I'm on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-like-to-start-my-day-off-every-morning-take-the-first-half-hour-and/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [This is what I believe about performing: There is no reason to be on stage - there is no reason to be there -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moschen/this-is-what-i-believe-about-performing-there-is-no-reason-to-be-on/) [Michael Moschen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moschen/) > [I just try to stay honest with myself and in doing that I feel like the songs are going to resonate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-smith/i-just-try-to-stay-honest-with-myself-and-in-doing-that-i-feel-like/) [Corey Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-smith/) > [Real intimacy is only possible to the degree that we can be honest about what we are doing and feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-brothers/real-intimacy-is-only-possible-to-the-degree-that-we-can-be-honest/) [Joyce Brothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-brothers/) > [Not compromising the music, but there is a way, by just showing the people that you're sincere and honest with what you're doing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-mangione/not-compromising-the-music-but-there-is-a-way-by-just-showing-the/) [Chuck Mangione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-mangione/) > [I learned years ago that the more honest you are about anything you're doing in life, you can grow and learn from your mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poo-bear/i-learned-years-ago-that-the-more-honest-you-are-about-anything-you/) [Poo Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poo-bear/) > [Whatever I say is so honest when I'm doing interviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-5/whatever-i-say-is-so-honest-when-i-m-doing-interviews/) [John 5](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-5/) > [When I was going to high school, in the high school band we would play these kind of hour-long concerts for our parents. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/when-i-was-going-to-high-school-in-the-high-school-band-we-would-play/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) ## More by Devin Townsend > [I really like female singers; I've got zero interest in working with male singers. Any male voice I need to do, I can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/i-really-like-female-singers-i-ve-got-zero-interest-in-working-with/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [It's like... to make a good record - I don't care who you are - it takes a long time and a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/it-s-like-to-make-a-good-record-i-don-t-care-who-you-are-it-takes-a/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [I like Canada for a number of reasons, politics and people and all that stuff aside. I was raised there, and I write music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/i-like-canada-for-a-number-of-reasons-politics-and-people-and-all/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [I guess I'm not really into female vocals that sound masculine, I guess. A lot of times, the heavy female vocalists always end up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/i-guess-i-m-not-really-into-female-vocals-that-sound-masculine-i/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [For me, music is about expressing the inexpressible, and as I get older, man, what I feel the need to express becomes less and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/for-me-music-is-about-expressing-the-inexpressible-and-as-i-get-older/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [I'm not a big fan of options, to be honest. The more options that I have, the less time that I spend actually completing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/i-m-not-a-big-fan-of-options-to-be-honest-the-more-options-that-i/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [I'm good at what I do but, to be honest, not a whole hell of a lot else!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/i-m-good-at-what-i-do-but-to-be-honest-not-a-whole-hell-of-a-lot-else/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [After Strapping, the amount of things in my life had changed were more than I'd ever had to process in any one time, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/after-strapping-the-amount-of-things-in-my-life-had-changed-were-more/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [In Strapping, I had experimented with a creative catharsis under the assumption that art doesn't need to be accountable for itself, but I found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/in-strapping-i-had-experimented-with-a-creative-catharsis-under-the/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [When I was going to high school, in the high school band we would play these kind of hour-long concerts for our parents. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/when-i-was-going-to-high-school-in-the-high-school-band-we-would-play/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [I think when music, specifically heavy music, the motivation for it is other than truly feeling it, that's when it becomes really difficult for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/i-think-when-music-specifically-heavy-music-the-motivation-for-it-is/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [Strapping Young Lad is a vehicle for me to be wild and extroverted and ridiculous. It gives me the chance to say, 'Look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/strapping-young-lad-is-a-vehicle-for-me-to-be-wild-and-extroverted/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [Sometimes I'll be writing something, and I say to myself, 'Okay, that's definitely DTB,' or, 'It's definitely Strapping.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/sometimes-i-ll-be-writing-something-and-i-say-to-myself-okay-that-s/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [I really like the art of music, the way that you can express yourself through music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/i-really-like-the-art-of-music-the-way-that-you-can-express-yourself/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) > [I'm very creative - making music, making puppets, that's my thing - but mainstream success and the demands that brings? No, not really for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/i-m-very-creative-making-music-making-puppets-that-s-my-thing-but/) [Devin Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) [Explore all 106 Devin Townsend quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. And we were always trying to get ahead, trying to rehearse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aerosmith/i-d-been-playing-in-bands-for-something-like-seven-years-at-this/) [Aerosmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aerosmith/) > [Metallica's the only band i've ever been in. I'm not sure that when it ends in five, ten years, I'm going to put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lars-ulrich/metallica-s-the-only-band-i-ve-ever-been-in-i-m-not-sure-that-when-it/) [Lars Ulrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lars-ulrich/) Browse all 6,497 Band quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The reason Strapping Young Lad was such a good band was we were honest about what we were doing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Devin Townsend" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/the-reason-strapping-young-lad-was-such-a-good-band-was-we-were/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Band" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/the-reason-strapping-young-lad-was-such-a-good-band-was-we-were/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/devin-townsend-4830_band_the-reason-strapping-young-lad-was-such_1650748.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/devin-townsend-4830_band_the-reason-strapping-young-lad-was-such_1650748.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/devin-townsend-4830_band_the-reason-strapping-young-lad-was-such_1650748.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The reason Strapping Young Lad was such a good band was we were honest about what we were doing.” — Devin Townsend", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Devin Townsend", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devin-townsend/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The reason Strapping Young Lad was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/the-reason-strapping-young-lad-was-such-a-good-band-was-we-were/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-townsend/the-reason-strapping-young-lad-was-such-a-good-band-was-we-were/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```