DS Record Radar: This Week in Punk Vinyl (Box Car Racer, Face to Face “Over It” EP reissue, Teenage Bottlerocket & more)

Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. It was another very busy week and we once again have a […]

Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. It was another very busy week and we once again have a shitload of records to cover. So kick off your shoes, pull up a chair, crack open a cold one, and break out those wallets, because it’s go time. Let’s get into it!

Quick editor’s note: I’ll also be doing video versions of the Record Radar going forward! Pretty cool, right? Here’s this week’s episode, presented by our friends at Punk Rock Radar:

First up to bat this week is this repressing of short-lived Blink 182 side project Box Car Racer’s 2002 self-titled LP. This one’s back in print on 180 gram “white/ultra clear cornetto” colored vinyl, not sure how many copies (probably a lot). It’s $40! Get it here, and pro gamer tip: don’t waste your time signing up for the mailing list for the 10% discount code because it doesn’t apply to this record.

Teenage Bottlerocket announced a new 7″ called So Dumb / So Stoked. It features four previously unreleased tracks from the recording sessions for their last album Stay Rad!. Pirates Press Records will be launching pre-orders for their store variant on April 14th, and the band will have a tour variant at their west coast shows (dates here). We’ll circle back on this one when more details are revealed.

Italian pop-punk veterans The Manges are reissuing their All is Well LP for the first time since its original release in 2014. Limited to 500 copies on yellow wax with a subtle matching color accent added to the cover art. Grab your copy here (fellow Americans, if you’re deterred by the shipping cost, stay tuned for details on US distro).

While you’re grabbing that Manges record from Striped Music, consider picking up this reissue of fellow Italian punk band Crummy Stuff’s 1997 album Never Trust a Punk. This is its first time on vinyl, ever! Get it here.

Direct Hit! and Decent Criminal are releasing a split 7″ on Dirtnap Records. It features a new track from Direct Hit! called “Wasteland”, supposedly from their to-be-announced next album, and two songs from Decent Criminal. Listen to the new Direct Hit! song below. This is due out April 28th. US pre-order here, EU pre-order here.

How ’bout another split?! Days N’ Daze‘s 10″ split with Night Gaunts is getting reissued as an LP with some new bonus tracks thrown in. There are two color variants: clear pink (1,000 copies) and purple w/ pink swirl (100 copies). Get it here (US) or here (EU).

The Expendables are reissuing their 2004 album Gettin’ Filthy in honor of its *checks notes* 20th anniversary? Hold on a second… 2023 – 2004 = 20? False alarm, folks! The math checks out. Buy it here.

Face to Face‘s Over It EP is getting its first new pressing in almost 30 years. The 10″ EP has been remastered and comes in “deluxe packaging” (very fancy!). There will be 1,000 copies spread across three very interestingly named color variants:

333 orange crush/piss yellow half and half
333 blood red/canary yellow splatter
333 halloween orange/brown color in color

And I know that does not add up to 1,000 but being a math stickler is getting exhausting so F2F wins this time. The release date is listed as June 15th, but I’m not sure when pre-orders go live. Keep an eye on this product page.

One final note before we wrap up this week’s column: I know you’re probably tired of hearing about the AFI Sing the Sorrow 20th anniversary reissue, but I have some good news to share with our friends in the Great White North: it’s now available to pre-order from a Canadian distributor! Hit up Le Noise and save on shipping.

Well, that’s all, folks. Another Record Radar in the books. As always, thank you for tuning in. If there’s anything we missed (highly likely), or if you want to let everyone know about a new/upcoming vinyl release you’re excited about, leave us a comment below, or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram, and we’ll look into it. Enjoy your weekend, and don’t blow too much money on spinny discs (or do, I’m not your father). See ya next week!

Wanna catch up on all of our Record Radar posts? Click here and you’ll be taken to a page with all the past entries in the column. Magic!

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DS Photo Gallery: Joshua Ray Walker and Vandoliers at The Middle East in Cambridge, MA (3/8/23)

Remember a bunch of years ago when Joe Strummer (RIP) was asked his thoughts about what constituted “punk” and his answer was along the lines of “punk isn’t about the boots or the hair dye” and instead it’s about having exemplary manners to your fellow humans and especially about not being an asshole? Because I […]

Remember a bunch of years ago when Joe Strummer (RIP) was asked his thoughts about what constituted “punk” and his answer was along the lines of “punk isn’t about the boots or the hair dye” and instead it’s about having exemplary manners to your fellow humans and especially about not being an asshole? Because I do, and because if you ask me – and I’m operating on the assumption that you did because you’re reading Dying Scene – some of the most “punk rock” music that’s being created in American music nowadays doesn’t come from bands that are on “punk” labels or play music that involves Les Pauls and Marshall stacks or mohawks or skateboards or two-tone wingtips or come from places like southern California or the streets of Boston. Instead, some of the most important and progressive and culturally-inclusive and, in that sense, most “punk rock” music being created comes from places like Tennessee and Texas and the Carolinas and the Deep South and comes from music we’d traditionally call “Americana” or “outlaw country.” There is something inherently “punk rock” about sticking up for the poor or the marginalized or the different or the outcasts when you live in a place that those of us in our safe, suburban coastal elite homes might otherwise look down upon for the Redness of their political views.

And so it was that a tour featuring a pair of acts that have been featured at places like the Grand Ol’ Opry and the Ryman Auditorium and the State Fair of Texas and onThe Tonight Show w/Jimmy Fallon became, in my mind, one of the most eagerly-anticipated “punk rock” tours of the early stages of the year that is 2023. I’m talking, of course, about the recent Joshua Ray Walker/Vandoliers tour that found itself upstairs at the iconic Middle East in Cambridge, Massachusetts, last week. It was the first time that either of the acts – who both hail from the Lone Star State – had played in Massachusetts, and safe to say it was a resounding success.

Vandoliers had been very recently in the news for auctioning off their stage-worn dresses after a show in Tennessee in protest of that state’s abhorrent anti-drag legislation, and they carried that energy through a barn-burning hourlong show-opening set. Frontman Josh Fleming pointed out how he’d spent many hours in his younger years watching old YouTube videos of punk shows that had taken place at the Middle East over the years, and while his band’s sound may include a fiddle and a trumpet and a large-body Gibson acoustic and songs about highways in its home state, the live show is every bit as “punk rock” as many of those performances from years-gone-by. Personal highlights included “Cigarettes In The Rain” and “Every Saturday Night” and, of course, their rousing cover of “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),” a song that I’m 99% sure I saw Down By Law cover in that same venue more than a quarter-century ago.


Headlining this run – although both acts played hourlong sets so it made it feel like a co-headlining affair – was the one-and-only Joshua Ray Walker. If you’re not familiar, here’s the brief version: Walker is a Texas-born-and-bred singer and songwriter and dare I say guitar virtuoso. He’s a larger-than-life figure both in myriad ways and writes songs that can make you smile (see “Sexy After Dark”) and songs that can make you cry (see “Voices” or “Canyon” or like 3/4ths of the rest of the catalog) and, quite frequently, songs that can do both at the same time (see their honky-tonkified version of “Hello”). Oh, and he’s got a voice like a goddamned angel.


The live music scene in the greater Boston area can be a bit of a fickle beast at times, particularly for bands that aren’t from around here; I’ve seen far bigger “punk rock” names play the very same venue to far smaller and less enthusiastic crowds than the one that showed up to party and dance and holler on this particular late winter Tuesday evening. Because it’s not about the mohawks or the hair dye – it’s about the people and the connection. See more pictures from the shindig below!


Joshua Ray Walker Slideshow

Vandoliers Slideshow

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DS Exclusive: The Deathbots debut “Thumper” from upcoming split with Cardboard Box Colony

Happy Friday, and more importantly, Happy St. Patrick’s Day, comrades! We’ve got a fun new exclusive for your earholes today, and it comes to us all the way from the mountains of…Asheville, North Carolina! It’s from a band called The Deathbots, a trio who’ve been described as “a brawling mix between Bad Religion and Johnny […]

Meet The Deathbots!

Happy Friday, and more importantly, Happy St. Patrick’s Day, comrades! We’ve got a fun new exclusive for your earholes today, and it comes to us all the way from the mountains of…Asheville, North Carolina!

It’s from a band called The Deathbots, a trio who’ve been described as “a brawling mix between Bad Religion and Johnny Cash, that combo of super speedy melodic punk and killer bad-ass country” which sounds pretty awesome to us!

The song is called “Thumper,” and it appears on The Deathbots’ upcoming split EP with their pals in Cardboard Box Colony. The EP was recorded in the bands’ shared practice space before being shipped off to the almighty Blasting Room to be mastered by the iconic Jason Livermore. Here’s what the lads had to say for themselves:

I’m super excited to share this split 7”/EP with our good buddies, the awesome Cardboard Box Colony. With our two contributions, a song about what happens when cartoon rabbits get pushed too far, and a song about a pirate ghost ship, we perfectly showcase the essence of our band: a bunch of punk rock nerds just trying to stave off the ennui of existence through music. – Alex (bass guitar, screams)

There’s something a little magical about vinyl records, it means a lot to be able to offer all of our fans something they can hold after so many years of virtual releases. It’s even better to be able to do it with our good friends in Cardboard Box Colony. Plus it’s definitely our best material to date, come out April 15th and get your grubby little mitts on it! – Karl (guitar, vocals)

“Having the ability to self-record, mix and produce this split at our home studios is rewarding, and I’m proud of how all these songs turned out. Plus being able to play drums on both sides of a split EP in 2 different bands was an awesome experience on its own.” – Brandon (drums, more vocals)

The split is out April 14th on all streaming platforms and will also be available on a white “Box/Bot” shaped 7-inch record. There’s a hometown record release throwdown on April 15th if you’re in the Asheville neck-o-the-woods too. Pre-order the split here, and check out “Thumper” below. (Sadly, we’re pretty sure it’s not an ode to 1990s Boston-based ska/punk/metal band Thumper, but a boy can dream, can’t he?)

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DS Band Spotlight: Swedish melodic punks Nonthewiser hit the ground running on debut LP

Swedish melodic punks Nonthewiser come flying out of the starting gates with their self-titled debut album, out now on Melodic Punk Style. If you like Bad Religion, I highly recommend checking these guys out (also, if you don’t like Bad Religion, I don’t like you). This album is a throwback to The Gray Race-era BR, […]

Swedish melodic punks Nonthewiser come flying out of the starting gates with their self-titled debut album, out now on Melodic Punk Style. If you like Bad Religion, I highly recommend checking these guys out (also, if you don’t like Bad Religion, I don’t like you). This album is a throwback to The Gray Race-era BR, complete with fast, galloping drums and a surplus of vocal harmonies and oozin aahs. They do it all and they do it well. Listen to Nonthewiser’s debut album below and head over to Bandcamp to grab it on colored vinyl, CD, or digital download.

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DS News: NOFX guitarist Eric Melvin details solo album “The Rise of the Melvinator”, releases music video for “Regaining Unconsciousness”

Eric Melvin of NOFX has announced the debut album from his solo project Melvinator. The LP titled The Rise of the Melvinator was produced by Fat Mike and features EDM infused re-recordings of NOFX songs. If that sounds interesting to you (or you’re having a hard time imagining exactly what that sounds like), check out […]

Eric Melvin of NOFX has announced the debut album from his solo project Melvinator. The LP titled The Rise of the Melvinator was produced by Fat Mike and features EDM infused re-recordings of NOFX songs.

If that sounds interesting to you (or you’re having a hard time imagining exactly what that sounds like), check out the music video for Melvinator’s revamped take on “Regaining Unconsciousness” below.

The Rise of the Melvinator is set to release on May 12th through Fat Wreck imprint Bottles to the Ground. Pre-order the record here.

The Rise of the Melvinator tracklist:

1. American Errorist
2. Suits and Ladders
3. Bottles to the Ground
4. Drop the World (Melissa’s Version)
5. I Believe in Goddess
6. Regaining Unconsciousness
7. Reeko
8. American Errorist (BAZ Remix)

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  1. Do not want

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DS Exclusive: Dutch melodic punks Toska Fall premiere new EP “A Little Advice”

Dutch melodic punks Toska Fall are gearing up to release their new EP A Little Advice this Saturday, March 18th on White Russian Records, Cat’s Claw Records and Punk Rock Radar. But you don’t have to wait another second to listen to this six-song ripper, because your buddies at Dying Scene (hey, that’s us!) are […]

Dutch melodic punks Toska Fall are gearing up to release their new EP A Little Advice this Saturday, March 18th on White Russian Records, Cat’s Claw Records and Punk Rock Radar. But you don’t have to wait another second to listen to this six-song ripper, because your buddies at Dying Scene (hey, that’s us!) are bringing you this exclusive premiere of the EP. Go ahead and check it out below!

My fellow collector nerds will be pleased to know that A Little Advice is getting released on colored vinyl. The red LP is limited to 100 copies and includes the band’s last EP It Falls Apart on the B-Side, so you’re basically getting a full-length album. Very cool! Grab the record here (EU), here (UK), or here (US). Or if you’re a 21st century digital boy, hit up Bandcamp and toss ’em a few bucks for that download.

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DS Photo Gallery: SACK with Huntingtons and The Young Rochelles (O’Briens – Boston, 3/5/22)

SACK brought their sweaty, high-energy street rock carnival to a sold-out O’Brien’s Pub last weekend. It was the last stop on their brief, four-day ripper of a Northeast tour that found them shredding the gnar alongside a couple of Ramonescore-inspired stalwarts – Huntingtons and The Young Rochelles – for the long weekend. Let’s have a […]

SACK brought their sweaty, high-energy street rock carnival to a sold-out O’Brien’s Pub last weekend. It was the last stop on their brief, four-day ripper of a Northeast tour that found them shredding the gnar alongside a couple of Ramonescore-inspired stalwarts – Huntingtons and The Young Rochelles – for the long weekend. Let’s have a look at the evening’s festivities, shall we?


Hitting in the leadoff spot for the evening were The Young Rochelles, who kicked off the shindig in perfect fashion – which we of course mean both literally and figuratively. The Long Island-based trio blistered through a pogo-friendly set that included “E.T. Cell Phone,” “I Need My Mommy To Do My Laundry” and, of course, “I Never Saw The Ramones.” Also, can we give Ricky Rochelle props for manning both lead vocal AND drumming duties, but not doing it with one of those Phil Collins/TED Talk headsets? That shit can’t be easy.


Batting second was none other than Baltimore’s finest, Huntingtons. I lost count (read as: ran out of fingers) but I’m pretty sure the quartet ripped through like 20-ish songs in a set that couldn’t have been much more than thirty-five minutes and featured what may well be the first attempt at a circle pit I’ve ever seen at O’Briens, which is all the more impressive when taking into account that the median age of paid ticketholders was closer to 40 than 20, and it was a Sunday night. In quintessential Huntingtons fashion, the set finished with an extended, stage-crashing singalong rendition of “No Pool Party Tonight” that was one of the highest highlights of the evening.


Last but not least, of course, was SACK. What is there to say about SACK that best puts the band into words for those that haven’t seen them. It’s loud and it’s fast and it’s metal and it’s sweaty and it contains myriad singalongs to such heartwarming classics as “I Used To Give A Shit” and “I Hate The Bech Boys” and “Live Action LARP.” Oh, and of course the tender ballad “I Tried Suicide.” It’s one hell of a party and I totally thought another photographer was going to eat shit with his camera in the pit but he was far braver than I’ll ever be. If you’ve only seen Kody sing while playing lead guitar in TBR or the Lillingtons, seeing him in full-fledged punk rock frontman mode is a sight to behold.


Check out more shots from the raucous evening below!

SACK Slideshow


Huntingtons Slideshow


The Young Rochelles slideshow

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DS News: Cock Sparrer recording a new album

Punk legends Cock Sparrer have revealed they are in the studio working on a new record. They are recording with James Bragg at his Propagation House recording studio in North Cornwall, England. Bragg also produced their 2017 album Forever. The band released the following statement on their Facebook page: “Drums recorded on 11 new Cock […]

Punk legends Cock Sparrer have revealed they are in the studio working on a new record. They are recording with James Bragg at his Propagation House recording studio in North Cornwall, England. Bragg also produced their 2017 album Forever. The band released the following statement on their Facebook page:

“Drums recorded on 11 new Cock Sparrer songs. Steve Bruce smashed it out the park this weekend. No idea if these songs will see the light of day – depends what they all sound like when they’re finished but there’s a good chance that there could be a new release this year if all goes well. Exciting to still be putting out new material in our 51st year.”

Check out a video of Steve Bruce tracking drums below, and follow Cock Sparrer on Instagram for more updates from the recording studio. Stay tuned for more info on the new record; we’ll keep you posted.

On a related note, Cock Sparrer recently celebrated their 50th Anniversary, and Pirates Press Records marked the occasion by reissuing their seven full-length albums on vinyl. You can get your grubby little hands on them here.

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DS Record Radar: This Week in Punk Vinyl (AFI “Sing the Sorrow” 20th Anniversary, Rancid, The Lillingtons, Alkaline Trio & more)

Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. It was another very busy week and we once again have a […]

Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is the weekly column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. It was another very busy week and we once again have a shitload of records to cover. So kick off your shoes, pull up a chair, crack open a cold one, and break out those wallets, because it’s go time. Let’s get into it!

But first, new this week: It’s the very first video edition of the Dying Scene Record Radar! Presented by our friends at Punk Rock Radar:

In case you’ve been sleeping under a rock, AFI‘s Sing the Sorrow is getting reissued on vinyl in honor of its 20th birthday. Two variants have been revealed so far; the Red & Black Pinwheel Splatter” one we told you about earlier this week (get it here). There’s also a Red w/ Black Smoke color variant that was initially thought to be limited to 2,000 copies and exclusive to the anniversary show in LA, which has since popped up on the official AFI webstore. I’m sure that’ll make all those eBay flippers nice and pissed.

Most of Streetlight Manifesto‘s records are getting reissued through their own Pentimento Music Company. Everything Went Numb, Somewhere In The Between, 99 Songs Of Revolution: Volume 1, and The Hands That Thieve are all back in print on white colored vinyl. Head over to the band’s webstore to snatch these up.

Rancid‘s And Out Come The Wolves is getting repressed on it’s like 20th(?) new color variant. This red/white marble color is limited to 1,000 copies. Epitaph‘s US store is the only place you can get it.

Also from Epitaph: a new pressing of Tim Armstrong’s lone solo album A Poet’s Life on white w/ black splatter colored wax. Once again, “limited” to 1,000 copies and the only place you can get it is Epitaph’s Kings Road Merch store in the land of the free.

And because good things come in threes, we have a third reissue from Epitaph this week. It’s the 20th Anniversary of The Weakerthans’ Reconstruction Site. If you live in Canada, you can get the “brown/apple” color variant here. And if you live anywhere else, here‘s a handy page with links to where you can buy the record depending on your region.

Alright, that’s enough reissues for now. We’ll cover more further down the page, I promise. How ’bout some new music? New music’s cool, right? Here’s some new music from another awesome Canadian band, Brutal Youth! Their first new record in seven years Rebuilding Year is due out April 21st on Stomp Records. Check out the lead single “Moonstones” below and pre-order the LP here.

Here’s a brand new record from a brand new band called Seitans! Check out these Italian Ramonescore newcomers if you’re into Teenage Bottlerocket, Screeching Weasel, The Queers, etc. And hey, they’re on Monster Zero so you know they gotta be good. Listen below and get the record here.

More new music! We’re on a fuckin’ roll, folks. Pretty sure we covered this a few weeks back, but the pre-order just went live so fuck it, we’re circling back. Manchester, UK punks Clayface‘s debut album Ailments is due out in May. It’s being co-released by Punk Rock Radar, Cat’s Claw Records & White Russian Records. Check out the new single “Employee of the Year” below and find links to all the places you can pre-order the record here.

The next stop on our punk rock trip around the world is the Netherlands, where Harsh Realms are putting out their first new album in nine years! CVLT is coming out on April 1st (those silly jokesters) via Shield Recordings. 200 copies on black wax, 300 copies on “Dracula” color vinyl. Check out the new single “Saltwater” below and grab the record here.

Aaaand back to new plastic with old music pressed into it. Cowpunk veterans the Supersuckers’ 1997 album Must’ve Been High is back in print for the first time in a long time, but that’s not all! The Steve Earle & The Supersuckers EP and the Must’ve Been High demos are getting their first-ever vinyl releases. Get ’em all here.

BL’AST!‘s 1989 LP Take the Manic Ride is back in print for the first time in over 30 years! According to the hype sticker, the album has been “sonically enhanced with an aggressive remaster from Brad Boatright”. Available on green vinyl (200 copies) here and black wax here.

Our friends at 1-2-3-4 Go! Records are always cranking out bitchin’ exclusive variants, with the latest being these Alkaline Trio records. Goddamnit and Maybe I’ll Catch Fire are each limited to 1,000 hand numbered copies. Both can be purchased for money here.

Beer City Records is releasing a new Boris The Sprinkler compilation LP called Bits O’ Boris. The record “collects a veritable cornucopia of 19 stray Boris tracks (all restored and remastered) from 1992-2003 that originally appeared on singles, compilations, and whatever else!”. There’s a shitload of color variants, all available here.

Originally released as a CD box set in 2005, The Lillingtons‘ Technically Unsound is finally getting the vinyl release it deserves. The 2xLP reissue features awesome new cover art from Chris Shary, and copies are going fast. Get yours here before they’re gone.

Hey, while you’re grabbing that Lillingtons record from Clearview Records be sure to pick up the new Flight Kamikaze album! These guys are a killer new pop-punk band from Denver. Listen below, buy the record here.

Dutch punks Antillectual have launched pre-orders for their new LP Together. This is being released by 20(?) labels worldwide, but Thousand Islands Records is distributing it in North America. Check out the new single “From City to City” below and pre-order Together here.

Holy shit, you made it to the end! Well, that’s all, folks. Another Record Radar in the books. As always, thank you for tuning in. If there’s anything we missed (highly likely), or if you want to let everyone know about a new/upcoming vinyl release you’re excited about, leave us a comment below, or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram, and we’ll look into it. Enjoy your weekend, and don’t blow too much money on spinny discs (or do, I’m not your father). See ya next week!

Wanna catch up on all of our Record Radar posts? Click here and you’ll be taken to a page with all the past entries in the column. Magic!

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In Case You Missed It!  Dying Scene Review: Thera – “Survivalist” & “How To Fall Apart”

This is one of the bands to get me out and into the rock/metal/punk scene as a spectator when I was in high school. Thera (pronounced, theer-uh) opened for August Burns Red in Anchorage in 2016 and I was HOOKED. I mentioned this band to my sister, who was already a diehard fan, and we […]

This is one of the bands to get me out and into the rock/metal/punk scene as a spectator when I was in high school. Thera (pronounced, theer-uh) opened for August Burns Red in Anchorage in 2016 and I was HOOKED. I mentioned this band to my sister, who was already a diehard fan, and we saw them live together a few times after that as well. Their last 3 shows, I’ve had the honor of taking photos for them and I’m elated to now call them friends! The voices of Stephanie and Ronnie mesh so well together to create some of the most unique and wide ranges I’ve ever heard. They also use their experiences in their life to write incredible songs with beautiful backstories. Similar to their fellow Alaskan band Distance Defined, these guys write from the heart and with pure emotion and experience.

The first single they released this year was called “Survivalist”. This song has a beautiful writing story and it’s definitely one I want to share having gotten the chance to ask Ronnie about it. “I wrote the lyrics for this one while I was working alone in a little village in southwest AK. That year I had been flying all over the place for work. I have a manic brain that overthinks and fixates on things, so of course it decided to dwell on the idea of the world falling apart while I was a thousand miles away from Stephanie and my son. I kinda wrote it from Steph’s perspective as she received yet another one of my overly dramatic poems or verses while I’m trying to journey back to her. Not that Steph actually felt the way I wrote it, but just that I imagined her being like “Hey, your words are sweet, but they lose their magic when I’m trying to survive here alone with our son at this little piece of land we bought by the ocean.” Half the verses are just lines of the poems I would send her over that year.”

When I learned the story, I listened to it in a completely new light and had a new appreciation for songwriting. It’s incredible that something that wasn’t even intended to come together into one piece, all came together over time and to have the ability to arrange the poetry to make a song that embodies the story in its music is admirable. This song often puts me in tears, and honestly, it’s because they have done such an amazing job in making the instrumentals and the tone of Stephanie’s voice (at least for me) bring the emotions behind the song to the surface and makes me feel as though I’m feeling the way the person in the song was. It’s an incredible gift that, I believe, these guys have nailed.

Thera’s second single released this year was almost a 180 spin around from their previous single “Survivalist”. It shows the kind of love you go out to search for in the crazy nightlife, only to be rejected night after night with unreciprocated feelings. Ronnie explained the song like this; “This one is written from the eyes of someone trying to find their person in a world of late nights and crazy parties. They fall in love with someone nightly, but the other person never reciprocates the feeling. Yet, they patch themselves back up and go back out into the noise looking for love again.”

The beautiful simplicity of the meaning paired with the deep poetic lyrics make this one of my favorite songs they’ve released thus far! When I listen to Stephanie’s voice, she never fails to portray the music’s feeling in her tone and pitch-perfectly. The instrumentals carried out by the remainder of the band complement her beautifully and they’ve always been able to achieve such a beautifully unique sound. If I’m being honest, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a band quite like Thera, ever. To have such a unique band come from a unique place, such as Alaska, is really quite a treasure in my eyes and I can’t wait to see what sound they produce for us next!

Thera’s discography is on Spotify and *select* music videos of songs uploaded to their YouTube channel TheraMusic!

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