Pop Punk: just in case you missed the billboard sized memo, it's back, hotter than ever, and it now comes in a fetching shade of British. Hot on the heels of fellow countrymen Neck Deep, ROAM, As it Is and Trashboat, Brighton quintet Six Time Champion are making their presence felt with storming new five-tracker Expecting Honesty. Released on December 1st, the work is buoyant with hooks and drives its point home with fiery panache, Six Time Champion's rougher edge reveals their boisterous live energy. You can see the video for Expecting Honesty below. Here they talk you through the forthcoming EP, track by track...
When we first began writing for “Expecting Honesty” we had no specific aim, other than to put together a few tracks that we could enjoy playing and performing, however as we delved further into these tracks, they started to become something so much more for us. We went for a slightly grittier, raw sound whilst still clutching to our pop punk vibe, in an effort to stay relevant whilst creating a sound that could set us apart from the rest. Safe to say the songs that started out as a bit of fun turned into something that we felt was a massive step up from anything we had written in the past, and something that we all feel extremely proud of.
Track 1: Running Dry: “Running Dry” was initially written within just a few months of the band forming, before we had even recorded our previous e.p. We had written numerous tracks around this time, however this was the only one which really stood out to us, and after various alterations, became one of our heaviest songs. It hits hard right from the very start, and for that reason has always been our opening song for any shows we play. The lyrics express adistaste to the busy, overwhelming lifestyle that most of us find ourselves a part of, and try to show that if we slow down once in a while, we can actually see what’s important and what truly brings positivity into our lives.
Track 2: Happiness In Emptiness: This one kinda came out of nowhere, it was one of those songs that just fell into place right from the start, the upbeat melody of the guitar gives this track an extremely catchy, uplifting vibe. The lyrics on the other hand are somewhat of a contrast, based around personal feelings towards a sense of isolation from others, that is needed to instill a positive state of mind throughout everyday life.
Track 3: Expecting Honesty: The title track of our e.p and our first single. This was one track that took some serious work, in fact it was chopped and changed numerous times over a good few months. We knew that it had serious potential, it was just figuring out how to obtain the fast paced aggressive sound we were aiming for, whilst still having an enjoyable song to play and perform. It wasn't until the night before we were due to record this track that the lyrics finally came together, based around an acoustic song that I had previously been working on. The rest of the band didn't get to hear any of the vocals until we actually recorded them in the studio. Despite the last minute approach, this song instantly became a personal favorite for us.Lyrically this song is far more boisterous than the rest, voicing a lack of tolerance for all the pointless dishonesty in life. It pretty much sums up the entire theme of the e.p.
Track 4: Dragging my feet: “Dragging My Feet” initially started out as a slightly softer tune for us, but in typical “Six Time Champion” fashion, it was very quickly beefed up into something far more bouncy and upbeat. The song is based around other people's misperception or over glorifying of who you really are as a person.
Track 5: Separation: Another energetic, fast paced song full of catchy melodies and hard hitting breakdowns. This has to be one of our favorite tracks to play live. The extremely personal lyrics, are based around dealing with sudden change, and the consequences of a life long relationship becoming controlled by distance.
Six Time Champion Release ‘Expecting Honesty’ on 1st December.
Knuckle Puck have released a live video for 'Oak Street', a track from their recent EP 'While I Stay Secluded'. Check it out below:
Billboard are streaming Major League's brand new album before its official release on November 4th. Listen to the whole of 'There's Nothing Wrong With Me' here.
Rock Sound are streaming Man Overboard's new EP 'Passing Ends' in full before its official on Monday. Speaking to Rock Sound, Man Overboard had this to say about 'Passing Ends': "2014 was a rough year for Man Overboard. While we were able to take part in several amazing tours, we lost a close member of our family and were forced to cancel the remainder of our touring calendar for the year after Nik tore his ACL. I think some of that sadness and frustration comes out on 'Passing Ends'. Stream the new EP here.
If you can't wait until its official release, Knuckle Puck are streaming their new EP, 'While I Stay Secluded', in full on Alternative Press. Check it out here. Don't sleep on this kids, it's killer.
Forever Came Calling's new album, What Matters Most, is officially out today. However, if you want to try before you buy, Absolute Punk are streaming it on their site. Take a listen and enjoy here.
Seaway are streaming a new song from their upcoming EP 'All In My Head' over on Punktastic. Found out more about the new track, 'The Let Down', and have a listen to it here.
Me vs Hero have released a new music video for their song 'Hang In' from their album 'I'm Completely Fine'. The band had this to say about the song on facebook: 'the song means a lot to us, it's literally about hanging in there when times get bad. At one point when we wrote this record there was a three month period where Sam was homeless. He had three big bags for all his stuff and had no idea where he was sleeping most nights. The song is an accurate depiction of his life at that point. It's something that, if you go through, you will make sure never happens again. Check it out below:
Check out our interview with Me vs Hero here
Forever Came Calling have released a new video for 'Defenseless', a track from their upcoming album 'What Matters Most', which is released October 21st. Watch the new video below:
Knuckle Puck are streaming a song from their new EP 'While I stay Secluded' and it's awesome. Bedford Falls and the five other new songs will be released on October 28th. Speaking to Rocksound about the EP, guitarist Kevin Maida had this to say:
“We could not be happier with our new EP, While I Stay Secluded. Every person in this band firmly and confidently believes that this is our best material yet, making us very excited to share these songs with you.”
Listen to Bedford Falls below:
In and or around the Notts area? Make sure you check out Nottingham Pop Punk Fest featuring Lacey, On the Open Road, Layby, Neon Sarcastic, Legion Hall, The Prophets, Hometown Hero, Castaway, Time for 15, Anchor Down, Hello Tomorrow and Restrooms on January 3rd. Plus, with £5 tickets it's one hell of a bargain.
Major League are streaming a new song from their upcoming album 'There's Nothing Wrong With Me'. The new track 'Recovery' is streaming over on Absolute Punk, check it out here.
Man Overboard are streaming a new song titled 'Stood Up' from their upcoming EP 'Passing Ends'. Check it out below:
If there's one way to get over the departure of one of your band mates after having a solid line up for all of your carer, writing a freaking awesome album like Resurrection is definitely one. In fact, it's safe to say that New Found Glory might be coming back stronger than ever, proving that being a four piece is going to work just as well, if not better. For a band who have been doing the pop punk thing since 1997, it's remarkable that NFG are still able to rehabilitate their sound into something new without drifting too far from their trademark mix of pop punk with the occasional easycore riff and an abundance of catchy choruses.
The album starts with Selfless, one of the first songs which was released prior to the release date. The song starts with a riff that immediately lets you know that picking up the album was a good life decision. Two thirds of the way through, the tempo picks up and it's the kind moment that gives you chills while simultaneously making you want to high-five all of NFG for making such an awesome song. The album then moves on to Resurrection which has a riff you would kill to listen to live. It's also the most reminiscent of older pop punk, the place where NFG thrived and something they still manage to pull off to this day.
Another stand out track is Ready and Willing, one of the catchiest songs from Resurrection. While it could class as a not so heavy track, one more reminiscent of Radiosurgery, it is still includes a signature Chad Gilbert riff and also has the presence of gang vocals which provide a perfect opportunity to sing along. Next up is One More Round which feels like it was destined to be played live. Vicious Love is track number six and a love song with a difference. While Jordan sings 'We've got a Vicious Love, we mix our tears with blood' he's accompanied by another of Chad's amazing riffs. Other stand out songs include: Persistent, Stories of a Different Kind, Degenerate, Stubborn and Living Hell. All include the fast paced drums, the memorable choruses that embed themselves in your head all day and the incomparable riffs that have just the right amount of pop punk and heaviness weaved into them
All in all, New Found Glory's Resurrection is something that any pop punk fan should add to their collection. Like most pop punk it's honest, vivacious and something that you kill to hear live. The most impressive thing about New Found Glory is that with each new album they have been able to reinvent themselves without straying from their signature take on the pop punk genre and Resurrection is no exception. With this album, NFG have added heavier influences with the use of intricate riffs which add a distinctive dynamic. It's also obvious that a lot of time and effort has been put in it and it's refreshing to see a band who are still passionate and love what they do even after 17 years....
Knuckle Puck have announced that they will releasing a new EP titled 'While I Stay Secluded' on October 28th. The EP will be released by Bad Timing Records in North America and Rude Records internationally. The band had this to say about the new EP:
"We firmly believe that these are some of our best songs yet and we couldn't be happier that we will be able to share them with you soon. Thank you all for your continued support for our band"
Check out the EP trailer below:
Boston Manor are streaming their new EP 'Driftwood' in full over on Rocksound. Check it out here.
Seaway have released a boy band themed music video for their new song 'Your Best Friend'. The song comes from their upcoming EP 'All in My Head'. Check it out below:
State Champs are streaming their new EP, The Acoustic Things, on Alternative Press. The new EP is officially out on October 7th but you can listen to it early here.
