New Tunes Alert (8/1): Phoenix’s The Maine Announce Ninth Studio Album
Since 2007, Phoenix, Arizona’s The Maine has been cruising around the music world. They’ve been winning over hearts for fifteen years now with evident growth in each album, truly not fitting into any specific genre box. It’s wild to think about, especially considering how young the band still is, or as I more lovingly like to label the age range I’m also in, the “elder emo’s.” My first interview with the band dates back to 2009. When the band was still very much in their neon-heavy phase, but the journey they found themselves on has made them into the men they are today. The veterans have waited until their ninth album to make it their self-titled record. In an episode of the series the band started doing during the pandemic, “Miserable Youth,” Pat Kirch says,
“So nine albums in, I think the most exciting thing is trying to deconstruct what The Maine is and re-invent ourselves. And I think the best way to do that is to act as if this is our first album and get rid of any preconceived ideas of what we have to be, what we’re supposed to be.”
And that outlook and hard work show in the two first released singles from the yet-to-come album. With the stunning and swift-moving Blame, I’m in awe of how vocalist John O’Callaghan pulled off some of the words in the track. It’s a wild ride with some great lyrical moments like “It’s easier if I’m the one to blame.” The song also features an incredibly catchy chorus, something that’s become a forever constant for the band. Following is how to exit a room, the song reads like a love letter to one’s self about tearing away the facade about how they truly feel about life. The album is sure to be a wild ride.
The songs will be able to come to a live setting when the band heads out on their first full US tour of the year. And first one in the States since the spring of last year, but it’s sure to be one for the books. They will be taking on Sad Summer Fest with Taking Back Sunday and lots of familiar faces from bands like Pvris, Hot Mulligan, Mom Jeans, and many more! Everything kicks off July 6th for the run, with the tour finding its way to Boston on 7/16. The tour’s initial run back in 2019 was something the band had a heavy hand in creating, and now in its fourth year, it’s just getting bigger and bigger. The band will drop their new album, “The Maine,” on August 1st, a symbolic date for the band being that it’s written out as 8.1.23. For those in the know, this is a significant number in The Maine’s fan and band community and will be celebrated by a one-off show for the band that day in Denver.
The Maine is one of the few bands whose early days of their career were spent on many a Warped tour, and they continue to be a band still today, as well as the fact that they have maintained their original lineup, a rare thing in today’s world. And it’s for a reason. They have continued to progress on each record, forever trying new things. They’ve made a conscious effort to connect with fans and create special weekends like their 8123 Fest back in Phoenix and the Lovely, Little, Lonely weekend in NYC last fall. As well as just, in general, being good humans. Something we don’t always experience in the current climate of the music industry. Both for fans, bands, and those covering the bands. And there’s a reason why The Maine continues to continue to excel in an incredibly saturated industry.
If you haven’t yet, do yourself a favor and check out the new tunes! Forever progressing, the latest will undoubtedly be some of the band’s finest work!
