
(BPM) Pop-punk powerhouse Action/Adventure is back with their most ambitious release yet: their brand new album, Ever After, out October 24th via Pure Noise Records. The record marks a bold new chapter for the Chicago-based band, pairing their signature high-energy riffs and soaring hooks with deeper storytelling, unapologetic emotion, and the urgency fans have come to expect.
Guitarist Oren Trace reflected on the new album saying, "The stark reality of living your dreams. The shifting goal post of a fulfilling life. The internal conflict of having people who support you but also depend on you. You are fighting to stay awake when everything is quiet so you can open yourself up and dig for spare parts to share with the outside world."
To celebrate the announcement the band have released new single "URL" accompanied by the official music video. Vocalist Blake Evaristo spoke on the new single, "This is the result of unrequited love. Just because you put your blood, sweat, and tears into something doesn't mean it'll love you back. Even though you're living the life you wanted, you find yourself wondering what the other life could've been."
Formed in 2014, the group - Blake Evaristo (lead vocals), Brompton Jackson (vocals/guitar), Adrian Brown (drums), Manny Avila (bass), and Oren Trace (guitar) -first broke through in 2020 when their debut TikTok video, "Barricades," went viral, spotlighting the obstacles they faced as an all-BIPOC band within the pop-punk scene. They followed that moment with 2021's Pulling Focus EP and their 2022 Pure Noise debut, Imposter Syndrome - a record that, despite its title, proved their place as one of the genre's most vital and distinctive voices.
Ever After builds on that foundation. Confident yet self-aware, the album acknowledges the struggles of balancing art with everyday life, and the pressures of following up a breakthrough debut. "This is literally the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life," admits Jackson. "The industry is so different from what we thought it would be as kids. The theme of this record is the duality of everyday life versus band life, and trying to make them coexist without losing yourself in the process."
With producer Alan Day (Four Year Strong, Knuckle Puck) at the helm, the band pushed themselves creatively, recording at Ghost Hit Studio in Springfield, Massachusetts. The result is 11 songs that chart a journey through doubt, perseverance, and renewal.
The record also features a handful of notable collaborations: Dan Lambton (rationale., ex-Real Friends) lends his voice to "Something Isn't Right Here," Armor For Sleep's Ben Jorgensen co-wrote and appears on "Background," and UK artist Noahfinnce joins the band on "Go Directly to Jail. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200," a track critiquing systemic inequities.
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