Mayday Parade return with ‘It Is What It Is’

Turn up your speakers because Mayday Parade is back with a brand new song!

On Friday (March 6), the Florida-founded band unleashed their first new track in two years. Dubbed “It Is What It Is,” the title of the track basically described the inspiration behind the lyrics; just because things are bad now doesn’t mean that it will always be like that. It is what it is.

“It’s just about anything in life that ends badly and how it always hurts, but you eventually get over it,” drummer Jake Bundrick reveals about the new song.

Frontman Derek Sanders adds, “If there are people out there dealing with hard times, we hope our music can help them work through that, and come away feeling a little better about everything.”

Listen to “It Is What It Is” above.

“It Is What It Is” is Mayday Parade’s first new song since the release of their sixth studio album, Sunnyland. The record was released in 2018 through Rise Records.

Now the real question is, “Is this song a standalone single or the first single off their seventh studio effort?” We shall see.

Earlier this week, the five-piece announced plans to embark on a springtime North American tour. The excursion will find the group performing at venues in cities such as Pensacola, New Orleans, Tucson, Las Vegas, Vancouver, Calgary, Louisville, and more.

The month-long outing begins on April 9 at High Dive in Gainesville and concludes on May 2 at Bogart’s in Cincinnati. Grayscale and Point North will join Mayday Parade on the upcoming trek.

The full list of upcoming tour dates can be found below.

IT IS WHAT IT IS SPRING 2020 TOUR DTAES:

April 9 – Gainesville, FL – High Dive
April 10 – Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music Hall
April 11 – New Orleans, LA – Joy Theater
April 14 – Columbia, MO – Blue Note
April 15 – Tucson, AZ – 191 Toole
April 18 – Las Vegas, NV – Fremont Country Club
April 20 – Tacoma, WA – McMenamins Elks Temple
April 21 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
April 23 – Calgary, AB – Palace Theatre
April 24 – Edmonton, AB – Midway
April 26 – Winnipeg, MB – Garrick Centre
April 28 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
April 29 – Urbana, IL – The Canopy Club
May 1 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
May 2 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s

Slam Dunk Fest unveils second waves of 2020 performers

The year isn’t even over yet, and we’re already getting bombarded with spring music festival announcements. Great news for our “treat yo’ self” lifestyles, but not for our wallets.

On Wednesday (Oct. 23), the masterminds behind the United Kingdom’s Slam Dunk Music Festival unleashed the second batch of artists who will take over their stages in late May 2020.

Sum 41 has been tapped to take on the role of headliners alongside previously announced (and hometown boys) Don Broco. Also added to next year’s roster are Billy Talent, The Used, The Story So Far, Basement, Grayscale, and Dream State.

As if that wasn’t enough, the current iteration of the lineup will also feature not one, but two reunion shows thanks to We Are The In Crowd and Your Demise.

And what would a music festival be without any serious hijinks? NOFX’s Punk in Drublic will return once again to the weekend-long event with a little help from their friends.

The new addition to the Slam Dunk Fest lineup comes a month after the first waves of bands were announced for the annual May Bank Holiday event.

The Wonder Years, Mayday Parade, Four Year Strong, Knuckle Punk, Ice Nine Kills, Bayside, Issues, Hands Like Houses, and the newly reunited Motion City Soundtrack were previously confirmed as performers for next year’s event.

Slam Dunk Fest will return to its homes of Temple Newsam in Leeds on Saturday, May 23, 2020, and Hatfield Park in Hatfield on Sunday, May 24, 2020.

Tickets for the event are currently available on their website with several options to pick from.

Fearless Records resurrect their ‘Punk Goes…” series with ‘Punk Goes Acoustic: Volume 3’

It was the 2000s.

Who was in your top ten on Myspace was the true test of friendship.

Bands like Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and the All-American Rejects held on to key spots on TRL’s top ten chart.

Warped Tour was arguably one of the biggest music festivals at the time.

And the sale of eyeliner and fake hair dye was at an all-time high.

It’s been over a decade and we still have good (and some seriously bad) memories of that time.

Now, it looks like the folks over at Fearless Records are trying to bring back the mid-2000s which, we guess, can be a good or bad thing depending on if you were knee-deep into that scene (which, let’s be honest, we were).

On Friday (June 28), the record label announced plans to unleashed the latest addition to their Punk Goes… series. Dubbed Punk Goes Acoustic: Volume 3, the record features several bands who made a name for themselves during the heyday of Myspace including Dashboard Confessional, Taking Back Sunday, Underoath, The Almost, Circa Survive, Mayday Parade, and more.

The 12-track record will feature the Fearless family members giving their breakout songs the acoustic treatment. Punk Goes Acoustic: Volume 3 is due out July 15 with pre-orders currently available for purchase on the label’s website.

In true fashion, Fearless is offering the album in different formats including CD, cassette, and vinyl. All pre-orders will receive instant downloads of Taking Back Sunday’s acoustic version of “A Decade Under the Influence” (which can be streamed above) and Set It Off’s “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” (which can be streamed here).

The full tracklisting for Punk Goes Acoustic: Volume 3 can be seen below.

PUNK GOES ACOUSTIC: VOLUME 3 TRACKLISTING:

1. Dance Gavin Dance – “Story of My Bros” (Acoustic)
2. Circa Survive – “Act Appalled” (Acoustic)
3. Taking Back Sunday – “A Decade Under the Influence” (Acoustic)
4. Dashboard Confessional – “Screaming Infidelities” (Acoustic) feat. Abigail Sevigny
5. Mayday Parade – “Take This to Heart” (Acoustic)
6. Movements – “Colorblind” (Acoustic)
7. Underoath – “A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White” (Acoustic)
8. Don Broco – “Come Out to LA” (Acoustic)
9. Set It Off – “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” (Acoustic)
10. As It Is – “Okay” (Acoustic)
11. Grayscale – “Atlantic” (Acoustic)
12. The Almost – “Hand Grenade” (Acoustic)

Mayday Parade address depression in ‘Looks Red, Tastes Blue’

With a few weeks left before they hit the touring circuit once again, Mayday Parade has returned with their music video for “Looks Red, Tastes Blue.” On Thursday (May 30), the Florida-founded band unleashed the four-minute clip for the emotional track off their recently released sixth studio album.

The video follows a group of people as they seem to be experiencing the lowest point in their lives. From sitting alone at a restaurant and trying to drown themselves to emotionlessly staring at themselves in a mirror and sitting alone in a park, each person shown seems to be experiencing their own personal hell of loneliness.

As the video progresses, we watch as each of them takes a (slow) step in the right direction by picking themselves up and going forward with their lives. As these people go about their lives, we also watch the band perform the song, surrounded by blue light.

“We wanted to make a video that connected all of you even more and Looks Red, Tastes Blue was the perfect song to give us that opportunity,” the band tweeted about the music video for the new song.

“No matter what you’re going through in life, we’re there for you.”

Watch the music video for “Looks Red, Tastes Blue” above.

“Looks Red, Tastes Blue” is featured on Mayday Parade’s recently released record Sunnyland. Sunnyland was released in June 2018 through Rise Records. The album debuted at the number seven spot on Billboard‘s Alternative Albums chart as well as the number nine spot on Billboard‘s Independent Albums chart.

The band has spent most of the last year on the road, touring behind the record’s release. This summer, they will embark on the inaugural Sad Summer Festival.

The summertime excursion will find the five-piece joining forces with State Champs, the Maine, the Wonder Years, and more for the North American run. Sad Summer Fest begins its emo takeover on July 5 at Gas Monkey Live! in Dallas. The trek will wrap up a month later on Aug. 3 at the City National Grove Outdoors in Anaheim.

Sad Summer Fest’s full itinerary can be found here.

Mayday Parade, the Maine, the Wonder Years to headline inaugural Sad Summer Fest

Dear Emo kids, we know the days of following Warped Tour across the country have come to an end, but that’s okay because it looks like we’ll be getting a new traveling music fest really soon. On Tuesday (March 19), the first annual Sad Summer Fest was announced. Following a week of cryptic online posts from several bands on the lineup, the event and its accompanying list were confirmed.

The cross-country event will feature performances by Mayday Parade, State Champs, the Maine, the Wonder Years, Mom Jeans, Stand Atlantic, L.I.F.T., and Just Friends. In addition to the acts mentioned above, who will play almost all the dates on the gig’s itinerary, acts like Every Avenue, Four Year Strong, Set It Off, Forever the Sickest Kids, and Emo Nite will also appear on select dates.

The impending tour will include stops in major markets such as Houston, Orlando, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, and a two-night engagement at the Masquerade in Atlanta (July 8 and 9).

Sad Summer Fest will start its summertime excursion on July 5 at Gas Monkey Live! in Dallas. The trek will wrap up a month later on Aug. 3 at the City National Grove Outdoors in Anaheim.

“What could be better than being emo with your best friends in the sweet summer sun? Being emotional with your friends in the sweet summer sun at the Sad Summer Festival, that’s what,” the Maine’s John O’Callaghan said in a press release.

Mayday Parade’s Derek Sanders adds: “This tour is about putting aside our differences and coming together as a community of people to enjoy music and art. I’m thrilled to be a part of it, and I can’t wait to see everyone out there.”

Limited pre-sale tickets are currently available on the traveling festival’s website with the code SAD. General ticket sales begin this Friday, March 22, at 10 a.m. local time.

Back in October, Every Avenue announced two reunion shows following six years on hiatus. Similarly, Forever the Sickest Kids began teasing fans of a possible return at the beginning of the year. Last year, they re-issued their debut album Underdog Alma Mater on vinyl.

For now, the full Sad Summer Fest tour itinerary can be found below.

SAD SUMMER FEST 2019 TOUR DATES:

July 5 –Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live! *#
July 6 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall *#
July 8 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Mayday Parade, State Champs, Stand Atlantic, L.I.F.T.)
July 09 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (The Maine, The Wonder Years, Mom Jeans, Just Friends)
July 10 –Orlando, FL @ Orlando Amphitheater %
July 12 – Baltimore, MD @ MECU Pavilion
July 13 –Philadelphia, PA @ Skyline Stage at The Mann Center
July 14 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium Outdoors ^
July 16 – New York, NY @ Pier 17
July 17 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony Summer Stage *
July 19 – Pittsburgh, PA @ StageAE
July 20 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live! Outdoor
July 21 – Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Festival Grounds in *$
July 23 – Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
July 24 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
July 25 – Minneapolis, MN @ Myth Live @
July 27 – Denver, CO @ Sculpture Park *+
Aug. 3 – Anaheim, CA @ City National Grove Outdoors *

@ without The Maine
* without The Wonder Years
$ Every Avenue
^ Four Year Strong
% Set It Off
# Forever the Sickest Kids
+ Emo Nite

Mayday Parade announce ‘Welcome to Sunnyland’ fall tour

Fresh off their stint on the final Vans Warped Tour, Mayday Parade have just announced plans to return to the road later this year. On Tuesday (Aug. 7), the Florida-founded band unveiled plans to embark on the “Welcome to Sunnyland” tour during the cooler months of the year. The trek will find the five-piece performing at venues across the continent throughout the months of October and November.

The “Welcome to Sunnyland” tour will begin on Oct. 2 at the Moon in the band’s hometown of Tallahassee. The tour will stop in major cities including Las Vegas, New York, Toronto, and Philadelphia before concluding on Nov. 24 at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale. VIP packages will go on sale beginning this Wednesday, Aug. 8, at 10 a.m. local time while general ticket sales will begin this Friday, Aug. 10, at 10 a.m. local time. Ticket will be available on the band’s website.

This Wild Life, former Yellowcard frontman William Ryan Key, and Oh, Weatherly will open for Mayday Parade throughout the full excursion.

The forthcoming tour dates will be in support of the band’s recently released sixth studio album. Sunnyland was released back in June through Rise Records. The album debuted at the number seven and number nine on Billboard‘s Alternative and Independent Albums charts, respectively.

For now, the complete “Welcome to Sunnyland” tour itinerary can be found below.

WELCOME TO SUNNYLAND TOUR DATES:

Oct. 02 – Tallahassee, FL – The Moon
Oct. 04 – Birmingham, AL – Iron City
Oct. 05 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
Oct. 06 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
Oct. 07 – San Antonio, TX – Alamo City Music Hall
Oct. 09 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues
Oct. 11 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
Oct. 12 – Las Vegas, NV – Vinyl @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Oct. 14 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
Oct. 16 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
Oct. 17 – Berkeley, CA – The UC Theatre
Oct. 18 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
Oct. 20 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
Oct. 21 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
Oct. 23 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
Oct. 24 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
Oct. 26 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues
Oct. 27 – Milwaukee, WI – The RaNew York Philadeplohave
Oct. 28 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
Oct. 30 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
Nov. 01 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
Nov. 02 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
Nov. 03 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre
Nov. 04 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
Nov. 06 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
Nov. 07 – Toronto, ON – Rebel
Nov. 08 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
Nov. 09 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
Nov. 10 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
Nov. 13 – New York, NY – PlayStation Theater
Nov. 14 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore
Nov. 15 – Silver Spring, MD – Fillmore Silver Spring
Nov. 16 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
Nov. 17 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
Nov. 18 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
Nov. 20 – Jacksonville, FL – Maverick’s
Nov. 21 – Tampa, FL – The Ritz Ybor
Nov. 23 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – House of Blues
Nov. 24 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live

Mayday Parade ask for a ‘Piece of Your Heart’ in new song, announce new album

Last month, Mayday Parade announced they had left their longtime home of Fearless Records for Rise Record where they would release their sixth studio album. Now, it looks like that brand new album may be in the hands of fans sooner rather than later. On Thursday (May 3), the Florida-founded band formally announced the title and release date for their impending new album.

Titled Sunnyland, the new album will be released on June 15 via Rise Records. Taking to social media, the band confirmed the name and release date for the 13-track album as well as debuted the music video for its first single.

“We’re happy to finally announce our first single ‘Piece of Your Heart’ off of our upcoming album Sunnyland, out June 15 on Rise Records!,” the group posted on all their social media platforms. Watch the emotional video for “Piece of Your Heart” above.

Pre-orders for the new album are currently available on Mayday Parade’s website. Sunnyland is the follow-up to the group’s last effort, 2015’s Black Lines.

In support of the band’s new record, they will hit the road this summer on the final Vans Warped Tour. Those upcoming tour dates can be found here while the complete track listing for Sunnyland can be seen below.

SUNNYLAND TRACK LISTING:

1. “Never Sure”
2. “It’s Hard to Be Religious When Certain People are Never Incinerated By Bolts of Lightning”
3. “Piece of Your Heart”
4. “Is Nowhere”
5. “Take My Breath Away”
6. “Stay the Same”
7. “How Do You Like Me Now”
8. “Where You Are”
9. “If I Were You”
10. “Satellite”
11. “Looks Red, Tastes Blue”
12. “Always Leaving”
13. “Sunnyland”

Mayday Parade sign to Rise Records, tease new music

It’s been a while since fans have heard anything from the Mayday Parade camp. Last year, they embarked on their A Lesson in Romantics tenth anniversary tour, but since then, things have been quiet. On Tuesday (April 10), things changed when the Florida-founded band took to social media to announce some major news. Taking to Twitter, the band unveiled that they had left their longtime record label home of Fearless Records for Rise Records.

The five-piece will now join bands like Issue, Dance Gavin Dance, blessthefall, Sleeping with Sirens, Of Mice and Men, and more on the Oregon-based record label’s roster.

In an Instagram post, the band posted a cryptic teaser, leading fans to speculate what it meant. The short, 30-second clip finds the band in what appears to be some creepy wooded area. Each member has their moment in front of the camera as it zooms in on them. Before the shot can get a full close-up, it goes to an error/static screen and a new member appears. The same thing repeats with only the band member changing. The clip ends with the number six appearing behind the static followed by Rise Record’s logo. Watch Mayday Parade’s cryptic clip here.

“We are very happy to be teamed up with Rise Records for the release of our 6th full length album,” begins a note from frontman Derek Sanders about joining forces with Rise Records.

“Rise has done a fantastic job with their projects and it’s clear that they are passionate about the music they help put out into the world. We appreciate the fact that they believe in our band still after all these years and we are so excited for everyone to hear what we’ve been working on. Thank you all!”

Mayday Parade’s still-in-the-works sixth studio album will be the follow-up to the group’s 2015 release, Black Lines.

Mayday Parade announces release of ‘A Lesson in Romantics’ anniversary edition

Mayday Parade fans already have a massive tour to look forward to in 2017, but now, the band has unveiled an even bigger treat for those longtime followers. On Friday (Jan. 27), the Florida-founded band announced plans to release an anniversary edition of their debut record, A Lesson in Romantic. The re-issue is set to be released on March 17 and will feature six previously unreleased tracks as well as a brand new song. Pre-orders are currently available on iTunes while bundle pre-orders are being offered on the band’s website.

In addition to the re-issue announcement, the band has also released the music video for “Black Cat,” one of the songs featured on the original version of A Lesson in Romantics. In the clip, frontman Derek Sanders seems to get hit by every single bad luck superstition throughout the barely three-and-a-half minute video. He walks under a ladder, ends up at a house that’s unit number of 13, there’s an upside down horseshoe over the fireplace in the living room, there’s a broken mirror in the bathroom, and of course a black cat just hanging around. The music video for “Black Cat” can be seen above.

In support of A Lesson in Romantic‘s decade anniversary, the band announced in December plans to hit the road in the spring. The “A Lesson in Romantics Tenth Anniversary Tour” will kick off on March 23 at the House of Blues in New Orleans and wrap up two and a half months later on May 26 in their home state of Florida at the House of Blues in Orlando. Knuckle Puck and Milestones are set to open for Mayday throughout the excursion. At the moment, there are several sold out shows which resulted in Mayday adding a couple of more dates to their previously announced schedule. Tickets can be found here while the full list of tour dates can be found here.

Last week, it was revealed that Mayday will join the list of artists set to hit the high seas this fall for the inaugural Warped Rewind at Sea. For more information about that, head on over here.

Mayday Parade, The Juliana Theory, Story of the Year added to Warped Rewind at Sea

Back in December, the inaugural Warped Rewind at Sea was announced. The music-centric cruise would take all the good aspects of the annual punk rock music festival known as the Vans Warped Tour and place it on a boat instead of a hot parking lot. During the announcement, it was also revealed that 3OH!3, Bowling for Soup, Cartel, Good Charlotte, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Simple Plan, and the Starting Line would all perform during the four-night excursion. At the time, Warped Tour founder, Kevin Lyman had promised that many more artists would be revealed at a later time.

On Thursday (Jan. 19), more Warped Tour veterans were added to the lineup. Mayday Parade, Story of the Year, Face to Face, The Juliana Theory, and Underoath’s Aaron Gillespie would also be hitting the high seas at the end of October/beginning of November.

The announcement was officially made on the music cruise’s social media accounts. “Let’s go! Story of the Year, Mayday Parade, The Juliana Theory, Face to Face, Aaron Gillespie, and the Emo Band are joining the party,” says the high-sea music festival’s Twitter accompanied by a short clip announcing the additions.

Warped Rewind at Sea will take place during the weekend of Oct. 28, 2017-Nov. 1, 2017. The excursion will include a four-night round-trip cruise from New Orleans to Cozumel, Mexico. In addition to the lengthy list of performers, the cruise will also feature DJs, comedians, a Q&A session with Lyman, activities and autograph sessions with the artists, “Emo Nite” parties, and more. Tickets for Warped Rewind at Sea are currently available on the event’s website here.