We Demand Parachutes capture the moment with ‘Outside The Null Field’
Boston & Brooklyn alt-rock & pop-punk trio unleash an emphatic debut EP on Friday, November 11
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Nominated for Rock Artist of the Year at the 2022 Boston Music Awards
NOW PLAYING: Listen to singles ‘Hungover You’ and ‘29’ on Spotify
“Pop-punk risers We Demand Parachutes continues its stretch of stellar new releases with its track, ‘29’. It’s throwback pop-punk; a bouncy, nostalgic jam that expertly builds to soaring choruses.” _New Noise Magazine
Photo Credit: Alexandra Pires
BOSTON, MA [November 11 , 2022] – It’s true that a band never really knows what kind of record they’ll make until they step foot in the studio. The process of ideas becoming demos and demos becoming songs can be a daunting one – unless surrounded by the right type of company. We Demand Parachutes found company that soon became family, and the results of their collective efforts are on colorful display as the alt-rock trio unleash debut EP Outside The Null Field on Friday, November 11.
A lifetime in the making and several moments captured in the undertaking, the Maine-born, Boston- and Brooklyn-based band teamed up with producer and co-writer Alan Day of Worcester pop-punk Four Year Strong at Day’s Ghost Hit Recording Studio in West Springfield, Mass., weathering literal storms (a blizzard rolled through at the height of recording) and the creative ones the group brought with them. The end result, produced, engineered, and mixed by Day, was something both unexpected and thrilling for We Demand Parachutes, who until now have only released a handful of standalone singles: A comprehensive four-track record that stands as the young act’s defining body of work.
“We had a ton of ideas on what we wanted this record to be and what we wanted to incorporate,” the band says, “and as soon as we stepped into a room with Alan we completely forgot about that and we just started making music.”
That music shines bright on the lively Outside The Null Field. From recent singles “Hungover You” and “29” to a pair of new songs in “Cigarette Break” and the closing title track, the four-song effort spans a spectrum of genres and emotions, dancing through infectious post-hardcore and alt-rock explosiveness while exploring themes of getting older, looking back at what got each member to this moment, and making sense of the crazy world from which it was conceived.
For a project that unofficially began with singer and guitarist Kevin McCord deployed overseas in the military, camped out in a tent in Africa sending demos back to bassist and programmer Seth Richardson and drummer and percussionist Ben Shumaker back in the States, Outside The Null Field is less a coming out party and more an assertive declaration of arrival. McCord’s background as a green beret in the army lends itself to the band’s We Demand Parachutes moniker, and the Veterans Day release date for the EP is no coincidence, either.
“The plot on this record is really: anxiety, nostalgia, release, acceptance,” admit We Demand Parachutes. “The order of the songs really tells the story of the last couple years for us. The ‘Null Field’ for us is life traps, and all the different and monotonous patterns that we fall into. So much of our world exists in this empty cavern where we constantly receive and recycle information. We feel the sum of who we are is outside of that; it’s joy, it’s love, it’s stress, it’s anxiety, it's all the wonderful and horrible intricacies of existence. This record is us consciously fighting for an opportunity to share our experiences and who we are as people. For us this is exactly what we want to do… This record is a collection of our stories that's been distilled by Day into a discreet moment and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with everyone.”
Those stories are on full panoramic display across Outside The Null Field’s 11-minute runtime. Where August single “Hungover You” was a celebration of youth and the good times that were had,” September follow-up “29” dealt with the struggles of getting older and not living up to expectations. Put either song on at a party and the place would explode in energetic rapture; but underneath We Demand Parachutes’ ultra-glossy exterior is a depth of lyric and music that belies its bubbly neon exterior. The two new tracks follow suit: “Cigarette Break” is a love song entrenched in our sense of memory and nostalgia; and “Outside The Null Field,” the song, follows the mental health approach of “29” but in a darker sense, dealing with acceptance how we cope with the decisions, good or bad, we’ve made along the way.
“To us, this EP tells the story of getting older and realizing that following your dreams isn’t easy, pretty, or always realistic,” they add. “We’ve been a band for so long that has only released singles. For us this is the first body of work that has a cohesive vision that we’ve put out as a band and we couldn’t have put more of our heart and soul into it. We think the record is a great reflection of who we are, where our sound is headed and the band we have grown into.”
Part of that is owed to Day, effectively the fourth member of We Demand Parachutes. McCord, Shumaker, and Richardson all lived in an apartment on the first floor under the Ghost Hit studio during the writing and recording sessions, indulging in take-out and Cheez-Its and hunkering down as a typical New England winter blizzard rolled through town. But being physically as well as mentally and emotionally present with Day at Ghost Hit allowed We Demand Parachutes to immerse themselves in the creative process. Often, they’d not sleep at all, and just constantly write, collaborate, and create. It was a far cry from their previous recording experiences, posting up in basements and spare bedrooms with themselves at the helm and at the board.
“Alan Day was an incredible force in making us see things in a different perspective and try additional ideas,” the band admits. “With that though, we never struggled making this record, it came to life and I think that’s why we love it so much. It is written over deployments, rehearsals, breakups, and breakthroughs in the last few crazy years all coming down to our time at Ghost Hit and working with someone that really understood us and helped draw out all of those moments.”
It started as a best-laid plan. It came out even better than anticipated.
Media Contact: Please direct all press inquiries to We Demand Parachutes at wedemandparachutes@gmail.com or Michael Marotta at michael@publisist.co.
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‘Outside The Null Field’ EP artwork:
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We Demand Parachutes are:
Kevin McCord: Vocals and guitars
Seth Richardson: Bass and programming
Ben Shumaker: Drums and percussion
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‘Outside The Null Field’ production credits:
Written by: Kevin McCord, Seth Richardson, Ben Shumaker and Alan Day
Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Alan Day
Mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering
Artwork by Hannah McCord
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We Demand Parachutes short bio:
We Demand Parachutes are an alternative rock and pop-punk band hailing from Boston and Brooklyn. This year We Demand Parachutes play Virginia’s Blue Ridge Rock Festival, one of the largest rock festivals in the country, and release their debut record, produced by Alan Day of Four Year Strong.
For We Demand Parachutes, the ideology is simple; work with purpose, be grateful, be humble and play every show like it’s the last. The group was incepted originally when guitarist and vocalist Kevin McCord was deployed overseas with the United States Military, while bassist and programmer Seth Richardson and drummer Ben Shumaker were working in live sound. In late 2016 Kevin started sending ideas from a deployment in Africa back to Seth and Ben. After a few demos were passed back and forth it was clear We Demand Parachutes were meant to be writing and producing music together. The group met in North Carolina for two weeks following that deployment and set their sights on creating a sound that could capture their individual stories and experiences. For the first two years, We Demand Parachutes existed over Google Drive and group messages. Everyone lived in separate states and countries. The name "We Demand Parachutes" originated as a tongue-in-cheek conversation when Kevin was attending military free-fall school. Despite the creative limitations of those early years, We Demand Parachutes never stopped writing.
In 2019, the group began releasing music and garnered a tight-knit following based on dynamic live performances, high-energy singles, and outlandish music videos. While COVID put a damper on live music, it didn’t slow the band’s resolve. We Demand Parachutes focused on writing and expanding their following, it became a mantra to “SEND IT” and keep driving forward despite the obstacles. When live concerts reopened in 2021, We Demand Parachutes celebrated the first show back by selling out the Middle East in Cambridge, MA with friends Driveways and Cherie Amour. We Demand Parachutes began playing actively across the Northeast, with shows in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Maine, and Pennsylvania. This included the first festival appearance for the group at LAUNCH in Lancaster, PA in April 2022.
Moving from a complete DIY construct in 2022 was a significant departure for the band. Having the ability to write, edit, mix, direct and record all within the team opened doors for We Demand Parachutes in the beginning. However, always searching for improvement and growth, the group knew they needed the editorial perspective and experience of a producer of caliber. Serendipitously, Alan Day reached out to the group, interested in working together. We Demand Parachutes have individually found inspiration in so many of the records Alan has worked on in the past and the prospect of working together elated the group. Everything felt right about bringing Alan on to produce, co-write, and mix a record.
In January, the group met Alan at Ghost Hit Recording in West Springfield, MA and began working on a record together, a new EP titled Outside The Null Field, set for November release. The first single, titled “Hungover You,” arrived in early September, just before the band played Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Virginia. It was followed by October’s “29,” with plenty more to come for fans in New England and beyond.
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The music of We Demand Parachutes can be found on:
570 Press, 617 Music Reviews, Area Code 207 Radio Hour, Analogue Trash, Bad Copy, Banks Radio Australia, Bay State Rock, Belter Radio UK, Boston Globe, BumbleBee Radio, Christian’s Cosmic Corner (Mark Skin Radio), Code Zero Radio, CTRL Plus Space, Emo Night Boston, Enigma Online, Everything You Know Is Wrong (Salem State WMWM), For The Punks, GBH Boston, Gigradar, Goldie’s Garage on SiriusXM, Good Music Radio, Hive Magazine, Idobi Radio, Jammin’ With JenCat (Belter, Twisted Radio), Keep It Posi, Laura Beth’s Mixtape Show (Reclaimed Radio UK), Mainebrews N Musicreviews, Marc’s Alt Rock Playground (Mark Skin Radio), New Noise Magazine, On The Town With Mikey Dee (WMFO), Original Music Showcase (Mark Skin Radio), PapaPop, Popternative, Punk Rocks, Radio Wigwam, Rising with Skybar (WMFO), Rolling Stone India, Steve Garnett’s New Music Radio, Sunshine Music iRadio, Susse Magazine, The Attic Show (KPISS), The Honey Pop, The Menace's House of Music on Fun Rock Radio UK, The Music Bugle, Tinnitist, WHSN 89.3 FM and other fine publications, podcasts, and programs.
Media praise for We Demand Parachutes:
“Pop-punk risers We Demand Parachutes continues its stretch of stellar new releases with its track, ‘29’. It’s throwback pop-punk; a bouncy, nostalgic jam that expertly builds to soaring choruses.” _New Noise Magazine
“We are so obsessed with this band that it’s not even funny. We Demand Parachutes takes us right back to the early 2000s when songs with this vibe were in every movie and had taken over the mainstream. We need that time back desperately. If anyone can get us back there it’s We Demand Parachutes!” _The Honey Pop
“‘Hungover You’ has a very noughties pop punk sound which is akin to the likes Simple Plan & New Found Glory, there is somewhat of a renaissance of this style of punk which has been aided through the help of TikTok and it must be said, We Demand Parachutes nail this sound with their latest single.” _Hive Magazine
“The Boston/Brooklyn trio got their start through Google Drive, basically, but everything clicked once they got together in person. Enter: Alan Day. The Four Year Strong vocalist/guitarist helped piece together the pop-punk band’s debut album, which is starting to sound like an early-2000s Best Of rock compilation (Lit, American Hi-Fi, Nine Days). While Day certainly plays a part, full credit to the entire trio for very quickly carving out a sound for themselves that anyone can easily fall for.” _idobi Radio
“We Demand Parachutes are the cool kids and the life of the party with their latest energetic pop-punk single… The production element here is top-tier professional, and this track absolutely rips at high volumes with all musical voices finding their own frequency-space within the dense instrumentation. What’s really impressive is how the band effectively modernizes the early-‘00s pop-punk formula by using a strong dose of synths to play out the sections normally reserved for the lead guitar. [They] have lightning in a bottle with this brilliant, post-summer anthem.” _617 Music Reviews
“A slick release was presented by a band called We Demand Parachutes, with a strong pop punk spirit they introduced their newest song, ‘Hungover You’. This Boston-based band presents a bold single with a powerful riff. ‘Hungover You’ feels full of flavor and is strong with the lively pop punk guitar pull and drum beats that spread regularly throughout the song… The spirit of indie bands like this always gives a breath of fresh air that there are still many talented musical bands out there, and WDP should be on our radar, hopefully more releases will come from them.” _ParaPop
“On their first release of the year, Boston indie rockers We Demand Parachutes team up with powerhouse vocalist Olivia Castriota for a shimmering, spacey song called ‘Lost Her Mind’. Seemingly inspired by bands like Angels & Airwaves, there’s a visceral sound enveloped within layers of dreamy guitar melodies …” _Rolling Stone India
“New rock trio alert!! If you’re into rock/pop-punk-esque music, We Demand Parachutes is for you! ‘Hungover You’ sounds like the exact song we want to be at a live show screaming the words to immediately. If you’re a fan of bands like We The Kings, or With Confidence, we think you will love this trio.” _The Honey Pop
“We Demand Parachutes have honed an engaging nostalgic pop-punk sound injected with the band’s own modern take on a wide range of genres. The result offers up a fusion of punk, rock, synthwave, pop, EDM and more in a sound they describe as ‘energetic, reflective and cathartic.’” _Gigradar
“The trio work seamlessly to create a unique sound that mixes elements of big pop hooks and nostalgic 2000’s rock roots.” _The Music Bugle
“The band cites this as a story of nostalgia and resolution… a relationship/breakup song that shares a bit of a positive message. This is just fantastic emo music. The lyrics are poetic, interesting, and the music is dynamic and driving.” _Independent Music Reviews
Press Contact: michael@publisist.co or wedemandparachutes@gmail.com
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