We Demand Parachutes extend their community with ‘Hungover You’
Boston alt-rock trio unleash a powderkeg new single on September 2
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We Demand Parachutes play Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Virginia on September 10
Photo Credit: Alexandra Pires
BOSTON, MA [September 2, 2022] – Labor Day weekend often marks the end – of the summer, of vacations, of the long carefree days spent doing a whole lot of nothing but partying and feeling good. But for We Demand Parachutes, Labor Day weekend is the start of a new era, one that begins with the release of the alt-rock trio’s explosive new single “Hungover You.” The track hits the streams on Friday, September 2, with the official music video to follow a week later on September 9, the day before the band appears at Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Virginia alongside Slipknot, Ghost, Disturbed and others.
Full-throttle from the first press of the play button, “Hungover You” was produced by Alan Day of Worcester pop-punk heroes Four Year Strong, and serves as the addictive first taste of We Demand Parachutes’ forthcoming EP Outside The Null Field, set for impact in November. “Hungover You” is the jump-off into new and exciting territories for the Maine-born, Boston-based group, and though the track arrives at the end of summer, that feeling of endless fun and never-ending good times is solidified at its core as it explodes out of the speakers. It’s the conduit for a personal connection between We Demand Parachutes’ three core members – vocalist and guitarist Kevin McCord, bassist and programmer Seth Richardson, and drums and percussionist Ben Shumaker – and their creative community of friends, fans and collaborators that spans far and wide.
“‘Hungover You’ evolved as a joyful song about friendship and community,” the band says. “The verses reference our good friends in Boston and partying until late and then going home to work on writing music in Kevin’s basement. A lot of our songs are thematically darker; this EP in particular references anxiety, mental health and coming home from war. ‘Hungover You’ juxtaposes those themes and celebrates having a voice and making music with a group of friends in a positive, receptive creative community. We like to think we explore the darker themes on the album but leave the listener with a moment of positivity and gratitude.”
That gratitude shines through across a spectrum of energetic bliss on “Hungover You,” as the band – which takes its moniker from McCord’s time deployed overseas as a green beret in the United States Military – linked up with Day to augment a sound built up since formation a few years ago. This track, like We Demand Parachutes’ previous six singles dating back to their 2019 debut “Cameraman,” and to last year’s “Lost Her Mind” collab with Olivia Castriota, was mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering in Maine – where each member grew up as kids.
“‘Hungover You’ began as a demo several years ago and underwent a long period of tracking and mixing it to final form,” the band admits. “We had started to make release plans when the opportunity to work with Alan arose. We knew it was a strong contender for a potential record and were excited about the perspective that Alan could bring. In the studio, ‘Hungover You’ was the third song we worked on, and Alan brought great ideas that took the song beyond our expectations. One of those changes occurred during pre-production when Alan introduced an idea for a new chord progression in the chorus that led with the minor 6th in the key and progressed up the scale. This is fun from a songwriting perspective because it gives some minor chord tonality to a very uplifting and major sounding song.”
We Demand Parachutes describe working with Day as “a perfect example of exceptional collaboration,” as the producer took the initial shape of the song and helped further shape it into the melodic, super-polished pop powderkeg it is today. Working with Day was the normally DIY trio’s first experience working with a producer, “and it blew us all away what an external perspective can bring… Alan has been both a songwriter and musician on projects we have listened to and loved for years so adding his perspective as a fourth member was incredible.”
Day’s experience working with a host of artists that We Demand Parachutes cite as influences, from Knuckle Puck and Can’t Swim to Seaway and Cherie Amour, and, of course, Day’s own Four Year Strong, helped crystalize a sound that skips a rock across a genre pond to touch on elements of pop, post-hardcore, indie, pop-punk, and emo. But what emerges as “Hungover You” defies any easy categorization – it’s the type of song that transcends scenes and cliques and resides in its own sense of confident cool. And it sets an exciting pace for the four-track Outside The Null Field EP, the band’s most cohesive and over-arching release to date, that will arrive in the fall. This song, like the others, will be on full display as the band brings an energetic and upfront live show to stages across New England and New York – and down to Blue Ridge for the festival crowd.
“‘Hungover You’ is the high energy single, setting the tone for an EP that picks you up and never puts you down,” the band says. “Thematically we explore concepts of anxiety, nostalgia, and existential dread, and ‘Hungover You’ represents a positive reprieve within that. This EP is autobiographical and authentic to who we are in our own lives. You can expect to hear a lot of dynamic progressions with a focus on storytelling. We feel that our sound has come into its own through the creation of this EP, and we couldn’t be more excited. Ultimately, we want to connect with people.”
Media Contact: Please direct all press inquiries to We Demand Parachutes at wedemandparachutes@gmail.com or Michael Marotta at michael@publisist.co.
‘Hungover You’ single 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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‘Hungover You’ production credits:
Written by Seth Richardson, Kevin McCord, 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 will 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. The first single, titled “Hungover You,” drops in the first week of September. This new music coincides with We Demand Parachutes’ arrival to the biggest stage they have ever played at Blue Ridge Rock Festival 2022 in Virginia, 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:
The Boston Globe, idobi Radio, Goldie’s Garage on SiriusXM, Area Code 207 Radio Hour, GBH Boston, 570 Press, The Music Bugle, Punk Rocks, Rolling Stone India, Gigradar, Radio Wigwam, Popternative, Keep It Posi, Tinnitist, and other fine publications, podcasts, and programs.
Early media praise for We Demand Parachutes:
“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
“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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