Sometimes the best way to deal with a break-up is to write a batch of great songs about it, turn up the amplifiers and just rock out. Relient K prove this with their new album Forget And Not Slow Down, out October 6th on their Mono vs. Stereo label. The band pushes boundaries, carrying the break-up album into the 21st century, tweaking it with clear-eyed songwriting and a four-to-the-floor optimism that is positively refreshing. As lead singer and songwriter Matt Thiessen sings on the rousing title track, “I’d rather forget and not slow down than gather regret for the things I can’t change now.â€
Forget And Not Slow Down marks a major achievement for the band, who has been making the real thing since 1997, when Thiessen and Hoopes formed the band in high school. In the decade since, they’ve released five full-length albums (three are certified Gold), five EPs and a Christmas record, toured the globe, and more. The Los Angeles Times has praised Relient K for “its smart blend of punk pop and power pop, weaving together influences as diverse as the Beach Boys, Blink-182 and Fountains of Wayne†while Spin noted, “Few bands play punk-influenced modern rock as proficiently.â€
With anticipation high from fans the world over and upcoming tour dates, the band’s hopes for Forget And Not Slow Down are simple. “The songs that tend to be the fan favorites in the past are the ones about making mistakes but ultimately moving past them,†guitarist Matt Hoopes says. “And this record has a lot of that feeling. No matter what trials you encounter in your life, it doesn’t have to be the end of your story. You can move on and be happy and experience joy.â€
Listen to “Forget and Not Slow Down” here or in the player below:
Tour Dates
September 5 – Revelation Farms – Frenchtown, NJ
September 11 – River Stage Brisbane – Brisbane, Queensland
September 12 – Hisense Arena – Melbourne, Victoria
September 19 – Sydney Showground – Sydney, New South Wales
October 1 – Toad’s Place – New Haven, CT
October 2 – TLA – Philadelphia, PA
October 3 – Crazy Donkey – Farmingdale, NY
October 4 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
October 6 – Recher Theatre – Towson, MD
October 8 – Bijou Theatre – Knoxville, TN
October 9 – Amos’ Southland – Charlotte, NC
October 10 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
October 11 – Rocketown – Nashville, TN
October 13 – House of Blues – Chicago, IL
October 14 – The Cabooze – Minneapolis, MN
October 15 – Beaumont Club – Kansas City, MO
October 16 – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO
October 19 – Palladium Showroom – Dallas, TX
October 20 – Warehouse Live – Houston, TX
October 21 – Rose State College – Midwest City, OK
October 22 – Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK
October 23 – People’s Court – Des Moines, IA
October 24 – The Pageant – St Louis, MO
November 19 – Bryce Jordan Center – University Park, PA *
November 20 – Hammerstein Ballroom – New York, NY *
November 21 – Patriot Center – Fairfax, VA *
November 22 – Mellon Arena – Pittsburgh, PA *
November 28 – ASU Convocation Center – Jonesboro, AR *
November 29 – Broadbent Arena – Louisville, KY *
December 3 – Huntington University Merillat Complex – Ft. Wayne, IN *
December 4 – McLeod Center – Cedar Falls, IA *
December 5 – Alerus Center – Grand Forks, ND *
December 6 – Bismarck Civic Center – Bismarck, ND *
December 8 – Qwest Arena – Boise, ID *
December 10 – Star Theatre – Spokane, WA *
December 11 – A.E.S.C – Abbotsford, BC *
December 12 – ShoWare Center – Kent, WA *
December 13 – OSF Pavilion – Salem, OR *
December 17 – Selland Arena – Fresno, CA *
December 18 – Orleans Arena – Las Vegas, NV *
December 19 – Citizens Bank Arena – Ontario, CA *
December 20 – Dodge Theatre – Phoenix, AZ *
* w/ Toby Mac, Stephanie Smith, and B. Reith
For more information on Relient K, go to http://relientk.com/, http://www.myspace.com/relientk, and
http://twitter.com/RelientK.
