More than 20 years after their debut in 2003 and following nearly a 10-year hiatus, Motion City Soundtrack is back with a new album, The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World.
The album is set to release Sept. 19 via Epitaph Records. Its lead single, “She Is Afraid,” is already out and was created during the making of the band’s 2015 album Panic Stations, which featured quirky vocal delivery and shifty guitar riffs. The single also comes with a Severance-inspired music video.
The single reignited the band’s passion and excitement for making music. “As soon as I heard Josh’s bonkers guitar part, I flipped out. I don’t know how he does it,” said lead vocalist Justin Pierre. “I’d been listening to a lot of Del the Funky Homosapien around the time of writing the lyrics, and I think his influence comes out a bit in the verses (but hopefully in a way that doesn’t sound totally derivative).”
Motion City Soundtrack consists of Pierre on vocals and guitar, Joshua Cain on guitar, Matt Taylor on bass, Jesse Johnson on keyboards, and Tony Thaxton on drums.
The Minnesota-based group originally performed from 1997 to 2016, releasing six albums and touring extensively worldwide. Their last live performance was in 2019, and the band is thrilled that fans remain enthusiastic and optimistic about their return.
That fan excitement has fueled the band creatively. “When we started conceptualizing the idea for this record, I was thinking about what we loved about doing this originally,” Cain said.
The band collaborated with producer Sean O’Keefe, known for his work with Fall Out Boy and Plain White T’s, to record the new album. Their goal is to blend their signature sound with new elements that longtime fans and new listeners alike can appreciate.
“It’s almost like I felt I didn’t have an identity [in the past], and now by working through the hard stuff, I know who I am,” Pierre said.
The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World Tracklist:
- Some Wear a Dark Heart
- She Is Afraid
- Particle Physics (feat. Patrick Stump)
- You Know Who the F— We Are
- Melancholia
- Your Days Are Numbered (feat. Mat Kerekes)
- Downer
- Mi Corazón
- Bloodline
- Things Like This (feat. Sincere Engineer)
- The Same Old Wasted Wonderful World
Motion City Soundtrack will also hit the road this summer with the following scheduled tour dates:
June 27 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Summerfest
July 19 – Saint Paul, Minnesota – Minnesota Yacht Club Festival
Keep up with Motion City Soundtrack: WEBSITE // INSTAGRAM // FACEBOOK // X
