BIO

Download Taking Back Sunday - 152 - Bio

152 BIO

John Nolan (lead guitar, piano, vocals)

Adam Lazzara (lead vocals)

Shaun Cooper (bass)

Mark O’Connell (drums)

They’ve been making music together as a band for more than 20 years, have sold millions of albums—and along the way, amassed a devoted, international fan base. But ask the members of Taking Back Sunday if they still feel a burning desire to make a powerful impact and connect in a big way, and there’s not a moment of hesitation in the response. “I’m gonna try and conquer the world every time,” says lead singer Adam Lazzara with a smile.” Adds drummer Mark O’Connell: ”When we’re writing songs, the one thing we ask ourselves is, ‘will it make people feel something?’ You try to make people feel emotion. That’s the one goal we went in with, and I think we did it.”

This unrelenting pursuit of greatness lies at the heart of 152, Taking Back Sunday’s long-awaited, thrilling eighth studio album (and Fantasy Records debut) out October 27, 2023. Written and refined over the course of several years, the group’s first full-length offering since 2016’s Tidal Wave is a passionate, melody-infused confessional from a band forever known for its honesty and vulnerability. The 10-track LP was produced by Tushar Apte (whom the band met through a mutual collaboration with DJ Steve Aoki) and mixed by Neal Avron (Twenty One Pilots, Bleachers).

“What Mark describes was the process for “Amphetamine Smiles,” notes lead guitarist John Nolan. “When I brought that demo in, the band was vocal about making changes but not from some negative motivation. You have to be able to trust and listen to try to make the song better. We all had to do that constantly throughout the process of making this album, and it shows.”

“I genuinely feel we’re the band that hasn’t stopped and keeps getting better,” says Lazzara proudly of Taking Back Sunday’s unwavering creative spark. Adds bassist Shaun Cooper: “I really feel the sky’s the limit!”

When Taking Back Sunday first sat down together in late 2019 to begin working in earnest on what became 152, the band laid out some ground rules from the outset. They weren’t out to simply add more songs to their already-storied catalog, but rather make a piece of art they could be proud of. “We sat down and said, “Look, nothing mediocre is gonna stay,” recalls Lazzara. “So if you have a mediocre idea, keep simmering on it.”

To that end, so many of the songs that comprise 152 were workshopped like never before. As the band members explain, over the years they’ve learned to love letting a piece of music develop from its initial idea all the way to its sometimes drastically-different finished form. It’s a journey

they’ve undoubtebly been on many times before when making previous albums, but as they found out when making 152, it’s one that continues to thrill them and keep things fresh.

Lazzara gets animated as he describes how so many songs on 152 morphed over the multi-year writing and recording process. Whether it was “S’old” transforming from a punky, Green Day-style rocker into a slow-building, emotion-dripping plea for acceptance, or “I Am The Only One Who Knows You,” which evolved from a galloping rock song into a beatific ballad, so many of the songs that comprise 152 found Taking Back Sunday continually surprising one another with musical ideas in new and exciting ways.

“You would think after 20 years we know what each other is going to do,” offers Lazzara. “But there were so many times making this record where you would hear the initial idea and think, ‘I know where this is going,’ but then was super surprised where it ended up. It’s those kinds of surprises that make it so exciting. That’s why we all still want it so badly.” Adds Cooper: “If you can predict what each other is going to do, then it just becomes a job. It’s not an artistic expression. You’re not trying to grow.”

A major part of that growth is heard explicitly in 152’s unguarded lyrics: 20-plus years into Taking Back Sunday, Lazzara and Nolan are peeling back the curtain like never before. From the heartfelt recollections of the album’s epic opener “Amphetamine Smiles,” (We talked until the sun came up/It meant so much/we can’t remember what/You better save yourself before you try and save somebody else”), to the expressive yearning in lead single “The One” (“You were the one/Put me at ease/Brought out my best/I let you in/You ignored the mess/You didn’t mind”), listeners are invited into the songwriter’s collective heart.

“It’s often hard to turn off those other voices in your head: ‘OK, we gotta do what people expect. This is our lane,’ explains Lazzara. “I have to step out of that skin. We learned with Tidal Wave that if it’s the four of us playing it’s going to sound like Taking Back Sunday. Once we really embraced that sentiment, the world was our oyster. We were freed up to take chances.”

On the subject of the band’s renowned live performances, O’Connell didn’t mince words. “There’s no question, when it comes to the stage, no one is getting left behind,” he declared. “No one wants to be the weak link. We all want to step up our game up because we love it. The amount of effort we give on stage is crazy, especially with Nathan Cogan Post, who performs with us on the road. He’s a very big part of that effort as well. When you get a little older, you don’t want to waste time, time is what we got, so let’s make the most of it.”

When it came time to title the project, 152 was the only option. A section of road in North Carolina between Highpoint, Chapel Hill and Raleigh where the band and their friends would meet up as teenagers before seeing shows, 152 has become synomynous with Taking Back Sunday and has appeared in some form on every one of their album covers.

“We wanted something that represents us as a band and who we are now,” says Cooper of the title. “The universe was pointing us in that direction. This is what we have to do.” Adds Lazzara, “It was right there waiting for us. It was a nod to all our friends and our people.”

Revitalized and unusually optimistic, Taking Back Sunday is ready to embrace what lies ahead. “Normally it’s like, this is working right now, let’s just go with it and see what happens,” admits Lazzara. “But the process of making this record has helped get me to a point where I’m looking ahead. I’m so excited about the possibilities. You’ve got to keep moving forward. We need to continue building onto this wonderful world.”

Credits

ARTIST: Taking Back Sunday
TITLE: 152
LABEL: Fantasy
STREET DATE: October 27, 2023

Written and recorded by Shaun Cooper, Adam Lazzara John Nolan, and Mark O’Connell
Produced and engineered by Tushar Apte
‘S’old’ Written by Shaun Cooper, Adam Lazzara, John Nolan, Mark O’Connell, and Tushar Apte
‘Quit Trying’ Written by Shaun Cooper, Adam Lazzara, John Nolan, Mark O’Connell, and Nathan Cogan Post
Additional words and melodies on ‘New Music Friday’ by Camille Nolan
Piano on ‘Quit Trying’ by Nathan Cogan Post
Strings on ‘Amphetamine Smiles’ by Nick Montopoli
Additional Production/Engineering on ‘Quit Trying’ by Matt Keller
Additional Engineering by
Kyle Black
Zack Sisco
Matt Breunig
Alec Eitrem
Raoul Ahmad
Matt Keller
Frank Mitaritonna

Recorded at:
West Alley Recording, Van Nuys CA
Battle Born Studios, Las Vegas NV
Deepend Music Studios, Burbank CA
Vu Du Studio, Port Jefferson NY
8123 Studios, Phoenix AZ

Mixed by Neal Avron
Mixed at the Casita, Hollywood, CA
Mix assistant: Scott Skrzynski
Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound
Assisted by Justin Shturtz
Published by iwillendyouinc. (ASCAP) Publishing administration by Kobalt
‘S’old’ Published by iwillendyouinc. (ASCAP) administered by Kobalt / Ivory Bull Publishing (APRA/ASCAP) / WB Music Corp.
‘Quit Trying’ Published by iwillendyouinc. (ASCAP) Publishing administration by Kobalt / Fox Harbor Publishing (BMI).

Executive Produced and Managed by Jillian Newman
Legal Scott Bradford at Selverne Bradford Pllc
Creative Direction by Djay Brawner

Thanks to all of those folks and additional thanks to: Chelsea Avery, Tim Kirch and The Maine, Ronnie Vannucci Jr. and The Killers, Bennett Kaufman, Brad Wiseman, Jacob Bialosky, Chris Waldorf, Jay Zubricky, Chris Grainger, Louie Bandak and with love to Sydney & Tanya Oppenheim

To our forever favorite pinch hitter back-up vocalist Michael Oppenheim, where do we begin? You will be missed.

Thank you to: The Cooper Family, The Lazzara Family, The Nolan Family and The O’Connell Family. Matt Galle, Rachel Pestik, Sydney Weltman, Claire Macleod, Josh Javor, Mai Pho, Krista Wayner, Nicole Hulik, Brad Swart, Barbara Wintrob, Emma Van Duyts, Brad Filip, Brad Peterson and Benchmark Merchandising, Andrew Sprague, David ‘Suge’ Jun, Eric Price, Derek Gramke, Scott Sprague, Zack Cannon, Darryl Jones and Shockwave, Matt Marshall, and our new friends at Fantasy Records, and as always, thanks to all of you!

Thank you to these fine people for connecting us with these fine products:

Gretsch Drums / Andrew Shreve
Sabian Cymbals / Christian Stankee
Gibraltar Hardware / Brent Barnett
Vater Sticks / Chad Brandolini
Remo Percussion / Roger Johnson
Fender Guitars and Amplification / Billy Siegle
Taylor Guitars / Jay Parkin
Ernie Ball / Tim Dove
Temple Audio / Cas Bitner
One Control Effects / Tomokaz Kawamura
Origin Effects / Alex Auxier
Souldier Straps / Jen Tabor
Shure Audio / Cory Lorentz
Walrus Audio / Philip Hunsicker

℗ & © 2023 Fantasy Records. Manufactured for and Distributed by Concord, 10 Lea Avenue, Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37210. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws. FAN02239

TRACK LIST:

Amphetamine Smiles (xx:xx)
S’old (xx:xx)
The One (xx:xx)
Keep Going (xx:xx)
I Am The Only One Who Knows You (xx:xx)
Quit Trying (xx:xx)
Lightbringer (xx:xx)
New Music Friday (xx:xx)
Juice 2 Me (xx:xx)
The Stranger (xx:xx)

Lyrics

Amphetamine Smiles

Standing on the corner you were waiting for me

It must’ve been past midnight

I started thinking to myself it’s been a bad couple years

Soon everything will be alright

The moon shines down on amphetamine smiles

We’ve finally got some time to kill

You ask if I can make the best of these bad decisions

I can

and I will

We talked until the sun came up

It meant so much

we can’t remember what

You better save yourself before you try and save somebody else

Now this is all you have

A moment that we won’t ever get back

(You won’t remember)

Better save yourself before you try and save somebody else

Half drunk Messiah with a smile on her face

She told me not to take them pills

I said girl you have no faith in medicine

Love you like a brother

Love you like no other

I’m going to love you like no other can

I am going to love you because no other can

S’old

I was at a loss,

call me conjecture

You seemed happy enough to have me stay

am one of god’s great creatures

Science never lies it only learns

I could use a bit of both

A little less your high hopes

A little more your love

Used to be I stood a head taller

Long before your legs began to sway

Beneath the weight

I could use a bit of both

A little less your case load

A little more your love

You’re going to get s’old

You’re going to get so old

You’re gonna get so old either way

The One

I took my time

I held my tongue

Knew all along

That you were the one

You were the one

Put me at ease

Brought out my best

I let you in

You ignored the mess

You didn’t mind

So I didn’t mind

Because you were the one

Oh, I’m better off for betting

I’d be better off forgetting

Go big

Or go home

If only

If I was the one

Like you’re my one

You are the one

Now I’m close enough to reach you

All the walls that I could see through

Still the words that I can’t say go on and on and on

So now I’m giving you

That little bit

Of time you said

You needed then

Because you’re the one

Go big or go home

Keep Going

You could forget about the devil but the devil won’t forget about you

Just because you’re winning that don’t mean you’ve got nothing to lose

I saw you walking down Lennox

Real human teeth

A mouth full of promise

No guarantees

You say its all over now

Call it blood under the bridge

You say what’s done is done

You don’t know what you did

I know what you did

Long past, Summer on my teeth

Long since you meant everything to me

Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen

Nobody knows the trouble you’ve been

I’ve got no reason to be here

Im just trying to tell you the truth

Preaching to the choir never felt so fucking good

You said it’s all over now

Call it blood under the bridge

The problem isn’t that I’ve changed

The problem is that you’ve stayed the same

You boot stomping

Blood letting

Son of a bitch

I know what you’re doing

I know what you did

Nobody knows the trouble you’ve been

I Am The Only One Who Knows You

Held down

Turned on

Tuned out

Killed off

Drink it up

Because enough is never enough

Keep them out

Let them in

Unrepentant

Unforgiven

Holy hell

High heaven

It’s a destination wedding

And I’m the only one who knows you

I’m the only one who knows

There’s a feeling there’s a promise there’s an innocence gone

And it’s not coming back so you keep moving on

I am the only one who knows you

Give a smile

Give a nod

Find yourself

Find your god

Holy hell

Tell yourself

It’s a match made in heaven

I am the only one who knows you

Staring blank in the mirror you’ve got nothing to prove

Because you can’t see yourself the way they see you

I am the only one who knows you

Quit Trying

Whatever you heard

It’s true

All of the worst parts

All up for auction

I was a kid then,

Didn’t know better

You won’t have to look far

Or hard

Just up and away

Fire away

Say my name, Say my name

Fire away

Imma always find my way

I am going to always find my way right back

To this place

Right back

To my name

I just quit trying

Something safe words

Make you vibrant

Northern Lightning

Ultra Violet

I just keep trying

Say my name

Fire away

Oh me,

Oh my

I just quit trying

Lightbringer

You try not to think about it

Because you don’t know what to call it when those

banshees in your head

coming to collect

Five o’clock

‘round dinner

Dancing in the mirror

Caught them

kissing on the tail end of the truck

You were happy once

Or am I making it all up

Am I making it

Make it up

You wore your hair back

Back when

Not sure now

Had to have been

Skin tight

Where’s that life

I can’t remember when we crossed that line

Oh it’s just like you

It’s just like you said

Hell is what you’re gonna get

Thinking only about you only

How could you not have been in love

Or am I making it all up

Not sure how

Had to have been

Skin tight

Where’s that light

I can’t remember when we crossed that line

Are we making it all up

Are we making it

Make it up

We make it work

New Music Friday

The best laid plans of rats and men

You know it’s never gonna end

Moving slow

Stone cold hands

Dragging anchors through the sand

I don’t know

I’ll see you there

Tell myself I don’t care

That’s a lie I tell myself this all the time

I tell myself that I don’t mind

Do you need somebody else

Can you live inside yourself

Do you need somebody else

I can’t be

I can’t be somebody else

The best laid plans of rats and men

You know it’s never gonna end

So if we’re embers in the clouds

When are we coming down?

Everything that’s gone, will come back

Everything I know, you’ll forget

Everything that’s lost, Found again

It’s never going to end

I can’t be somebody else

I tell myself that I don’t mind

I tell myself this all the time

Juice 2 Me

You’re a voice I needed out of my head

White cross stuck in the sand

And now that you’re gone

I’m glad you’re gone

Talking out the side of your mouth

I could hear you all the way from the back of the house

What you said,

you knew nothing about

You should have been ashamed to be so proud

I’ve been broken down in so many ways

Sick of myself too scared to change

I’ve been waiting for the day to come

When all that’s left is moving on

You’re a voice I needed out of my head

Talking all the time

Leaving so much left unsaid

I’m glad you’re gone

I love you but I’d rather live without you

You became a weight around my neck

One regret onto the next

Hitting at the same dead end

Over and over and over and over and over

Over again

You’re a voice I need out of my head

I’m glad you’re gone

The Stranger

Every time you bend

Living for the rent

Tighter every time going gets hard

Shouldn’t have to be this hard

Don’t you get lonely?

Like I know you get lonely?

C’mon, act like you know me

Don’t you get lonely?

Ritalin the meter

Don’t make much sense

I know a couple guys that’s gonna handle it

The problem in the mirror

It don’t take no shit

Because I know a couple guys

that’s going to handle it

There you go again

Leaning on the fence

Why’s it always have to be this hard

Shouldn’t have to be this god damned hard

Why would you give me that look?

Is what you’ve got in the trunk,

It opens

My love is a Diesel engine

Taking Back Sunday – 152

Taking Back Sunday – 152

Taking Back Sunday – 152