With a quick look around and a scroll up and down our social media feeds, it’s easy to feel the weight of the world and become completely overwhelmed by the chaos that surrounds us. But many have created their own unique ways to stay positive and power through, and for We Demand Parachutes, that involves a heavy dose of what they call “Cheerful Coping.” And it sounds pretty good, no matter what the news may bring.
The Boston and Brooklyn alt-rock and pop-punk trio return with its seismic new single on Friday, April 12. It’s the start of a new chapter for the band, who in 2022 unveiled their debut album Outside The Null Field to wide acclaim and last fall linked up with Fake Feelings for a collaboration called “Still Trying”. The melodic and explosive “Cheerful Coping,” produced and engineered by Alan Day of Four Year Strong, captures the spirit of the modern day – and the little things we do in order to keep moving forward as the world burns around us.
“‘Cheerful Coping’ is the story of the underdog,” says We Demand Parachutes. “There is something powerful in having a mindset of resilience. Like the rest of the world, the three of us have all had some wild life happen these past couple of years. As a band, we’ve adopted the mantra, ‘Cheerful Coping.’ The world’s getting weirder. We think it’s important to keep that positive mindset and keep driving through the obstacles. Life is going to knock you down; you’ve gotta keep standing back up.”
And that’s what We Demand Parachutes are doing on this new single. As vocalist and guitarist Kevin McCord paints a vivid picture of modern-day struggles with relatable lived-in anecdotes and clever wordplay, Ben Shumaker’s drums and percussion add a dynamic thunder to the mix, acting as the undertow that pulls the listener in after taking McCord’s lyrical bait, while Seth Richardson’s low-end bass and programming add a unique depth and complexity.
Add in Day’s studio finish, and what emerges is classic chemistry from We Demand Parachutes: a relentlessly catchy and hyper-polished composition that’s somehow both heavy and airy at the same time. As McCord sings about the “weight of the word,” the music of “Cheerful Coping” seems to crash down all around him with a drama and intensity most bands fail to capture.
“One of the first lyrics written for this song was ‘I’m the king of sleeping in’. The narrative became an acknowledgment that everyone can be the worst version of themselves at times,” the band admits. “The critical point is to find a way to navigate back, despite what the world throws at you, and adopt an attitude of resilience.”
The title track to a new six-track EP due out later this year, “Cheerful Coping” reflects a creative songwriting shift for the band, taking demos and ideas born in isolation and rebuilding them through the pre-production process in the studio with Day at Ghost Hit Recording studio in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Early seeds of the song were first planted by McCord a few weeks after completing Outside The Null Field, and after a heavy workshop on the chorus by the band, the song began to take its current shape.
“During pre-production, we wanted to explore some new sounds and vibes,” says We Demand Parachutes. “We’ve fallen in love with an iterative songwriting process these past few years. Important in our process is the comfort we have working together. If necessary, we can be pretty critical about what avenue correctly serves the song. If an idea isn’t working or doesn’t feel right, we change it. That decisiveness in collaboration and the ability to find a common thread in any discussion feels a bit like our secret sauce.”
And it led to an efficacious new EP, one that maintains the traditional We Demand Parachutes sound but explores new sonic territory that further blurs any notion of staid genre lines.
“We got real weird in the studio,” they say with a laugh. “We spent more time on this record, and that allowed us to sail away on what Alan coined as the ‘vibe journey’, effectively creative experimentation with new instruments, plugins, and patches, reimagining chords and stories to find something outside the box. Everything was on the cutting floor. We narrowed 13 songs to six and then tried to break those down to their most potent components and rebuild.”
The band hopes the title track helps set the tone for what’s ahead over the next several months, both regarding new music and what fans can expect at the We Demand Parachutes live shows. Outside The Null Field remains a source of massive pride for the band, and acted as a breakthrough for the trio – taking them to perform live all over New England, as well as The North by Northeast festival in Toronto and as far south as Virginia’s Blue Ridge Rock Festival. Now they look to extend their reach even farther, connecting with new audiences through a combination of new releases and a healthy slate of upcoming live shows planned for New York, Pennsylvania, the Northeast, and beyond.
It all re-starts with the music, and with “Cheerful Coping,” We Demand Parachutes are once again opening up a little bit of themselves, revealing vulnerabilities and reminding those listening that its three members are just like them. To be human is all part of the coping process, from the global events that dominate our daily news intake, to the little things that humorously bring the band down – such as “anyone not giving it their all, most Massachusetts drivers, and bad bagels.”
Feeling optimistic in a pessimistic world is what We Demand Parachutes are all about. Well, that and cranking out memorable tunes with a purpose and a message.
“There are a ton of bops on this record,” the band concludes. “There is also a lot of introspection, realization, and pain. ‘Cheerful Coping’ is our title track because it distills all that emotion into our macro attitude.”
SOURCE: Official Bio
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