Four Year Strong

For their new album, Four Year Strong took more than a few risks. Rather than adhering to the conventions of modern punk and post-hardcore, the Massachusetts quartet – Dan O'Connor (vocals, guitar), Alan Day (vocals guitar), Joe Weiss (bass) and Jake Massucco (drums) – ventured into uncharted territory on In Some Way, Shape, Or Form. due out November 8th on Decaydance / Universal Republic Records.

When it came to writing and recording the new music, there was no hesitation, trepidation or fear. There was just honest, heavy rock with a hearty dose of hardcore attitude and a touch of indie empathy.

Multi-platinum, award-winning producer David Bendeth (Paramore, Papa Roach) challenged the band to reach a new level of self-discovery, emotion and maturity. The group retreated to Bendeth's New Jersey studio in January 2011 to record what would become In Some Way, Shape or Form.

"We pushed ourselves lyrically to talk about deeper emotions and subjects we had avoided in the past," shares Day. "The overall vibe of the band has always been light-hearted. This time around, the songs are darker, and they convey a heavier message. We've grown up a lot. We realized anything we write is still Four Year Strong, and we don't have to close ourselves in a box." Adds O'Connor, "With In Some Way, Shape or Form., we've written the best songs we've ever written. We wanted the record to sound huge and eclectic, and it does. Everything on the album is real. We're baring all and taking risks. We're not trying to fit into a mold; we're trying to break it."

The album's first single "Just Drive" debuted as most added at Modern Rock Radio and premiered on Revolver Magazine's online portal. O'Connor explains, "'Just Drive' is about being on the brink of disaster, and just saying "fuck it" and living your life like there's no tomorrow." The pummeling, yet melodic track echoes that sentiment, firing off an unforgettable chorus. "Stuck In The Middle" bounces with a thrumming, excited energy. Bombastic drum beat and pummeling riffs fuel "The Security of the Familiar, The Tranquility of Repetition," while tracks like "Heaven Wasn't Built To Hold Me" and "The Infected" stand out as instant press-repeat gems with hypnotic hooks.

Four Year Strong's 2007 debut, Rise or Die Trying on I Surrender Records, hit #31 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz loved the band's unique hybrid of hardcore, pop punk, and indie rock and signed them to his Decaydance Records in February 2008. Enemy of the World on Decaydance Records/Universal Motown came out in 2009, debuting at #40 on the Billboard Top 200 with first-week sales over 12,000, and Explains It All followed that same year.

Four Year Strong graces the November 2011 cover of Alternative Press, and is set to headline the magazine's prestigious annual fall trek, The AP Tour. Having previously toured with the likes of Rise Against, Bad Religion, New Found Glory and more, the band is known for delivering a raucous, rowdy, and raw live show that turns audiences everywhere into diehard fans.

The mold has effectively been demolished with In Some Way, Shape, or Form. Day concludes, "This is what we do. Love us or hate us, we are Four Year Strong."