The Wonder Years | photo courtesy of Big Picture Media
Watch the music video for The Wonder Years’ powerful slow-burner, “Cigarettes & Saints”
Forget the obsession with pizza and complaining about your hometown. Everyone has to grow up sometime, even pop-punk bands. It looks like Lansdale, PA’s The Wonder Years are finally coming to terms with that fact.
The band just released the new music video for their song “Cigarettes and Saints”, taken off their upcoming fifth studio album, No Closer to Heaven. The video was directed by Jeremi Mattern and shot in Austin, TX. It depicts a girl who’s upset with her current life. She runs away and leaves behind only a note.
The song starts out as a hush, as lead vocalist Dan “Soupy” Campbell rambles about a friend who overdosed on drugs and who was disrespected at their funeral. It seems he picked up some of the tone from his solo project, Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties. But as the song picks up, Campbell shouts, “I’m sure there ain’t a heaven / But that don’t mean I don’t like to picture you there,” and the signature Wonder Years sound kicks in.
In addition to the downcast and anthemic lyrics, The Wonder Years also experimented with doubling and even tripling instruments in this new single. Two drummers can be seen and heard, and at the end, Campbell picks up a guitar for the last few power chords. This single, along with “Cardinals”, which premiered back in June, are sure to get everyone stoked on the new release.
No Closer to Heaven will be out on September 4 via Hopeless Records. For each record pre-ordered through MerchNow, the band will donate a dollar to one of four charities. Upon check out, fans will be prompted to select one charity where the donation made through their purchase will be sent. Proceeds will help benefit The Herren Project, Puppies Behind Bars, After-School All-Stars and Futures Without Violence.
The Wonder Years are currently on the 2015 Vans Warped Tour, and they recently announced a string of acoustic in-stores and signings. . The remaining list of dates can be found below.
The Wonder Years Upcoming Tour Dates
2015 Vans Warped Tour
August 01 Salt Lake City, UT – Utah State Fairpark
August 02 Denver, CO – Pepsi Center Parking Lot
August 05 San Diego, CA – Qualcomm Stadium Parking Lot
August 07 Portland, OR – Portland Expo Center
August 08 Seattle, WA- White River Amphitheater
Upcoming In-store dates
*Limited space is available
August 29 – Fingerprints – Long Beach, CA @ 2:30PM
August 29 – Rhino Records – Claremont, CA @ 7:30PM
August 30 – Zia Records – Las Vegas, NV @ 6:00PM
August 31 – Shuga Records – Chicago, IL @ 7:00PM
September 1 – Dearborn Music – Dearborn, MI @ 6:00PM
September 2 – Magnolia Thunderpussy – Columbus, OH @ 6:00PM
September 3 – Gallery of Sound – Wilkes-Barre, PA @ 6:00PM
September 4 – Siren Records – Doylestown, PA @ 7:00PM
September 5 – FYE – Philadelphia, PA @ 1:00PM
September 5 – Sound Garden – Baltimore, MD @ 7:00PM
September 6 – Vintage Vinyl – Fords, NJ @ 6:00PM
September 7 – Looney Tunes – West Babylon, NY @ 6:00PM
September 9 – Rough Trade Records – Brooklyn, NY @ 6:00PM
September 10 – Newbury Comics – Boston, MA @ 6:00PM