Against the Current

Against the Current emerged in the 2010s as a rock trio leaning toward pop, first issuing a run of pop-punk EPs that echoed early Paramore before steering toward the gleaming synth textures of MisterWives and Chvrches on their initial full-length albums, In Our Bones (2016) and Past Lives (2018). Three years afterward the group resurfaced with the forceful EP Fever.

The band took shape in Poughkeepsie, New York, during 2011 when singer Chrissy Costanza joined forces with guitarist and singer Dan Gow plus drummer Will Ferri. Early momentum came from YouTube clips of covers, among them Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Good Time” alongside Kelly Clarkson’s “Catch My Breath.” Their opening material sat firmly on the melodic, upbeat side of pop-punk, a direction highlighted by the 2014 single “Closer, Faster,” which surfaced on the debut EP Infinity.

Following an entirely acoustic release, the trio unveiled their third EP, Gravity, in 2015, drawing notice from the independent label Fueled by Ramen. Once signed, they rolled out singles throughout early 2016 ahead of the May arrival of In Our Bones; the album climbed to number two on both the U.K. rock chart and the U.S. Heatseekers tally. In 2018 several preview tracks preceded the second album, Past Lives, and, much like their noted influence Paramore, the band embraced a more overtly pop direction through the beat-heavy synth numbers “Voices” and “Almost Forgot.” The year 2021 brought the EP Fever, which featured the singles “That Won’t Save Us” and “Weapon.”