Brand New

Although the musicians in Brand New had previously played in hardcore groups, they pursued a melodic direction from the outset, favoring punk-pop textures on their first full-length and later folding in indie-rock influences. The quartet came together in Long Island, New York, in 2000, built around drummer Brian Lane, vocalist/guitarist Jesse Lacey, bassist Garrett Tierney, and guitarist Vin Accardi. A self-released demo quickly drew regional notice, while early shows supporting Midtown and Glassjaw extended the group’s reach beyond New York. Their debut album, Your Favorite Weapon, arrived in 2001 with production from longtime associate Mike Sapone; Lacey’s incisive lyrics anchored the set, which spawned the semi-hit “Jude Law and a Semester Abroad,” and further road work alongside Taking Back Sunday and Finch followed.

The band demonstrated greater range on Deja Entendu, a more developed sophomore effort tracked with Steve Haigler (Pixies, Blake Babies) and issued in summer 2003 to favorable notices. Music videos for “The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows” and “Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades” received steady MTV rotation, enabling Brand New to headline larger rooms while touring with New Found Glory, Good Charlotte, Dashboard Confessional, and blink-182. That autumn the quartet signed with Dreamworks, a relationship that transitioned into an Interscope partnership after the former label was acquired.

Extensive touring paused while the members retreated to prepare their third album and major-label debut. Following a prolonged period with minimal public updates, Brand New resurfaced in summer 2006 for their first coast-to-coast headline run in three years. The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me surfaced in November 2006; although markedly darker and slower to unfold than earlier material, the record earned praise for its emotional weight, and a sold-out spring 2007 tour supported it. Sales of Deja Entendu persisted, pushing the album to gold status that May. Work on a fourth album began a year later, again with producer Mike Sapone; the resulting Daisy appeared in 2009, its marketing campaign aimed almost exclusively at European audiences.

A deluxe edition of Your Favorite Weapon surfaced in 2011. In subsequent years the band played only occasionally as members pursued side projects, prompting breakup speculation. After an extended break they issued several new singles in 2016 and, in August 2017, delivered their fifth album, Science Fiction. Released eight years after its predecessor, the set became Brand New’s first to reach the top of the Billboard album charts.