Biography
Off with Their Heads emerged from Minneapolis as a punk outfit renowned for relentless touring and a fluid roster revolving around guitarist and singer Ryan Young. Shifting away from their earlier focus on sporadic vinyl releases, the group expanded their rapid, tuneful rock approach across longer records such as the 2013 effort Home and the 2019 release Be Good. In 2022, they put out Calm/Collected, which gathered acoustic renditions of tracks spanning their career.
The band came together in 2002, drawing personnel from established Minneapolis punk and hardcore acts including Dillinger Four, Dear Landlord, Banner Pilot, and the Fake Boys. Centered on the gritty, intense subjects in vocalist Ryan Young's compositions, they primarily issued a steady stream of EPs and split 7-inches over an extended period. With an emphasis on nonstop live performances, Off with Their Heads kept their membership flexible to facilitate frequent travel. Their 2007 output All Things Move Toward Their End compiled standout tracks from years of vinyl-only material. The following year saw the arrival of From the Bottom, marking their debut full-length album, accompanied by a self-produced video for the track "Fuck This, I'm Out." 2010 brought In Desolation, the first project under their new association with Epitaph. Even as Home came out in 2013 as their third album, the lineup continued to rotate, though Justin Francis had become a steady presence on drums, enhancing Young's tense punk material.
After experiencing a mental health crisis during the Home tour, Young paused his road activities but returned with the acoustic record Won't Be Missed in 2016. Off with Their Heads ramped up the energy again in 2019 via Be Good, where Young contemplated his relocation to Chicago and the challenges of adapting to unfamiliar surroundings. The COVID-19 pandemic halted their touring in 2020, prompting the release of Character, which revisited Won't Be Missed as a follow-up by presenting bare arrangements of various originals plus several covers. Wrong, a two-track EP, surfaced the next year, and 2022 marked the appearance of Calm/Collected, combining the acoustic sets from Won't Be Missed and Character.
The band came together in 2002, drawing personnel from established Minneapolis punk and hardcore acts including Dillinger Four, Dear Landlord, Banner Pilot, and the Fake Boys. Centered on the gritty, intense subjects in vocalist Ryan Young's compositions, they primarily issued a steady stream of EPs and split 7-inches over an extended period. With an emphasis on nonstop live performances, Off with Their Heads kept their membership flexible to facilitate frequent travel. Their 2007 output All Things Move Toward Their End compiled standout tracks from years of vinyl-only material. The following year saw the arrival of From the Bottom, marking their debut full-length album, accompanied by a self-produced video for the track "Fuck This, I'm Out." 2010 brought In Desolation, the first project under their new association with Epitaph. Even as Home came out in 2013 as their third album, the lineup continued to rotate, though Justin Francis had become a steady presence on drums, enhancing Young's tense punk material.
After experiencing a mental health crisis during the Home tour, Young paused his road activities but returned with the acoustic record Won't Be Missed in 2016. Off with Their Heads ramped up the energy again in 2019 via Be Good, where Young contemplated his relocation to Chicago and the challenges of adapting to unfamiliar surroundings. The COVID-19 pandemic halted their touring in 2020, prompting the release of Character, which revisited Won't Be Missed as a follow-up by presenting bare arrangements of various originals plus several covers. Wrong, a two-track EP, surfaced the next year, and 2022 marked the appearance of Calm/Collected, combining the acoustic sets from Won't Be Missed and Character.
Albums
Live
