Digipak Analysis: Real Friends // "Maybe This Place Is The Same And We're Just Changing"

Released on 22/7/2014, "Maybe This Place is the Same and We're Just Changing" is the debut record from Illinois Pop Punk Band Real Friends. Signed to Fearless Records, Real Friends have released several EPs and built up a devoted following amongst the pop punk scene, and played the Warped Tour in 2014 on the Journeys Stage. The band recently toured the UK with Modern Baseball and You Blew It! and are now touring America with the UK's most renowned pop punk band and hyped band overall Neck Deep. From these tours, it is apparent that the band are already well known in this industry and this could explain some of the choices made in their artwork. Only a digipak and vinyl version of this record is available at the moment, and this is a common feature of pop punk bands who only release the digipak version over a jewel case (i.e. Neck Deep "Wishful Thinking", Citizen "Youth", The Wonder Years "The Greatest Generation"), proving that the digipak is in fact more popular and preferred over the jewel case in this genre. This could be because the pop punk genre is in a "rejuvenation" phase, with tours such as Pop Punks Not Dead! revitalising the popularity of the subgenre that Blink-182 and similar bands made so popular. The preference of the digipak over the jewel case hence could be because it allows for much more images and meaning to be connoted through the design of the digipak and allow for more promotion of the artist. Common lyrical themes amongst Real Friends songs include sadness and trouble moving on, perhaps the reason behind the album title, as I will explore in this analysis. 

This is the front cover of the Digipak for Maybe This Place Is The Same And We're Just Changing. As you can see, the band rely solely on imagery and the digipak does not feature the band at all. This could be because the image of the band has already been created through the previous EPs and from doing several tours to become recognised in this genre. A house style utilising the colours blue, yellow and white is also created which the rest of the the digipak will adhere to, appealing to the audience aesthetically - Real Friends' previous EPs have not been so artistically constructed and feature rough images or ambiguous ones. The front of the digipak may seem ambiguous at first, but a meaning can soon be established. From the lyrical content of the bands songs, the locked chest could hold semantic meanings of having thoughts trapped and how the album contains these thoughts.

The inside of the digipak continues the themes established by the front cover - still no images of the band are present, and other images of a town and stills of a room are featured, with a vase of flowers on the left which the band also used on posters. The town most directly links with the name of the album, "Maybe This Place is the Same and We're Just Changing", saying that "this place" is the town, Illinois, where the band hail from (the album also features a track called "Spread Me All Over Illinois" further supporting this idea". The borders between the images give it a professional apperance but one that is also very aesthetic and nice to look at. The lack of images of the band is strange because in order to create a motif of the band and appeal to new audiences by including an image of the 5-piece, the band have chosen to simply use images. This could be due to their largely metaphorical lyrics "I miss you like the summer" etc. and how it leaves their audience to decide the meaning of the images and the lyrics for themselves. The digipak lends itself to Hall's Reception Theory, in that the text is encoded with a meaning or representation of the band, and different audiences respond or decode the text in different ways, meaning the images seen throughout the digipak can be interpreted in different manners by different audiences; i.e. they nay see the images to represent something else due to their ambiguous nature. The interplay of the images suggests that they are all interlinked in some way, and their simple nature suggests that they all mean something to the band, but may represent something else entirely to the audience.

On the back cover of the digipak is the tracklist, record label and details and again a continuation of the imagery that we observe on the front cover. The tracklist, of 12 songs, takes up relatively little space, and the main focus of the design is the bookshelf. This again relates back to the album title, "Maybe this Place is the Same...", as it is suggesting that these images depicted, such as the rooms, have not changed at all (similarly to La Dispute's latest release, Rooms of the House) and that they are much the same and ordinary. The font is clear to read and not in an overt font, which is typical of the pop punk genre in digipaks, and also could the order and neatness of the images could contrast the angst in the songs and perhaps chaos that the band articulates into the 12 tracks, ranging from slow sad songs such as "Sixteen", songs about failed relationships and the associated thoughts ("I Don't Love You Anymore") and self-depreciation and angst, particularly from lead single "Loose Ends". The inclusion of the production details on the back cover perhaps shows the humble nature of the band (the thankyous are on the lyric sheet inside the album), and how they are grateful for how the record label have supported them. Fearless Records also hold host to a wide variety of alternative bands, from metalcore acts such as Blessthefall, Motionless in White, The Word Alive and August Burns Red,  as well as more mainstream, "radio-friendly" bands such as Go Radio, The Downtown Fiction, Plain White T's the hugely popular American EDM/Punk band Breathe Carolina, pop rockers The Summer Set and famous pop punk band Mayday Parade. The vastness of the amount of bands on the label and the variety of genres means that by including the record label logo, people can identify the logo and match that with what the label includes and hence if they will like it, which will ultimately increase sales. The simplicity of the digipak makes it easily accesible to new audiences and current audiences alike which will increase the popularity of the band and widen their fan base.

Real Friends have continued themes from their previous EPs. Above are three releases, "Put Yourself Back Together" (2013), "Three Songs About the Past Year of my Life" (2012) and "Everyone That Dragged You Here" (2012). From these we can observe many themes that Real Friends have carried onto the debut LP. These albums were all released on BandCamp, with CD versions of the more recent EPs becoming available to UK audiences on Amazon. White text for the band and text is used in all three designs, and once again the band is not featured in any of them, only images, perhaps again of home town Illinois as referencing home-towns is a common stereotype of pop punk bands. The band have gained recognition from these three EPs without utilising images of themselves, so there is no need to "sell out" in a sense and start self-promotion since signing to Fearless as they already have a strong fan base and can stick to the bands morals and ideals.

Human Traffic (1999) - Case Study

Human Traffic is a British Independent film written and directed by Welsh filmmaker Justin Kerrigan. The film explores themes such as coming of age, drug usage and culture, club themes and relationships. It is classed as a social commentary and is centred around five friends in their twenties over the course of their drug-fueled weekend out in Cardiff.

How can Human Traffic be considered a social realist film?
A social realist film is one that takes an idea or concept that reflects real life and the social context of the era and time period it is based and the issues it raises as a result. Human Traffic captures the dance movement of 1991 when it was in fact released in 1999 and so immediately could be considered a social realist film on this basis, but it also reflects the reality of youth culture at the time, of people going out and having a good time.

How does the youth culture depicted resist or subvert mainstream society?
The film bases the fact that youths are all drug addicted hooligans when in reality it is not all young people that go out at the weekend and take drugs. However this is what mainstream society thinks of young people and the film doesn't really subvert this.

What values or morals are present in the film?
Human traffic portrays morals such as friendship and unity quite strongly, in that no matter what the situation and how bad things may be, friends will always help each other out- for example when Lu is upset, Jip gets her a ticket to go out. Also there are typical teenage views such as a feeling of resentment towards adults and parents who don't understand what it is like for them growing up in a different era.

How can you consider the film to be British? 
Human Traffic could be considered British because it was set in Britain, and details British Youth Culture. The cast is all British and so is the Director, meaning it passes the BFI's criteria for a film to be British. Also, it deals with British Identity, for instance it subverts the British National Anthem when they are in the pub singing the alternate drinking version.

Music Video Analysis: Lonely The Brave // "Backroads"

Lonely the Brave // Backroads

"I'll be the sky and you be the bird"

In this analysis I will be exploring Cambridge five-piece Lonely the Brave's music video to "Backroads". The video was directed by Greg Davenport, and Backroads is the lead single from the debut album "The Day's War" (2014), which also features "Trick of the Light", which I will reference later in this essay, and "Victory Line". The band have recently been exposed to a lot of publicity, from playing renowned slots at festivals such as Glastonbury, T in the Park and Reading and Leeds over Summer 2014 as well as a support slot for Mallory Knox, the band are set to tour the UK along with Marmozets in Autumn. NME said that "The Day's War" was one of the best albums of the year and soon this band will be receiving widespread recognition, whether they want to or not. Lonely the Brave flaunt a unique style of emotive rock, with instantly recognisable guitar riffs and a powerful vocalist (who sounds identical live to in recorded songs, as I have seen them perform twice), and their largely metaphorical lyrics have made them an instant hit amongst listeners and reviewers alike. I list Lonely the Brave as one of the most important comparisons to the artist I will be working with (Abandoning Sunday), and so the styles that are portrayed in the music video could also inspire my own video. I will be discussing the significance of the narrative concept used in the video and how it effects the audience through corresponding to the emotive nature of the song.

The video commences with a tracking shot of the main characters that the video follows as soon as the guitar riff kicks in. The 5 main characters (interestingly corresponding to the number of members in the band), are all depicted on skateboards, in a slow-motion shot, as they ride together through city streets. Immediately, the audience can get a feel for the song through the use of intertextuality here- skateboarding, like surfing, is sometimes coined "Free-Ride", in that the skateboard gives the rider the freedom to travel wherever - and the tracking shot reveals that the 5 young adults are in a slightly desolated, perhaps war-torn city. The pace of the riders increases after the audience sees the tires in the background, and then slows again at the barricade of tires as 4 soldiers walk across the shot. This already gives the impression of taking freedom and subverting authority in the video- being free. This is why the director has chosen to have the actors on skateboards for the duration of the video.

"Just want to fall here, silently"

As the first lyric commences, the actors walk into a large, derelict area filled with tires and debris. "I saw things that the rat saw, and my eyes couldn't take them in" describes the feeling of shock that the free-riders have upon seeing such destruction. Lonely the Brave said that the actors who the video concentrates on are "friends from Kiev, who are living through the unrest". This usage of intertextuality and using a real experience that people have to live through to support the theme of freedom in the video is very powerful. The actors are shown to walk through a memorial sight, evidently moved by the numbers of people lost and particularly who has been lost in the conflict, hence the emotive lyric, "just want to fall here, silently, into the arms of people I love", suggesting that the actors here feel a sense of hopelessness and being lost, but amongst their friends they can be comforted.

As the chorus kicks in, an infinitely different feel is portrayed. "Look at the way the faces turn" is given a whole new meaning by the director who shows how the innocent riders turn into the rioters during the Kiev unrest, as they combat the riot controllers during the powerful chorus. Slow-motion shots are used in the chorus and throughout the video, perhaps to show how the riders can get lost in the moments of being free riding their boards when threatened with such violence on a day to day basis. The perhaps flagship lyric of the band, "You be the sky and I'll be the bird" has many connotations of freedom, with the bird having the infinite power to be free, flying in the sky, and the use of pronouns suggest that when the individuals are with their friends, they can all have a sense of freedom. The use of imagery throughout the video implies this with several impressive location shots that imply themes of exploration, adventure, and more importantly to the video, hope and beauty, as stated by the band themselves. The actors constantly look around and take in the sights around them, adhering to Goodwin's theory of looking, and are appreciating the beauty of the world they live in, when faced with such adversity, for instance the bridge shot and during the second verse.

Davenport uses Imagery and impressive shots to enhance the meaning of the video and the theme of Freedom

In the second verse, the theme of freedom is enhanced further, mainly through the use of imagery. It is interesting how the band do not appear at all during the video, as they are still relatively small, and Goodwin says that star-image motifs are often created. However, Lonely the Brave are an exception to this as they admit they are so focused on the meaning of their music than being famous rockstars, they would rather produce something like this video to Backroads that will give hope to those faced with difficulties. This is something I can implement as I will not be able to get my artist in my video and he too is still small, and Lonely the Brave have a very similar style to his full band tracks.

The band sing in the second verse how "all was lost" and how they had their "fingers crossed", giving a sense of hopelessness to the song. The scenes depicted in Kiev in the video correspond to this, but show how even all was lost and they may be worried and afraid, that there is still hope and that you can push on against any obstacle, say the band on their website. The characters in this section are all shown together, particularly when they are holding hands, connoting unity and strength. Semantically, the 5 are depicted spraying graffiti on what is later revealed to be an army controlled area, as the band sing, "you're raping on my dreaming" - showing how the conflict is crushing their dreams, but the graffiti is a stereotypical subversion of oppression and resistance. Again, when "the rat" is mentioned, the soldiers are shown, negatively portraying them, and metaphorically taking away their freedom by taking their skateboards (a reference to the intertextuality I mentioned at the start), but they take them back- furthermore, this brief section is in conjunction with some shots of the soldiers in riot gear during the unrest. As the guitar reaches it's emotive climax, the two contrasting scenes are shown in the most apparent light- the turmoil of the conflict, the flares and the riot gear, the violence- contrasted with the infinite uplifting sense of freedom of the young riders, laughing, drinking, and exploring. "Let's meet the mountains and see what they heard" perfectly encaptures this sense of adventure that the video creates, matching Goodwin's ideas of imagery complimenting lyrics.

"You're raping on my dreaming, and you're ruining my best made plans"

The guitar then calms as the bridge lyrics are sung again, "I'll be the sky and you be the bird", reversing the lyric and the use of the pronoun you, saying that they are giving the freedom back. The emotive scenes of companionship give such a strong feel of escapism- the Director said in "The Story of Backroads"  that he had been following the Euromaidan movement in Ukraine and how the scenes of hope on New Years Eve contrasted that of the brutality of the unrest. The scenes of freedom were not specific to the conflict, they are trying to capture a more universal feel of seeking freedom and happiness when faced with obstacles and adversity, something that corresponds to the lyrics of the song very well. The actors in the video did actually participate in some of the riots in Kiev, to further enhance the message. As the vocals again reach an emotive climax for the finale of the video, one of the 5 is shown in a long shot jumping into the water. This shot fully encaptures the mood of escapism, and then they are all shown together, smiling, having fun, skateboarding away at the end of the video (one of them almost miming a bird, incidentally).

The use of not only a powerful narrative to compliment the emotive lyrics and feel of the song but also the usage of intertextuality and imagery creates a stamp of free will and free being in the video; that there is always a brighter future. The video, although not featuring the band at all, is a symbol of this hope and carries a message just as powerful as the song itself. The video adheres to Todorov's Narrative Theory, where there is first an equilibrium, and then a disruption, in the form of the riots, and then the restoration of equilibrium when the youths are shown skating free at the end. This concludes my analysis on the music video to Backroads.

I feel this video is a great video to analyse as it will also benefit me when it comes to planning my music videos. The similarities the artist bares with my act allow me to draw many comparisons, especially as the artist isn't featured in the video. In Lonely the Brave's other music video to "Trick of the Light", the band isn't featured at all either, and instead the strange conceptual video follows a girl, who's face isn't shown until the end of the song, as she travels through forests and vast landscapes to the sea. As simple a concept it is, it compliments the track very well, and makes use of Goodwin's ideas of looking too. I can use these videos as great examples and influences for my video when it comes to planning.

Intertextuality in Music Videos

Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Otherside
Joe // Tom // Grace // Ellie

The music video for "Otherside" contains several intertextual references to different forms of art, mainly Cubism. The cubist-style cityscape and grayscale colours reflect the works of Dutch Cubist artists and the famous Pablo Picasso, namely the ladder sequence and perspective for long string bass player. There are references between the lyrics and the images, for instance before the first chorus the vocalist says "I've got to take it on the otherside", and the strange images flip over. The diverse and strange shapes that the cubist theme gives allows for the underlying meaning of the song, regarding drug addiction, to be considered and perhaps enhanced.

By contrast, inter-textual references in Weezer's "Buddy Holly" are made quite clear to the audience if they recognise where the video is set, in 70's sitcom "Happy Days". Those audiences not familiar with the sitcom would not understand the reference but it allows the band to be portrayed in a particular manner.

Spike Jonze

Spike Jonze is an American director, producer, screenwriter and actor, and was the man behind “Her” (2013) and “Where the Wild Things Are” (2009). He has also been behind advertisements, TV shows and more importantly Music Videos, making him pertinent to the work we are doing currently. He also was a co-creator of “Jackass”, meaning he’s very experienced in a variety of fields.

Jonze is most well known in music videos for his work with The Beastie Boys (“Sabotage”, “Ricky’s Theme”), Weezer (“Buddy Holly”, “Island in the Sun”), Fatboy Slim (“Praise You”, “Weapon of Choice”) and more recently Jay-Z and Kanye West (“Otis”) and Arcade Fire (“The Suburbs”).

His music videos are renowned for being “fun, cool, hilarious, ubiquitous and massively influential” – the video for “Praise You” in 1999, Jonze ‘invented’ flash-mobs, and “Weapon of Choice” featured Christopher Walken dancing in a manner most who know the actor would not expect from him.

Jonze's breakthrough video, for the song "Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys, was an inspired take-off on 1970s cop shows. The video earned four MTV Video Music Awards, including one for Jonze (best director). Later that year, Jonze “cemented his reputation for innovation and creativity” with his memorable video for Weezer's "Buddy Holly," in which the alternative band performed their hit single in the middle of what appeared to be an episode of the 1970s sitcom Happy Days.

Do people copy what they see in films, TV shows and in video games?

It is widely promoted by the media that people, especially young adults and teenagers, tend to be influenced by the types of media they consume and its content and lead to the life choices being affected, such as social circumstances in which actors or characters in games perform certain actions which the audience inadvertedly copies. Typically, these mimics are to do with drug usage or violence, particularly gun violence in America, and this could be due to influences from films, TV shows and in computer games. I believe, however, that it is only the vast minority that are actually affected and are ‘manipulated’ by what they see in these medias, and that most can view things and not be affected or provoked to take a certain action.

Famous films that could be perhaps associated with drug culture and usage would be 8 Mile, a film loosely following the rise of rapper Eminem from a poor teen with a dream to a star, with drug references, as well as cult film “Trainspotting”, renowned for Heroin references amongst many others. It may be argued that people who watch films like this are influenced to take drugs but there is minimal evidence to suggest a direct correlation between people viewing Trainspotting and then turning to hard drugs- although, it also cannot be denied that people who were in similar situations to those depicted in the films may follow a similar path. Wolf of Wall Street (2013), is a true story based on Jordan Belfort’s life as a stock-broker, and the 3-hour long film makes countless references to how cocaine was good for their daily routines, and how other drugs helped them cope with their daily lives. As for TV shows, American show Breaking Bad was regarded as one of the best television series’ of recent times, has Aaron Paul playing student-turned-drug-dealer Jesse Pinkman, and the show makes many references to the drug Methamphetamine, and TV show Skins could be argued to have popularised a large number of drugs. In the video game industry, Grand Theft Auto has famously received negative press for the number of drug references, especially character Trevor’s addiction to drug crystal meth. All of these are quite famous examples of how media has, in a sense, promoted the use of drugs, but that is not to say that every person who views these medias is going to develop a crippling addiction to an illegal substance.

Breaking Bad

No, I believe it is far more likely that one moronic individual is more likely to pretend to be Pac Man and run around a supermarket goi- oh wait, that’s already been done.

Relapse has shipped over 10 Million copies
worldwide - and is all about Marshall's
drug addiction.

Jokes aside, it does seem that people are more likely to perform a publicity stunt based on a video game or famous film than develop a serious drug issue because of something they've seen, stunts like these are quite frequent (the same person has also re-created "real-life" Mario Kart). Of course, it could happen, but examples of drug addictions are rarely picked up on by the media unless it is to do with celebrity, i.e. Lindsay Lohan, Amy Winehouse, and Eminem. Eminem’s “Relapse” album was a direct consequence of his drug addiction, yet still it shipped 608,000 copies in its first week and over 10M worldwide – with the album cover being a mosaic of Marshall in pills. Personally, I am not sure why the vast examples of popularising drugs have not led to clamping down on it and using the media to reduce the amount of drug usage by negatively portraying dangerous drugs instead of the almost positive representation they are given in a lot of films, namely Wolf of Wall Street.

Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio) aka The Wolf of Wall Street - renowned for his addiction to Cocaine and "Ludes."

However, ignoring the extremities, it could be said that when people see their favourite actor/actress smoking in a film, they may think that this is a cool, trendy thing to be doing- hence the rise of smoking in young people towards the end of the 20th Century. Campaign "Truth" (http://thetruth.com/) have been using these statistics to help combat smoking, claiming that when a big celebrity is seen smoking it acts as free advertising for Big Tobacco companies - suggesting that people do in fact copy what they see with regards to this. The campaign also focuses on reducing smoking in the Third World, if you haven't already heard of it, check out the link above and help them Finish smoking. This campaign in itself is an example of where I think this issue may go in the future: with continued pyschological research into why people begin smoking from Truth, people may become more aware of the stigma smoking causes and the dangers it creates for the smoker and those around them. With the campaign gaining more and more support, from influential figures such as Travis from Blink-182, the "free-advertising" for the tobacco companies could be slowed, resulting in less people smoking in the media and hence people no longer copying them. On the other hand, as with the more harmful drugs, not everyone will be instantly indoctrinated at the sight of Leonardo DiCaprio smoking a cigarette- but there is more evidence regarding smoking in films and TV shows and the audiences smoking.

"#267: When people see the celebs they love smoking, they start thinking smoking is a normal, aspirational thing.
Says who? Says science. Lots and lots of science."

Furthermore, the more renowned examples of media stories are not of drug usage or smoking, but are regarding shootings. Almost daily in America someone is killed by gun violence and in some cases the crimes are committed after being exposed to violent video games, again, Grand Theft Auto the main culprit. Here’s the story most people are familiar with:

http://news.sky.com/story/1132826/boy-8-kills-gran-after-playing-video-game

The boy, 8, from Lousiana had “no motive” to kill his 90-year-old grandmother, but allegedly took a firearm after playing Grand Theft Auto and shot her in the back of the head in August 2013. The story sparked up a lot of controversy, whether it is the parents fault for letting a child play a game rated for adults, why the gun was easily accessible for the child or whether the child should face the consequences. Another man in London was reported to have stabbed someone whilst he queuing on the night of the games release, further pressing the issue of the psychology behind these games and virtual reality. Aside from Grand Theft Auto, the Call of Duty series has become increasingly popular amongst younger ages with it being deemed more acceptable for younger people to be playing a 18-rated game. The first person shooter has been held responsible for rising anger levels, violence and other issues regarding language and behaviour in young children, and could also be an influence for gun crimes amongst older players, particularly in America, where more controversy regarding rights to a firearm were created this week with a 9-year-old girl shooting an Uzi at a range, losing control and killing her instructor. I maintain a similar viewpoint as to with the aforementioned topics in that not everybody is affected in this way by these games- I've played Grand Theft Auto and I'm also not (yet) a psychopathic murderer with a lust for blood and drugs.

Guns, girls.. some more guns and girls... Grand Theft Auto!

Call of Duty has been linked to increasing levels of violence and bad language in young children

Nathan Drake, the protagonist in the Uncharted
game series, single handedly kills hundreds of
mercenaries- but that's fine, because he's
 the protagonist! And really cool.

However, as explained in the article, the effects of the violence in-game have an affect on young children who're playing it who develop the idea that this sort of behaviour is acceptable and that action-adventure heroes such as Lara Croft, Nathan Drake from the Uncharted game series and Jack Bauer from 24 are perhaps the "norm" when of course in fact it is a glorified, over-exaggerated character in order to make the media more entertaining to those its designated audience. Which, for those three examples, are all 15, PEGI 16 or M for Mature. I'm no expert, but to me that suggests "do not expose this to children." All games, shows and films come with details on the back of the case or in the description as to what they contain, be it sex and rug references, violence or bad language- and so children who are not mature enough to view these things, shouldn't be, to avoid further incidents like this.

Unfortunately despite my ranting and raving, children will still watch things that aren't intended for them or play violent games, so I'll still have a 12-year-old hurling abuse at me next time I shoot him on Call of Duty. The guidelines are there for a reason, but they are just that- guidelines. Ultimately it's down to parents to decide what they expose their child to, as games such as Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty most likely won't be banned due to their vast popularity and the money they generate - the latest Grand Theft Auto topped $800 Million in one day. That's a lot of zeros. And a minority of incidents ultimately won't effect the production of future releases.

I feel this can be said for all of the issues I have covered in this essay: yes, a few people are directly affected by what they see in films, TV shows and video games, but the majority acknowledge it as a part of everyday life. The news, in my opinion, uses video games as a scapegoat, especially regarding violence, and there are many negative stories as to how badly games affect people and people are 'manipulated' etc. but films, such as Drive are just as violent (see elevator scene), and TV programmes such as Skins promote drug usage strongly. To conclude, yes, some people copy what they see in the media, but the vast majority are not affected by issues raised in films, TV shows and video games.

Artist Confirmation - Abandoning Sunday

I'm very happy to confirm that I will be working with possibly my favourite unsigned artist, Michael Thomas, who goes by the name of Abandoning Sunday!

Abandoning Sunday was started in 2008 by Michael Thomas. He says that, "The goal is to write simple lyrics that people can relate to at some point in their lives. If I've done that, then I'm content." Abandoning Sunday have released several singles, as well as a full-band album titled "Forget", as well as the "Rest" and "Forgive" acoustic EPs, and the acoustic album "Reflect [Part 1]".

Abandoning Sunday's second album is due for release in August/September 2014 and Michael has said that I can work with any track off of that album or any previous album for the music video, and that he will help however he can. "Reflect [Part 2]" is scheduled for release next year, and this means I could produce some potential artwork for the digipak for this release.

Here is Abandoning Sunday's latest track, a taster of what is to come off of the new album: "In Your Dreams".

And this is the acoustic video for "Miles and States", taken from "Reflect [Part 1]":

Although he is an American act, Abandoning Sunday could be compared to several British acts in different ways. The theme of lyrics and style of the full band tracks could be likened to Irish pop rock group The Script, whereas the calmer tracks and more acoustic side could be compared to Kodaline, You Me At Six, Deaf Havana or Tom Odell. This means I can still carry out audience research effectively without hindering the project. I decided to work with Abandoning Sunday after having immense difficulties with many British acts: Call It Reckless, Hunter & The Bear, The Afterparty and Empire Nights all said they would like to, but couldn't work with me on the project due to schedules, current releases or band difficulties. Speaking In Shadows couldn't due to their location, and I never received a reply from Hours, All At Sea, The Oceans Above, Octavians or Headroom. The management team from Hunter & The Bear proposed the prospect of working with another act they had just taken on, but I never received any additional information after following it up. Hence, when Abandoning Sunday replied to my contact form saying he was happy to work with me, it was decided.

Be sure to listen to more tracks by Abandoning Sunday:
Website
iTunes
Noisetrade
PureVolume