New Jersey emo act Armor For Sleep caught fans off guard with a tour announcement earlier this year, nearly a decade after disbanding. Today they’re thrilled to announce the release of their What To Do When You Are Dead 15th Anniversary Edition, out now on Equal Vision Records and featuring unreleased b-sides and demos from the band. Fans can check out the video for “Always A Wish,” and purchase three exclusive vinyl variants of the release here.
Lead singer Ben Jorgensen shares: “We are very excited to include some previously unreleased b-sides on the deluxe 15 year anniversary vinyl pressing of “What To Do When You Are Dead”. The b-sides we chose to include were demos written and recorded around the same time as the album that we never got to formally polish and fully produce for one reason or another. After a certain amount of time we shelved the songs from this particular era in our history, but over the years we’ve listened back to some of them and thought that one day it would be cool to share them with the people who were fans of the album. We think these extra songs might share some of the same DNA as the songs on the album itself, and we hope they might evoke a similar sense of nostalgia in listeners who might be listening back to the album. We also chose to include some early demos of songs that we wound up re-recording for our first two albums for any of our fans who are interested in rough/early recordings.”
Earlier this year the band announced the What To Do When You Are Dead 15th Anniversary Tour. Originally slated for this summer, the shows have been rescheduled for next year – kicking off May 7th, 2021 and including stops in New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Nashville, and more. Tickets are available now at www.armorforsleep.com.
Armor for Sleep’s emotionally charged lyrics, energetic live shows, and D.I.Y. work ethic won the New Jersey-based quartet a loyal fan base. Singer/songwriter/guitar player Ben Jorgensen began writing songs the summer before his freshman year at college, and recorded two of them at a local studio. Weary of playing all of the instruments himself, the self-admitted recluse found kindred spirits in bassist Anthony Dilonno and cousins Nash Breen (drums) and P.J. DeCicco (guitar).
Buzz for the newly minted band grew quickly, and by the summer of 2002, Armor for Sleep found themselves in California recording their debut, Dream to Make-Believe. Released on Equal Vision Records in June 2003, the record secured the band a solid spot in the growing emo-pop scene, leading to some choice shows with bands like Taking Back Sunday, Piebald, Thursday, and Fall Out Boy.
In 2005, after successfully headlining its own U.S. tour, the band released What To Do When You Are Dead, a loosely related conceptual album dealing with life and death that showcased the group’s growth into a heavier and darker machine. The DVD, A Comprehensive Guide to Touring, was issued near the year’s end, and Armor for Sleep next signed on to the Sire/Warner Brothers roster in April 2006.
The following year, their song “End of the World” was included on the soundtrack for Transformers: The Movie, and the group released their final full-length album, Smile for Them. Their two singles from that album, “Williamsburg” and “Hold The Door,” received rock radio play, and the band even made an appearance on MTV’s TRL to premiere their music video for “Williamsburg” - a song which predicted the ultimate demise of the hipster movement.
After a summer tour opening up for Linkin Park on the Projekt Rev festival in 2009, the group announced that it was deciding to disband. The legacy of the band has continued to grow over the years, and it is now considered to be one of the pioneers of the mid 2000’s emo sound. Armor for Sleep currently has multiple tracks on the most highly listened to Emo Playlists on Spotify, and NJ.COM recently included What To Do When You Are Dead on their list of “The 50 Greatest New Jersey Albums of the 21st Century.”
Fans can join Armor For Sleep in celebrating the 15th anniversary of What To Do When You Are Dead next year. For more information, please visit www.armorforsleep.com.
For More Information, please visit:
Website: www.armorforsleep.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArmorForSleep
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ArmorForSleep
Instagram: www.instagram.com/armorforsleep
What To Do When You Are Dead 15th Anniversary Edition Track Listing:
1. Car Underwater
2. The Truth About Heaven
3. Remember To Feel Real
4. Awkward Last Words
5. Stay On The Ground
6. A Quick Little Flight
7. The More You Talk The Less I Hear
8. Basement Ghost Singing
9. Walking At Night, Alone
10. I Have Been Right All Along
11. The End Of A Fraud
12. Who’s Gonna Lie To You
13. Always A Wish
14. Curse Into A Blessing
15. Standing Alone
16. Never Had The Chance
17. Car Underwater (Demo)
18. The Truth About Heaven (Demo)
19. Stay On The Ground (Demo)
20. Dream To Make-Believe (Demo)
21. All Warm (Demo)
22. Slip Like Space (Demo)
Upcoming Tour Dates:
5/7/21 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
5/13/21 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theatre
5/14/21 – Baltimore, MD @ Sound Stage
5/15/21 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
6/10/21 – Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theatre
6/11/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
6/12/21 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall (NEW VENUE)
6/17/21 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
7/15/21 – Dallas, TX @ Dada
7/16/21 – Austin, TX @ The Parish (NEW VENUE)
7/17/21 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Studio
7/22/21 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
7/23/21 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
7/24/21 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
8/05/21 – Orlando, FL @ The Beacham Theatre (NEW VENUE)
8/06/21 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade Hell Stage
8/07/21 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East (RETURN TO ORIGINAL VENUE)
8/20/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
8/21/21 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom