Today, scene legends Scary Kids Scaring Kids released their highly anticipated new single and video “Knock It All Down” ft. Lil Lotus, available to stream here. The band has also announced Out Of Light, their first new album in over a decade, available May 27th from Equal Vision Records and Velocity Records. Preorders are available here. Each track on the album will incorporate a guest vocalist to compliment the bands classic, pulverizing sound.
“Knock It all Down” takes the listener on a sonic journey that ebbs and flows between soaring vocals, angular guitars and a crushing groove. Guest vocalist Lil Lotus demonstrates an impressive ability to explore the emotional nuances between post-hardcore and screamo with a performance that is as aggressive as it is melodic. The anthemic chorus and razor sharp riffs are a return to form for a band that helped to invent “the sound” – old fans will feel right at home, while newer listeners will discover a group that is looking to the future while celebrating their storied past. The official video features a caustic live performance from the band and adds a compelling visual narrative to the track, it can be viewed here.
The band has this to say about their new album and their latest single:
“It’s been over 15 years since we’ve released a full-length, and that’s because we always struggled with what exactly a new Scary Kids Scaring Kids record would look like. Tyson’s contribution to our music cannot be replaced, but it can be celebrated, and that’s what this release is – a celebration. Every song features a different guest vocalist. Everyone from Spencer Chamberlain, Lil Lotus, Spencer Charnas to MOD SUN contribute to vocals. This release has been a labor of love, and we can’t wait to share it with you. The opening single ‘Knock It All Down’ features a music video with Lil Lotus and is a solid introduction to what you can expect from the full length release. We appreciate your support, and we’d love to see you on the road through the end of March while we headline the Velocity Records tour with our good friends, D.R.U.G.S.”
Scary Kids Scaring Kids are currently headlining the Velocity Records Tour presented by Revolver alongside D.R.U.G.S., Secrets, Dead American and Glasslands. Tickets and VIP are available here. You can preorder Out Of Light and listen to “Knock It All Down” ft. Lil Lotus here.
Scary Kids Scaring Kids is Chad Crawford (vocals, guitar) and Pouyan Afkary (keyboards, synth).
About Scary Kids Scaring Kids:
Since they burst onto the scene with their 2003 debut EP After Dark, Scary Kids Scaring Kids have conquered hundreds of stages around the world, captivating countless fans with their signature blend of metallic riffs, pulverizing breakdowns and anthemic choruses. The Gilbert, Arizona rockers shot to the top of the post-hardcore heap with their 2005 debut full-length The City Sleeps in Flames, which spawned two instant fan favorites and setlist staples in the blistering shred-fest “The Only Medicine” and synth-driven rocker “My Darkest Hour.” SKSK toured relentlessly in support of The City Sleeps in Flames, cutting their teeth in packed clubs and on the Vans Warped Tour, punk rock’s notoriously unforgiving summer boot camp. The rigors of the road and the band’s newfound musical maturity influenced their 2007 self-titled album, which pushed the boundaries of post-hardcore with cinematic interludes and disarming piano ballads while taking their stadium-sized hooks and fiery guitar solos to all-new heights. Personal issues ultimately beset work on a new album, and in late 2009 Scary Kids Scaring Kids announced they would part ways after a 2010 farewell tour.
The band laid dormant for the next several years, and any hopes for a reunion seemingly disintegrated after lead singer Tyson Stevens’ untimely passing on Oct. 20, 2014. But on Sept. 29, 2019—which would have been Stevens’ 34th birthday—founding guitarist and chief songwriter Chad Crawford released a new song titled “Loved Forever” under the SKSK name. Crawford pays tribute to his fallen brother and bandmate on the haunting track, singing, “We’re still holding onto hope that one day we will see your face again / We still sing those songs you wrote / Reciting every line, word for word, note for note.”
The rapturous response to “Loved Forever” proved there was still huge demand for an SKSK reunion. Less than four months after the song’s release, the band was back on the road for the first time in nearly a decade, celebrating the 15th anniversary of The City Sleeps in Flames with help from former Saosin frontman and Dead American singer Cove Reber. SKSK stormed sold-out clubs across the United States and played for thousands of fans, including scene veterans who had grown up with the band and teenagers who had recently fallen in love with them.
SKSK’s reunion tour was no mere nostalgia act. They played with the same breathless intensity as a decade ago, summoning circle pits and diving into the crowd alongside their fans. As Scary Kids Scaring Kids celebrated their own legacy and honored the ones they loved and lost, they also set their eyes toward the future and prepared to write a new chapter in their saga. Their new full length Out Of Light will be available on May 27th, 2022 from Equal Vision Records and Velocity Records.