Three years after his last appearance, Bayside frontman Anthony Raneri returns to Inside Music with a discussion about the evolving business of entertainment.
Getting a large number of people to care about your music is a challenge the vast majority of artists never accomplish. For those that do, the next challenge is maintaining that adoration and growing your audience while continuing to develop creatively, which is even harder than starting out. Bayside is a band nearing two decades of togetherness, and the group’s latest release, Interrobang, proves they are far from the end of the line.
Bayside burst onto the music scene in the early 2000s, just as the modern age of emo rock was beginning to crest. The group was often lumped into the same genre classification as their Victory Records labelmates Silverstein, Taking Back Sunday, and Hawthorne Heights, but what Bayside brought to audiences was decidedly different. The band is a testament to what happens when you pair punk-influenced rock with cathartic lyricism and just enough angst to keep your fists (and teeth) clenched. Their music is an exercise in vulnerability, offering the deepest truths frontman Anthony Raneri dares to share against soaring hooks and fiery guitar work.
While many of their peers have left music or faded into obscurity, Bayside has continued on in an age where rock and roll’s viability is often a topic of debate amongst so-called influencers. The band rarely worries themselves with industry politics, however, as they prefer to focus on their fans instead. Their approach to songwriting is essentially the same as when they started, but the influences are much different. As their fans have grown, so have the members of Bayside, and that, in many ways, has made all the difference in their career.
On today’s episode of Inside Music, Anthony Raneri stops by to discuss Interrobang, as well as the group’s unique approach to releasing their best record in years. Raneri tells host James Shotwell how Bayside has managed to navigate the ever-changing landscape of music while many others have not. He also shares insights into his recent influences and what fans can expect from the group’s highly-anticipated Fall headlining tour.
If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.
Being predictable doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Take for example, Bayside. The New York based rock band has been creating a unique take on modern punk rock for the better part of two decades at this point, and in that time they have carved a niche for themselves within the industry. Fans flock to Bayside’s every album and tour not because they continually reinvent the wheel, but rather because they tend to do the same thing the always have as well as they ever have with each new move. What people expect from Bayside, and what they have come to be known for within the entertainment industry, is quality. You know what you’re getting quality wise with Bayside, and that belief in their ability to always be good allows the band to do whatever they please because they already have your trust. They know being themselves is exactly what you expect, and they do their best to continue giving a piece of themselves to listening – through thick and thin – as honestly as possible.
On ‘Vacancy,’ the band’s sixth studio album, Bayside further their self-expression with a collection of stories and reflections built in the wake of vocalist Anthony Raneri’s marriage falling apart. Raneri gave up his lifelong home of New York to move to Tennessee with his wife and newborn daughter with plans of building a new reality for his family. Life had other plans however, and some time later Raneri found himself living out of an empty apartment surrounded by boxes filled with possessions he couldn’t bring himself to unpack. After all, he didn’t consider this new setting a home, nor did he have any desire to be there any longer than was necessary. To deal with the chaos of his life, Raneri began pouring himself into his art, and the result of those efforts is what you hear on this new record. It’s a perspective on life torn asunder and the search for new beginnings that few have ever dared to share, and it just might be the most personal album in the band’s notoriously honest catalog.
While the often heartbreaking honesty of Bayside’s latest release is sure to be a selling point for many, what sets the band apart – and what has always served as something of a signature silver lining for the group – is their ability to find a way through their darkest personal moments and through doing so inspire others to do the same. Some will learn the story behind ‘Vacancy’ and believe it to be a meditation in love gone awry, but in reality it’s a far more introspective recording. This is an album not about the faults of others, but the role we each play in what goes right or wrong in our individual lives. It’s about not allowing yourself to think bad and good things simply happen, but understanding that you have power over your fate. Don’t fool yourself into believing some things just don’t work out because that is rarely true. There is a reason for everything, and you might need to take responsibility for the part you play in the events of your life in order to truly appreciate that.
When you find time to listen to ‘Vacancy,’ which I hope is sooner rather than later, try to think of your initial encounter as an opportunity for personal growth. Raneri never predicted his life would play out the way it has, and chance are you never knew you would be wherever it is that you find yourself in life right now either. Let ‘Vacancy’ inspire you to reflect on the path that brought you here, as well as inspire you to seek out the future you want for yourself and those around you. This album can and should empower you to work towards making the world reflect the desire of your heart. Not everything will go the way you want, but every turn in the road is an opportunity for growth that will help you make better and smarter decisions down the line. Life is not about destinations, but rather the path taken to get to them, and ‘Vacancy’ is the perfect companion to the journey through existence for those over twenty-five.
James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Manager for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records (RIP). Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls Anthony Raneri of Bayside to discuss his band’s new album, Vacancy, which arrives in stores on August 19 through Hopeless Records. This conversation was recorded back in June before Anthony had done much press for the new record, but because James had already heard the album by that point the two were able to discuss it at length without covering much, if any, material that you’ve seen mentioned in other interviews Raneri may have done since that time. This conversation covers love, marriage, the end of relationships, and the way art helps us through our worst moments. If you have the finances, please make it a point to support Vacancy when it arrives in stores later this month.
The song you hear in this episode of the show is “I’ve Been Dead All Day,” which can be found on Bayside’s new album. Here’s the video:
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We know it would take far too long to highlight every client’s new release each week, so we’re going to choose a few select titles each week that we feel everyone should support. These are albums we will be buying ourselves, and we hope at the very least you give them a proper spin before deciding to purchase something else. James may write the column, but everyone at Haulix will have a say in who gets chosen.
August Burns Red – Found In Far Away Places (LP/Digital/Stream)
Like most people who grow up in the midwest with a love for all things heavy in rock and roll, I spent many days listening to my mother telling me how all the bands I loved were just making noise. Looking back, she wasn’t always wrong. There are so many artists working in rock and metal today with absolutely nothing to say, but due to technical talent and the right producer they find a way to cling to relevancy in the ever-changing music landscape. August Burns Red are not one of those bands however, and over the course of their career they have continually raised the bar for storytelling and purposeful songwriting for everyone in their scene. Their latest, Found In Far Away Places, is the greatest expression of these qualities recorded to date. From universal messages of hope, strength, and progression, to tracks built from the stories of people facing real struggle in our modern society, there is something powerful to be found in every single song on this record.
Having long proven himself to be a songwriter capable of making you feel as if you could burst with hope one moment, only to make you want to cry the next, Anthony Raneri no longer needs to impress anyone with his music. His sound is a signature craft beer with a reputation for greatness that speaks for itself, and his dedicated ‘cult’ following will no doubt embrace his new solo EP the way they have every single Bayside release since their Victory Records debut in 2004. Ranger and his bandmates may now call Hopeless Records home, but the heartbreaking honesty and whimsical sincerity of his writing is just as ever before. Sorry State Of Mind finds Raneri reflecting on all he has done and experienced through his time in music, and the stories he has to share will keep you entertained all summer long.
Meek Mill – Dreams Worth More Than Money (LP/Digital/Stream)
If hard rock and acoustic solo albums are not your cup of tea, Maybach Music Group member Meek Mill has an alternative offering that may win you over. Dreams Worth More Than Money is the long-awaited sophomore effort from the Philadelphia based emcee, and though it is arriving almost a full year after its original release date Mill has made every effort to ensure the final product was more than worth the wait. From club-ready hits like “R.I.C.O” and “Bad For You,” to lyrical monsters such as “Lord Knows” or “The Trillest,” Dreams Worth More Than Money solidifies Meek Mill as one of the top artists in hip-hop today. He’s able to deliver radio hits just as easily as he can drop a verse that would incite riots in the streets, and on this release he gives us a little bit of everything in one fun, impressively cohesive listening experience.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.
