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Boston-based emo-pop-rock quartet Future Teens share "Team Sports" featuring Dan Campbell (The Wonder Years), the latest track out everywhere now from the forthcoming third studio album Self Help available for pre-order now, and out September 23 via Triple Crown Records. With support from Camp Trash and Rat Tally, Future Teens will embark on a fall U.S. tour through much of the Midwest and East Coast beginning on October 13 in Brooklyn, NY, and a hometown stop in Boston on October 16. Tickets are on sale now via linktr.ee/futureteensusa.
"Team Sports" gracefully encapsulates the album's message, as the heavier track concludes with “We’re all just looking for a safe place to spiral / Why not make a team sport out of survival?” It embodies the process of asking for help–from the moment one realizes they need it, to the self-doubt, fear and hesitation, to perhaps the occasional sudden change in appearance, to the value of leaning on friends and getting professional help. There's a renewed understanding of what it means to ask for help, one that clearly displays the growth of the band both musically and as people in their own lives.
Vocalist and guitarist Amy Hoffman recalls the time a haircut lead several friends to check on their well-being. "The first time I bleached my hair, a surprising number of people asked if I was doing okay. I know they were just razzing me, but it struck me as such an absurd barometer for wellness, like, no! I’m not okay, but that’s not why I’m blonde now!" Hoffman admits seeking help is consistently difficult, but always worth it. "I think it’ll always be challenging to ask for help, or to be honest when my best friend gently checks in about the motivation for my latest self haircut, but I’m grateful I’m not always white knuckling it until my next therapy session anymore."
An extra push from producer Andy D. Park (Death Cab for Cutie, Pedro the Lion, Now Now) and The Wonder Years' Dan Campbell brought the song to where it is now and ultimately became a momentous point in the recording process. "That last chorus was originally a wordless, rock out ending, but Andy felt like there was something missing," adds Hoffman. "Dan happened to visit us as we were working through it and was kind enough to sing on that section. All of our jaws hit the floor as soon as he started, it was such a memorable part of recording the album."
Self Help, the third studio album from Future Teens, brings their "bummer pop" title to life with ten tracks that blend glittering pop melodies and emo-rock with profoundly vulnerable confessions. The band is distinctively unafraid to confront their struggles with mental health using cathartic anthems that transcend identity, time and space and ultimately allow them, and their fans, to find strength in each other, rather than alone. "We’ve all learned the hard way that the best (and sometimes only) way to help ourselves is to ask for help from others," says Amy Hoffman (vocalist/guitarist), explaining the origins of the album. "We didn’t set out to write a record about that, Daniel and I just happened to bring each other ideas with overlapping themes about mental health and struggling to get better - sometimes it’s like we have the same brain, even with such different lived experiences."
Today's release follows the previously shared "BYOB," a track that recognizes the trials and tribulations of sobriety using the band's signature confessional, journal entry-like songwriting that feels like compelling a pep talk from your best friends. The track was delivered with a playful video directed by Michael Herrick that sees the band crash a graduation party here. "Same Difference" was the first taste of the project, a track that explores the idea of a soulmate constructed around advice vocalist and guitarist Daniel Radin got from his sister.
Both tracks have been enthusiastically embraced by several leading music tastemakers. Stereogum wrote "BYOB" by the "rousing Boston emo band" is "a chugging, melodic track about bandleader Amy Hoffman’s journey toward sobriety." Atwood Magazine wrote "Same Difference" is, "...an intersection where the something short, catchy, and has a shout-a-long chorus collides head-on with writing that leaves you feeling extremely seen."
After forming in 2014, Future Teens have been on the rise. Though 2020 halted their ascent, the group has maintained their momentum and are ready to re-introduce themselves in 2022. The four-piece is made up of guitarists/vocalists Amy Hoffman (they/he) and Daniel Radin (he/him), drummer Colby Blauvelt (he/him), and bassist Maya Mortman (she/her), who come together to make a concoction of earnest, explosive and vulnerable emo-rock-tinged pop with pounding drums, glistening guitar riffs and irresistible melodies. With their sly, self-aware lyricism and upbeat cathartic bangers, the band has caught the attention of several notable tastemakers like Stereogum, Substream Magazine, Boston's WBUR, who wrote the band "makes sadness sound like fun," and more.
Experience Future Teens live on tour this October throughout the East Coast and Midwest. Find a full list of dates below, and grab tickets now at linktr.ee/futureteensusa.
"Team Sports," out everywhere now, powerfully makes surviving a group effort. Future Teens' third studio album, Self Help, is due out September 23 and available for pre-order now via Triple Crown Records. See the band live on tour through the U.S. this fall with tickets on sale here now and connect with Future Teens on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with the latest.
LISTEN: "Same Difference"
LISTEN: "BYOB" | WATCH
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