The Front Bottoms are an American pop-punk band from Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. They consist of lead vocalist and guitarist Brian Sella and drummer Mat Uychich and their current touring members including guitarist and backing vocalist AJ Peacox, bassist and backing vocalist Natalie Newbold, and bassist, guitarist and backing vocalist Erik Kase Romero. Other genres they could fit into include rock, indie-rock, folk-punk and according to Sella indie-pop or acoustic pop.[1]
The Front Bottoms | |
|---|---|
 The Front Bottoms performing in San Diego, California on July 26, 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, United States |
| Genres | Folk rock, rock, indie-rock, folk-punk |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Bar/None, Fueled by Ramen |
| Members |
|
| Website | www |
Inspirations
The inspirations from this band according to Sella are Blink-182, Say Anything, Bright Eyes and New Jersey itself.[2][3] As for Uychich, he says that their only inspiration is their friends.[2] They could also be inspired by Ridgewood's Senses Fail and other mid-2000's pop-punk bands.[4]
History
Early 2000s
The group formed in 2006 in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.[5][6] In August 2007, after Brian Sella (vocals, guitar, lyricist) finished his first year of college, he and childhood friend Mathew Uychich (drums) began playing together under the name The Front Bottoms. Soon after, Uychich's brother, Brian Uychich, (keyboard, vocals) began sitting in on their practices. Brian asked to join the band, playing an old keyboard he found in the Uychich family attic. This completed the original lineup, with which the first two albums and EP were recorded.[7]
They spent the next few years playing locally around New Jersey and eventually doing extensive tours around the country. In between tours, Sella worked at a grocery store and Uychich worked in landscaping. During this time, they put out a self-released album, I Hate My Friends, in 2008.Then they released an EP, Brothers Can't Be Friends, the same year. They released a second album in 2009, My Grandma vs Pneumonia. Additionally, a five-song cassette, Calm Down and Breathe, was handmade by the band in 2009, and limited to 30 copies. They were part of the New Brunswick-based artist collective Tiny Giant.
2010-2012
Around 2010, the band started writing material for what would become their self-titled album. They released an EP called Slow Dance To Soft Rock which contained six tracks later remastered for the LP. A second EP, Grip N' Tie, was planned to be released later that year but was canceled. The songs that were on it were instead combined with the previous EP to produce an entire album. In late 2010, the band filmed a music video for "Maps", after being contacted through Myspace by an anonymous filmmaker, which gave them great exposure. On June 2, 2011, the band had announced that they signed with Bar/None Records and would release their self-titled debut studio album on September 6, 2011.
As of late 2010, Brian Uychich left the band to concentrate on school full-time. The Front Bottoms replaced Uychich with a new touring musician, Drew Villafuerte, who played bass in addition to keyboards. In 2012, Villafuerte stopped touring with the band as well, citing the extensive touring as too difficult. He was replaced by Tom Warren and Ciaran O'Donnell.[citation needed]
2013
In March 2013, the band released a video for "Twin Size Mattress" on YouTube in the promotion of their next record. Their second studio album, Talon of the Hawk, was released on May 21, 2013.
2014
On June 17, 2014, the band released a six song EP, Rose.[8] The EP was named for Matthew Uychich's grandmother Rosemary, who is depicted in the cover art. The music video for "Twelve Feet Deep" shows the band, along with audience members at a live show, wearing masks of Rosemary's face as depicted on the album cover.[9]
2015
On April 18, 2015, Run for Cover and Bar/None Records released two songs by the band, and two songs by rapper GDP on Liberty and Prosperity, a split EP.[10] In June 2015, it was announced they had signed to the label Fueled by Ramen[11] The Front Bottoms released their third studio album Back on Top on September 18, 2015, via Fueled by Ramen.
2016
On March 7, 2016, they released a new song, "Noodle Monster", on the Fueled by Ramen YouTube Channel.[12] On June 26, 2016, Pitchfork released a music video for the song "Ginger" from Back on Top. The video was directed by Marlon Brandope and shot in Cranston, Rhode Island.[13]
Preceded by the single "Raining", the band released their fourth studio album, Going Grey, on October 13, 2017.
2018
In an interview in February 2018, Sella confirmed the release of the Ann EP, the second in the 'Grandma series'. The EP was released on May 18, 2018, via Fueled by Ramen, and a music video for its final song, "Tie Dye Dragon", was released on March 16.[14]
2019
On December 20, 2019, they released the song "Camouflage" and an accompanying music video. This was followed by the song "Everyone Blooms" and its video on April 17, 2020.
2020
On July 3, 2020, the band announced their album In Sickness & in Flames and released the song "Montgomery Forever" with its video.[15] On August 14, 2020, they released the song "Fairbanks, Alaska",[16] and the album on August 21, 2020.[17]
2022
On September 2, 2022, the band released the Theresa EP with five re-recorded versions of unreleased fan favorites and oldies that serve as the third installment of the band's popular Grandma EP series.[18]
Band members
This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (January 2021) |
|
Current members
Touring musicians
|
|
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [19] |
US Alt [20] |
US Indie [21] |
US Rock [22] | ||
| I Hate My Friends |
|
– | – | – | – |
| My Grandma vs. Pneumonia |
|
– | – | – | – |
| The Front Bottoms |
|
– | – | – | – |
| Talon of the Hawk |
|
181 | – | 30 | 47 |
| Back on Top |
|
32 | 6 | – | 10 |
| Going Grey |
|
47 | 6 | – | 8 |
| In Sickness & in Flames |
|
–[A] | – | – | – |
Extended plays
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [19] |
US Indie [21] |
US Rock [22] | ||
| Brothers Can't Be Friends |
|
– | – | – |
| Slow Dance to Soft Rock |
|
– | – | – |
| Summer of Steroids |
|
– | – | – |
| Rose |
|
195 | 28 | 47 |
| Liberty and Prosperity (with GDP) |
|
– | – | – |
| Needy When I'm Needy |
|
– | – | – |
| Ann |
|
–[B] | – | – |
| Devinyl Splits No. 12 (with Kevin Devine) |
|
– | – | – |
| Ukulele Versions |
|
– | – | – |
| IS&IF Demos |
|
– | – | – |
| Theresa |
|
– | – | – |
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Alt [24] | |||
| "Cough it Out" | 2015 | – | Back on Top |
| "West Virginia" | – | ||
| "Help" | – | ||
| "Laugh Till I Cry" | – | ||
| "Summer Shandy" | – | ||
| "Get Numb" | 2017 | – | Non-album single |
| "Vacation Town | – | Going Grey | |
| "Peace Sign" | 2018 | 36 | |
| "End of Summer (Now I Know)" | – | Non-album single | |
| "Allentown" (Manchester Orchestra) |
– | ||
| "Camouflage" | 2020 | – | In Sickness & in Flames |
| "Everyone Blooms" | – | ||
| "Voodoo Magic" | 2021 | – | Non-album single |
| "Loverboy" | – | ||
| "More Than it Hurts You" | 2022 | – | Theresa |
Music videos
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (August 2020) |
- "Maps" (2010)
- "Swimming Pool" (2011)
- "Flashlight" (2011)
- "Christmas Wrapping" (2011)
- "Mountain" (2013)
- "Twin Size Mattress" (2013)
- "Skeleton" (2013)
- "Funny You Should Ask" (2013)
- "Backflip" (2014)
- "12 Feet Deep" (2014)
- "West Virginia" (2015)
- "Cough It Out" (2015)
- "HELP" (2015)
- "Laugh Till I Cry" (2015)
- "Summer Shandy" (2015)
- "Ginger" (2016)
- "2YL" (2016)
- "Raining" (2017)
- "Vacation Town" (2017)
- "Peace Sign" (2017)
- "Everyone But You" (2018)
- "Lonely Eyes" (2018)
- "Tie Dye Dragon" (2018)
- "camouflage" (2019)
- "everyone blooms." (2020)
- "montgomery forever" (2020)
- "Fairbanks, Alaska" (2020)
- "Voodoo Magic" (2021)
Notes
- ^ In Sickness & in Flames did not enter the Billboard 200 but peaked at number 41 on the Top Album Sales component chart.[23]
- ^ Ann did not enter the Billboard 200 but peaked at number 70 on the Top Album Sales component chart.[23]
Critical reception
Reviews of their most recent album, In Sickness and in Flames, are mixed. Reviewing for NME, Samantha Maine praises the band's work, writing, "With album seven, The Front Bottoms have crafted a sharp and unflinching collection that harks back to the magic of their 2011 self-titled debut. The New Jersey folk-punk band took a creative risk with 2017’s synth-packed ‘Going Grey’, and ‘In Sickness & In Flames’ finds them returning to more familiar territory, confirming their ability to mine millennial angst with verve."[25] Pitchfork Media reviewer Julia Gray, on the other hand, argues, "The album is twee and punk and neither of those things. It’s understandable that the Front Bottoms, a band whose legacy revolves around post-adolescent growing pains, have lost some of the spark that fueled their first six albums. They’re older now, no longer concerned with the girl that forgot about them during her semester abroad. Sella once stood out for a demeanor that was both wide-eyed and jaded, torn between a yelp and a sigh. In Sickness & In Flames tilts too far toward the former; the Front Bottoms have lost their bite."[26]
References
- ^ admin. "Interview: The Front Bottoms". Retrieved 2023-03-02.
- ^ a b admin. "Interview: The Front Bottoms". Retrieved 2023-03-02.
- ^ Stempler, Falyn (2022-05-05). "Front Bottoms Return to Jersey City Roots With Shows: It's 'Very Full Circle'". New Jersey Monthly. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- ^ Stempler, Falyn (2022-05-05). "Front Bottoms Return to Jersey City Roots With Shows: It's 'Very Full Circle'". New Jersey Monthly. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- ^ Niesel, Jeff (May 23, 2018). "10 Bands to See Next Weekend at the Agora at Spring Fling V". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ Payne, Chris (March 16, 2018). "The Front Bottoms Announce New 'Grandma Series' EP, Share Enigmatic Video for 'Tie Dye Dragon'". Billboard. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ Nitschke, Elyse. "A lesson in music history: The Front Bottoms". The Advocate. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
- ^ "Artists: The Front Bottoms". Bar/None Records. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ The Front Bottoms – "12 Feet Deep" Music Video (Music video). YouTube. August 21, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Sharp, Tyler (March 5, 2015). "The Front Bottoms, GDP split seven-inch officially announced". Alternative Press. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Sharp, Tyler (June 23, 2013). "The Front Bottoms sign to Fueled by Ramen". Alternative Press. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
- ^ Fueled by Ramen (March 7, 2016). "The Front Bottoms: Noodle Monster (Audio)". Youtube.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017 – via YouTube.
- ^ "The Front Bottoms Share New "Ginger" Video: Watch – Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. June 27, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
- ^ "The Front Bottoms Interview [February 2018]". oftr.com. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
- ^ "The Front Bottoms Announce New Album and Share "Montgomery Forever"". July 3, 2020.
- ^ The Front Bottoms – Fairbanks, Alaska, retrieved 2023-03-09
- ^ dad, bad (2020-07-05). "The Front Bottoms announce "In Sickness and In Flames" release date, drop new video". TGEFM. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- ^ Major, Michael. "The Front Bottoms Release 'Theresa' EP". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^ a b "The Front Bottoms Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
- ^ "The Front Bottoms Chart History: Top Alternative Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
- ^ a b "The Front Bottoms Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
- ^ a b "The Front Bottoms Chart History: Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
- ^ a b "The Front Bottoms Chart History: Top Album Sales". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
- ^ "The Front Bottoms Chart History: Alternative Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
- ^ Maine, Samantha (2020-08-19). "The Front Bottoms – 'In Sickness & In Flames' review: millennial folk-punks encapsulate the tension of 2020". NME. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
- ^ Nast, Condé. "The Front Bottoms: In Sickness & In Flames". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
