Photo: Nikki Haney
Stand Atlantic officially unveil their fifth full-length album, GODBREATH, arriving today through Virgin Music to mark a monumental milestone in their career. Born entirely out of a grueling period of writer's block, this new record finds the dynamic four-piece fearlessly embracing their truest, most authentic selves, stepping entirely out of their familiar comfort zones and venturing boldly into uncharted sonic territory while somehow never feeling closer to home.
Across all 11 meticulously crafted tracks, a profound, genuine feeling shines through every second, ranging from the uncompromising, stream-of-consciousness songwriting of frontwoman Bonnie Fraser to the band’s incredible symbiotic musicianship, which was beautifully captured through the authentic live tracking of the entire album. Fierce, unyielding,and refreshingly free, the project is heavily littered with both timely and timeless bangers, all expertly strung together by the defiant, melodic blends of pop, alternative, and rock that continue to shape their singular, unmistakable sound.
The breathless run-up to this album release signaled a newfound sense of clarity and purpose for the group: there was the lovestruck energy of Velcro, the unguarded musings on creative freedom found within the glittering alt-pop gem ‘EDGE OF VEGAS’, and the fierce dedication to chosen families delivered on the soaring rock anthem NEXT2U. Completely shedding any preconceived notions or external expectations of what the project needed to be, the band ultimately drew a hard line in the sand with the explosive, career-defining single ‘LUCID’, featuring its charged-up chorus, “wide awake and lucid”, which boldly proclaims a hard-fought fearlessness to dive headfirst into their deepest emotions and push relentlessly toward radical self-acceptance.
Adding to the momentum, today’s brand new single ‘SO COOL’ expertly pulls some of the band’s heavier rock inclinations forward into a thrilling, high-energy cut that utterly oozes cool from every note. Vocalist and principal songwriter Bonnie Fraser shares her perspective on the track, stating, “I wrote ‘So Cool’ with Stevie Knight in Sydney, on an unusually dreary summer day, when we were in the depths of a creative rut. The instrumental version came first and we just knew the vibe was cool, so I wanted to hone in on that and play on the idea of 'coolness'. In doing that, I thought about those ridiculous moments when you just feel shamelessly cool - it's a fun song to play in your car with the windows rolled down. To make you feel like you're in the VIP section of life.”
Elsewhere on the tracklist, Favourite Flavour brilliantly blends massive pop vocals with pulsating, driving rock tones,finger serves as an absolute heart-pounding return to their heavy roots, and d.L.M.A unleashes some of the entire record’s most painfully honest lyricism. Meanwhile, teeth proves to be remarkably visceral and emotionally wrought, before pure euphoria completely takes over on HeadRush, strongly reinforcing their self-proclaimed ‘lovergirl’ era. Serving as the dramatic grand finale, Gimme A Show emerges as a soaring pop ballad that is simultaneously sentimental, vulnerable, and deeply aspirational all at once.
Continuing the celebration, the band will commemorate the massive release tonight by officially kicking off their highly anticipated Australian headline tour. It has already been an extraordinarily busy and triumphant year on the road for them,complete with massive headline shows across Europe, high-profile UK arena dates supporting Simple Plan, and a celebrated performance slot on the legendary Vans Warped Tour. Proving they have no intention of slowing down, they will soon return to the United States for an extensive run of major support slots alongside Story of the Year and Silverstein.
