New Jersey emo-punks Can’t Swim launch the third single from their upcoming fourth LP Thanks But No Thanks with the Knotfest premiere of the video for ‘Nowhere, Ohio’.
A band known for shifting sounds in each of their eight releases over their brief career thus far, Can’t Swim here add yet another string to their bow with a new track rooted in early 00s post-hardcore, melding with a sense of fun that hasn’t necessarily been seen too much from the group before – especially after the darker sound of 2021’s Change of Plans – but here it works to create something to smile about while reflecting on the more joyous parts of life. The song is matched perfectly by a humorous and charming visual, seeing the band reliving their youth skating through the endearing suburbs of the city, celebrating the bliss found in the simple things, and showing affection for nostalgia.
The band’s upcoming record Thanks But No Thanks, out March 3 via Pure Noise Records, already has fans clamoring to hear more after the buzz created from two prior singles ‘i heard they found you face down inside your living room’ and ‘me vs me vs all of y’all’, and it’s possibly the band’s most diverse output to date, from the driving urgency present here, to the empowering gang chants on ‘ELIMINATE’, to the minimalist solemn nature of closer ‘thx but no thx’. A record so varied can sometimes feel disjointed, but Can’t Swim have managed to nail the balance between styles into something beautifully cohesive, creating an incredible record that takes the listener on a journey reflecting on many facets of life and the people closest to you, all while retaining the emotional impact that makes their band so revered. We spoke to lead vocalist Chris LoPorto about the record, playing the new songs live, and their humble appreciation for where they are in their career.
‘Nowhere, Ohio’ is the third single to be released from your upcoming record Thanks But No Thanks, each of the tracks released up to now having a very different sound. From the dark, brooding nature of ‘living room’ to the more pop-punk stylings of ‘me vs me’ to this track having a post-hardcore edge, what can you tell us about how the album came together and creating the eclecticism within it?
Eclecticism, in one way or another, has always been the band’s Modus Operandi. We are never concerned with making music that sounds like our previous work, it excites us creatively to do different styles and genres. This album is a good example of that, it all came very naturally without too much overthinking and second guessing. We collectively take it as a compliment when someone says “all their albums sound different”, it’s something we’ve always strived to accomplish.
Being the incredibly prolific band that you are – Thanks But No Thanks marking your eighth release since your 2016 debut EP Death Deserves a Name – how do you continue to find inspiration for new songs, and is it a conscious decision to often completely shift styles between releases which can fuel that?
My personal life and our friendship within the band is our constant source of inspiration. Lyrically it’s mostly from my perspective but the music takes the shape it does because of our time spent together and the bond we’ve made over these last few years. Like I said previously we like to switch it up but whenever we get into the studio we all really don’t know what it will end up sounding like. We try to let the creativity between us all steer the ship and be the final decision making on the overall sound.
The music video for ‘me vs me vs all of y’all’ involved getting a bunch of your fans out to make it the amusing, sweet showing that it is. Tell us what the shoot was like, and how important the relationship with your fans and community is to how Can’t Swim functions?
It was a blast! We shot and directed it entirely ourselves so involving people who were fans of our music made it all the more personal. It is still so insane to us that people will take time out of their day to come be involved in something we’ve created, I don’t think we will ever fully be accustomed to it. Getting to show everyone who was in the video the new song before it came out made it feel special. We really are so thankful for everyone who made it out that day.
You’re heading out on tour with Free Throw on the day Thanks But No Thanks drops. How excited are you to get back out on the road and play some new songs, and what can fans expect from the shows?
Very excited! Free Throw have been our friends for a long time now and I am so happy we finally get to do a proper full US tour with them. We are all big fans of their music as well so we’ve been looking forward to it ever since we got the news. To have the new album out and getting to play new songs off of it is certainly what I am looking forward to the most. We all said after finishing the record how fun the songs will translate live and now we finally get to play them.
As usual with a Can’t Swim record, Thanks But No Thanks seems to find the perfect balance of sounding incredibly personal whilst also having the ability to connect with fans who feel they relate to its themes themselves. Is this something that you find yourself aiming for or does it happen naturally, and is there anything specific you’d like people to take away from Thanks But No Thanks when listening to the record?
Whenever I am writing lyrics my goal is to properly detail whatever event in my life I am writing about and what tones and themes best fit the song musically. Of course I want them to be relatable or cathartic for the listener but I don’t let myself get too caught up in that while writing, I think it would make it easy to get sidetracked.
The overall theme of the album is dealing with the passing of time in my life specially during these years of doing Can’t Swim. Relentlessly touring and missing so much back home, dealing with personal issues and relationships within my family and just getting older in general is the summary of the lyrics.
You recently tweeted that you currently have more monthly Spotify listeners than you’ve ever had, so signs are positive for the upcoming release. What are the goals you’d like to achieve with this new record, and with that, what are your ambitions for Can’t Swim as a band from this point?
Can’t Swim has surpassed every previous ambition and goal I ever had (haha). At this point we all just feel so blessed and honored to be able to do it as often as we do and at the level we get to do it. Looking forward, being able to continue to tour and make music with my best friends is really all I hope for, anything else would just be a cherry on top.
Thanks But No Thanks is out Mar 3 via Pure Noise Records.
Can’t Swim also head out on tour March 3rd with Free Throw, get tickets HERE
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