The Starting Line Drop New Music Video for “Anyways”
It’s been eight years since The Starting Line have released any new music, but the day has finally arrived! The group reintroduced themselves to the public today, via Fuse. The Starting Line has released a new music video for their new song “Anyways,” one of three tracks included on their upcoming EP by the same title.
Ah, the nostalgia…I remember The Starting Line fondly from my younger years, when I first started getting into the punk scene. My go-to song was “The Best of Me” from Say it Like You Mean It from 2002. And it wasn’t just the music that drew me in; I loved the video just as much. Having a boy stand outside my house with a band playing live music on my front lawn became an ideal fantasy to my middle school self. Also, shout out to the roller blader that just didn’t give a shit; he, and the pissed off father were great tidbits of humor I greatly appreciated, and still do to this day.
“Bedroom Talk” was another track that I played often (though I admit that at my young age, my immaturity got the best of me, and I found the cursing sinfully pleasurable, and the subject manner humorous at the time). But listening to it again, I can connect to it better. Sex is awkward at times, and the first time is especially nerve-wracking, but oh so exciting! And getting with the one person you’ve been crushing on for some time? What gratification! I think The Starting Line properly captures all of the feelings and thoughts that one has when experiencing these events. If I’m recalling correctly, I unfortunately moved away from the group by the time I got to high school, but this song should have stayed on my playlist during that time, because I would’ve appreciated it more as I started having my own experiences with relationships.
Regardless of my previous turning away, The Starting Line could very soon find their way back on my playlist. After their eight-year hiatus as they focused on other projects, The Starting Line has created a song that embraces and takes influence from the revival and new generation of punk rock while still retaining the essence of the group they were in the past. This is something I believe previous fans, like myself, and new fans alike will appreciate, because we get the best of both worlds; as much as the band comes into their new sound, they will be able to set themselves apart with the incorporation of the previous wave’s sound. The blending of these two generations will create something unique that will stand out to punk rock fans everywhere.
Vocalist/bassist Kenny Vasoli informs the public about The Starting Line’s break, as well as their return to the punk genre, saying, “I had stepped out of writing in TSL’s style for quite a while. I think that gave me ample opportunity to cleanse my palate. Eventually, I started regaining my appetite for punk music. All of the sudden, I was throwing on lots of Cloud Nothings, Desparacidos, and Joyce Manor. I was able to identify what aspects I had always loved about punk music, and they reignited my desire to create it. Reapproaching the band with this initiative allowed my writing process to flow with no resistance. Lyrically, I was able to vent all of the garbage built up in my psyche through an appropriate channel…TSL songs have always been my place to vent, in hopes that others might share a similar human experience and perspective.”
“Anyways” breathes the new life into The Starting Line that the group wanted to obtain prior to their time away, and found in the current revival. But it still holds TSL’s mission to connect with audiences. In my interpretation of it, the song is all about the struggle of being human and questioning what you’re doing with your life, which is something that the group did when they decided to step away from writing TSL songs. The third verse is the one that sincerely spoke to me, reading, “I know we’ve only got a lot of pain/’Cause it’s so hard to be a human in so many ways/Over thinking most of my life/I should be swallowing all of my pride.” By being so forward in their lyrics, The Starting Line has captured what almost every adult human feels on a regular basis. My life is full of constant over thinking and pain caused from it, and sometimes, like bad-tasting medicine, I have to swallow my pride in order to grow, just like many others in this world.
“Anyways” is a wonderful new track from The Starting Line, and I highly recommend giving it a listen. Fans of the group and new wave punk will dig the new sound, as well as the overall message. To watch the music video, click here. Anyways EP releases on February 19th. Pre-order the 7″ by clicking here.