Couldn't of said it any better myself. I mean I have always tried to give them the benefit of the doubt. But it's tough when you can tell that they are purposely being vague/toying with their fans by playing into it. But whatever at this point I just take it all with a grain of salt and don't let it affect me as much as it would have before.
My two cents, on Brand New and every band: If there ever existed days where bands 'owed' fans anything, those days ended when 99% of them decided their art wasn't worth buying, but was worth stealing. And then everyone settled in on a compensation model that pays bands pennies for streams. If you don't like what a band does, you could always stop supporting them. Except barely anyone supports them anyway, so that won't actually work. Anyway, we know as much about Brand New's future today as we did last week. There will be a new album, they will sell out shows, they will make T-shirts, and people will freak out. And at some point, those things will stop happening.
This seems incredible rude to me as well. I really don't get this band's public mantra, at all. Anyway, if we're taking this for surface value (and literally), I guess there's going to be a vault of unreleased material if they will continue being a band in every sense (recording and writing). Also, is it crazy to suggest that if they are really done in the public's eye after 2018, we get an album this year and one more before they vanish....?
Wow, apparently everyone took this statement in a different way than I did. I thought he basically just meant "the four of us aren't going our separate ways, we're still friends and close and will probably have jam sessions. We just don't want to be a full time band for a living anymore."
Not a fan of the band but I will miss how interesting the discussion here is if they actually hang it up.
I think it's a good thing Brand New is doing this the way they are. I think this is a great case study in fan entitlement. I'm not entirely sure Brand New, or any other band owes anyone a new album, a new tour, or whatever. It's weird that there are fans being like "wow how rude of them", or taking this personally.
At this point I don't feel owed anything like an album or tour (honestly don't even give me the album if all the songs are as bad as the single), but fans are owed a certain level of honesty and respect. Maybe not me anymore, but there are people out there who will endlessly support this band. Don't you think, at the very least, these fans are entitled to the truth? Like without any tricks or jokes or lies-- the truth of the future of this band? Just some transparency. To me-- it's a superiority thing. Kind of fucked up. People can agree or disagree.
How are most of you taking this in such a weird way? I dont think they're trying to be assholes and mess with their fans emotions. I'm surprised so many people seem to be taking it that way. They are, for all intent and purposes, "breaking up"....but he's trying to word it more delicately. Possibly because the band has some grasp on how much their music means to fans. Personally, for myself, I know the way they're wrapping up the band...is really helping give me a sense of closure to it all. Otherwise I would've been crushed by this news, if done in the normal way. Letting us know far in advance, also being very frank and upfront about it. All the little hints over the years(Jesse even said "I wont be doing this when I'm 40"), now the "18 forever" thing. Them wrapping up the lyric booklet stuff and the leaked demos stuff recently, etc. It's all really wrapping everything up nicely and putting a bow on it. Giving it the send off it deserves. And hopefully helping fans cope in a world without a "Brand New" anymore. Losing bands of this caliber is a very rough thing, imo. These people....help you through life. Guide you sometimes. Fill your soul. Pick you up. Give you a soundtrack for your very existence. Help make sense of life. Provides a different outlook, or way to look at issues. For a lot of people music isn't just "music". It's sad to know that something you love, and that has touched your soul, and helped you through life.... is no longer going to be a thing. But if that has to happen...Brand New is letting us down as soft as possible. I took what he said to mean, "Yeah, we're not going to be a touring band anymore, but we're still a band/friends. We will continue to make music privately as friends.....just the reason for doing that wont be 'we're a full-time band'".
They haven't said any of that though, they just released an RIP t shirt and left the rest up to interpretation
That's kind of my point though. If you look at the whole picture over the years, and even recently with what they've been doing and said,....it's fairly clear imo. The T-shirt just affirms it and finalizes it. Same with this quote in the news post. Brand New has never been a band to come right out and say it. This is about as clear as it could be at this point imo. Side note- His statement beforehand about how they were told to play a certain song because it's #1 on Spotify....makes me cringe/sick. Cant believe a band at their level, operating the way they do also, has to deal with stuff like that. I'd personally be pissed about that. Also makes me wonder how genuine this forthcoming album is, if that's the type of stuff they're dealing with. But I'm probably just looking for something to blame...since I dont like any of the recently released tracks much hah. edit #1- Nevermind on the "side note" part hah. I thought they were forced to play the track by some sort of management. It was just a friend's request because the song is #1 on spotify.
I'm pretty sure he's saying this because any new music they make is gonna go over the same as Daisy. Most will hate, diehards will say it's the best album yet.
Who told them they needed to play a certain song because it's No. 1 on Spotify? I thought they weren't even on a label anymore?
While I would be sad to see Brand New go, I'm fine with them not being a full time band anymore. Maybe this means they'll write and record sporadically, whenever they feel like it, and release themselves from expectations. Hell, after how upset people were over them deciding to play Daisy in full a certain night instead of Deja Entendu (which everyone seemed to expect despite the band not actually saying a damn thing about it), I'd be weary of that kind of fan mentality too. Honestly, I also think that they're just at that point in their life where they want to do something else. People can think of this "announcement" as toying with fans but Brand New has always been pretty tight-lipped about things. If they're announcing a breakup or hiatus or decision to not be a full time band anymore like this, it's probably a way to prepare fans for the inevitable and to treat whatever time they have left with the band well and enjoyable instead of complaining the whole damn time.
Come on, no one's making them play a popular song. Even if they were, doesn't that only make sense? I like Brand New as much as anyone else, but the obsessiveness (that borders on possessiveness) over this band confuses me.
pretty sure Jesse said one of his friends mentioned the Spotify thing. I didn't take it as anything more than someone close to the band being like "hey you guys should play quiet things! its #1 on spotify and you guys never play it" which is very far from someone forcing them to play a popular song. i think this is all being taken the wrong way really, its pretty clear from the video that Jesse was acting tongue in cheek when he said all the stuff this news report is referring to. its just a joking way of saying they're breaking up as a full-time band
Here's what I find funny. Every time a band might call it quits fans freak out, as if all their music will forever disappear from the face of the planet. Often times the music you fall in love with is drastically different than their next version to come out, which draws ire because it's not what what they first made, or they are "selling out" for finding a new groove which finds it's way to more fans making them more popular. How dare they... As far as their set list, playing the same songs night after night after night would become mundane, it's their music they can play what they want. I've been to plenty of concerts where they didn't play songs I definitely thought and expected them to play. We all have our dream setlists bands would perform, rarely if ever does anyone ever get to hear 100% of the songs they want to hear. on Setlist.com 12 of 16 songs were repeated the past 2 nights. If they do end things in 2018, it's not going to be a cataclysmic event. I can always listen to their music. It's not as if you're taking the family pet to be put down, which is how I feel many people take it when bands decide to end things.