Welcome to a new era of Trophy Eyes. The Aussie punk rockers have announced their newest studio album, Suicide and Sunshine (Out June 23) via Hopeless Records in tandem with a brand new track “What Hurts The Most.”
The lead single is a haunting song about pain, loss, and learning to say goodbye to relationships you’ve outgrown. The lyrics (as always) were Inspired by Trophy Eyes’ frontman John Floreani’s personal experiences, and are a vulnerable peek inside his life. The track received the video treatment as well which fans can watch HERE.
Trophy Eyes’ John Floreani shares of the new single:
“I moved to Newcastle, Australia in my early 20’s. My best friend and I had made a plan together in pursuit of happiness, and for some reason, to us, it all started there. He’d always struggled between the pressure of conventional life and risking all for the unattainable, and I’d always flourished in chaos. Like it does, time marched on. I joined Trophy Eyes and he dedicated his time to house deposits and long term relationships.
Trophy Eyes quickly consumed my life, taking my degree, relationships, friendships, jobs and homes – even the honour of best man. I found less and less time for motivational speeches, and even when I could, it was always met by a void of negativity. I gave up on him. Our friendship soured at the idea of what I’d sacrificed for my dream and how I’d neglected his. During a tour of Europe, he crossed a line back home, and I never saw him again.”
Just like the title Suicide and Sunshine, Trophy Eyes’ fourth album is about contrast. About light and dark. About beauty and tragedy. About the full spectrum of human existence, with each song plucked from the pages of frontman John Floreani’s life.
The album’s title comes from a lyric in the song “Sean”, Floreani writing that it was sunny when he heard of his mate’s passing, and that the Uber that took him to a gathering of Sean’s friends was playing poppy Top 40 hits. It is, however, a concept that’s long inspired the singer’s work.
“It’s the tragedy and the beauty of life. When we did Chemical Miracle, our second full length, the logo for the album was a palm tree and a noose. That’s literally suicide and sunshine. It’s always been there on my mind. And I think I finally just phonetically set it out. That encompasses everything I’ve been trying to do my entire career.” – John Floreani
The singer’s willingness to dive so deeply into the most personal parts of his life is matched by the band’s desire to explore the very boundaries of the hardcore and punk genres, incorporating dark modern pop, electronic flourishes courtesy of co-producer Fletcher Matthews, and atmospheric, swirling synths.
“It’s where we are, it’s who we are just doing the stuff we like,” says Floreani. “It was just the guys getting together and focusing on our relationships, being brothers and being in a band again. And that’s what this record was for Trophy Eyes – a very happy revisiting of why the fuck we’re doing this in the first place.”
Trophy Eyes are about to hit the road with Against The Current in the U.S followed by performances at Slam Dunk Festival in the UK and Italy.
PRE-SAVE THE ALBUM HERE
(win a signed test pressing)
PRE – ORDER THE ALBUM HERE
(Australian exclusive coloured LP, win a signed Fender guitar)
