Today, Asheville, NC-based psych rock trio The Get Right Band share funky, powerful track "Generation Happy or Dead" out everywhere now. The high energy indie rock song, along with its poignant lyric video, is an anthem for today's generations to fight against apathy, to choose happiness. The band's cinematic, timely LP iTopia, due out April 7 and available for pre-order now. Plus, The Get Right Band will hit the road to play the new music and longtime fan favorites live on tour this Spring throughout the East Coast. Tickets to select shows are available now, with a full list of dates to be announced soon via thegetrightband.com/tour.
"Generation Happy or Dead," out today, is a fiery ode to the often confusing and overwhelming information overload that comes with existing today as well as a rejection of arbitrary societal norms. It dives into the desire to stay up-to-date with current events and the inevitable dopamine rush chase that comes from the light of a phone and a constant stream of notifications. The band confidently declares, however, that they refuse to become apathetic amidst the curated world that only exists online as they aim to determine what's real and what isn't. Frontman Silas Durocher explains, "We’re living with failing institutions, the death of long-standing ideas like “job + marriage + family = happy” or “if you go to college you’ll get a good job that will support you for life.”
Durocher continues, "'Generation Happy or Dead' is about fighting against getting lost in that wash, and fighting against falling into apathy. We sample Franklin D. Roosevelt saying, 'This generation has a rendezvous with destiny' because we believe the current generations can turn this whole thing around and can choose whether our society falls down the rabbit hole or not."
Leaning into the technology-inspired messaging, the accompanying imaginative lyric video made by Durocher aptly takes the viewer through iPhone text conversations, a camera roll and eventually to the band's own YouTube page where the lyrics can be seen in a video on their channel. The original Franklin D. Roosevelt speech that the song samples is played on YouTube and then the screen cuts to a group chat where the band collectively decides how to end the video, teasing their next music video release in the calendar application.
Watch: "Generation Happy or Dead" (Official Lyric Video)
Drummer Jian-Claude Mears says, "Our new album is all about our relationship with technology and the modern world. The 'Generation Happy or Dead' lyric video encompasses that theme in message, medium, and delivery."
The forthcoming project iTopia is the electrifying, momentous concept album by The Get Right Band. The LP, which features Bo Koster (Roger Waters, My Morning Jacket) on keys, Jacob Rodriguez on saxophone (Michael Buble), and Eleanor Underhill on vocals (Underhill Rose), masterfully explores the impact of social media on relationships, mental health, sense of self and the ever-evolving state of the world.
Through seventeen thrilling tracks, the album follows a protagonist who falls into a deep online rabbit hole, passing through techno-utopianism to the most anti-social side of social media. In a moment of clarity, the protagonist begins to climb out of the dark hole as they aim to understand what's true and what isn't, and makes a wavering attempt at optimism. In addition to the notable features, the album is primarily self-produced and self-recorded with drums and strings tracked by Julian Dreyer at Echo Mountain Studio in Asheville, NC. The rest of the album was recorded by the band in various home studios, later mixed by Matt Zutell at Coast Records and mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B.
Proudly putting their evolution both as people and as artists on full display, bassist Jesse Gentry explains, "This album not only represents our growth and progress as a band, but also as people. The themes of the album and the content of the songs touch on some of the most poignant issues of our society at this moment in time. We hope people can relate to the subject matter and that it also gives the listener some hope for a different future."
Mears adds, "This album is a story that is taking place right now. It's a story at the intersection of technological and social evolution in a world in which people feel growing disconnection and discontentment for the people and systems which so greatly affect our lives. It's a story of the fragility and susceptibility of human nature and a tale of caution that we can all relate to."
"In making 'iTopia' we had to acknowledge how media, and particularly social media, is affecting each of us." Mears continues, "These things strongly shape our world view and when you start unraveling the motives and incentives behind the things you're being told, a bleak feeling can emerge. I hope this album makes people think about all the things that they're consuming and how it impacts themselves and everyone around them."
Today's release follows the previously shared synth-filled, dreamy single "Hell Yes Refresh," a look into the collective human addiction to being online, connecting with like-minded strangers, and the constant desire to refresh social media. Here, both technology and love act as interchangeable subjects as frontman Silas Durocher sings, "Don't you want to feel good? / Hell yes, refresh / I can't take my eyes away from you / Yes I must confess, I'm obsessed with you." Providing more insight into the meaning behind the psychedelic, layered track, Durocher explains, "In the context of the full album, 'Hell Yes Refresh' is about finding your tribe online, finding love online, finding connection online, and that techno-utopianism leaning toward the obsession most of us have with our screens and our online lives…the constant need to refresh your app and see what new things are happening." Durocher continues, "The whole song is also meant to work as a single outside of the technology context, as a song about relationships, the feeling of obsession that comes with falling in love."
The vibrant accompanying visual directed by the band's own Durocher and animated by Rodrigo Salazar in collaboration with artificial intelligence aptly sets the tone for the album to come. "We wanted the first music video from iTopia to really say a lot about the whole album, not just the single," says Durocher. After seeing the AI work of various artists online, the band knew it was the most fitting way to convey the forthcoming album's message. "That felt like the perfect medium to capture the energy of a concept album about the miracle and the mess of technology."
In addition to the string of previously announced dates this spring, The Get Right Band will bring the forthcoming project to fans who are eagerly anticipating the seventeen fresh tracks. Plus, the band will celebrate the release of iTopia with a hometown show at Asheville, NC's Salvage Station with Disco Risque on April 7. A full list of dates will be announced soon, and tickets for select shows are available now via thegetrightband.com/tour.
Several leading tastemakers have supported the band in recent years including American Songwriter who wrote, "The Get Right Band filters 60’s/70’s psychedelia and 90’s alternative rock through a modern lens–as if Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Nirvana co-wrote an album produced by Danger Mouse and Dan Auerbach. 'Itchy Soul' will make you remember the power of music.” Huffington Post added, "The Get Right Band are the type of performers that you just know will break out. Their songs are infectious and take you immediately to a place. The lyrics are smart and bear weight." Happy Mag also raved about their 2020 effort, "On their new album 'Itchy Soul'...The Get Right Band deliver an unpredictable and infectious collection of songs. Soaring vocal hooks and unpredictable, dynamic instrumentation drive this sprawling album into new and exciting territories.”
A friendship of over 25 years laid the foundation of The Get Right Band when Silas Durocher (guitarist/singer/songwriter) and Jesse Gentry (bass) met in middle school. Officially formed in 2011, the band solidified in 2013 when they were joined by Jian-Claude Mears (drums) and the group embarked on the never-ending journey of inventing their own sound. Now, in 2023, with a decade of heavy touring, major festival performances like FloydFest, Bristol Rhythm & Roots and notable performances like NPR's World Cafe, Paste Studio and inclusion on the WTF Podcast with Marc Maron under their belts, the trio gears up to release their most ambitious, invigorating and provocative body of work yet.
The Get Right Band's playful "Generation Happy or Dead," out everywhere now with a lyric video examines the harmful effects that social media and a constant flow of information can have on one's life, thoughts and identity. The psych-indie rock trio's highly anticipated fifth studio album iTopia is due out April 7 and is available for pre-order now. Catch The Get Right Band live this spring throughout the East Coast with dates to be announced soon, and select tickets on sale now here. Connect with The Get Right Band on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay up-to-date with much more to come.
Listen: "Hell Yes Refresh" Watch: "Hell Yes Refresh" (Official Music Video) | 
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