Dragged Under and Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group have announced a June 10 release date for the band’s new studio album UPRIGHT ANIMALS. To celebrate this, they have revealed the video for new song “All of Us.” They will also be coming to the UK for the first time in the summer, playing Download festival on Saturday 11th June, a run of six headline dates playing Milton Keynes, Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester, London and finishing at the O2 Brixton Academy, London supporting The Ghost Inside. Tickets are available here and you can pre-order the album here. The release will be available on CD, an orange transparent LP, and digitally.
Talking about the new song singer Tony Cappocchi shares, “For me, ‘All of Us’ is meant to connect with anyone who listens to it. I want everyone to feel that despite their situation; be it relationship issues, social pressures, self perception, we’ve all had a weird few years, and a lot hasn’t gone as we planned. It’s important to zoom out from the microscope through which we view our problems and realize that life and all of its frustrations are happening to all of us. We wanted to make a lighthearted video to contrast the tension of the song, but we liked the idea of using dolls to tell that story. It’s a bit of a commentary on the nature of feeling a bit out of control of the situations we’ve found ourselves in the last couple of years, and how we sometimes have to just pretend it’s all good. Dolls have an ability that I envy, they can smile through their problems and hide their emotions. I can’t relate.”
When you strip everything else away, we rely on our animal instincts to survive. In the face of danger, we either flee or fight without hesitation. No matter how many perceived differences exist between us, we breathe the same air, drink the same water, and eat the same way to subsist. Dragged Under naturally harness this primal power in their hard-hitting hybrid of punk, rock, metal, and hardcore. Choosing to progress, the Seattle quintet—Tony Cappocchi [vocals], Ryan Bruce [guitar], Sean Rosario [guitar], Hans Hessburg [bass], and Kalen Anderson [drums]—sharpen their claws, teeth, and style on their second full-length album, Upright Animals [Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group].
“There’s obviously a media divide, there’s a class divide, and there’s a racial divide in this country,” observes Tony. “In many ways, we use our animal instincts to think when it’s convenient for us instead of our evolutionary abilities. Trying to keep up with all of the information these days is like drinking from a firehose. So, our animal tendencies still shine through. A lot of enlightenment still needs to happen before we can consider ourselves anything other than animals walking around on their hindlegs. That’s what the album is about.”
With animalistic energy, Dragged Under charged out of the gate in 2020 on their debut The World Is In Your Way. The album generated streams in the tens of millions and earned widespread critical acclaim. Beyond plugs from Loudwire, New Noise Magazine, and more, KERRANG! hailed it as “nine tracks of the edgiest, most in-your-face punk in recent memory – loaded with underdog appetite and energy,” and Alternative Press named it one of the “20 Debut Albums That Took Metalcore to the Next Level in 2020.” Along the way, they toured alongside everyone from The Used to Beartooth. During 2021, they recorded what would become Upright Animals with frequent collaborator Hiram Hernandez [Jared Dines, Craig Owens] in Los Angeles and Matt Good [Hollywood Undead, Asking Alexandria] in Phoenix.
“There was an element of thematic development,” Tony goes on. “The last record was a bunch of different phases of my life. I had 21 years to write it. I only had a year-and-a-half to write this one. It’s about a time, a place, events, and what I was a feeling in this window.”
Emotion shines through the single “Crooked Halos.” “It essentially says, ‘I’m an angel, but I’m wearing a mask so people won’t see the problems in my life’,” he reveals. “All Of Us” finds unity in disarray. Co-written with Brandon Saller of Atreyu and Hell or Highwater, hyper-charged riffs crash into a chantable chorus before a pummeling bridge sealed with a searing solo.
Dragged Under evolve by eliciting emotion from the purest place possible. “When you listen to this, I hope you experience moments of tension, anxiety, sadness, and happiness,” he leaves off. “At the same time, it’s nostalgic for us. We want it to remind you of being young and discovering the bands that changed your life. If you think, ‘This reminds me of what I grew up on,’ I’d be very satisfied. We spent a lot of time and energy on this. I’m excited about the future.”
