The Wonder Years

There couldn't of been a worse day for The Wonder Years to play London. With the majority of people who would have been present jetting off to Germany for Pressurefest, the venue was far from full. However they don't let this get them down, and with songs such as "Let's Moshercise," and "I Fell In Love With A Ninja" they don't let anyone in the crowd feel disappointed either. With vocalist Soupy injuring himself earlier on the tour, it's still great to see him moving more then a lot of front men when they are fully fit.

The crowd definitely come to life during their set, with a cover of "Understatement," by New Found Glory in particular getting the place going, and final track "My Geraldine Lies Over The Delaware" closing the night perfectly, with a dog pile to the lines "And we'll leave tonight if you're ok to drive, and we'll leave this place behind, thank God we don't live here all the time" being shouted out by both band and crowd.

If there is a downside to tonight, apart from the lack of people inside the venue, it's the sound. For anyone who has been to The Underworld before, they will know the sound is generally good. Tonight it sounds terrible, in fact the guitars sounded so bad at some points it was hard to listen. Also, the synths from Mikey K got almost completely lost in the sound tonight. Apart from this though, the show was a lot of fun, and for those who were in Germany and missed out on this show, make sure you see them when they come back in November. (4) - Scene Not Heard

Interview with The Wonder Years
Posted by Paul
6:54AM, 30th Dec 2006

Paul: Hi! Please tell us who you are and what you do in the band!
TWY: Hey! We're The Wonder Years. Dan sings and runs around like an idiot on fire while we play, Josh plays bass and kicks kids with his special order, size 16 Dunks whenever we play a breakdown, Kennedy plays drums and takes off more clothing than the every actress in Babysitters 11-13 combined, MattBrasch is punk rock (something about a guitar...), Casey also plays guitar and rocks out in the world's slowest and smoothest manner, and Mikey K plays keys, yells and pumps his arm vigorously.

Paul: Can you give us a brief history of who The Wonder Years are, how you formed and what bands influence your music?
TWY: Basically, we were in serious bands that wrote 'emotional' songs about 'heartbreak.' Then, we cut out the gay, added some awesome and decided we needed to start a pop punk band that is all about good times circa July 4th, 2005 (229 years after you got served. Hoo-ah!).

Paul: First things first...did you really play with Boyz II Men? If you did, where, how and why?!
TWY: Fuck yea! Don?t doubt that shit, son. It was a huge ordeal that I feel like you need to hear. We were supposed to be hitting up New England for a short tour last summer. Some shit went awry, and I called my boys in The Mile Highschool (VA-Gay Dudes. No Vacancy Records) and asked what they were up to August 12th. They informed me that they were playing Fort Eustis with the one and only Boyz II Men. Now, you need to understand, that all we listened to as kids were Cooleyhighharmony and II, being that we?re from the Philadelphia area. So, we weaseled our way onto the show. Long story short, two of us were banned from the base for life, I (Dan) stole a golf cart and drove it around all afternoon, we got into a big argument with the sound guy and some concert promoter that may or may not have worked with Boyz II Men and after our set, we got to see the Boyz play standing in a sea of close to 1500 rabid fans.

Paul: In 5 words, describe the typical The Wonder Years live experience...
TWY: Synchronized jumps and naked party-mosh. (How?s that hyphen feel, dog?!?! OH SHIT!)

Paul: You play a kind of melodic hardcore/pop-punk hybrid...is that a sound you're all fans of and something the band came up with naturally?
TWY: We just stick shit we like together. Casey writes pop songs for a living and breakdowns make us feel like we aren't pussies.

Paul: Your latest release is a split with Bangarang! How did that come about? Have you known those guys a while?
TWY: Bangarang! are the shit! MattBrasch and Justin (drums for Bangarang) have know each other for a really long time and Jake (bass for Bangarang) and Dan have been playing in different bands together since literally middle school. They are really awesome dudes and we?re really happy that we got to put this split out.

Paul: 'I Ain't Saying He A Gold Digga (Sike!)' - you're fans of Kanye then?!
TWY: Fucking right 'we gon keep baking to the day we get cake. And we dont care what people say?

Paul: Have you considered trademarking 'Let;s Moshercise'? How fucking cool would it be to put out an exercise DVD of spinkicks and windmilling?!
TWY: Literally one of the most disappointing moments of our year was when George from Valencia (PA-sweet hair. I-Surrender Records), informed us that this video already exists somewhere.

Paul: What's your local PA scene like? Which other bands should we be checking out?
TWY: Jesus. There are a lot of bands worth noting from no more than a 20 minute radius from us. If you can, check out: Leavenworth, The Arrangement, Dead Again, Barricade, The Minor Times, Prevail, Koji on the Roof, Backseat Driver and of course Bangarang!

Paul: Your music video looks a hell of a lot of fun - was it as fun to make as it is fun to watch?
TWY: Yea, dude. MattBrasch made it kind of out of boredom. Its just a collection of clips from our summer tour, which, although barely a tour, was a total blast, as you can see from the video.

Paul: What's next for The Wonder Years? Any plans for a release of your own?
TWY: We're actually writing a full length now. It's going to be called 'Get Stoked on It' and it should be out in September of next year. We aren?t sure who is putting it out yet, but we should be announcing it sometime this spring.

Paul: You also run your own label, Forgive and Forget Records. Is the name a Get Up Kids reference? If it's not, how did you come up with it?
TWY: Yea, I (Dan) run Forgive & Forget. It?s definitely about the GUK?s song. My boy Mike and I co-run the label and The Get Up Kids are both or our favorite bands. He has the phrase Forgive and Forget tattooed on his legs along with the GUK's robots.

Paul: Why start a record label? Which bands do you have on your roster and what releases have you put out so far?
TWY: The label is basically in existence to support my friends and the bands that I feel need the support. Currently, we?ve released The Bangarang/Wonder Years Split and on January 12th, we're releasing The Arrangement- Stories From Home. You can check the label out at www.myspace.com/forgiveandforgetrecords

Paul: How have you found running a label - is it as fun/hard as you thought it would be? Would you recommend running a label?
TWY: It's definitely a huge amount of work. I recommend that you make sure you?re not doing it to make money and that your finances are in order, because you aren't going to be rolling in cash anytime soon.

Paul: How will you be spending Christmas and the New Year period? I see you have a show on the 26th, is that an excuse to get dressed up as Santas?
TWY: We're doing a little tour right after Christmas. It should be a good time and although we hadn't planned the Santa idea, you might be on to something...

Paul: If you have a festive message for our readers, please leave it here!
TWY: Have a Kwazy Kwanza. Also, when trying to copy this email into word, we started typing hotmail.com into Kennedy's address bar, but the first auto-complete URL option was hotchicksbigasses.com. Way to be Kennedy's little brother; way to be.

www.myspace.com/thewonderyearspa

- Punktastic.com

The Wonder Years – Get Stoked On It!
Record Label: No Sleep Records

Take a look around. What do you see?

Half-eaten bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? Check.
Nun chucks hanging on wall (you know, just in case)? Check.
Telescope facing hot co-eds. Triple check (they’re blondes!).
A general air of debauchery and laziness? Check**

Well then, you’re an idiot. Whoa, whoa, whoa, don’t take that as a put-down. You have not been forgotten this time. You can finally dive into the cesspool of discarded expectations and “you had to be there” stories with a sufficiently boisterous soundtrack. For The Wonder Years have created Get Stoked On It! And Ted saw all that he had influenced, and that it was very good. He tried to tell Bill, but Bill had fallen asleep in the phone booth and was transported back to feudal Japan. Moving on.

The Wonder Years’ sound is very popular right now. Hardcore-influenced pop-punk seems to draw some very distinct battle lines. This is strange to me, especially in reference to a fun-loving record like Get Stoked On It! The Wonder Years could care less about revolutionizing music or what color your New Era hat may be. They just want to know what the hell a land pirate is. And unlike some of their peers, The Wonder Years are a bit more on the pop side of things. Main vocalist, Soupy Campbell, sounds like a mix between Kenny Vasoli (especially on “We Were Giants”) and Jordan Brown (Set Your Goals). His clean vocals are strong, as can be heard on the majority of “What If We [Swam] Into Nothing?,” but when the song gets heavy towards the end, he has no problem leading the gang.

“Let’s Moshcercise!!!” begins with an extended intro complete with zinging synths and sparse, chugging guitars. The whole thing sounds like a Motion City Soundtrack song if they stepped away from the PS3 once in a while. When Campbell comes in and gives his own special workout plan (“We say, yo, lets turn up the bass! / Today, we’ll mosh the pounds away!”), I immediately wish I knew him. Get Stoked On It! has impressed me with a considerable attention to detail. The vocal production sounds clear and rings true (see: “Keystone State Dude-Core”), there is an acoustic foray into apathy (“Racing Trains”) and the lyrics are always fantastic. Fans of the band will recognize “My Geraldine Lies Over The Delaware” from a split with Bangarang!, and the track sort of sticks out. Not in a bad way though, as it is possibly the most diverse song on Get Stoked On It! The track begins with a boinging bass line and semi-screams until the synth-filled chorus comes in and sets up for the most satisfying moment thus far. A HUGE gang chorus screams over a drastically slowed tempo, “And we’ll leave tonight / If you’re OK to drive. / We’ll leave this place behind / Thank God we don’t live here all the time!”

The Wonder Years have it. They blend genres without playing favorites and are poised to win scores of new fans with Get Stoked On It! “When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong” confronts the slacker generation in a language they can understand: “I got these friends, that hate their fucking lives / I guess that’s what inactivity does to the mind / So I stay busy day and night / I don’t have time to complain.” Amongst all the pop culture jokes and catchy breakdowns, there is a message here. Maybe that’s why I like The Wonder Years so much. Their ability to cut down the “plight” of the middle class (har dee har har) with self-consciousness and humor speaks volumes to me. These guys have crafted an intelligent and exhilarating ride through growing up. As the song fades out and The Wonder Years scream, “We know that everything is going to be OK,” I’m inclined to believe them. That’s more than I can say about most of the authority figures in my life (I’m sooooo misunderstood). And whether you think this sound is already stale or not, The Wonder Years are a wonderful addition to any music fan’s library (who are you kidding?).

**Equal chance of being dirty laundry

- absolutepunk.net

The Wonder Years – Get Stoked On It!

Sometimes a band is vying for your attention with shiny things. Look, raccoon, look! (Sorry ... "Where the Red Fern Grows" reference - read up on it!) But The Wonder Years is a band that deserves credit for making an organic unity out of its influences. Stripped down rock meets melodic zest in this indie rock, emo, punk, hardcore fusion. Make of that anal analyst's breakdown what you will. The fact of the matter is that a dash of verve and a layered sound makes "Get Stoked On It!" something to get stoked about. (Oh, come on, you know half the reviewers around are going to say something like that, not that that's any excuse.)

- corazine

The Wonder Years – Get Stoked On It!

The Wonder Years are quickly becoming PT faves. It's true their mosh and roll sound (I hope that catches on...) is as poppy as it is borrowed from their more hardcore influences, but the fact they're top guys as well makes them even more likeable. The band's debut EP was as fun as it was daft, mixing up some silly subject matters and lyrics with some ultra catchy hooks and fun breakdowns. The Wonder Years have never tried to re-invent the wheel, but they do what they do really, really well - and with a massive smile on their face.

'Get Stoked On It' is like Bill and Ted for 2007. It's overblown with sillyness, yet remains so goddamn fun you'll have to listen to it over and over - and probably for years to come. Fans of Set Your Goals, Daggermouth and Bangarang will definitely enjoy this record, but then so will fans of NFG and The Starting Line. 'Let's Moshcercise!!!', a track we all first heard on the EP, is beefed up with some meaty production, making it sound like Motion City Soundtrack fondling Set Your Goals in the back of a car. 'Keystone State Dude-Core' sums up the lack of seriousness on this record, while 'Dude, What is a Land Pirate?' and 'I Fell in Love with a Ninja Master' keep up that fun feeling. There are also special guest apperances from members of Zolof The Rock and Roll Destroyer and Letxdown.

The Wonder Years won't be for everyone, but if you want to put a smile back on your face after a long, hard day, this lot are so much fun you'll forget your troubles almost instantly...

- punktastic.com

The Wonder Years – Get Stoked on It!

"Come closer everybody, come closer" were the first words by The Wonder Years vocalist soupy, before he launched straight into a frenzy of hardcore infused pop punk godhood in the form of "Keystone Sate Dude-Core". The response from the crowd in the form of a singalong "six dudes from the keystone state..." caught the band completely by surprise, who by the looks of it had been playing to almost empty rooms all tour, or at least rooms full of fans of the supporting bands if nothing else. What you have to remember here is that The Wonder Years is known by only a good couple of hundred people in the states alone, so for them to come into the UK with an album that hasn't been promoted even the slightest bit, and have the crowd singing back words to their songs must be absolutely mindblowing. Visibly overwhelmed, the band looked like it had just received an injection of self confidence ++++ direct to vein, because the entire band lit up in a way I've seldom seen a band on their first song of the set.

Having absolutely no concern for collateral damage, vocalist Soupy went apeshit during several of the songs, storming straight into the crowd dealing out karate kicks left and right, while leading the gang shouts the next moment on stage. Surprisingly many in the crowd knew the lyrics, so Soupy didn't hesitate to pass on the mic to different members of the crowd to sing or scream along the lyrics, giving all the more energy to the already frantic band on stage. After four of our favorite songs (I mean, every song this band plays is a favorite, isn't it?), the band had small break and launched into a full blown cover of Kid Dynamite to the delight of a few fans int he crowd, before later on demanding For Friendship's Sake back on stage to sing New Found Glory's classic "Understatement", causing the entire venue to feel an equivalent of a wet dream: imagine one of the best songs by your favorite modern pop punk band being covered by your currently favorite pop punk band.. you get the point, surely.

And all too soon, it was all over. "Bout To Get Fruit Punched, Homie" was meant to be the last song of their set but the crowd convinced them to return and play "Zombies Are The New Black" to finish off a set which left everyone in the crowd out of breath, lacking any voice to speak after having sung along for well over 30 minutes straight. It's a shame the band omitted "Buzz Aldrin: 'The Poster Boy For Second Place'" because I could've seen that song just explode the place, or "I Fell In Love With A Ninja Master" which surely would've made the mosh pit retardedly violent. But perhaps it's for the better, because the short set left us craving for more.. I'm sure everyone leaving the venue will agree with me when I say I'll be freaking stoked on it when they'll eventually return back to the UK. [8½]

- rockfreaks.net

The Wonder Years Interview
5/9/2008

Not even a year after releasing arguably the greatest album of all time, Get Stoked On It!, The Wonder Years already have more delicious heavy pop-punk treats baked and ready. The Wonder Years play the hip card to its fullest as Won’t Be Pathetic Forever is a 7” record (that means you need to ask your dad if he’ll stop playing his mint condition version of Fly Like An Eagle for a few hours). The release still pummels the listener with catchy aggression, but the lyrics shy away from cereal box heroes and pirates. This is a record about finding a happy medium while finding your way in this world. But don’t take my word for it; take Nathan Lint’s. The band will be on a lengthy summer and you can pick up Won’t Be Pathetic Forever on June 10th.

1.) Let’s get the introductions out of the way. I’m Blake and I have five separate pairs of boxers with hearts on them. Who are you and what’s something nobody else knows about you (until now)?

I’m Soupy and naps give me anxiety attacks. I'm Casey and I like wearing cloths that look like I just spilled something on myself because then when I actually do spill shit, I can just say “It’s called fashion brah!” My name is Josh and I work at a high-end clothing store.


2.) Your music is fast and hard, but it always retains a certain level of intricacy. How do you achieve this? Do you write all together, piecing things together one by one, or is there a main songwriting mastermind?
As of late, most, but not all of the songs start in my (Soupy’s) head at really inopportune times during bike rides or at work or sometimes as just melodies. Then Casey, Matt or both get together with me to set said melodies to some semblance of music. That kind of gives us a blue print. Then, we get together at practice and Josh and Kennedy add the cool rhythmic shit that keeps songs interesting. The last thing to come is usually Mikey with the keys, mostly because we have a shitty practice PA and it’s hard to write keyboard lines when you can’t hear the keyboard. This process takes longer than it should because we live three hours from one another and getting together to write isn’t always a simple task.

3.) What do you say to people who think your lyrics are “stupid?” Are these people destined for greatness due to their wonderful ability to scowl and take themselves too seriously?
I mean, let’s be fair, the lyrics on “Get Stoked On It!” are pretty stupid. I’m not trying to be Thoreau, which I suppose is an issue to some, but we’re just having fun. I understand that everyone has to hate on something. I mean we fucking hate pigeons, hippies, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. I guess they hate hanging out and having a good time and shit. Next time, we’ll try to write a CD in the form of a doctoral dissertation on Friedrich Nietzsche.

4.) Follow-Up: If they keep frowning, will their face really freeze like that?
Absolutely, it has also been linked to erectile dysfunction.

5.) There are lyrics on Won’t Be Pathetic Forever about being on the road and making something of yourself. What have you guys accomplished since the release of Stoked!. What have you learned?

- There are now naked pictures of Kennedy and Soupy in at least 10 different states and 3 different countries in settings that range from beaches to deserts to mountains.

- We destroyed at least 5 houses in the United Kingdom.

- We managed to keep our sanity in between tours.

- We had our song in a porn on Burning Angel! and possibly a song featured in a DVD to come…


6.) The new record once again features vocals from Rachel Minton (of Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer). What’s something you’re too afraid to tell her in real life? There’s no way she’ll ever read this, I promise.
Rach, we think you and Vince are vampires. Sorry.

7.) What 90’s Nickelodeon or kids television shows would you absolutely love to see on DVD? VR Troopers anyone?
First off, I have no idea what the fuck VR Troopers are/were. According to Wikipedia, “the show featured early CGI and video effects mixed with Japanese stock footage from three different ‘Metal Heroes’ series.” Sucks. Further more, we exclusively back Pete & Pete. Did you see the Nada Surf video where big Pete is a bike messenger? Rules.

8.) Lots of your songs deal with Pennsylvania. It’s a very love/hate sort of relationship. What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about where you grew up?

There are a lot of cool things about Pennsylvania but growing up I was always really proud of the DIY scene we created in the suburbs out of empty halls and hard work. This place tends to swallow people though. It’s hard to past a lot of the shit that goes on here sometimes.


9.) There’s really no flow in this interview at all. How do you feel about that?

The Wonder Years love flow. In fact, The Wonder Years almost inked a deal years ago as six Philly MCs , but we had to settle for pop punk when the RIAA tried to sue us claiming that the release of our debut album would encourage and facilitate “the illegal downloading of abnormally fly material.” So whatever this interview may lack in flow, The Wonder Years can hopefully make up for in a live freestyle session for you at some point Blake.


10.) Ok, let’s wrap this thing up with some quickies. What song are you most proud of? What is Chris Hansen’s (No Sleep Records CEO) best quality? Is having smokin’ hot groupies as awesome as it looks on TV?
We’re pretty equally proud of all the songs on the new record. Chris Hansen’s best quality is leading his double life catching pedophiles on To Catch A Predator and laying the smack down on those sick sons-of-bitches. There is no possible way to answer this question without our girlfriends being very angry.

11.) Where are you most excited about visiting this summer while on your tour?
There’re a lot of places we’re stoked to be for a lot of different reasons. We’ve never been to the Pacific Northwest before, so that’s going to be pretty awesome. Vegas is going to be utterly insane and it’ll be nice to be in a lot of cities with a lot of friends we don’t see enough.

12.) Thanks so very much for your time and be careful out there. Clichéd soapbox time: Say whatever the f**k you want to the kids at AP.net. But remember, they bite.

To the kids that back us: Thanks a lot. We get to do a lot of stupidly awesome things because you listen to our band. If you’re ever in Philly, let’s hang out and ride bikes or eat cheese steaks.

To the kids that talk shit: Touch my balls, dudes. Touch my balls.

Head above water, 2008!


- AbsolutePunk.net

Short background information: Rockfreaks.net is a privately run non-profit online magazine based in Denmark ran entirely out of the passion of the individuals behind it. The focus is on bands outside of the mainstream, often featuring bands of small size or new bands to our Scandinavian target audience. For direct contact information please refer to the bottom of this document. We greatly appreciate any feedback or hints for undiscovered great bands, so please do not hesitate to contact us, we love to hear from bands.


Questions for The Wonder Years

RF.net: Hi and thanks for taking the time to answer our questions! First off, how are things in The Wonder Years?

Awful man. It’s like, non-stop fist fights and shit. Mikey had sex with Kennedy’s girlfriend and ever since, it’s just been war.

But on the real, we’re totally fine.

RF.net: Alright lets get the quick ones out of the way first - how often do you hear some kind of pun/comment involving getting stoked about something in connection to The Wonder Years?

We get messages that say something like that at least twice a day. I hope the kids sending them don’t think they’re the only ones thinking up this shit. Then again, how many times a day did the dude from Right Said Fred get asked if he was “too sexy for his (insert anything here)?” At least we’re not there yet.

RF.net: What exactly is "dude-core"?

No fucking idea, brother. I just thought it sounded cool. We wrote that song right before we went to record the full length and I needed to get a name to the dude doing the art work.

RF.net: I think everyone who owns "Get Stoked On It!" has noticed some recurring themes across the album - the Kool Aid thing, Captain Crunch, Pirates, Ninjas and so on. Are you guys just big fans of those characters/topics or what?

We just thought all of that was funny. Like, we’d get bored and decide “let’s write this song about ninjas.” It was almost like a contest to see how ridiculous topics could get.

RF.net: On your new EP though, "Won't Be Pathetic Forever", you seem to be singing more about your everyday life (although I did catch that Pirate lyric in one of the new songs!). How come the change and is this the end of hilarious topics from The Wonder Years?

I think the new songs are funnier honestly, but in a totally different way. With Get Stoked on It, there was a lot of stupid humor about random insignificant things. I think Wont Be Pathetic Forever has a darker, more real style of humor to it. We’re laughing at our shitty lives. When I was writing the lyrics for this EP I was going through a bad period and I think this challenged me to find the humor in everything. The pirate lyric is in regards to a plan we had to sell all of our gear to a pawn shop, buy wave runners and rob cruise ships. We were really really fucking out of it that night, haha.


RF.net: You released your debut album "Get Stoked On It!" in late October last year, but you're already gearing up to release your new EP "Won't Be Pathetic Forever" in June. How come you decided to release something this quick, and should we expect a similar pace of releases in the future as well?

We felt like it was important to get these songs out as soon as possible. They were relevant when we were writing them and they’re relevant now.


RF.net: The new EP has a considerably better sound quality - it sounds less like it was home-recorded and more like professional studio quality. Yet this is an aspect I know many love about The Wonder Years - how come the change and do you think it's for the better or worse? Will we see The Wonder Years move towards the polished sound of other pop punk bands like Yellowcard etc in the future?

We did this record with Vince Ratti at Skylight Studios and are really stoked (rofl-copter) on how it sounds. The full length was rushed and it sounds the way it does because of how fast we did it. Matt Buckley did his very best with that record in the time we gave him and we’re happy with it, but the EP gives you an idea of what we’ve always wanted our songs to sound like.


RF.net: So I take it "Mike Kennedy Is A Bad Friend" refers to your drummer Kennedy (correct me if I'm wrong). What's his story - why is he a bad friend?

Haha, I’m so glad this question got asked. We bust Kennedy’s balls a lot. I don’t know how most bands operate, but for us, its usually something we juggle between college. 5/6 of us are in school now and we tour on our breaks but in order to hype Get Stoked on It, we took a semester off and just toured and hung out in between tours. Since most of our friends were away at school we really only hung out with each other and like 10 (Won’t Be Pathetic Forever lyric check) of our remaining friends. Kennedy always bailed on us to spend time with his family and read fantasy novels so we gave him a lot of shit, but to be honest, I would take a bullet for the kid any day of the week. Don’t know what I’d do without him.


RF.net: What do you think about the EP in comparison to your debut album?

I think the EP blows the debut out of the water. I don’t know if that sounds cocky or something, but I don’t give a fuck. I love these songs. They mean something to me and I’m really proud of how they came out.


RF.net: You've also started an online blog in connection with the EP - what's the story with that?

I jacked the idea from Blacklisted, sort of. They have a band blog they keep and I thought that was cool, but I also wanted to do my own thing with it. Their blog deals mostly with band related stuff but ours just plain doesn’t. The EP is about our everyday lives and so is this blog. You can read about interesting things like me riding my bike or my room mate being stuck on the phrase “I just wanna do hoodrat stuff with my friends!” or Casey reviewing how hot singers are in real life. We’re boring dudes, but fuck, we think it’s funny.


RF.net: So "Get Stoked On It!" was voted as the favorite album of the year last year here in Rockfreaks.net, but a quick browse around the internet shows that the press response to the record is really mixed - some really love it like us, but awfully many reviews seem to give the album bad ratings. Are the reviewer's just deaf or what?

Man, I don’t know, haha. They’re all allowed their opinion and at least a lot of them wrote really funny bad reviews. I can respect that. I wish it would have done a little better but I think the reviews were all pretty fair. Can’t argue with people’s opinions.


RF.net: I think a lot of our readers in the UK are eager to know when you're coming back after having that mini-tour last November, and I know we have a load of guys in Denmark wanting you to come by there too. Can you reveal anything to us?

Dude, I’d love to be over there now. We miss so many of our UK friends and we had such a blast last time. I think we’re going to try to come by next winter. Like I said, we’re all finishing up college so we can’t do it in the fall due to classes and we’re on tour in the US all summer. As much as I’d love to be there sooner, that looks like the reality. Also, tell dudes in Denmark to get at me about booking. Why haven’t I heard from any of these dudes?


RF.net: I noticed that on your last tour you covered New Found Glory's "Understatement" and a Kid Dynamite song. Two parts to this question: 1. Will we ever hear either of these covers on record (or any other covers for that matter?) and 2. Since you covered these bands they must be among your favorites, what are some of your other favorite bands?

1) The Kid Dynamite song is called Cheap Shot Youth Anthem and it will be on a Kid Dynamite tribute album called Carry the Torch coming our on Copperlung Records. The record also features covers by Daggermouth, Fireworks, This is Hell, The Ergs, First to Leave, Colin of Arabia, I Am The Avalanche and a lot more.

2) As far as a band goes, we’re really into Living With Lions, Blacklisted, Minus the Bear, The Get Up Kids, Motion City Soundtrack and an odd amount of ska.


RF.net: That's it from me, thanks for the interview. Any last comments to your fans & the readers?

Head above water this year.

- Rockfreaks.net

1. Who are you and what purpose do you serve in The Wonder Years?

I’m Soupy and I sing and Josh is here; he plays bass and yells.

2. You were at Altsounds earlier on the in the year, has much happened since then?


Well, we went back to school for the semester so we all moved into apartments and did our own shit for a bit. Kennedy got a dog. I started teaching elementary school kids. Josh drank and watched Law and Order, Mikey got back into landscaping, etc. Then we got together and wrote a new 7 inch called “Won’t Be Pathetic Forever” that comes out June 10th. Now, we’re just getting ready to be back on tour all summer.

3. Has there been anything you have learnt from recently?

We’re constantly learning. For instance, at a show the other day, we learned that 15 bucks can buy us 15 KFC Snackers for dinner and get you a free drink if you flirt with the small-town girl behind the counter.

4. Spill with the gossip. Has there been anymore head cracking from microphones and shitting on stage stories to tell from your time on the road?

Not a whole lot of that, haha. At a show we played with Four Year Strong a fight broke out and in an attempt to stop it, I ended choking some totally innocent kid by accident. That kind of sucked. We also played the Troc the other day in Philly and got in some sweet stage dives. Some girl commented our myspace to say she loved the show even though I hit her friend in the face mid-dive. I kind of rule.

5. Your new EP, "Won't be Pathetic Forever" has turned out pretty kick ass. Do you have any stories to tell from recording it?

It wasn’t really too crazy. I had to leave for a bit because the thermostat in my house broke causing it to shoot up to like 200 degrees and my walls were literally hot to the touch so that needed to be remedied before it burnt down. Brendan from The Minor Times came and tried to give us directions to a Taco Bell but was far too drunk and got us lost for an hour. Vince has way too many video games and has really nice parents.

6. Out of the new songs, what was your favourite track to write and record and why?

First of all, it’s FAVORITE. America: Get into It. Second, I’m going to say probably “You’re Not Salinger. Get Over It.” I’m basing this on the fact that it was the one we had just finished writing at the time of recording so it was exciting to see that come together.

7. Is there anything you are looking forward too in the future?

Tour, tour and more tour. We’re out all summer and I couldn’t be more stoked to get back in the van and get into some trouble. I think we might also try to get back overseas this winter so keep an eye out.

8. Has anyone who has been an inspiration to you come up and said they loved your band?

Inspiration might not be the best word, but Vince who recorded our record and his fiancé Rachel are in a band called Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer that we all love and they were really amped on the new songs so it’s cool to have their support. Recently, a lot of our friends that made fun of us for being in this band have gotten into the new songs too so it’s good to have them behind us for once.

9. I pre-ordered the EP the other week and im just waiting for it to be shipped out. Because you are nice boys is there any chance you can sign it foe me please? (you spell my name.... Claire. thanks ;) )

Actually, oddly enough, we don’t touch the 7 inch before you do. It ships right from our label to the distro to your hands. I can mail you something though. Get at me privately and shit and we’ll work it out.

10. Thank you for the chat... now is there anything that I haven't asked you that you feel the need to get off your chest before I go?

Pick up Won’t Be Pathetic Forever June 10th. Listen to Save Your Breath, All or Nothing and Chaos Days. Go to Le Pub. Head above water this year, boys.

- Altsounds.com

"Best 7" Vinyl of 2008" - PUNKRADIOCAST.com

"This is TWY at their best. Top ten of 2008? Most likely" - SCENE NOT HERD

"Its bigger and more epic sounding than anything The Wonder Years have done before but it still doesn't lose what makes them great. It just makes them better." - ALTSOUNDS.com

"One thing is for sure when you take a gander at this record, The Wonder Years are here to stay. This is their third release in less than two years, and they don't seem to plan on slowing down" - ABSOLUTEPUNK.net

"With songs such as "Won't Be Pathetic Forever" and "You're Not Salinger. Get Over It." I think this band will find success fairly quick. But trust me, The Wonder Years are here to stay in 2008." - THEDAILYCHORUS.com

"What The Wonder Years offer is three solid tracks that, despite how their next effort may or may not turn out, are some of the best of the band's career to date." - WONKA VISION

"The Wonder Years' new 7" EP is a little teaser that not only appeases fans hungering for new music, but also appears to show a little musical maturity." - VERBICIDE

"Won't be Pathetic Forever is a vast improvement for The Wonder Years. If their progression continues at this rate, the next release could be the one that hits big." - SCENEPOINTBLANK.com

"If they continue to improve at this rate of knots they'll be bona fide big boys in punk rock circles this time next year." - PUNKTASTIC.com

"I am honestly stoked" - PUNKNEWS.org

"While the raw sound had its advantages, it's a no-brainer that when the guitars sound better, wide-spread success is ever closer to the band now. If you still aren't convinced, a quick listen to the lead riff of "You're Not Salinger..." should assure you otherwise. If not, you might wanna get your ears checked. I'm stoked on this release" - ROCKFREAKS.net

"With Won't Be Pathetic Forever, the Wonder Years have proven that they are truly something wonderful. Their potential mixed with their infectious tunes are bound to take them places, and you, too, will be raving about them." - FORTHESOUND.com

"Having just got this and giving it a few listens, I can say that I actually love this band now, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. It's only four songs and it's just a tiny bit different than their full-length "Get Stoked On It!" in terms of sound, but damn, they are good." - STEREOKILLER.com



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