Astoria is the fourth studio album recorded by Canadian rock band Marianas Trench. It was released on October 23, 2015, through 604 Records (in Canada) and Cherrytree Records and Interscope Records (internationally).[5][6][7] The album represents the band's official return to the music scene after promotion of their previous album, Ever After (2011), ended in 2013, and was preceded by the retrospective EP, Something Old / Something New earlier in 2015.[8]
Background
In 2011, Marianas Trench released their third studio album, Ever After, which produced five top-50 singles, including lead single "Haven't Had Enough", which became the group's highest charting single to date (since the creation of the BillboardCanadian Hot 100 in 2007) at number 9. After releasing the last single from that era, "By Now", in 2013, the group returned to the studio to record their next album. During the promotion for Ever After, lead singer and songwriter, Josh Ramsay, also achieved mainstream success as a songwriter and producer on fellow Canadian Carly Rae Jepsen's No. 1 hit "Call Me Maybe" (2012).[9][10] This helped pave the way for the band signing an American record deal with Cherrytree Records and promoting to a broader audience.[9]
The group released "Pop 101" featuring hip hop artist Anami Vice on July 29, 2014 as the intended lead single for the then-unnamed fourth album.[11][12] A second single, "Here's to the Zeros", was released in December 2014, with the full album expected the following spring (2015).[13][14] The album's release was later pushed back to the fall. When the band officially announced Astoria, they ultimately decided not to include either of these tracks, as they no longer fit the tone of the record.[8][15][16] Both of these buzz singles, along with two previously-unreleased songs recorded before their debut album, Fix Me (2006), were instead released as a four-track extended play fittingly titled Something Old / Something New that was released on May 26, 2015.[15][17]
Concept
Similar to their previous two albums (2009's Masterpiece Theatre and 2011's Ever After), Astoria is conceived as a loose concept album, with a cohesive theme and transition tracks bridging the individual songs composing the album.[8] According to Ramsay, this album is inspired by 1980s fantasy and adventure films, and The Goonies (1985) in particular.[5] That film inspired the title (as it was set in Astoria, Oregon), the album's artwork, as well as the title of their accompanying US tour (Hey You Guys!!).[5]
Promotion
Marianas Trench headlined a total of 5 tours across the US, Canada and Europe, in support of the album.
US
The band toured the US (as well as two dates in Québec) on the Hey You Guys!! Tour with Mainland (November 3, 2015 - February 14, 2016)[7][16] and the SPF 80’s Tour with Skylar Stecker (July 8 - August 14, 2016)[12][18]
Canada
The band toured Canada on the Never Say Die Tour with Walk off the Earth (March 9 - April 8, 2016)[13] as well as The Last Crusade Tour with Shawn Hook (November 3, 2016 - February 12, 2017)[19][20]
Europe
The band toured Europe on the Final Countdown Tour with Club Drive (May 1-23, 2017)[21][22]
They also uploaded a video to their official Vevo channel regarding the making of the album.[23]
Singles
"One Love" was released on September 14, 2015 as the official lead single for the album.[24] It entered the BillboardCanadian Hot 100 at number 60 on the chart dated October 3, 2015.[25] The song has been described by critics as more pop than the group's earlier music and has also been favorably compared to previous ballad singles "Good to You" and "Fallout".[26][27] "One Love" was serviced to American hot adult contemporary radio through 604 Records on November 9, 2015.[28]
A second official single, "This Means War", was serviced to Canadian radio on February 16, 2016.[29][unreliable source?] It was the group's first single to not enter the Canadian Hot 100.
"Who Do You Love" was released as the third official single on September 8, 2016.[30]
Promotional singles
The thirteenth track, "Wildfire", was released to iTunes on October 2, 2015 as a promotional single supporting pre-orders of the album.[31]
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