History
Formation and It's Our Time (2001–2006)
Rise or Die Trying, Explains It All (2006–2009)
The band's 2007 release Rise or Die Trying with I Surrender Records peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart in its debut week. On the back of their increasing popularity, the band was signed to Decaydance Records in February 2008.
On July 21, 2009, Four Year Strong released an album of covers from the 1990s, titled Explains It All. The album features guest appearances from Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die, Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, and JR and Buddy of Less Than Jake. The band explained their reasoning behind the album in a MySpace blog, saying "It’s what we grew up listening to. Everyone has those songs that instantly transport you back to when you were younger. Whether we were in our bedrooms playing air guitar, or riding in the car to little league practice, or it was just that song that was all over the radio during that awesome summer at the Cape. These songs have impacted us in some way and we want to share that feeling with you."
Enemy of the World (2010)
The band's 3rd full-length album, Enemy of the World, was released on March 9, 2010 on Universal Motown Records. The band released the album's first single, "It Must Really Suck to Be Four Year Strong Right Now", on December 21, 2009. The name of the song is a reference to the final sentence of a review in Alternative Press in which the magazine praised Set Your Goals' new album while remarking on the future of Four Year Strong and how their record would compare. The vinyl record was made available to pre-order on March 2, 2010. The album sold 12,400 copies in its first week, debuting at number 40 on the Billboard 200.
On April 3, 2011, it was announced that Josh Lyford would be leaving the band. Initially, it was implied that Lyford had chosen to leave in order to focus on his side project, Foxfires. However, it was later confirmed by both Lyford and Alan Day, that the band had elected to remove synthesizers from their sound leaving no room for Lyford to continue. The band has said they will continue as a four piece.
In Some Way, Shape or Form (2011–present)
On April 13, 2011, in an interview with Alternative Press, the band revealed that they had been in the middle of recording their fourth studio album with producer David Bendeth in New Jersey's House of Loud. The band is set to return to the studio, without Josh Lyford, to finish the album in June, after they finish touring with Rise Against. Vocalist Alan Day has also revealed that the new songs the band had written were very diverse, and that the new material is different than anything the band has ever written. While touring with Rise Against, they have been playing a newly recorded, yet unreleased song called "Falling on You".
On August 18, 2011, the band released "Stuck in the Middle", a new song from the upcoming album. The band announced that the new album will be titled In Some Way, Shape, or Form, and will be released on November 8, 2011. On September 8, 2011, the band released another song from the album, entitled "Falling on You." The first official single from the album, "Just Drive", is set for release on September 27, 2011
During the Fall 2011 AP Tour, the band played another new unreleased song which will be released on the upcoming album. The band dedicates it to fans who have been there "from the very beginning, and will be there till the very end." a video of the song has been leaked on YouTube. It is called "Fairweather Fan."
Touring
The band has done multiple national tours, sharing the stage with such bands as The Starting Line, Slip On It, Hellogoodbye, From First to Last, Every Time I Die, Meg & Dia, Hidden in Plain View, Alexisonfire, All Time Low, Mayday Parade, New Found Glory, Bayside and Steel Train. The band toured in February–April 2009 as part of the Taste of Chaos tour, alongside Thursday, Bring Me the Horizon, Pierce the Veil, and Cancer Bats. They undertook the Summer co-headline tour with Set Your Goals, and also Fireworks, The Swellers, Polar Bear Club, A Loss For Words, Drive A and Grave Maker from July to August 2009. Four Year Strong also performed on the Australian Soundwave festival in February and March 2010, alongside headliners Faith No More, Janes Addiction, Placebo; also playing alongside Alexisonfire, Set Your Goals, A Day To Remember, Paramore, It Dies Today, Gallows, Emarosa, A Wilhelm Scream, Anthrax, All Time Low, Escape The Fate, This Is Hell, Enter Shikari, Anti-Flag, Baroness, Comeback Kid, The Almost, Dance Gavin Dance, Architects, You Me At Six, Rolo Tomassi, Dichi Michi, Sunny Day Real Estate and many more. The band was in the lineup for Vans Warped Tour 2010 and played on the Altec Lansing stage along side Breathe Carolina, Hey Monday, and Set Your Goals.[7] They also played the first day on the Bamboozle festival. Late 2010, Four Year Strong headlined a tour with Comeback Kid, The Wonder Years, American Fangs, and Mountain Man. The tour was entitled "Tonight We Feel Alive!", and spanned the entire United States. In February 2011, Four Year Strong co-headlined the Kerrang! Relentless Tour 2011 with Good Charlotte with support from Framing Hanley and The Wonder Years, The tour began February 3rd in Dublin, Ireland. On the 15th February 2011 it was announced that they had been added to support Blink 182 on their UK tour alongside You Me At Six They will be joining Rise Against and Bad Religion on a US summer tour in 2011. They have also announced that they will come back to Australia later in the year to play Soundwave Revolution along with already announced bands The Damned Things, Story of The Year, Every Time I Die, Hellogoodbye, We Are The In Crowd and many others. They still have yet to announce an upcoming Detroit show. It is long overdue.
Musical style
The band's sound can be described as popcore a blend of pop punk, hardcore punk, and power pop. This genre is popularly referred to as "easycore" or "happycore". The band simply developed their sound off the idea of playing 'exactly what they want to hear' or music that they would listen to, but no one else was playing at the time.[8] The band has cited their influences as being Lifetime, Saves the Day, Gorilla Biscuits, Blink-182, and New Found Glory, to name a few. Though the band would primarily start out as a post-hardcore , the release of their demo in 2004 would mark a shift from post-hardcore to more synthesizer-heavy tracks, where the band would begin to embrace the styles of power pop and general hardcore punk. Prior to the release of and at times within Rise or Die Trying, the band also incorporates more facets of modern hardcore, such as double bass drums, breakdowns and screaming vocals. For their 3rd studio album, Enemy of the World, the band decided to expand upon their hardcore influences.
Influences
The band has many references to 1990's pop culture. They have been known to quote lines from '90s films in lyrics/song titles/ and in conversation. They were influenced by all the bands on their cover album Explains It All.
Mouth Full of Dirt
Four Year Strong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I don't need to self medicate
I'm already numbThe television doesn't hold my attentionIt only keeps me from falling asleepThe emptiness is filling up the spaceIs this reality or is it a dream?I wanted to stay but you don't want to be hereAm I too late or am I where I'm supposed to be?Stimulate me before the void annihilates me
In "Mouth Full of Dirt," Four Year Strong explores feelings of dissatisfaction, frustration, and longing for something more meaningful. The lyrics suggest a sense of being stuck in a situation where the person wants someone to stay with them, but at the same time, they do not want to be in that situation themselves. This internal conflict is portrayed through the line "I want you to stay but I don't want to be here."
The song also touches on the theme of self-medication. The singer admits that they do not need to rely on substances to numb their feelings because they are already emotionally numb. This could be a result of feeling unfulfilled or disconnected from reality. The line "The emptiness is filling up the space / Is this reality or is it a dream?" expresses a sense of confusion and questioning one's own existence.
Throughout the lyrics, there is a sense of desperation and a plea to break free from the monotony of life. The line "Stimulate me before the void annihilates me" suggests a desire for something or someone to ignite passion and purpose, as the fear of emptiness consuming them lingers.
Overall, the song portrays a complex emotional state, highlighting the struggle between wanting someone to stay while yearning for something more fulfilling and questioning the reality they find themselves in.
Line by Line Meaning
Tipping the scales in the wrong direction
Causing imbalance or disadvantage
Biting my tongue until it bleeds
Refraining from speaking my mind, even when it hurts me
You saw the panic washing over my face
You witnessed my overwhelming fear and anxiety
And now you're watching me rinse and repeat
And now you observe me going through the same cycle over and over again
I want you to stay but I don't want to be here
I desire your presence, but I am unhappy with my current situation
Its time for a break but the timing is not that great for me
I need a pause, but the timing is inconvenient for me
Always expecting the worst
Constantly anticipating negative outcomes
I'm pleading my case with a mouth full of dirt
I'm expressing my argument or plea while feeling defeated and hopeless
Hoping to bury you with every word that's left unspoken
Wishing to convey my buried emotions and hopes, even though I can't express them verbally
I want to feel something, anything
I long to experience any kind of emotional connection or sensation
And I don't need to self-medicate
I don't require substances to numb my feelings because I am already emotionally numb
The television doesn't hold my attention
The TV fails to captivate or engage me
It only keeps me from falling asleep
It only serves as a distraction to prevent me from sleeping and facing my inner thoughts
The emptiness is filling up the space
The void within me is overtaking and occupying my existence
Is this reality or is it a dream?
Uncertainty prevails in distinguishing between what is real and what is imagined
I wanted to stay but you don't want to be here
I desired to remain, but you have no desire to be in this situation
Am I too late or am I where I'm supposed to be?
I question if I have missed my opportunity or if I am currently in the right place in life
Stimulate me before the void annihilates me
Energize or inspire me before the emptiness within me completely destroys me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Joseph Weiss, Daniel O'Connor, Jackson Massucco, Alan Day
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Andy Ham
Such a great throwback song to when pop punk was this good. FYS staying true to who they are and why they are my favorite band of all time. Brain Pain is so fuckin good!!! My favorite album of all time is still their self titled album after that I can’t choose between rise or die trying, enemy of the world, and brain pain. Love those all equally.
Too Much Sascha
Don't forget their self titled, that shit bops
very awful
Absolute banger 🤟🏻
Justin Jones
I'm so high on this album! Its arguably the best imo.
Phocus
100% banger
Nick Lucchini
You boys still got it
Josh Barnes
Fuck this is the jam I was looking for
Don Clemson
I want to feel something. Anything.
Ishaan Sud
so good
Enrique Quintana
Where can i download this album?