Ballyhoo!’s newest and second single of 2018, titled “I Don’t Wanna Go,” is available for streaming today, Friday April 6th. Two months after their January release “This Chick Is Wack,” “I Don’t Wanna Go” is a slight shift in genre, making the up and coming release of a full album even more exciting for longtime fans of the band.
In a recent Instagram post, Ballyhoo! said the song is about “feeling like an exhausted puppet while the people around you are reaping the benefits of your labor.”
The song is more ska-punk than “This Chick Is Wack,” which was a slow-paced, sunny-day-on-the-beach reggae song. Lead singer and guitar player Howi Spangler cites his personal hardships over the last year as inspiration for the band’s turn back to old-school rock.
[Related: Ballyhoo! Releases New Single ft. Rebelution & Reel Big Fish]
“Now both of my parents are gone and a good handful of the songs touch on that in some way,” Spangler tells The Pier. “I knew that pop reggae wasn’t the right medium for that. The only way to express these emotions were to beat up my guitar and for Donald (Spangler) to slam the drums. I wanted us to rock again.”
Howi went on to say that the rest of the album follows suit, “heavy with punk rock, ska and metal breakdowns.”
“I Don’t Wanna Go” fits the sounds of Daydreams (2011) and Pineapple Grenade (2013) more than Ballyhoo!’s latest album Girls. (2017), which lacked the hard rock edge the first two embodied. Sound engineer Mike Stebe, who engineered both Daydreams and Pineapple Grenade, is behind this album as well, in part to help the band capture the same level of power.
Knowing many of Ballyhoo!’s original fans caught on years ago for their punk rock spin on reggae, Howi wanted to make sure not to alienate those fans, as he was afraid Girls. might have. He has assured The Pier that the upcoming album is classic Ballyhoo!.
Ballyhoo! is currently on tour with Fortunate Youth, a band more known for their rootsy style of reggae. Despite the obvious differences in sound, Spangler said the harder, punk-influenced sound of some Ballyhoo! songs, including “I Don’t Wanna Go,” have gone over well in concert.
“I Don’t Wanna Go”‘s single cover-art was designed by Passafire’s Nick Kubley! Spangler told The Pier to expect another single from Ballyhoo! in or before June, although no release date has been set for the full album — In the meantime, you can now stream the song via Spotify by clicking HERE!
Listen: Ballyhoo! – “I Don’t Wanna Go”
Related Links:
Ballyhoo! Website
Ballyhoo! Facebook
Article By: Aidan Leddy
Listen: Ballyhoo! – “This Chick Is Wack” (ft. Eric Rachman of Rebelution)
