Music

Against Me! part ways with label

by John Semley

In a recent entry posted on his blog, Against Me! frontman and folk punk icon Tom Gabel announced that band would be parting company with record label Sire/Warner, ending a near-five year relationship. “We have nothing but gratitude towards all the people we worked with at the label,” writes Gabel. “And feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to make the records we made while with the label.”

Gabel made no mention of whether the band is working on another record, or which label might be responsible for releasing future Against Me! albums. But considering the band made its bones releasing material via punk labels like Plan-It-X Records and Fat Wreck Chords, the split with Sire could mean a return to the indies. Against Me! signed with Sire in 2005, a move that expanded their profile (SPIN called New Wave the best album of 2007), while also resulting in a marked fan backlash (the word “sell-outs” was bandied about pretty liberally). The announcement of the band leaving the label comes after a string of cancelled tour dates in the past few months, which Gabel chalks up to “a culmination of circumstances” that were “engulfing” the band.

Gabel’s blog post also noted that Against Me! that the band hoped to be back on the road in early December. They bring with them drummer Jay Weinberg (of Madball fame), sitting in for George Rebelo, who joined the band in 2009 but also continues to tour with Hot Water Music. Gabel also said that the band hopes to reschedule the dates they cancelled in the U.K., Europe, and Australia in the past two months. [via Exclaim!]