Eight years is only a blip in the grand scheme of things, but is a blossoming eternity when living in the thick of it. Influenced by different eras of punk and hardcore and the great untamed north of New England, Restraining Order has taken every opportunity presented and created something truly special. Now, only a summer stand between them and a brand new, glorious album.”
“I really want to play these songs live,” says bassist Keith Freeman. “I’m itching for them just to come out and for people to hear it. I personally love it, and we worked really hard on it. I think it’s something that if I weren’t in the band, I would be listening to it regularly. I’m very excited.”
“We’re stoked,” adds drummer Will Hirst. “It feels like the stars are aligning.”
The band’s third LP—and debut with Blue Grape Music—Future Fortune, is dropping September 12. Ten days spent at Sonelab Recording Studio in Western Massachusetts produced a piece of work that gets under your skin in the best way possible. Hirst was in the producer’s chair, and Brad Boatright mastered, as they always have, but this time, they brought in GRAMMY-nominated Tom Dalgety (Ghost / Pixies / Royal Blood) to mix. Add Blue Grape to the fun, and it was the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake.
“We were a little hesitant at first, making this big of a leap [with Blue Grape],” admits Hirst. “We realized we’ve done everything we can do as a DIY unit, so why not try and work with some new people in a label like Blue Grape, which has great resources.”
“We just wanted to record some songs,” adds Freeman. “We ended up showing them to Dave from Blue Grape, and he immediately loved the songs.”
Plans are starting to come together for the rest of the year; they are lining up tours and a record release weekend for the fall. They are also pondering a music video, but aren’t announcing anything just yet. They are going to bask in anticipation this summer, all boiling down to the inevitable release in September.
“I remember having those goosebumps,” shares Hirst. “Hearing Pat put his vocals onto it and hearing his lyrics for the first time. We’re three records deep, eight years into this, being this band, and I feel like every record, I have learned more and more.”
“I’ve listened to it many, many, many times since we got the masters back,” shares Freeman. “I know I’m in the band, but sometimes it’s just the way that Pat delivers some of these songs and some of the hook and the chorus parts and the buildup. It just hits me so hard every time I listen to it.”
Everything is going pretty well for Restraining Order. Almost a full decade and what absolutely must be 1000+ shows, the crew has been putting in the work tenfold and then some. Diehard DIY paved the way for them and it’s finally time to reap the benefits. They wouldn’t where they are now without smelling the roses along the way.
“We’ve been to Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan,” says Freeman. “We played China last spring, Europe multiple times, and even Bogota, Columbia. People all over the world and all these countries and continents like us enough for us to be able to travel there and have a good time. I think that’s awesome.”
“How the hell did hardcore punk bring me here,” laughs Hirst. “How does this band bring me here? This is incredible.”
Future Fortune is out Friday on Blue Grape Music, and you can pre-save/pre-order it here. Follow Restraining Order on Instagram for future updates.
Photo Credit: Kathy Garcia
