Massachusetts’ finest indie punk outfit, Born Without Bones, are gearing up for the release of their new album, Dancer, due out November 4th from Pure Noise Records, and today the band have shared one more early taste of the record with their latest single “XO Skeleton.”
Since their formation, Born Without Bones have put together an impressive catalog that ranges from heart-on-sleeve punk, to biting alternative rock, to sweeping indie, and more. Now on Dancer the band sound undeniably like themselves, bridging all of their different influences into their own distinctly hooky sound.
Produced by Mike Sapone (Oso Oso, Taking Back Sunday, Cymbals Eat Guitars), Dancer is bursting at the seams with massive melodies and personality to spare. “XO Skeleton” puts timeless catchy songwriting into a punk package, and even manages to work in a climactic guitar solo for good measure. The song’s accompanying music video is part three of a “choose your own adventure” style storyline that began with earlier singles “Dancer” and “Fistful of Bees” (which have garnered early attention from the likes of BrookylnVegan, Stereogum, FLOOD Magazine, and more).
Watch the “XO Skeleton” music video via YouTube:
Watch the previous Dancer music videos and prologue via YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYQhPJrQIlgNXECWkYJp-UyNfgdiXQNNA
Preorder Dancer:
https://lnk.to/BornWithoutBones
Vocalist/guitarist Scott Ayotte discussed the new song, saying:
“The whole XO Skeleton thing was a placeholder at first. I thought something chanty and anthem-like would work best vocally for the song. It became a song about wearing your heart on your sleeve and showing your emotions. I’ve never been good at pretending. I’m usually not that hard to read. I’m really the only one who has the power to choose how I’m projecting myself onto others. It’s a song about knowing you need to do the hard work to be happy but falling short and eating a bunch of sugar instead.”
Bassist Jim Creighton talked about the new music video, adding:
“‘XO Skeleton’ is the final video in the BWB Dancer Universe. The idea for the video came from personal experiences I observed from my peers going to church as a young teenagers and the pressure it put on them to be something they’re not. The XO Skeleton video is a light-hearted story of an angsty teenaged daughter breaking out of the families religious expectations and doing what they love even though it’s not what they are expected to do.”
On Dancer, Born Without Bones prove that their songwriting chops are sharper than ever. Throughout the lushly arranged album, the band incorporate different chord changes and textures that manage to feel both surprising and satisfying all at once–and never a second away from a big hook. Started as Ayotte’s solo project, Born Without Bones‘ lyrics have tracked his growth from his early 20s all the way to the present, and now Dancer explores the strange mix of contentedness and conflict that comes with being a fully-fledged adult. The album tackles existential themes by incorporating storytelling into Ayotte’s more autobiographical moments and always tapping into an uncommon sense of emotional honesty. “We each have so much invested into Born Without Bones,” he explains. “Sometimes it’s a cloud raining on us, sometimes it’s a bright sun that makes for a beautiful day that we can share with our friends and families. Making Dancer was three years of writing songs and learning about ourselves. Dancer is the hardest I’ve ever worked on anything in my life and it made me work harder on myself as a person, a creative, a bandmate and a friend.”
Dancer track list:
1. Dancer
2. Don’t Speak
3. Fistful of Bees
4. Heart At Home
5. XO Skeleton
6. Lurkin
7. Get Out
8. Sudden Relief
9. Show On The Road
10. Bother You
11. Bar Harbor
Born Without Bones online:
website / Instagram / Twitter / Bandcamp
