Hop Along Release Enlivening New Single, “Prior Things”

Philadelphia indie-rock quintet Hop Along have released a brand new single, “Prior Things,” from their forthcoming album Bark Your Head Off, Dog, out on April 6 via Saddle Creek.

Their forthcoming nine-track album will also feature previously released tracks “Not Abel” and “How Simple.” “Prior Things” is the album’s closer and it features a spontaneous, slightly off-kilter wash of violins (think Alex G’s “Poison Root”) as Frances Quinlan’s exquisite lead vocals sing of escaping the memories of past relationships (“You were on vacation / Vacation means leave / Means obliterate all prior things”). By the end, Quinlan comes to a sobering yet enlivening realization about past failed romance (“I’m still soft / I’m still in my prime / I’m still soft / It’s still my time”).

Hop Along’s new album follows 2015’s Painted Shut, one of Paste’s top albums of that year. Self-produced and recorded at The Headroom in Philadelphia by the band’s guitarist Joe Reinhart and Kyle Pulley, Bark Your Head Off, Dog features a wide variety of genres like grunge, folk, punk and power pop, with inspiration from everyone from Electric Light Orchestra and Elvis Costello to ‘70s girl group vocal arrangements.

The band made a recent appearance at this year’s SXSW festival and despite the inevitable SXSW sound issues, Paste’s Adrian Spinelli said of Hop Along’s set, “it was still a pleasure seeing Hop Along play cuts like ‘How Simple’ and ‘Not Abel,’ off of their upcoming album, Bark Your Head Off, Dog, just as much as it was to hear favorites like ‘The Knock’ and ‘Tibetan Pop Stars.’”

Hop Along will embark on a U.S. tour in May and June in conjunction with their new album, with support from Saintseneca, Bat Fangs and Ratboys. The tour will start in Ithaca, N.Y. in the beginning of May and will end in Louisville, Ky. at the end of June.

Watch the new lyric video for “Prior Things” below and check out Hop Along’s upcoming tour dates further down. You can preorder Bark Your Head Off, Dog here.

Hop Along Tour Dates:

May
01 – Ithaca, N.Y. @ The Haunt*
02 – Holyoke, Mass. @ Gateway City Arts*
03 – Boston, Mass. @ Royale*
05 – Baltimore, Md. @ Ottobar*
06 – Richmond, Va. @ The Broadberry*
07 – Durham, N.C. @ Motorco Music Hall*
08 – Asheville, N.C. @ The Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall*
10 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Terminal West*
11 – Birmingham, Ala. @ Saturn*
12 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Exit / In*
14 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ The Hi-Fi*
15 – Columbus, Ohio @ Ace of Cups*
19 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ Union Transfer
30 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Brooklyn Steel #

June
01 – Portland, Maine @ Port City Music Hall #
02 – Montreal, Quebec @ Le Belmont #
03 – South Burlington, Vt. @ Higher Ground #
05 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club #
06 – Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Spirit #
08 – Toronto, Ontario @The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern #
09 – Ferndale, Mich. @ The Loving Touch #
10 – Chicago, Ill. @ Metro #
12 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Turner Hall #
13 – St. Paul, Minn. @ Turf Club #
16 – Kansas City, Mo. @ The Riot Room #
18 – Dallas, Texas @ Club Dada #
19 – Austin, Texas @ Barracuda #
20 – Houston, Texas @ White Oak Music Hall #
22 – St. Louis, Mo. @ Delmar Hall
23 – Louisville, Ky. @ Zanzabar @

(* – Saintseneca supporting)
(# – Bat Fangs supporting)
(@ – Ratboys supporting)