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Interview with Comeback Kid; Vocalist Andrew Neufeld Talks “Die Knowing,” Touring, and Staying Relevant

Die Knowing is the first record Comeback Kid has put out in a few years, yet they remain as relevant to my hardcore playlists as they did 10 years ago.

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The fryer scent is strong in the tiny diner/takeout room connected to The Opera House on Thursday night. The windows are grease smudged on the inside and nicotine covered on the outside as The Opera House’s smoking section fills and empties while Comeback Kid’s Andrew Neufeld sits across a wobbly table and I admire how truly adorably handsome he is, and swoon for just a moment before getting my ass in gear and doing my job.

Tour has just started, with Toronto’s show being the second, “dusted it off a little bit,” Neufeld says of the tour so far, not that there can be much accumulated dust with Comeback Kid’s activity over the last year of nearly constant touring, and plenty more to come in 2015. “We have a lot of unchartered territory on this record cycle, so we’re going to do it up,” in other words, remain calm if Comeback Kid hasn’t hit your city yet; they’re coming for you. They also plan on hitting some festivals over the summer, with Groezrock Festival being a definite, and hopes of hitting Resurrection Festival in Spain, among others.

Check out the song “Should Know Better”

Die Knowing is the first record Comeback Kid has put out in a few years, yet they remain as relevant to my hardcore playlists as they did 10 years ago, “I think that’s helped us with our longevity, we’re not the kind of band that feels the need to put out a record every year, or every other year.” Neufeld didn’t want to release a new record until he felt like fans were ready for a new release.

Die Knowing features some heavier songs and some more melodic songs than Comeback Kid fans are used to, “our new songs that we’ve been playing have gotten some of the best reactions of the set.” Ultimately, feedback for the new record has been overwhelmingly positive, and Neufeld is pumped that Comeback Kid is the kind of band with a fanbase that can embrace new music and not simply latch on to old albums and only want to hear those songs.

In the last year Comeback Kid has toured hardcore lineups, but they kick off this year with a more pop-punk line up with Four Year Strong headlining. These changes in lineup doesn’t affect their set list, they still throw out their heavier material and don’t hold back. The release of the video for “Didn’t Even Mind” (January 7, 2015) was timed for this tour, “in my opinion it is one of the most melodic songs we ever had.” This song hasn’t made an appearance on their set list yet, but as soon as they perfect it, they’ll be adding it.

While the current members of Comeback Kid don’t have a problem playing more pop-punk shows like this tour, previous member, Scott Wade, who makes frequent appearances at Toronto shows and often hops on stage for a song or two wasn’t feeling it this time around. Neufeld asked if he wanted to do a song, “and he’s like ‘I duno if I want to sing on a big pop-punk show, maybe if you do a hardcore show,’ he wants to save it for something a little bit more cool,” *cue Andrew Neufeld giggles*, which might be the best giggles ever.

Comeback Kid shows no sign of letting up, they’re still going just as hard as they did 10 years ago. The release of Die Knowing has amped up their game as they continue raising the bar in hardcore music. If you missed them this time around, don’t worry they’ll be back. In the mean time, check out Die Knowing, or get your nostalgia on with “Wake the Dead,” and “Symptoms + Cures.”

Check out the song “Didn’t Even Mind”

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