Broadside – “King Of Nothing / Empty” [Single Review]

The Broadside you know and love have taken quite a turn on the pair of singles they dropped today with Victory Records (buy some slick vinyl here). Still riding the high of 2017’s Paradise (available here), alongside stints on Warped Tour and countless other shows that have only elevated the group, the band are holding over fans with these two new tracks.

The first of the two, “King Of Nothing,” is a noticeably darker turn for the group, as noted in its lyrics. “The song is about wanting to be the best,” says vocalist Ollie Baxxter. “I’m so proud of our accomplishments as a band but some nights, after the show ends and those crowds leave the venue, when you’re in the back seat of a dark van, you feel like you’re not doing enough and those dreams you have become nightmares of what you’ll never achieve. You can be on top of the world and have nothing.”

The instrumentation captures the negative lyrical content perfectly as this is arguably the darkest the group have ever gone. The verses are minimal and eerie, with a lingering synth in the background. But once the chorus hits, the song erupts into another life, taking you on an adventure that ends before you even know what happened. This might be the most aggressive Baxxter has ever been on a track, and it seems to suite him quite well.

Check out the eponymous track from 2017’s Paradise.

The second cut, “Empty,” is a whole other vibe; closer to what we would expect of the group but still different. The track is what pop-punk would sound like if it came to fruition in the ‘80s. The synths and the catchy chorus screams pop, but the guys maintains their staple style. The slick guitars, from the hands of guitarist Dorian Cooke, make up this bop, while Baxxter expresses the struggles of being a broken-hearted romantic. “On one hand, you’ve been wronged, you should run and never look back. On the other, the rewarding time spent and memories made keep you trapped in the worrisome ‘what if this person leaves’ psychosis. I wanted to write a dance-y song making fun of how unfortunate it is to be in love, sometimes.”

The two new songs that Broadside have given fans are polar opposites but also show signs of progression. At this point, the newest album could be anything. We’ll just have to keep our eyes and ears peeled to find out.

Run Time: 6:45
Release Date: May 15, 2019
Record Label: Victory Records

Sometimes finger painting gets a little out of hand.

Upcoming Tour w/ Set It Off:

06/11 – Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
06/12 – Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck
06/14 – Burnsville, MN @ The Garage
06/15 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave/Eagles Ballroom
06/16 – Des Moines, IA @ Wooly‘s
06/18 – St. Louis, MO @ Fubar
06/19 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
06/21 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Citadel
06/22 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
06/23 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Elevation
06/25 – Buffalo, NY @ Rec Room
06/26 – Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance Theater
06/28 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
06/29 – Richmond, VA @ The Canal Club
07/02 – Pawtucket, RI @ The Met
07/03 – Amityville, NY @ Revolution Music Hall
07/05 – Reading, PA @ Reverb
07/06 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Filmore
07/07 – Charlotte, NC @ Amos Southend
07/09 – Lake Park, FL @ Kelsey Theater
07/12 – Penascola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
07/13 – Austin, TX @ Empire Control Room & Garage
07/15 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
07/16 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole
07/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
07/19 – Fresno, CA @ Strummers

Here’s Broadside’s partner in crime this summer, Set It Off, with “Dancing With The Devil”.