Against Me! splits time between bus crashes, solo projects, and a new studio album

By Alex Young on October 23rd, 2008

Couldn’t life get much better for Against Me!? Following the release of 2007’s critically acclaimed New Wave, the Florida outfit has been enjoying music’s high life: just in the last nine months, Tom Gabel and friends have hit the road with Foo Fighters, been named “Best Punk Band” by Rolling Stone, and got to hangout with Ted Leo, which alone would make life worth living.

Showing no signs of slowing down, Against Me! is already looking ahead to its next creative endeavor. After coming out of a bus crash yesterday relatively unscratched, the four-piece group will look to begin work on its fifth full-length studio album begining early next year. In an interview with Billboard, drummer Warren Oakes explained its time to “put the nail in the coffin of the ‘New Wave’ tour” and move onto something new.

“I know (frontman) Tom (Gabel) has been writing this whole time…We’ll probably take a little holiday break, then just get together and start collaborating and start fleshing those songs out and work on writing for most of the early part of next year.”

“We’ll get in the studio when the time is right…when we have a batch of songs that are ready to go. The biggest pressure that’s ever been put on this band has come internally, every step of the way. So we’re just gonna take the time to get it right.”

Of course, Against Me! won’t be able to start work on anything new until Gabel is done with his “Revival Tour” obligations. The 27-year-old, who will release his debut solo EP, Heart Burns, next week, will spend the next month traveling with three other high-profile frontman: Hot Water Music’s Chuck Regan, Avail’s Tim Barry, and Lucero’s Ben Nichols, all of whom will perform separate solo sets under the “Revival Tour” bill.

Check Out:

Tom Gabel - “Random Hearts”

Against Me! 2008/2009 Tour Dates:
10/23 - Boise, ID @ The Knitting Factory ^%
10/24 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox Market ^%
10/25 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre ^%
10/26 - Sacramento, CA @ The Boardwalk ^%
10/27 - San Francisco, CA @ Grand Ballroom ^%
10/28 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern ^%
12/01 - Nantes, FR @ Olympic Club
12/02 - Limoges, FR @ La Fourmi
12/03 - Bordeaux, FR @ BT59
12/04 - Barcelona, ES @ Razzmatazz 3
12/05 - Marseille, FR @ La Poste a Galene
12/06 - Toulouse, FR @ Ramier
12/07 - Lyon, FR @ Ninkasi
12/08 - Zurich, CH @ Abart Club
12/09 - Strasbourg, FR @ Laiterie
12/10 - Paris, FR @ Elysee Montmarte
12/11 - Lille, FR @ Le Splendid

^ = w/ Ted Leo
% = w/ Future of the Left

Tom Gabel 2008 Tour Dates:
10/30 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s *
10/31 - Pomona, CA @ The Glasshouse *
11/01 - Los Angeles, CA @ Knitting Factory *
11/02 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah *
11/04 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Beauty Bar *
11/05 - Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse *
11/06 - Albuquerque, NM @ The Launchpad *
11/07 - Lubbock, TX @ Tequila Jungle *
11/08 - Dallas, TX @ The Prophet Bar *
11/09 - Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest *
11/10 - Houston, TX @ Walter’s on Washington *
11/13 - Little Rock, AR @ Juanita’s *
11/14 - Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone
11/15 - Birmingham, AL @ Work Play Theater *
11/16 - Columbia, SC @ New Brooklyn Tavern *
11/19 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Barbary
11/20 - New York, NY @ Knitting Factory
11/21 - Hamden, CT @ The Space