NJ indie pop punk rock act ROMP have announced their debut LP Departure From Venus, out March 4th via Bad Timing Records. Pre-orders for the album will be available Thursday, January 28th at 2 PM EST, alongside a stream of the first single. ROMP signed to Bad Timing Records in 2015 after the release of their EP Sorry, Not Sorry (streaming below). Now with new drummer Mike Linardi, ROMP are excited to showcase their expansive “angry pop” sound on their first ever full length record. A quote from vocalist/keyboardist Madison Klarer and guitarist Lucas Dalakian can be found below.
“Departure from Venus is really important to us as a band and to me personally. A lot of things in my life have changed in the past two years and this album covers a lot of those issues. We wrote these songs the same way we wrote the EP but this time we were much more intricate in our approach. As always, recording with Jesse Cannon was a fantastic experience. He always pushes us and brings out all of the right emotions at the right times. We’re proud of this record and excited to share it. ” – Madison
“We’re really stoked to show people our musical range. There’s only so much you can offer on a 4 or 5 song EP and we think this album displays a little more of what ROMP is about. We really dug into crafting this album to have something for everyone. We’re excited to play all the new songs live” – Lucas
ROMP will be playing the Punk Talks benefit show in Hawthorne, NJ on March 5th alongside Prawn, Steady Hands, Broken Beak, and others. All proceeds benefit Punk Talks, an organization that offers free mental health assistance and resources to touring musicians and music professionals in punk, emo, pop-punk, and DIY. More information on the event can be found HERE. Tickets are available for purchase now via Punk Talks.
Tour Dates:
01/28 – Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar
w/ Mothers
01/29 – New Brunswick, NJ
w/ Mischief Brew
03/05 – Hawthorne, NJ – Artisan Kitchen & Bar
Punk Talks Benefit Show w/ Prawn, Steady Hands, Broken Beak
When ROMP vocalist/keyboardist Madison Klarer and guitarist Lucas Dalakian met on Tinder in 2014, they had no idea they might have stumbled onto something better than true love: a perfect musical match.“None of us were friends or knew each other before a year ago,” Klarer enthuses about her ROMP bandmates, noting things between her and Dalakian are purely professional these days. “It was all crazy chance.”
Since that happenstance meeting, the group — also featuring bassist Chris Beninato and drummer Mike Linardi— have embarked on a quest to “play every New Brunswick basement” possible, seemingly a rite of passage for any New Jersey-based punk band worth their salt. They’ve also delivered their self-proclaimed “angry pop music” in spades on Sorry, Not Sorry, their debut EP. Originally self-released in October 2014, the EP now sees a rerelease from Bad Timing Records.
Sorry, Not Sorry might only span four tracks, but the EP’s songs truly run the gamut — from the unpretentious alt-pop of “Drive” and raucous riot grrrl-leaning “If Your Head Gets Any Bigger You’ll Float Away” to the Rilo Kiley-inspired “Portrait” and the remarkably mature sentiment laid out on the title track (“Saying sorry doesn’t mean we were wrong/We’re just learning how to better ourselves.”).
Produced by Jesse Cannon (Man Overboard, Somos), Sorry, Not Sorry is the band’s first introduction to the musical world, but it’s already drawn rave reviews from fans, allowing ROMP to travel as far as New Orleans to win over audiences with their playful, undeniable pop- and punk-flecked sound.
It also launched ROMP into a slot opening for fellow New Brunswick band (and personal heroes) Screaming Females in early 2015 — traction that should serve the quartet well as they release their debut full-length Departures From Venus, out March 4th, 2016 via Bad Timing. The band promise the new album won’t be a total departure from Sorry, Not Sorry but admit they’re excited to expand their sound into something a bit more aggressive that’s also “loud and articulate.”
But don’t worry, this slight sonic shift won’t affect the band’s outlook on their art or life in general: “Music is what we take seriously and put a lot of time and thought into,” Dalakian explains. “With everything else in life, we like to kick back, drink a lot of beers and hang out.”
“We’re just a group of people who loves creating new things,” adds Klarer, a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology. “We’re constantly doing it, whether that’s for ROMP or something else. Music, art or anything else — it’s what we love.”
