Late 80s hardcore band FREEWILL will release their new album “Letting Go”this Friday via Unity WorldWide Records, and today we’re stoked to give you a teaser single called “Race To The Bottom”. The new track comes out a little over a month since the release of their previous single “Past Tense” and can be heard right here!
Freewill is a melodic punk band formed in mid 1987 when some friends came together to blend their love of DC hardcore (Dag Nasty/Embrace) and west coast punk (7 Seconds & Descendents).
The bands first show came opening for Agnostic Front, the Offspring and Reason to Believe in 1988. A recording date was set and between numerous local shows, a demo tape was recorded. The band began traveling to Arizona with their friends Insted and played a host of northern California shows with Uniform Choice. Around this time, the band was approached by Wishingwell Records owner Pat Dubar.
Freewill immediately booked time to record, enlisting the services of engineer/producer Bill Krodel (Inside Out, Chain of Strength, Reason to Believe). “It was a learning process I’ll never forget” said bassist Mike Hartsfield, “Freewill was all of our first serious band and this was only the second time we were in the studio”. Once the recording was finished the band turned in the master tapes to Wishingwell Records awaiting the release date of the album. Within a year of recording what was slated to be the labels newest and most anticipated release, Wishing Well Records dissolved without warning or much explanation.
Shortly after that, the band parted ways with bass player Mike Hartsfield and changed their name to Stonetelling. The band rerecorded and remixed parts of the Freewill LP and released the record on Network Sound records. By the time of the release, the members were all involved in different music projects and going their own directions.
Fast forward to 2015.
All 4 original members began chatting and practicing regularly. The Freewill “Sun Return” LP was released on New Age Records in the Spring of 2016, 28 years after it was recorded. Around the same time, the original demo (also recorded in 1988) was released as a self titled 7” through Mankind Records.
After close friend Jon Bunch passed away in 2016, the band played together for the first time in 27 years at his memorial show. They were fortunate enough to share the stage alongside Rocket From the Crypt, Scream, Texas is the Reason, and Samiam among others. 2017 brought more shows including west coast dates with Dag Nasty.
The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 reshaped the band into a 3 piece. It created weekend lockdowns of nothing but rehearsals and discussions of doing everything possible to write and release a new record followed by touring.
Enter 2021…
The guys locked in a deal with Unity WorldWide Records and recorded “All this time” which is set to come out in late September followed by as much playing out/touring as humanly possible.
