ROMP‘s debut EP Sorry, Not Sorry is out today via Bad Timing Records. The self described “angry pop” band from New Brunswick, NJ re-released their debut EP with the bonus track “Burrito” in anticipation of a LP set to be released in 2016 by Bad Timing. Sorry, Not Sorry is available now for purchase digitally through the Bad Timing Records Bandcamp.
Photo: Jason Paul Renna
Tour Dates:
11/6 – Wilmington, DE
11/17 – New Brunswick, NJ
11/28 – Sayreville, NJ
12/4 – Boston, MA
12/5 – Brooklyn, NY
12/6 – Amityville, NY
More about the band:
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 — 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 ready their debut full-length, due out later this year on 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.”
