Since their 2000 formations, Queens punk rock icons Bayside — Anthony Raneri (vocals, guitar), Jack O’Shea (guitar, vocals), Nick Ghanbarian (bass, vocals), and Chris Guglielmo (drums) — have been the purveyors of heartbreak that you can sing along and sink your teeth into. The Queens’ 4-piece consistently craft perfect blends of gritty punk energy and razor-sharp pop hooks, giving the alternative world emotionally raw storytelling wrapped up in punchy catchiness that mirrors the chaotic world we live in.
This summer, the band has been issuing EPs curated and selected by a specific band member, complete with artwork designed by said member. Each collection also features a B-side from 2011’s ‘Killing Time’ that has never been digitally released and was only available via vinyl.
It’s time for another Bayside B-side! Today’s ‘Killing Time’ B-side is ‘Don’t Come Easy’, and it appears on the ‘Bark At the Moon’ collection, assembled by Ghanbarian.
‘Don’t Come Easy’ paints a vivid and candid portrait of a real American boy trying to figure out who he is and where he fits into this great big world. With its slice of life Americana lyrics, paired with post-hardcore and punk rock’s oh-so-familiar three chords and the distinct talk-sing vocal style of Raneri, ‘Don’t Come Easy’ is a little bit Gaslight Anthem, a little bit Bruce Springsteen, and even a little bit Taylor Swift in how specific details and information about this American boy becoming a man are so immediate — you’ll feel like you know him. It’s all wrapped up in a post-hardcore package that only Bayside can deliver.
“‘Don’t Come Easy’ is the first song we wrote from the ‘Killing Time’ sessions,” Ghanbarian recalls. “I remember being really happy with it and thinking it was going to be a lead single, but after writing more songs for ‘Killing Time’, it shaped up to be a bit different. The album ended up having more fast and aggressive songs so the blue collar storyline of ‘Don’t Come Easy’ didn’t fit in with the rest of the album by then. It was a tough decision, but we knew it would be released eventually — and here we are!”
‘Bark at the Moon’ EP tracklist:
01. Don’t Come Easy
02. Duality
03. (Pop)Ular SciencE
04. I Can’t Go On
05. Moceanu
Upcoming tour dates:
September 15th — Washington’s — Fort Collins, CO
September 16th — The Waiting Room — Omaha, NE
September 18th — Riot Fest — Chicago, IL
September 19th — Concord Music Hall — Chicago, IL
September 20th — Elevation — Grand Rapids, MI
September 22nd — Anthology — Rochester, NY
September 23rd — Fete Ballroom — Providence, RI
September 25th — Four Chord Music Festival — Pittsburgh, PA
September 26th — The Canal Club — Richmond, VA
September 27th — Toad’s Place — New Haven, CT
September 29th — The Orange Peel — Asheville, NC
September 30th — Charleston Music Hall — Charleston, SC
October 2nd — House of Blues New Orleans — New Orleans, LA
October 3rd — Workplay Soundstage — Birmingham, AL
October 4th — George’s Majestic Lounge — Fayetteville, AR
October 6th — Rock Box — San Antonio, TX
October 8th — Liberty Hall — Lawrence, KS
October 9th — Hi-Fi Annex — Indianapolis, IN
October 10th — Mercury Ballroom — Louisville, KY