Take It! is the third and latest album released by The Problem With Kids Today, the Connecticut-based trio of Tate Brooks, Silas Lourenco-Lang, and Reena Yu. The album was recorded in a shed in Tate’s backyard in Branford, CT with Joe LeMieux producing. They are releasing Take It! via their In The Shed Records imprint on CD, digital download and streaming services on August 22nd.
Following an eye-opening experience in a large studio as well as their first ever tour, The Kids were ready for a change. They were tired of being corralled by pencil-pushers, desk jockeys, and Suits. They were ready to take back control. So they did.
Why pay to go to a fancy studio and be told what they can and can’t do? There was a perfectly good shed in Tate’s yard. Why hire a producer who may or may not understand the sound? They had a long-time friend and Connecticut DIY staple, Joe LeMieux, who was passionate about the project. Why wait for some label to deem it worthy to release? They’ll just put it out themselves.
So, the band and Joe cleaned out the shed and turned it into a home studio even Guided By Voices would be jealous of. Finally, it was time. For 8 days in the middle of October, Silas, Reena and Joe moved into Tate’s house. Wake up early. Record all day. Drink and smoke into the wee hours before catching a few precious hours of sleep on Tate’s floor. Do it all again the next day. That was the routine. There were only two rules. Keep it simple. Keep it fun.
The result is Take It!. An album that wears its Pastels badges proudly on its sleeve. The group takes inspiration from the long canon of English rock, from the mod-infested beaches of Brighton to the cobblestone streets of Glasgow, still reverberating with a DIY ethos. Bands like The Jam, The Who, and The Replacements bled into the brains of the band and informed the album as a whole – from the songwriting to the cover and even the photo shoots. It might finally be the answer to the age-old question: “Mods or Rockers?” …and the answer might be Both.
Today, Glide is offering an exclusive premiere of Take It! The album is the culmination of 20-something years lived, a turn away from youthful indulgence into informed expertise. It sits at a new height of Tate and Silas’s songwriting, with razor-sharp performances and unforgettable melodies, and a determination to be heard. Mods and Rockers will riot on the streets once again from the first strum of Take It! by The Problem With Kids Today. This is an album meant to be cranked to eleven as it captures the energy and rawness of youth in a bottle, with all the stress and insecurity that comes along with it rising to the top. The group fearlessly veers from swaggering guitar rock to stomping punk-laden fare, to power pop, showcasing their dynamic sound and powerful chemistry. Ultimately, these are fun songs that demand to be heard in the live setting at what is surely an explosively rowdy performance.
“We got out of the fancy studios and went back to our DIY roots, recording the whole album in our backyard shed rehearsal space with our friend and producer Joe LeMieux. We were inspired by the British Invasion of the 60s and first wave punk bands of the 70s while remaining true to our own original sound of garage rock and power pop. Except in our case, it’s now ‘Shed Rock.’ – Tate Brooks/The Problem With Kids Today
LISTEN:
