Cartel Returns with First New Single in Nine Years

Alternative rock band Cartel returns today with "17", the band's first new single in nine years. "17" is a bright yet wistful track that regrets the loss of the way things used to be, while recognizing that living in the past can cost the present.

In celebration of the new single, the band has announced a limited edition merch drop. The new shirts will be available today at 12pm ET here.

Cartel will return to the road later this summer on select dates of the Hello Gone Days Tour with Dashboard Confessional and Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness. Fans can look forward to hearing the new single live starting August 16th in Pittsburgh, with stops to follow in Baltimore, Charlotte, Atlanta, Austin, and more. For a full list of dates, please see below or visit here.

Cartel's earnest brand of rock emerged out of Atlanta in 2004 when vocalist Will Pugh, bassist Ryan Roberts, drummer Kevin Sanders, and guitarists Joseph Pepper and Nic Hudson released The Ransom EP.

The seven song collection quickly caught the ear of the California-based Militia Group, who signed the band and re-released the EP. Cartel then went to work on their debut full-length; Chroma was released in 2005 and cracked into the Billboard Top 200, garnering widespread attention and earning airtime on MTV with the music video for "Honestly".

Cartel inked a deal with major label Epic in early 2006 and spent the majority of the year touring including earning a spot on the 2006 Vans Warped Tour as well as opening for acts like New Found Glory and the Starting Line.

Cartel's self-titled sophomore album was released in 2007 and featured lead single "Lose It". It debuted at number 20 on the Billboard charts, selling nearly 30,000 copies in its first week.

During the year that followed, Cartel made the jump to venerable post-grunge label Wind-Up Records. They soon began working on their third album, Cycles, which was released in 2009. Cartel's most recent album, Collider, was independently released 2012.

Watch the new lyric video here:

Tour Dates

Aug 16 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Aug 17 - Baltimore, MD @ Pier Six Pavilion
Aug 19 - Doswell, VA @ The Meadow Event Park
Aug 20 - Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
Aug 21 - Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
Aug 24 - Austin, TX @ Stubbs Waller Creek Amphitheater
Aug 25 - Houston, TX @ The Rustic Headline Show
Aug 26 - Dallas, TX @ Southside Ballroom
Aug 27 - Tulsa, OK @ Tulsa Theater