The Get Right Band Announce LP 'iTopia' & Share New Single 'Hell Yes Refresh'

Asheville, NC-based psych rock trio The Get Right Band announce their cinematic, timely LP iTopia, due out April 7 and available for pre-order now. Alongside the announcement, the band share the first taste of the project with track & video, "Hell Yes Refresh," out everywhere now.

Plus, The Get Right Band will hit the road to play the new music and longtime fan favorites live on tour this spring throughout the East Coast. Tickets to select shows are available now, with a full list of dates to be announced soon via thegetrightband.com/tour.

iTopia is the electrifying, momentous concept album by The Get Right Band. The LP, which features My Morning Jacket's Bo Koster on keys, Jacob Rodriguez on saxophone (Michael Buble), and Eleanor Underhill on vocals (Underhill Rose), masterfully explores the impact of social media on relationships, mental health, sense of self and the ever-evolving state of the world.

Through seventeen thrilling tracks, the album follows a protagonist who falls into a deep online rabbit hole, passing through techno-utopianism to the most anti-social side of social media. In a moment of clarity, the protagonist begins to climb out of the dark hole as they aim to understand what's true and what isn't, and makes a wavering attempt at optimism.

In addition to the notable features, the album is primarily self-produced and self-recorded with drums and strings tracked by Julian Dreyer at Echo Mountain Studio in Asheville, NC. The rest of the album was recorded by the band in various home studios, later mixed by Matt Zutell at Coast Records and mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B.

Proudly putting their evolution both as people and as artists on full display, bassist Jesse Gentry explains, "This album not only represents our growth and progress as a band, but also as people. The themes of the album and the content of the songs touch on some of the most poignant issues of our society at this moment in time. We hope people can relate to the subject matter and that it also gives the listener some hope for a different future."

Drummer Jian-Claude Mears adds, "This album is a story that is taking place right now. It's a story at the intersection of technological and social evolution in a world in which people feel growing disconnection and discontentment for the people and systems which so greatly affect our lives. It's a story of the fragility and susceptibility of human nature and a tale of caution that we can all relate to."

"In making 'iTopia' we had to acknowledge how media, and particularly social media, is affecting each of us." Mears continues, "These things strongly shape our world view and when you start unraveling the motives and incentives behind the things you're being told, a bleak feeling can emerge. I hope this album makes people think about all the things that they're consuming and how it impacts themselves and everyone around them."

Today's release, "Hell Yes Refresh" is a synth-filled, dreamy look into the collective human addiction to being online, connecting with like-minded strangers, and the constant desire to refresh social media. Here, both technology and love act as interchangeable subjects as frontman Silas Durocher sings, "Don't you want to feel good? / Hell yes, refresh / I can't take my eyes away from you / Yes I must confess, I'm obsessed with you."

Providing more insight into the meaning behind the psychedelic, layered track, Durocher explains, "In the context of the full album, 'Hell Yes Refresh' is about finding your tribe online, finding love online, finding connection online, and that techno-utopianism leaning toward the obsession most of us have with our screens and our online lives...the constant need to refresh your app and see what new things are happening."

Durocher continues, The whole song is also meant to work as a single outside of the technology context, as a song about relationships, the feeling of obsession that comes with falling in love."

The vibrant accompanying visual directed by the band's own Durocher and animated by Rodrigo Salazar in collaboration with artificial intelligence aptly sets the tone for the album to come. "We wanted the first music video from iTopia to really say a lot about the whole album, not just the single," says Durocher.

After seeing the AI work of various artists online, the band knew it was the most fitting way to convey the forthcoming album's message. "That felt like the perfect medium to capture the energy of a concept album about the miracle and the mess of technology."

Gentry chimes in, "Incorporating AI animation comes with a whole set of timely questions like What is art? What is an artist? What is unique and special about humanity that machines will never be able to replicate? These are important conversations that we want to shine a light on."

Salazar adds, "Collaborating with The Get Right Band on this video was an absolute pleasure, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to use AI animation techniques to bring their artistic vision to life-I'm thrilled with the final result." Salazar continues, "Working with code to create animations opens up a whole new world of possibilities, and I can't wait to see where this technology takes us in the future. I hope their fans enjoy the music video as much as I enjoyed creating it."

"This music video is like a key to the whole record," says Durocher. "It tells the entire story of iTopia. We wrote out the narrative and descriptions of the different songs for the animator, Rodrigo Salazar. We were blown away by the results he got from manipulating the AI technology to weave together this story."

This Saturday, the band will perform at Boone, North Carolina's Boone Saloon with support from Groove Skeleton. In addition to the string of previously announced dates this May, The Get Right Band will bring the forthcoming project to fans who are eagerly anticipating the seventeen fresh tracks.

Plus, the band will celebrate the release of iTopia with a hometown show at Asheville, NC's Salvage Station with Disco Risque on April 7. A full list of dates will be announced soon, and tickets for select shows are available now via thegetrightband.com/tour.

Several leading tastemakers have supported the band in recent years including American Songwriter who wrote, "The Get Right Band filters 60's/70's psychedelia and 90's alternative rock through a modern lens-as if Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Nirvana co-wrote an album produced by Danger Mouse and Dan Auerbach. 'Itchy Soul' will make you remember the power of music."

Huffington Post added, "The Get Right Band are the type of performers that you just know will break out. Their songs are infectious and take you immediately to a place. The lyrics are smart and bear weight." Happy Mag also raved about their 2020 effort, "On their new album 'Itchy Soul'...The Get Right Band deliver an unpredictable and infectious collection of songs. Soaring vocal hooks and unpredictable, dynamic instrumentation drive this sprawling album into new and exciting territories."

A friendship of over 25 years laid the foundation of The Get Right Band when Silas Durocher (guitarist/singer/songwriter) and Jesse Gentry (bass) met in middle school. Officially formed in 2011, the band solidified in 2013 when they were joined by Jian-Claude Mears (drums) and the group embarked on the never-ending journey of inventing their own sound.

Now, in 2023, with a decade of heavy touring, major festival performances like FloydFest, Bristol Rhythm & Roots and notable performances like NPR's World Cafe, Paste Studio and inclusion on the WTF Podcast with Marc Maron under their belts, the trio gears up to release their most ambitious, invigorating and provocative body of work yet.

The Get Right Band's "Hell Yes Refresh," out everywhere now, explores the addictive nature of both love and technology in a fun, synthy track that is caught between a daydream and a nightmare. The psych-indie rock trio's highly anticipated fifth studio album iTopia is due out April 7 and is available for pre-order now.

Catch The Get Right Band live this Saturday and later this spring throughout the East Coast with dates to be announced soon, and select tickets on sale now here. Connect with The Get Right Band on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay up-to-date with much more to come.

Watch the new music video here:

To post a comment, you must register and login.