Before the Streetlights

Antique Records has announced the addition of Louisville’s Before The Streetlights to their growing roster of talent. The group’s label debut, Westward, will be released on December 11. A preview of the EP’s lead single can be heard at the end of this post.

Writing to fans about the decision to join Antique, a member for Before The Streetlights commented:

“We were all just a bunch of kids in high school when we started this band. Only dreaming of being where we are today. We are eager to grow and move forward to bigger and better things with Antique Records and our entire team.”

The team at Antique Records wrote a note to celebrate the news as well. Their message to fans reads:

Kentucky is not the first place you think to look when seeking the next big thing in pop punk, but if that is the sound you’re looking for then you need to visit the city of Louisville. First made famous by baseball, the Derby City is now quickly becoming known as home to Before The Streetlights, a four piece band on the verge of something big.

That’s an easy proclamation to make on the internet, but in this rare case it is almost certainly true. Combining the best aspects of modern pop punk’s heavier aesthetics with the catchiness and high-gloss production of late 2000s genre fare, the young men of Before The Streetlights are breathing fresh life into a side of punk that has been due for a comeback with vigor and creativity to spare.

Listening to ‘Westward,’ the band’s upcoming label debut, brings to mind the first time you knew pop punk was the genre that would change your life. The album grabs you from the openings moments with infectious melodies and top notch production that quickly leads into hooks made for sing a longs with your current and future best friends. It reminds you of the summer you first realized you had an identity all your own, and the lyrics address the often complicated emotions that soon followed. From the difficult decision of where to follow your heart or your dreams, to regret, sex, and knowing when to admit you’re in the wrong, every track on ‘Westward’ speaks to what it’s like to grow up knowing you are meant for something greater than whatever you are today. - Under the Gun Review

Everyone knows about pop-punk, but what do you know about the genre’s lesser known cousin, punk-pop? Louisville, Kentucky, four-piece Before The Streetlights falls smack dab into that punk-pop category—the vibe of their new song, “Goodnight, Goodbye” is straight pop-rock, but the energy the band brings to it (not to mention the exciting vocal tradeoffs) are straight out of a punk show. It’s like a lighter version of Hit The Lights, or if you remember the mid-2000s at all, sonic brethren of SoCal’s Over It. Vocalist/bassist Josh Courtney comments:

“‘Goodnight, Goodbye’ is about where we are as a band as well as where we are in our lives. Music has and will always be a large part of our lives and this song highlights that. For the music video we wanted to have a cool ‘practice space’ feel to it. Our cinematographer, Vince Lundi, found us the garage and we dressed it up with things that have sentimental value to us. You can see the cut-out of the girl that was used in our ’18 After All’ music video, as well as a skateboard from Home Skate Shop which is a locally owned Louisville skate shop.”

Before The Streetlights’ Westward will be released December 11 via Antique Records. - Substream Magazine

Recent Antique Records signees Before The Streetlights recently asked us to lend them a hand in premiering a track from the upcoming label debut. We didn’t know at the time that the band planned to drop the track in question on Thanksgiving, but once we became aware of their goals we leapt at the chance to help.

2015 has been a crazy year for UTG. We finally broke ties with Spin Media after years of being stuck in development hell, but as soon as we had the site back we encountered a variety of technical issues that prevented us from running day-to-day operations the way we desired. Through it all, it was music that kept us going, and we’d be lying if we said Before The Streetlights were not among the groups we kept coming back to again and again for inspiration.

Before The Streetlights play a unique take on pop-punk that draws from a variety of modern and classic genre influences. The immediate comparisons most draw are to groups like All Time Low or 5 Seconds Of Summer, but even if you’re not a fan of those bands we urge you to take time to discover the music of BTSL.Their sound is what genre fans of all ages will be seeking in 2016, and we are proud to play a role in sharing their latest material with the world. You can stream the world premiere of “Private Browser” below.

Westward, the label debut from Before The Streetlights, will be released on December 11. - Under the Gun Review

Indiana-based bands, The Weekend Classic and Before The Streetlights are about to release their joint EP. The Indiana Split/EP features two tracks from each band and is set to be released on February 3rd. The record was produced by Mike Hart and mastered by Tyler Smyth. Each band will continue to work with Hart on individual 2015 Spring releases.

Before the Streetlights is known for having strong pop influences that shine in their music. I love their stuff because it’s lighthearted, relatable, and jaunty. Their two tracks on The Indiana Split/EP are titled “I Know You Know” and “Stuck in Place.” Of the two, I prefer “I Know You Know” because it’s reminiscent of their 2014 EP, Highways. I also like the way it showcases the whole band and not just the vocals. This track also features Chris Webster of The Weekend Classic. I enjoyed the second track, “Stuck In Place,” because of its wispy vocals and simple melody. Even though it hasn’t been long since Highways was released, these two songs prove that Before the Streetlights has undoubtedly grown.

The two tracks from The Weekend Classic are titled “You’re History” and “Bedroom Window.” I’m always impressed with The Weekend Classic’s ability to convey truth and emotion in their lyrics but they’ve really outdone it here. Of the two, I prefer “You’re History” because of its classic pop punk feel. This gritty, angsty song also features Josh Courtney of Before the Streetlights. “Bedroom Window” on the other hand is an acoustic track. The highlight of this song is its brooding and emotive lyrics similar to stuff by the band Citizen. My favorite lines include “It’s hard for us to let go of all the things we held so close when we were seventeen and sneaking out of windows/Seventeen’s too hard for us to let go.”

Overall, I was really impressed with what each band brought to this record. I think they both have proven that the best has yet to come and I’m looking forward to their future releases. Be sure to check out The Indiana Split/EP when it hits Bandcamp and Soundcloud tomorrow! - Kryptonite Music

Indiana-based pop/punk band, Before The Streetlights, recently released a new record consisting of 3 tracks. Their sound obviously draws from their favorite childhood artists such as Blink-182 and All Time Low. I find them most comparable to All Time Low because the songs have anthemic qualities and plenty of harmonies.

My favorite track from Highways is “18 After All” because of the lyrical story and meaning behind the song. Yes, the song has a desired audience but who cares? Not all music is intended for every age. Of the three, my least favorite track is “More Than A Miracle” but only because I find it to be less catchy than the other two. “18 After All” and “Grew Up, Get Out” practically beg for you to sing along. When I first viewed the album, I found the title of “Grew Up, Get Out” intriguing. Similar to “18 After All,” the lyrics are about growing older and reminiscing about the past. I’d anticipate these tracks to sound the best live and be fan favorites.

Overall, I think Before The Streetlights did a great job in terms of variation. I think that it can be especially difficult within the pop/punk genre to release such diverse songs when everything can start to sound so similar. In the future, I’d love to see the band release something more stripped down or maybe some acoustic renditions. - Kryptonite Music