| Homesick | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 3, 2009 (2009-02-03) | |||
| Recorded | October 25 – November 30, 2008 | |||
| Studio | The Wade Studio,Ocala, Florida, US | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:37 | |||
| Label | Victory | |||
| Producer | ||||
| A Day to Remember chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Homesick | ||||
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Homesick is the third studio album by the Americanrock bandA Day to Remember, produced byChad Gilbert and the band, and released on February 3, 2009. It was the band's second album forVictory. The album features material written while the band had been touring, whichAndrew Wade helped themdemo. Recording took place between October and November 2008 at The Wade Studio, located in Ocala. Featured on the album are guest vocalists Mike Hranica (The Devil Wears Prada), Vincent Bennett (The Acacia Strain) andSierra Kusterbeck (VersaEmerge). Several of the album's songs appeared on the band'sMySpace profile before the release of the album.
Planned for a mid-February 2009 release by Victory before being moved forward two weeks, the album sold 22,000 copies in the first week and charted at number 21 on the USBillboard 200. It also charted at number 165 in the UK. It was the band's final album featuringTom Denney on guitar, who was replaced on tour by Kevin Skaff. Three singles were released from the album: "NJ Legion Iced Tea" in January 2009, "The Downfall of Us All" in May, and "Have Faith in Me" in March 2010. Only the third of these charted, at number 40 on theBillboard Alternative Songs chart. A re-release with additional tracks was released in October 2009. Several of the album tracks are available forRock Band. In 2014, two songs from the album, "The Downfall of Us All" and "If It Means a Lot to You", were certified gold by theRIAA. The album was certified Silver in the UK by theBPI in 2015, and Gold in the United States the following year.
A Day to Remember were pressed for a new album by their record label,Victory, in early 2008; bassist Joshua Woodard said the band weren't ready to record a new album at the time.[2] This resulted in a re-release of their previous album,For Those Who Have Heart (2007), with additional tracks.[2] The songs featured onHomesick were written while the band were on Warped Tour 2008 and on the Easycore Tour with producerChad Gilbert ofNew Found Glory.[nb 1][5] The songs were finished on the latter tour.[5] Gilbert helped to structure the band's songs and also assisted the band with composing "a few really catchy parts".[5] The album's lyrics are similar to their previous efforts, with the band aiming to "keep it as personal and open at the same time", as vocalistJeremy McKinnon commented.[nb 2][5] Speaking of the album's sound, McKinnon said that the band "wanted to make sure it was heavierand poppier" while at the same time trying "to take it to the next level".[5]
In the early hours of one morning,[6] McKinnon was driving to Ocala, Florida when the chorus guitar riff to "The Downfall of Us All" came to him, sometime in September 2008.[7] Upon arriving at his mother’s house, he got an acoustic guitar and worked the song out,[7] finishing it within 2 days.[nb 3][6] The song's lyrics are about pressure when it comes tosongwriting and the constant tension of trying to please fans.[7] It was the last song written for the album.[6] "My Life for Hire" was one of the first songs written for the album, but remained unfinished until shortly before recording sessions began.[8] The lyrics refer to the music business and how the band were told that they couldn't "be the band we wanted to be", as McKinnon commented.[8] The title "I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?" was a quote that McKinnon "thought was cool",[9] from the movieNight at the Museum,[10] while the lyrics are about gettingrevenge.[8] "NJ Legion Iced Tea" refers to how someone would feel watching gigs.[8] The title for "Mr. Highway's Thinking About the End" also comes from a movie,The Good Son,[10] while the lyrics are about people attempting to undermine your achievements.[8] "Have Faith in Me" is about trusting other people, and looking after them.[8]
This song took me the longest to write. It took almost a year, but it was another song that kinda stumped me. I really needed this song to say exactly what I wanted, and I finally got it there. We didn't know if it would be on the record right up until the end of recording. I wrote it separate from the band, and I wasn't comfortable changing things. It all worked out in the end, though. I think it's the perfect end to this record.[8]
"Welcome to the Family" features a recording ofAndrew Wade's heart beat towards the end of the track.[11] The title track, "Homesick", was written as one piece, before being split into two songs, which the band thought didn't work well and changed it back to one song.[12] McKinnon said he was "proud" of the track: "My parents were really happy when they first heard it: My dad is always worried about me and my mom really did ask me to write her some soft songs. I finally did."[8] "Holdin' It Down for the Underground" came about after McKinnon lost two family members and writing the song helped him relieve the pain.[8]
"You Already Know What You Are" is about negative people andmusic critics, and doing whatever you want no matter what others say.[13] The song's title was a saying from a friend of the band.[12] The title for "Another Song About the Weekend" is a reference toSecret Lives of the Freemasons's albumWeekend Warriors (2008),[14] while the lyrics are about "a sick cycle" of "life on the road [...] Every time you're gone, you miss home and when you get home, you miss the road".[8] "If It Means a Lot to You" had been written over the course of a year, and McKinnon said he wrote it about himself.[15] McKinnon described the song as a "great way to end" the album,[15] describing it as one of their "biggest songs."[15]
In an August 2008 interview withAbsolutePunk, McKinnon said the band were planning to start recording once the tour with New Found Glory had finished, "So Oct & Nov."[16] McKinnon said that having Wade, who had previously worked on the band's other albums on production duties, was a way for the album to have "A Day To Remember-type feel".[nb 4][5] Wade also recorded the band's demos for the album,[5][18] in the back of a bus.[19] The album itself was recorded at Wade's The Wade Studio, in Ocala, Florida,[20] after the Easycore Tour had finished.[21] Gilbert was touring withNew Found Glory in Europe at the time, but withvideo conferencing he was able to offer input about the record.[21] In September 2008, a demo appeared on the band's MySpace page,[22] entitled "Wax Larry".[23] Documenting the recording process, the band released severalwebisodes onYouTube, under the nameThe Real ADTR: Homesick in Ocala,[24][25][26] which had been called a spoof ofThe Real World.[27] The webisodes were aided by director Drew Russ, as guitarist Neil Westfall states: "When he [Drew Russ] was telling us in the beginning that he was getting into video stuff, and we were like 'Well that's kinda crazy 'cause we need a video guy to do these webisodes for us'. And as we started talking he really kinda got our sense of humor".[28] While in the middle of recordingHomesick, A Day to Remember releasedOld Record.[nb 5][30]
When they first played me the demo of "Downfall," they wanted it to be the first song on the record. Overall, in my opinion, first songs are often the first thing people hear, so it should almost encompass the whole record. [...] I feel if you never heard the band before, and you hear "Downfall," it's a perfect introduction.[7]
Homesick was produced by Gilbert,[20] and was mixed byAdam Dutkiewicz ofKillswitch Engage,[31] with mixing taking place in December 2008,[32] at Zing Studios.[20]Mastering took place at West West Side Studios, by Alan Douches.[20] The album features threeguesting vocalists:[33] Mike Hranica ofThe Devil Wears Prada on "I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?", Vincent Bennett ofThe Acacia Strain on "Welcome to the Family", andSierra Kusterbeck ofVersaEmerge on "If It Means a Lot to You".[20] The latter featuredharmonica played by Dave Guynn.[20] One of the tracks written forHomesick was held over forWhat Separates Me from You (2010).[34] An instrumental entitled "Money Maker" was also recorded during the sessions, but McKinnon had difficulties with it. He later explained: "when it came down to writing vocal parts [...] I just couldn't get that song done. [...] I think it was the best music for the whole record. The music was just so catchy on its own [...] so we said we will just set this aside for next time around."[12]
In 2008, bothHomesick and the re-release of the band's first album, asOld Record, were announced,[35] with a further announcement claimingHomesick's release as February 17, 2009.[36] After being moved up the schedule,[37] the album's release date became February 3 for the US.[nb 6][40] On January 6, 2009,[41] the track list of the album was revealed.[42] In mid-January, the song "Welcome to the Family" was put on the band's Myspace profile,[nb 7][43][44] with "The Downfall of Us All" being added on 26 January.[45] The following day, the song "NJ Legion Iced Tea" was released as the first single.[46][47]Homesick was released on February 3 in the US.[48] The cover art, designed by Dan Mumford based on an idea by McKinnon,[27] is an interpretation of different paths in life, and how one road can change a person's life.[49] In February and March, the band went on a tour of the UK and Europe alongsideFor the Fallen Dreams and Azriel.[50] The second single was "The Downfall of Us All" and the music video was released on March 3.[51] Between mid-March and early May, the band supportedthe Devil Wears Prada on their headlining tour of the US.[52] "The Downfall of Us All" was released to radio on May 26.[53]
We came up with some pretty cool stuff. There's like a hidden code in there, a key to figure out what the sign says and we just tried to have fun with it.[27]
A live video of the band performing "Mr. Highway's Thinking About the End" was included in an episode of Victory'sVicTorV.[nb 8][55] For subsequent tours in promotion ofHomesick, the band had a line-up change[9] addingFour Letter Lie guitarist Kevin Skaff and droppingTom Denney, the latter of whom wanted to settle down,[56] but was still working with the band behind the scenes.[57][58][59] Between late June and late August, the band performed on theWarped Tour.[60] Following this, the group appeared at theReading and Leeds Festivals in the UK.[61] In September and October 2009, the band went on a US tour withParkway Drive,In Fear and Faith andI See Stars.[62] A video of the band performing "I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?", which was filmed on the Warped Tour, was added to the band's MySpace profile on October 16, 2009.[58][63] It was included as a DVD trailer on their profile, which people mistook as the song's actual music video.[58] In December, the band released aChristmas song, "Right Where You Want Me to Be", on their MySpace account.[64][65]
Also in December, the music video for "I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?" was filmed,[66] directed by Dan Dobi.[67] In early March 2010 the band announced via theirTwitter account that the video was set for release, with a date of March 16.[68] This was further confirmed a few days later,[69] with some fans being able to view it before its release.[70] A delay in releasing it occurred as the band were trying to negotiate withMTV, as Westfall commented: "I think it's more important to have them [MTV] on board, instead of just putting it on, like, YouTube."[66] "Have Faith in Me" was released as a radio single on March 2, 2010.[71][nb 9] The video for "I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?" had its television premiere on MTV on March 16.[72][73] The music video was based on an idea from a friend Kyle Crawford, as McKinnon said: "He was like, 'Hey, you should totally make a video where you guys are playing kickball and you play a bunch of kids and just kick the s*** out of them?" I was like, "That is a great idea. Let's look into it.'"[nb 10][9] Asked why it was the band's next music video, Westfall said "it stands out compared to the other songs" as "it's a harder song."[58] The song was also released as a radio single.[74]
The band had performed acoustic versions of both "Homesick" and "Have Faith in Me" before a show in early April, for98 Rock,[75] and again, forKROQ, a few months later.[76][77] The band also played "Have Faith in Me" acoustically for MTV, which was posted online mid-April.[78][79] At the beginning of May 2010, the band asked fans to name their next tour,[80] which was shortly afterwards named as Toursick.[81] The band started the first ofThe AP Sessions forAlternative Press on June 30, performing "Homesick" and "Have Faith in Me".[82] The music video for "Have Faith in Me", directed by Mark Staubach,[83] was released on July 14, receiving its world premiere on MTV.[84][85]
A re-issue ofHomesick was announced on September 13, 2009,[86] and released on October 27,[87][88] with the original track listing intact, but adding acoustic versions of "Homesick" and "Another Song About the Weekend", and 9 live tracks from a performance in Switzerland,[89] which was filmed during their European tour.[90] The acoustic tracks were recorded at The Wade Studio from September 10[90] to September 21.[91] Westfall said the band wasn't going to re-issue the album "unless it's worth the fans' while."[58] The album, along withFor Those Who Have Heart andAttack of the Killer B-Sides (2010), had a reissue on vinyl,[92] in 2011.[93][94] Three songs have featured on various artist compilations: the acoustic version of "Homesick" was released on theVictory Records Fall Sampler 2010,[95] "I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What are You Made Of?" onSideOneDummy'sWarped Tour 2009 Tour Compilation,[96] and "The Downfall of Us All" on Modern Rock Radio'sPromo Only: Modern Rock Radio (July 2009)[97] and 3Wise'sSoundwave 2012.[98] "NJ Legion Iced Tea" is available as downloadable content forGuitar Hero World Tour.[99] The songs "The Downfall of Us All", "Have Faith in Me", "I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?" and "If It Means a Lot to You" are available as downloadable content forRock Band.[100] "I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?" had been added at the request of the band's fans.[9] Another vinyl reissue was announced on July 30, 2013,[101] and released on August 6, 2013.[102] "If It Means a Lot to You" was released to radio on September 29, 2014.[1]
Thomas Nassiff ofAbsolutePunk calledHomesick "a record that is honest and entertaining", despite how "repetitive" and "dense it may be".[103] Nassiff went on to say that the album wouldn't appeal to the public, but it would be "welcomed with open arms" by the band's fans.[103] When referring to the album's lyrics, Nassiff called the album "aconcept one", with a theme of "the glory of being a musician", which encompasses having to be away from home for a period of time.[103] "The Downfall of Us All", as Nassiff put it, "gets the listener psyched for the rest of the album."[103]Rock on Request reviewer Anthony Avina furthered this comment by naming the songs "Welcome to the Family" and the title track as examples of the band showing off their "wide range of talent while producing a harmonious album" that the band's fans "will instantly fall in love with."[104] Avina noted the album had "a unique sound that has elements" from other bands such asChiodos.[104] Petteri Pertola, for Rockfreaks.net, "appreciate[s] the way these guys fuse metalcore and pop punk seamlessly together", adding that "many songs are plagued by an overtly formulaic approach, but when it works, [...]Homesick is one of the catchiest listens you'll experience this year."[105] Punknews.org reviewer Elliot said the album had an "undeniable quality", that is "melodic competence."[106] He viewed thea cappella intro to "The Downfall of Us All" as being "a little gimmicky", while "Have Faith in Me" was called a tribute toBlink-182.[106] Despite noting that three of the songs "stray" from a format that the other songs on the album share, he referred to them as being "not very impressive."[106]
AllMusic reviewer James Christopher Monger said "The Downfall of Us All" would gain an extra "life in countless montages on MTV reality shows and 30-second cola commercials."[107] Monger said that the album consisted "of perfectly executed and fairly standard clean vocal post-hardcore emo-pop" which shows the "limitations of the genre."[107] Monger called the backing vocals "exciting at first", but felt that they "eventually dissolve into the waves of distortion mid-album", becoming an "audio equivalent of an energy drink crash."[107] The final track, "If It Means a Lot to You", as Monger noted, was different from the preceding tracks, as they were "deafening, ultimately forgettable, over-compressed slabs of twentysomething angst."[107]
Homesick was voted by fans as number 1 on Kill Your Stereo's Album of the Year 2009.[108]Rock Sound, in 2012, ranked the album at number 82 on their list of the greatest 101 albums of the past 15 years.[109]
The album charted at number 21 on theBillboard 200, number 1 on Top Independent Albums,[110] number 2 on Hard Rock Albums,[111] number 15 on Digital Albums,[112] and number 5 on the Alternative Albums charts.[113] It sold 22,000 copies within its first week and reached 200,000 copies by July 2010.[114] The album charted at number 165 in the UK.[115] "Have Faith in Me" charted at number 40 on theBillboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[116] In February 2014, "The Downfall of Us All" was certified gold, and in September, "If It Means a Lot to You" was certified.[117] In July 2015, the album was certified silver in the UK,[118] after selling 60,000 copies in the UK.[119] In March 2016,Homesick was certified gold in the US. "Have Faith in Me" was certified gold in April 2017.[117] In August,Homesick was certified gold in Canada.[120] after selling 40,000 copies in that country.
All songs written byA Day to Remember. All lyrics written byJeremy McKinnon, except "Have Faith in Me" by McKinnon andJason Lancaster.[20]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Downfall of Us All" | 3:29 |
| 2. | "My Life for Hire" | 3:33 |
| 3. | "I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?" (featuringMike Hranica) | 3:00 |
| 4. | "NJ Legion Iced Tea" | 3:31 |
| 5. | "Mr. Highway's Thinking About the End" | 4:15 |
| 6. | "Have Faith in Me" | 3:08 |
| 7. | "Welcome to the Family" (featuringVincent Bennett) | 2:59 |
| 8. | "Homesick" | 3:56 |
| 9. | "Holdin' It Down for the Underground" | 3:23 |
| 10. | "You Already Know What You Are" | 1:27 |
| 11. | "Another Song About the Weekend" | 3:45 |
| 12. | "If It Means a Lot to You" (featuringSierra Kusterbeck) | 4:03 |
| Total length: | 40:29 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Homesick" (acoustic) | 4:07 |
| 14. | "Another Song About the Weekend" (acoustic) | 3:42 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Downfall of Us All" (Live atGreenfield Festival inInterlaken, Switzerland on June 13, 2009) | 3:57 |
| 2. | "Fast Forward to 2012" (Live at Greenfield Festival in Interlaken, Switzerland on June 13, 2009) | 1:46 |
| 3. | "My Life for Hire" (Live at Greenfield Festival in Interlaken, Switzerland on June 13, 2009) | 3:56 |
| 4. | "The Danger in Starting a Fire" (Live at Greenfield Festival in Interlaken, Switzerland on June 13, 2009) | 3:37 |
| 5. | "Mr. Highway's Thinking About the End" (Live at Greenfield Festival in Interlaken, Switzerland on June 13, 2009) | 3:23 |
| 6. | "I'm Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?" (Live at Greenfield Festival in Interlaken, Switzerland on June 13, 2009) | 3:47 |
| 7. | "A Shot in the Dark" (Live at Greenfield Festival in Interlaken, Switzerland on June 13, 2009) | 4:42 |
| 8. | "You Should Have Killed Me When You Had the Chance" (Live at Greenfield Festival in Interlaken, Switzerland on June 13, 2009) | 3:41 |
| 9. | "The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle" (Live at Greenfield Festival in Interlaken, Switzerland on June 13, 2009) | 4:17 |
| 10. | "Creative Control" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 11. | "Intro" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 12. | "On the Road Again" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 13. | "Ahoy! Crew Members" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 14. | "Fast Forward to 2012 (Live in Tucson, AZ)" (The Homesick – DVD) | 1:44 |
| 15. | "Corn Hole" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 16. | "Warped Day One" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 17. | "Hired Help" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 18. | "Good Morning San Francisco" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 19. | "Downfall of Us All (Live in San Francisco, CA)" (The Homesick – DVD) | 3:56 |
| 20. | "Neil Gets Inked" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 21. | "Hot Bagger" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 22. | "Mr. Highway's Thinking About the End (Live in Ventura, CA)" (The Homesick – DVD) | 3:49 |
| 23. | "Super Fans" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 24. | "I'm Made of Wax Larry, What Are You Made (Live in Ventura, CA)" (The Homesick – DVD) | 3:15 |
| 25. | "Bottom of the Totem Pole" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 26. | "Viva Las Vegas" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 27. | "My Life for Hire (Live in Las Vegas, NV)" (The Homesick – DVD) | 3:25 |
| 28. | "Almost Home" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 29. | "The Danger in Starting a Fire (Live in Orlando, FL)" (The Homesick – DVD) | 3:31 |
| 30. | "Big Boss's Magical Realm" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 31. | "Nail in the Coffin" (The Homesick – DVD) | |
| 32. | "The Downfall of Us All (Music Video)" (Bonus DVD Features) | |
| 33. | "The Downfall of Us All (Making Of)" (Bonus DVD Features) | |
| 34. | "Mr. Highway's Thinking About the End (Music Video)" (Bonus DVD Features) | |
| 35. | "Since U Been Gone (Music Video)" (Bonus DVD Features) | |
| 36. | "Homesick Sessions (Episodes 1–5)" (Bonus DVD Features) |
Personnel per Special Edition booklet.[20]
A Day to Remember
Guest musicians
| Production
|
| Chart (2009) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| UK Album Chart[115] | 165 |
| USBillboard 200[110] | 21 |
| USBillboardAlternative Albums Chart[113] | 5 |
| USBillboardDigital Albums Chart[112] | 21 |
| USBillboardHard Rock Albums Chart[111] | 2 |
| USBillboardIndependent Albums Chart[110] | 1 |
| USBillboardRock Albums Chart[121] | 7 |
| USBillboardTop Tastemaker Albums[122] | 4 |
| Chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hard Rock Albums Year-end[123] | 50 |
| US Billboard Independent Albums Year-end[124] | 17 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[125] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[126] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[127] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Footnotes
Citations
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| Other songs | |
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