Philadelphia’s The Wonder Years return full force today with the release of their new song, “Oldest Daughter.” They kicked 2022 off with a near-entirely sold-out headlining tour, one that found them celebrating two of their most beloved records: 2010’s The Upsides and 2011’s Suburbia, I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing.
On another discography standout album, 2013’s The Greatest Generation, vocalist Dan Campbell sings of alcoholism and the “bitter and vitriolic” trappings of the east coast winter in a song called “Madelyn.” Nearly a decade later, “Oldest Daughter” picks up where that song left off. The energy here is much different but the ending remains unfortuntely the same.”It’s about coming to the understanding that you can’t save everyone,” Dan explains. “There are going to be people you love who will destroy themselves no matter how badly you want them to stop.”Every release from The Wonder Years finds the band pushing the limits of their sound, but this song truly feels like they’re pulling from all the best parts. Produced by Steve Evetts (the same producer who worked on Suburbia and TGG) over the course of late summer 2021, “Oldest Daughter” was first tracked live at the Foo Fighters’ Studio 606 and later finalized at Evett’s former studio in Garden Grove, CA.A new full-length album is forthcoming later in 2022.
ABOUT THE WONDER YEARS
What The Wonder Years do so effortlessly is no small feat; over the course of the last 10+ years and six full-length albums, the Philadelphia-based band truly exists on their own island. One that, through poetic lyricism, ambient guitar swells, and Jimmy Eat World-levels of crashing momentum, has stood the test of time, surviving waves and influencing countless others to follow.
