Multiplatinum indie pop trio AJR have today released their fourth full-length album OK ORCHESTRA. The 13-track record, which features their current single “Way Less Sad” and the US double-platinum chart-topping hit “BANG!”, is available everywhere now via AJR Productions/Black Butter. Listen to OK ORCHESTRA HERE. Watch the official video for “Way Less Sad” HERE AJR—made up of brothers Adam [bass, vocals], Jack [vocals, guitar], and Ryan [ukulele, piano, vocals]—hunkered down and crafted what would become OK ORCHESTRA throughout 2020. Ryan and Jack share an apartment, while Adam lives down the street, so they maintained a rhythm of writing and recording in order to emerge from the pandemic with something they were proud of. “I think we definitely got closer,” said Ryan. “In times like these, you realize what values are important. There are a lot of things you can live without, but you can’t live without family. We really tried to create a world on this album. With each record, our fanbase has grown steadily. Their support made us more confident to invite them into this space. We really embraced who we are, and it’s the most diverse album we’ve ever made. It’s got some of our happiest and most jovial songs. It’s got some of our saddest and angriest songs. We’re expanding what we do. It’s exciting.” On AJR’s new song “3’O Clock Things,” the band explores some of these emotions as ragtime piano drives a jazzy groove towards clever observations such as “It’s kind of funny how I paid for college, when YouTube was an option.” Ryan admitted, “I’m going through all of these weird observations about dating, politics, and leaders. For as dark as it seems, it was one of the most fun songs to write.” The band’s current single “Way Less Sad” has already been added to over 200 radio stations across the U.S. It just cracked the top 30 at Top 40 radio and is approaching top 20 at Adult Pop and top 10 at Alternative radio. It has amassed more than 20 million streams worldwide and has been featured on Spotify’s “Pop Rising” and “The New Alt,” Amazon Music’s “Hot Singles,” Pandora’s “Today’s Hits” and Apple Music’s “A-List Pop” and “Alt Pop” playlists. They will perform the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! March 31. AJR also recently announced a partnership with ESPN and Major League Baseball (MLB). The network is using “Way Less Sad” as the official anthem for the first half of the Sunday Night Baseball schedule, including its Opening Day campaign. Watch HERE. The partnership will also include on-air promos, exclusive content and live activations. As a special thanks to fans, AJR will perform an acoustic livesteam of OK ORCHESTRA tonight at 10pm GMT from New York City’s Sony Hall. The set will include a 23-piece orchestra performing the album’s opening overture. |
OK ORCHESTRA tracklist: 1. OK Overture 2. Bummerland 3. 3 O’Clock Things 4. My Play 5. Joe 6. Adventure Is Out There 7. BANG! 8. The Trick 9. Ordinaryish People (feat. Blue Man Group) 10. Humpty Dumpty 11. World’s Smallest Violin 12. Way Less Sad 13. Christmas In June Follow AJR: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music |