Monday, September 24, 2012

A FRAGILE TOMORROW DELIVERS CAREER-DEFINING FOURTH RELEASE


A Fragile Tomorrow has become one of the most respected bands of brothers on the road, in large part thanks to their venerable work ethic, stellar musicianship, and fans/friends in high places.  The four-piece power pop band -- comprised of identical brothers Sean and Dominic Kelly, their younger brother Brendan, and Shaun Rhoades -- has toured the past seven years, and most recently with Matthew Sweet, The Indigo Girls, The Bangles, Antigone Rising, Garrison Starr and more.  Now they are gearing up for the release of their fourth album, Be Nice Be Careful on January 8, 2013.  The record, produced by Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Pavement) and Ted Comerford (Jukebox the Ghost) and recorded at Fidelitorium Recordings in Kernersville, North Carolina; is the next step in a progression that has seen A Fragile Tomorrow grow as musicians and songwriters.

"We really wanted to make a record that was spontaneous and fun; something that sounded like a jangly pop band playing in a room together,” said Sean.  “Working with Mitch and Ted allowed us to open ourselves up creatively and do these songs the way we originally envisioned. It was the best experience we've ever had making a record.”

A Fragile Tomorrow is aptly compared to a wide range of alt-pop influences such as Big Star, Nada Surf, Jellyfish, Teenage Fanclub, Toad the Wet Sprocket, The dB's, Let's Active, and R.E.M.; and Be Nice Be Careful features guest vocals from Don Dixon, Amy Ray of Indigo Girls, Vicki and Debbi Peterson of The Bangles, and Susan Cowsill of The Cowsills.

Starting in 2010 and continuing through 2012, AFT joined Indigo Girls on tour in various cities, including a show in their home base of Charleston, SC in early 2011. As 2011 started to wind down, the band was invited to their West Coast debut as touring openers for The Bangles. Shows at well-respected clubs like House of Blues and legendary venues such as The Fillmore in San Francisco made the West Coast a successful new market for the band. More high-profile gigs followed throughout 2012, as the band shared the bill with Antigone Rising, Garrison Starr, Drivin’ and Cryin’, and Matthew Sweet respectively. While opening for Sweet on his celebrated “Girlfriend tour,” one Massachusetts critic proclaimed AFT as “everything that is right with music.”

Along with their busy touring schedule, the band carved out time in January of 2012 to complete Be Nice Be Careful, with Easter Comerford. Known for his work with bands like R.E.M. and Pavement, Easter brought his trademark jangle-pop sound to the band’s compositions.  This latest batch of songs shows A Fragile Tomorrow’s growth not only in their songwriting, but in their musicianship as a whole. As the band readies their new album for release on January 8, their goals include expanding their fan base, touring to new cities, working with more up-and-coming musicians as well as some more of their idols, making quality records for their fans, and bringing powerpop music back to the mainstream.

"We all hope to show people that we're finally the kind of band we've always wanted to be,” says Dom.  “And we made the record to back that up."

For more information, please visit www.afragiletomorrow.com

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