NORTHBOUND’S UPCOMING ALBUM JUNIPER ARRIVES JULY 12 VIA SMARTPUNK RECORDS

Story: Ralph Greco, Jr.

Pre-order the album here

Northbound have released the new single “Baby’s Breath” — listen here.

The latest heavy-hitting pop-punk single by Northbound showcases a more heartfelt, confessional side of his upcoming LP release. It’s a master class in effortless songwriting and the juxtaposition between heart-breaking lyrics and sing-along-worthy melodies.

After touring worldwide with acts including Simple Plan, State Champs, and more, Jonathon Fraser (the man behind the moniker) is poised to share his most realized iteration of the project on Juniper, which is set to release on July 12.

Speaking about the new single “Baby’s Breath,” Northbound says, “‘Baby’s Breath’ is one of the first songs I wrote for this album. Writing this song had the magic that you look for when creating. It popped out of my head and into a demo session with zero effort. I knew I had found a very important piece of the album puzzle when I finished this one. The bridge is one of my favorite moments on the record. ‘Baby’s Breath’ is about a rather inappropriate emotional triangle that got extremely complicated. This song helped me process a lot.”

JUNIPER TRACK LISTING:
1. Big Tune (Fuck Off Forever)
2. Baby’s Breath
3. North Star
4. Embrace Psychopathy
5. Nothing To Do
6. Room For Love
7. Science
8. 6 Pills
9. Stockholm
10. I Can’t Say Goodbye (So I’ll Just Leave)

Speaking on the album, Northbound says, “Juniper is my fourth album under the moniker of Northbound. After a few years of laying low and flying under the radar, this album is a bold statement of return. My most focused record to date, Juniper takes heavy influence from the early 2000s era of pop punk with a clear intention: to feel nostalgia for the moment you’re currently in. It’s fun to listen to, yet simultaneously invites the listener to feel things. It’s a record about change, pain, and joy. Juniper doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, but it does spin it in a way that hasn’t happened for a while.”

ABOUT NORTHBOUND:
“Some flowers never get to bloom,” a sentiment that has become all too familiar to Jonathon Fraser. For better or worse, this has fueled Northbound, the emo-tinged rock outfit born out of Boca Raton, Florida. Since 2012, Northbound has established a committed following through several releases and an extensive touring history in the U.S. and overseas. Their resume includes hitting the road with the likes of Simple Plan, State Champs, and many more of the scene’s most respected bands. Whether it’s at a house show or the 02 Forum in London, Northbound has proven capable of encapsulating nostalgia from the turn of the millennium with none of the cliches typically involved.

Throughout Northbound’s tenure, Fraser has maintained a presence in his songs that feels like an open door to his lived experiences — all bark, all bite. In early 2023, Fraser dug up his lifelong Florida roots and transplanted them to Los Angeles — with something new to prove.

Juniper sees the project rising to new heights — with the strongest material in Northbound’s discography. The themes of the album are on full display — the mental weight that self-awareness can bring, the search for yourself in a world that often doesn’t care, and waiting for love that still hasn’t arrived. Fraser has no interest in feigning authenticity and refuses to hold back on Juniper.

Northbound may be the alternative scene’s best-kept secret, but those who are paying attention never stop listening. Juniper and a fresh start in Los Angeles mark the beginning of a monumental shift for the trajectory of Northbound.

ABOUT SMARTPUNK RECORDS:
Smartpunk has been a recognizable name in the scene for a long time (Remember that sponsored Warped Tour stage?!). After exchanging several hands and countless ideas of what it could and should be, they decided to start a record label in 2016 with the main idea of focusing solely on reissuing records that have been out of print or never on vinyl. After all, they’re a label of vinyl dorks themselves! After releasing Set Your Goals‘ Mutiny and Gameface‘s Good, they started to venture into signing newer bands. They actively balance in between many worlds — putting out amazing music from friends and bands that rock, reissuing older titles, and partnering with other incredible labels in our scene and doing exclusive color variants of their releases.”Since forming the record label, Smartpunk Records has released timeless albums such as Less Than Jake‘s Anthem, Nominee‘s Lowlife, RIVALS’ Sad Looks Pretty on Me, Virginity‘s POPMORTEM, and melodic skate punkers The Swellers‘ My Everest.

NORTHBOUND ONLINE:

Ralph Greco, Jr. is the devilishly clever nom de plume of professional writer/musician Ralph Greco who lives in the wilds of suburban New Jersey. He is also a podcast co-host, but as everyone has a podcast these days, this fact is of very little consequence.Ralph can be reached by writing ralphiedawriter@gmail.com