Jesse Thomas Lacey (born July 10, 1978)[1] is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who is best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the American alternative rock band Brand New.[2]
Jesse Lacey | |
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![]() Lacey performing in February 2008 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Jesse Thomas Lacey |
Born | July 10, 1978 |
Origin | Levittown, New York, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 1999–2018 |
Labels | |
Formerly of | |
Website | fightoffyourdemons |
Lacey was the founding bassist of fellow Long Island rock band Taking Back Sunday but left the band after a personal incident involving guitarist John Nolan.[3] Along with members of the Rookie Lot, Lacey formed Brand New in 2000.[4] With Brand New, Lacey earned a number-one album in the United States due to the commercial success of 2017's Science Fiction.[5]
As well as fronting Brand New, Lacey has performed as a solo artist since 2004, although has not yet released any solo material, and instead performs material by Brand New, as well as covering other bands.[6] Lacey has produced and co-produced a number of records, including those Brand New, as well as Kevin Devine's Bubblegum and a track by Cymbals Eat Guitars.[7][8]
Early life and education
editLacey was raised in a Christian family on Long Island, where he was a regularly churchgoer, although Lacey has said Christianity was never forced upon him.[9] His parents listened to bands such as the Beatles, Steely Dan, Simon and Garfunkel and Bruce Springsteen, which Lacey has stated contributed towards both his interest and taste in music, commenting that "there was always a record playing, and good music, too".[10] Albums by Billy Joel, "Weird Al" Yankovic and The Big Picture by Michael W. Smith were amongst some of the first that Lacey owned.[11]
Lacey attended General Douglas MacArthur High School in Levittown, New York along with John Nolan.[12] After Nolan convinced Lacey to learn the bass guitar, the two friends would go on to form a number of bands during their high school years, one of which was named Gudmunder Bjornsen.[13] He also learned how to play the trombone while participating in the church choir.[14] In 1998, Lacey, along with Garrett Tierney, Brian Lane and Brandon Reilly formed the Rookie Lot, who would self-release a split EP as well as a demo tape.
In November 1999, Lacey formed Taking Back Sunday with guitarist Eddie Reyes; after adding Nolan to the band, Lacey moved to bass guitar. He contributed bass guitar and backing vocals to their first EP in 2001, but left the band during the recording sessions after Nolan slept with Lacey's girlfriend.[4][15] Prior to becoming a full-time musician, Lacey had a number of different jobs, including working for the clothing retailer Gap Inc., a skate and bike shop, and also spending two days working at McDonald's, before quitting after being told "sexual harassment is going to happen, so get used to it".[14]
Musical career
editBrand New (2000–2018)
editAfter the Rookie Lot broke up, its former members, with the exception of Reilly (who formed the Movielife), would form Brand New, recruiting Vincent Accardi as an additional guitarist.[16] After recording and releasing a number of demos, the band released their debut album Your Favorite Weapon in 2001. Lacey provided lead vocals and guitar for the album, as well as writing lyrics for all of the songs.[17]
The band toured heavily up until work began on their second album in February 2003. Influenced by his time on the road, Lacey wrote much of the album on acoustic guitar in his bedroom.[18] The album's success led the band to be engulfed in a bidding war between labels.[19] Brand New toured for nearly 300 days to promote the album, causing Lacey to tear his patellar tendon.[20]
After finishing the extensive touring and promotional cycle for their album Deja Entendu, Lacey had become unsure as to whether he even wanted to release another record. In an interview, Lacey stated that he had the realization that he no longer wished to be associated with many of the people and bands he'd met over the past years with Brand New, and he also felt as though he had no friends.[6] After writing and recording sessions in late 2004, the band became inactive. In spring 2005, Lacey became sick and subsequently underwent surgery for a number of problems.[21]
After the loss of a number of his friends and family members, Lacey and his bandmates purposely immersed themselves in their grief, channeling it into the songwriting with the hope of expelling it.[22] Having previously become disillusioned and uninterested in the bands and people they were previously around, Lacey found friendship in bands such as Thrice, mewithoutYou, Manchester Orchestra and Kevin Devine, remarking that they had "created a small community".[6] In later interviews, Lacey stated that the writing and recording of their third album, the critically acclaimed The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, saved the band.[23] In 2008, Lacey along with his Brand New bandmates cofounded the record label Procrastinate! Music Traitors.[24]
Solo
editOne of Lacey's first solo shows was on April 27, 2004, at The Downtown in Farmingdale, New York, performing a mixture of covers and songs by his band, Brand New.[25] In July 2007, Lacey and Kevin Devine did an acoustic tour in the United States with Grace Read, with Lacey once again performing material from Brand New, as well as performing various tracks with Devine.[26]
In 2008 Lacey toured with Kevin Devine and Brooklyn native Brian Bonz, later stating in an interview how at this point he wished only to occasionally tour and perform Brand New material solo, believing that "the songs lack meaning" without his bandmates beside him.[6] After performing solo with Devine on December 12, 2015, Lacey was soon-after revealed to be part of Devine's Devinyl splits series, with his single, a cover of R.E.M.'s "Bad Day", seeing release early in 2016.[27]
Other projects
editOutside of Brand New, Lacey has frequently collaborated with Kevin Devine, both in the studio and live. In 2005, Lacey was featured Kevin Devine's album Split the Country, Split the Street, providing vocals on the songs "Cotton Crush", "Afterparty", and "No One Else's Problem".[28] In 2009, he would again contribute to the album Brother's Blood, singing on "Tomorrow's Just Too Late".[citation needed]
In 2013, Lacey produced the album Bubblegum. Lacey was initially nervous, as it was the first album he had produced outside of Brand New.[29] Along with Kevin Devine, Lacey frequently appeared onstage and on tour with Manchester Orchestra.[30]
Other appearances by Lacey include contributing bass guitar to the track "Rocket" on the Intramural 2007 album This Is a Landslide, as well as providing bass and guitar on Grace Read's song "Cloak and Dagger", from her EP Young Guns.[31][32] At various Brand New shows in 2014 and 2015, Lacey joined support band Dinosaur Pile-Up on stage, performing their track "Nature Nurture".[33]
Lacey and his wife Andrea released a cover of "In Spite of Ourselves", originally by John Prine in February 2015.[34] In 2015, Lacey, along with Mike Sapone, co-produced the track "Aerobed" for the band Cymbals Eat Guitars, as part of the Devinyl Splits series, curated by Kevin Devine.[8]
American singer Halsey, a publicized Brand New fan, referred to Lacey as "largely responsible for why I write with such detail."[35] Lacey and the rest of the band earned songwriting credits on Halsey's 2020 album Manic as a result of her sampling the "(Fork and Knife)" demo on her song "Alanis' Interlude".[36] Brand New was thanked in the liner notes of Manic.
Influences
editEarly on in his career as a musician, Lacey cited bands such as Lifetime, the Foo Fighters, the Cars and Pearl Jam as influences for himself and Brand New.[16] He later taped the words "Hi Moz", a reference to the Smiths frontman Morrissey, to his guitar during their performance of "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2003.[37]
Towards the release of The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, Lacey expressed his fandom of the Stone Roses and Ride.[38] During the Daisy era, Lacey cited Polvo, Archers of Loaf, Fugazi and Modest Mouse as influences. He named Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine as the influences for the album's guitar sound.[39]
Religious imagery and themes such as faith, the afterlife, the supernatural as well as moral issues are often explored in Lacey's songwriting. Lacey, however, has made it clear his songs are not, and never will be about Christianity, remarking that the band Brand New do not share the same beliefs, so to try to label the band with any one religion would be "absolutely ridiculous".[40] Film, television and literature have also influenced his songwriting.[41]
In Brand New, Lacey and his bandmates compose material separately from one another, rarely rehearsing or practicing together. Instead Lacey will often write material on an acoustic guitar, before bringing it to the rest of the band.[40][42]
During the writing and recording of the 2006 album The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, Lacey was particularly influenced by bands such as U2 and Radiohead to try writing using instruments other than the guitar.[43] During the sessions, Lacey and Devine's friendship would play a major influence on his songwriting, with him looking to write more about current events.[44]
Image
editLacey has been described by the media as being both enigmatic and reserved.[45] He has no public social media accounts and only occasionally gives interviews, stating in one interview that although he enjoys talking to people, he and his Brand New bandmates feel more comfortable not having to worry about interviews, photo shoots and music videos, and that "those peripheral things had nothing to do with the project we were working on".[23][46]
His discomfort with interviews stems from American media outlets' tendency to misrepresent facts. "Most people don’t want you to look how you want to look. They want you to look how they want you to look," he said. "Writers have to make it interesting. The headline would end up being something stupid like 'We hate My Chemical Romance'."[47]
Following the success of Deja Entendu, Lacey was described by Kerrang! as a "heartthrob", an image which he disliked. "I don't want anyone listening to our music because they think I'm cute," he said. "We're hoping for things to go in a Radiohead way instead of a Justin Timberlake way. We want to be known for our music."[14]
Personal life
editI’ve been a real difficult person to be around most of my life. I kinda feel real hypocritical being up here sometimes and pretending I know about stuff when the stuff I might know about, I don’t really apply to my life or nothing. I’ve had to learn a lot in the last couple of years. A lot of that has been about finding the person that meant a lot to me and getting married. Realizing what commitment is about and loving people and i’ve realized how difficult i’ve been to people, my wife and my band and my friends and probably my family. It’s hard being 37 and learning a lot of hard lessons that you should’ve learned when you were 17. But i’m learning them I guess.[48]
Lacey is the second oldest of seven siblings, one of whom is a teacher. Another one of his siblings, Cody Lacey, is in the United States Navy. His brother Jamey Lacey is also a musician and was the vocalist of the band Coasta.[49] His father is a nurse.[50]
Lacey is married to Andrea King. They have one child, Bowie Charles Lacey.[51][52] Andrea King had a son from a previous relationship, Miles, who became Lacey's stepson. Miles King Lacey died in February 2022, which the Lacey family did not disclose until June 2023.[53]
Prior to forming Brand New, Lacey attended Nassau Community College on Long Island for three years, studying child psychology and elementary education.[41][54] Attending school with fellow musician John Nolan, the two friends had a brief, highly publicized falling out.[55] This would lead Lacey to write "Seventy Times 7", which appeared on Brand New's 2001 album Your Favorite Weapon, while Nolan would later write about the dispute from his perspective in the Taking Back Sunday track "There's No I in Team". Later, Lacey and his Brand New bandmates stated that the "situation cleaned itself up a lot sooner than most people thought it did", and that the situation had been blown out of proportion by fans and the media.[9][56][57] Lacey has described fellow musician Kevin Devine as one of his best friends, as well as citing him as a musical influence.[58]
Lacey has an interest in photography and graphic design, and has had a part in designing and composing artwork for a number of releases by Brand New.[59][60][61]
Sexual misconduct allegiations
editIn late 2017, Lacey was accused of sexual misconduct by two women, who alleged the events occurred 15 years prior while they were underage and Lacey was in his early 20s.[62][63] Lacey apologized publicly on Brand New's Facebook page (for cheating) and admitted to having a sex addiction in his past, which he had sought treatment for over a decade before the allegations were brought public.[64][65]
Discography
editWith Brand New
- Your Favorite Weapon (2001)
- Deja Entendu (2003)
- The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me (2006)
- Daisy (2009)
- Science Fiction (2017)
With the Rookie Lot
- five-track demo tape (1998)
- The Rookie Lot/Yearly split 7-inch (1999)
Appearances
Year | Song(s) | Artist | Album |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | "Cotton Crush", "Afterparty", and "No One Else's Problem" | Kevin Devine | Split the Country, Split the Streets |
2007 | "Rocket" | Intramural | This Is a Landslide |
2009 | "Tomorrow's Just Too Late" | Kevin Devine | Brother's Blood |
2012 | "Cloak and Dagger" | Grace Read | Young Guns |
Production discography
Year | Album | Artist | Credits |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me | Brand New | Co-produced with Mike Sapone and Brand New |
2009 | Daisy | Brand New | Co-produced with Mike Sapone and Brand New |
2012 | Bubblegum | Kevin Devine | Production, bass guitar, percussion, feedback and backing vocals on "Private First Class" |
2015 | Devinyl Splits No. 4 | Cymbals Eat Guitars | Co-produced the track "Aerobed" with Mike Sapone |
References
edit- ^ "Jesse Lacey | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
- ^ Eliscue, Jenny (September 10, 2003). "Hot Band: Brand New". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
- ^ Crane, Matt (April 11, 2014). "When your head goes through the windshield: the 10 best moments of the TBS/Brand New feud". Alternative Press. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
- ^ a b "Taking Back Sunday/Brand New Beef Is Still Hot After 15 Years". Stereogum. 2015-02-28. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (2017-08-28). "On the Charts: Brand New Stake First Number One With 'Science Fiction'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
- ^ a b c d Ableson, Jon (November 25, 2008). "EXCLUSIVE: KEVIN DEVINE AND JESSE LACEY" (Interview). alterthepress.com. Alter the Press. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
- ^ "Kevin Devine releases final 'Bubblegum' interview with producer Jesse Lacey (Brand New)". Alternative Press Magazine. 2013-10-26. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
- ^ a b Joyce, Colin (October 29, 2015). "Cymbals Eat Guitars' New Single Is as Quietly Comforting as an 'Aerobed'". Spin Magazine. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- ^ a b "INTERVIEW MIT BRAND NEW". All Schools (in German). June 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- ^ Gaston, Peter (August 12, 2009). "Q&A: Brand New's Jesse Lacey". Spin Magazine. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- ^ Tate, Jason (September 19, 2006). "Street Team Exclusive Interview". absolutepunk.net. Absolute Punk. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ Wieners, By: Rielly (2019-08-06). ""I Hope This Song Starts a Craze"". ArcGIS StoryMaps. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
- ^ Crane, Matt (May 6, 2015). "John Nolan releases high school demos with Brand New's Jesse Lacey". Alternative Press. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- ^ a b c Lukes, Daniel (January 24, 2004). "He's a Clean Cut Boy on the Brink of Emo Superstardom, But Brand New Singer Jesse Lacey Insists He's Not Boring". Kerrang!. No. 989.
- ^ "DIY". DIY. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
- ^ a b Tate, Jason. "Brand New". Absolute Punk. Archived from the original (Interview) on March 2, 2002. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ^ Brand New (January 17, 2009). "Music4Autobahns Interview: Jesse Lacey (Brand New)" (Interview). Music4Autobahns. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ^ Joe D'Angelo. "Already Heard Of Underground Upstarts Brand New? Consider Yourself Lucky". MTV. Archived from the original on December 4, 2003. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
- ^ "Billboard Bits: Brand New, Vida Blue, Kristofferson". Billboard. 4 September 2003. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
- ^ "Hot Band: Brand New: Brand New : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 2007-10-01. Archived from the original on 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
- ^ Laey, Jesse (June 27, 2005). "Hello. Or welcome back". brandnewrock.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2006. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ "Brand New interview revu.nl". youtube.com. Melkweg, Amsterdam: revu.nl. March 22, 2007. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
- ^ a b Cummins, Luke (August 3, 2012). "AN INTERVIEW WITH JESSE LACEY OF BRAND NEW (GUELPH AUG 2012)" (Interview). Tumblr. Extreme Nonchalance. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ Heisel, Scott (March 21, 2008). "BRAND NEW START RECORD LABEL, SIGN KEVIN DEVINE". altpress.com. Alternative Press. Archived from the original on September 15, 2008. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- ^ "WATCH: Rare 2004 Solo Set from Brand New's Jesse Lacey Surfaces". radio1045.com. WRFF. October 3, 2013. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ Heisel, Scott (May 31, 2007). "JESSE LACEY ANNOUNCES SOLO TOUR WITH KEVIN DEVINE". altpress.com. Alternative Press. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
- ^ "BRAND NEW'S JESSE LACEY IS RELEASING NEW MATERIAL WITH KEVIN DEVINE". DIY magazine. 14 December 2015. Archived from the original on December 14, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
- ^ Kevin Devine – Split the Country, Split the Street (Media notes). Triple Crown Records. 2005. TPC 0343.
- ^ "Kevin Devine: A Goddamn Band Conversation with Jesse Lacey Part 1". Youtube. DIY magazine. October 14, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2015.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ Morris, Hugh (October 7, 2012). "BAD BOOKS: 'IF IT DOESN'T WORK YOU CAN'T REALLY GET YOUR FEELINGS HURT'". diymag.com. DIY Magazine. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ Intramural – This Is A Landslide (Media notes). Slowdance Records. 2007. SLOW 030.
- ^ Grace Read – Young Guns (Media notes). Brookvale Records. 2012. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ Marshman, Chris (June 16, 2015). "LIVE: BRAND NEW/DINOSAUR PILE UP @ BROOKLYN BOWL, LONDON". Punktastic. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ Sharp, Tyler (February 16, 2015). "Brand New's Jesse Lacey shares cover song featuring his wife". altpress.com. Alternative Press. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- ^ Halsey [@halsey] (September 7, 2014). "one of the most influential bands of my adolescence. Jesse is largely responsible for why I write with such detail" (Tweet). Retrieved 2022-03-29 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Halsey |". Archived from the original on 2020-03-01. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
- ^ "Jimmy Kimmel Live!". 2003. October 24, 2003. American Broadcasting Company.
- ^ BBC. "Raging without the bull". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
- ^ "Brand New Explain How Their Songs Become Noisy | CHARTattack". 2009-11-25. Archived from the original on 2009-11-25. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ a b "Brand New interview". Milan, Italy: Under Theory. January 27, 2007. Archived from the original (Video interview) on January 12, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
- ^ a b "From the Long Island scene, Brand New has released two records within the last 2 years". Emotional Punk. Archived from the original (Interview) on July 29, 2003. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- ^ Gormely, Ian (November 20, 2009). "Brand New explain the noise". Chart Attack. Archived from the original on November 25, 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Carman, Keith (January 15, 2004). "Are Brand New Becoming A Prog-Rock Band?". chartattack.com/. Chart Attack. Archived from the original on August 6, 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Jesse Lacey (August 5, 2007). Jesse Lacey & Kevin Devine Live, "Brothers" (Audio). Swell-O-Venue, Jackson, Mississippi. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ^ Sharp, Tyler (October 5, 2015). "Brand New's Jesse Lacey opens "Play Crack the Sky" with heartfelt dialogue on band's past". Alternative Press. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ Fiona McKinlay (2009-09-17). "Brand New's Jesse Lacey chats to DiS". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 2015-10-12. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
- ^ "DiS meets Brand New's Jesse Lacey: "The headline would end up being something stupid" / In Depth // Drowned In Sound". 2015-10-26. Archived from the original on 26 October 2015. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
- ^ "Brand New- "Sealed to Me" live at the Shrine Expo Hall 4/15/15". YouTube.
- ^ Anderl, Timothy (2013-05-03). "From The Horse's Mouth: Jamey Lacey (Coasta) on Sunzal EP". Ghettoblaster Magazine. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
- ^ Harding, Cortney (December 11, 2006). "Is Brand New's Jesse Lacey full of it?". hamptonroads.com/. The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original (Interview) on July 22, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
- ^ Campbell, Rachel (February 10, 2016). "The 10 best collaborations from couples in music". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
- ^ Chatterjee, Kika (January 16, 2016). "Brand New's Jesse Lacey and wife welcome newborn daughter Bowie". Alternative Press. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
- ^ "Brand New's Jesse Lacey and Wife Andrea Reveal 2022 Death of Their Son". PopCulture. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
- ^ "Marvel One on One: Jesse Lacey of Brand New" (Video). Youtube. Marvel Entertainment. 14 September 2009. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
- ^ French, Chris (August 31, 2007). "Straylight Run: Existentialist Pop". altpress.com. Alternative Press. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
- ^ Dill, Kevin (June 18, 2003). "Interview with Brian of Brand New – 6.18.03". Soul In Eyes. Archived from the original on July 21, 2003. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ^ Jacobson, Mark (December 13, 2004). "L.I.R.R. (Long Island Rock 'n' Roll)". nymag.com. New York. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ Robson, Emma (February 12, 2007). "Raging without the bull". bbc.co.uk. BBC Music. Archived from the original (Interview) on October 26, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
- ^ Your Favorite Weapon (Media notes). Triple Crown Records, Razor & Tie, Procrastinate Music Traitors. 2011. 03152-1.
- ^ Daisy (Media notes). Interscope Records, Procrastinate Music Traitors. 2009. BOO13381-01.
- ^ "Kerrang! interviews Jesse Lacey". Kerrang!. Give it a Name, London. April 28, 2007. Archived from the original on May 11, 2000. Retrieved 11 December 2015. Alt URL
- ^ "Two Alleged Victims of Brand New's Jesse Lacey Detail Years of Sexual Exploitation of Minors - Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. 13 November 2017.
- ^ "Brand New Leader Jesse Lacey Accused Of Sexual Misconduct With A Minor". November 10, 2017.
- ^ "Brand new's Jesse Lacey releases statement on sexual misconduct allegations". Alternative Press. 12 November 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (November 12, 2017). "Brand New's Jesse Lacey Apologizes After Sexual Misconduct Allegations Surface". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
External links
edit- Official Brand New website
- Lozano, Alejandro (July 2015). "El Sonido del Silencio" [The Sound of Silence] (Digital Magazine). Rockzone (in Spanish) (116). IXO Publishing: 48–57. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- Payne, Chris. "Brand New's Jesse Lacey Talks New Music, Possible Breakup" (October 14, 2015). Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2015.