The Upsides
The Upsides is the second studio album by American rock band the Wonder Years, released through No Sleep Records and Run For Cover Records on January 26, 2010. The album was recorded with producer Vince Ratti at Skylight Studios in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania. After being signed by Hopeless Records, The Upsides was later reissued in a deluxe edition featuring four new songs.
The Upsides
Release and promotion[edit]
On November 11, 2009, The Upsides was announced for release in two months' time; alongside this, the track listing was posted online.[7] To close out the year, the band played three Northeast holiday shows.[8] On December 17, 2009, "Melrose Diner" was posted on the band's Myspace profile.[9] The Upsides was released on January 26, 2010; to promote it, the band played a handful of release shows across the country.[10] The Upsides sold 1,845 units in its first week,[11] charting at number nine on the Billboard Top Heatseekers and 42 on the Top Independent Albums charts.[12]
After a US tour with Therefore I Am and Man Overboard, the Wonder Years went on an East Coast US tour with Crime in Stereo.[13][14] Following a short tour with Such Gold and We Are the Union, the band supported Set Your Goals on their cross-country US tour through to May 2010.[15][16] Following the success of the album's release, The Wonder Years announced in May 2010 they signed with Hopeless Records.[17] Between June and August 2010, the band went on a US tour supporting Streetlight Manifesto.[18] Following this, the band supported New Found Glory on their US tour, prior to an Australian tour in September 2010 with Tonight Alive.[19][20]
A deluxe edition of The Upsides was released through Hopeless Records. It included four extra tracks, two of which had not been heard before. "I Was Scared and I'm Sorry" was written about a break-up and everything changing in Campbell's life. "We Won't Bury You" was written for a friend of the band who was in rehab and later died of an overdose before hearing the song. The first of the reworked songs was a take on "Dynamite Shovel"; "Recorded live in one room with a bunch of mics everywhere, this finds us stomping and clapping and yelling and laughing". The final track is a completely reworked "slowed down, piano-based version" of the song "Logan Circle," said to be "completely reminiscent of the song it actually is, but it's different lyrics (and a) different structure".[6][21]
In October 2015, the band announced another reissue of the album, due for release on December 18. This time it features new artwork and all the bonus tracks made available with the previous deluxe edition of the album, in addition to "Leavenhouse. 11:30."[22]