THE BENDS Announce Debut Album IF YOU INSIST, Share New Single

THE BENDS have announced IF YOU INSIST, their debut full-length album for Warner Records, and released a new single from the project titled HANGING AROUND. The Louisiana-born alt-rock band's album follows a run of singles and touring that took the group from playing a college bar to committing to music full time.

If You Insist is set for release on September 18 via Warner Records. Ahead of the release, the band unveiled the new song 'Hanging Around' from the project.

If You Insist captures the band at a pivotal moment in their rise—from a Louisiana college bar band to a full-fledged touring act building a life around music. The title reflects the unexpected momentum that followed their early releases and live shows as opportunities began to unfold in ways they had once only imagined. At its core, If You Insist is a snapshot of The Bends embracing the uncertainty, excitement, and possibility of stepping into the next chapter together.

''If You Insist' is a lyric from the first track of the album, 'Off My Chest,'' shares lead singer and guitarist Hayden Field. 'This line encapsulated what we feel our journey as a band has been thus far. We started the band in college for the fun of playing at our local bar. But after releasing music and beginning to tour the Southeast, the chance to commit to being a band as our livelihood became a reality. Everything had fallen into place in a way we'd only dreamed of, and so we replied, 'If You Insist.''

The band recently appeared on Track Star and Zach Bryan's Belting Bronco series. Electric live performers, The Bends are currently on their first-ever North American 'If You Insist' Tour. The tour has been a mixture of headline dates and major supporting dates with The Killers, Inhaler, Ole 60, an upcoming performance with The Red Clay Strays in August, and appearances at major festivals including Lollapalooza. The tour kicked off on April 16th in New Orleans, LA and hits several major cities across the U.S. including Boston, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, and more.

Tracklist

Off My Chest

Loadout

Seasons Change

Dance Away

Lebowski

Smoking in Bed

Hanging Around

Young Love

Whatever Keeps Me Going

Last Forever

Sticking To The Plan

'If You Insist' North American Tour Dates

9/8 Tuscaloosa, AL

9/9 Oxford, MS +

9/11 Austin, TX +

9/12 Dallas, TX +

9/23 Boulder, CO +

9/24 Denver, CO +

9/25 Salt Lake City, UT +

9/26 Boise, ID +

9/28 Vancouver, BC =

9/29 Seattle, WA =

9/30 Portland, OR =

10/2 San Francisco, CA @

10/3 Felton, CA @

10/4 San Luis Obispo, CA @

10/7 San Diego, CA @

10/9 Los Angeles, CA @

10/12 Santa Ana, CA @

10/13 Phoenix, AZ @

10/17 TBD

10/30 Nashville, TN

11/1 Indianapolis, IN $

11/4 Minneapolis, MN

11/5 Madison, WI $

11/6 Chicago, IL

11/7 Chicago, IL

11/10 Ann Arbor, MI &

11/11 Toronto, ON &

11/13 Boston, MA &

11/14 New York City, NY &

11/15 Philadelphia, PA &

11/17 Washington, DC &

11/18 Carrboro, NC %

11/20 Atlanta, GA

11/21 Charlotte, NC +

11/22 Charleston, SC +

+ with Foxtide = with Flamingos In The Tree @ with Margot Sinclair $ with The Braymores & with Common People % with Fudge ! supporting Spacey Jane # Festival

About The Bends

The Bends ponder big themes in tightly written compact rock songs made and played live. Between hypnotic hooks and garage-born production, they explore restlessness, relationships, medication, boredom and growing up all in real-time. The Baton Rouge-bred and Nashville-based quartet—Hayden Field [vocals, guitar], Ian Marmande [guitar], Jacob Rhodes [drums], and Chase Perkins [bass]—craft the kind of undeniable alternative rock that could just as easily soundtrack a scene in your favorite Reality Bites-style nineties flick or a TikTok trend. It's as quotable as it is quixotic, lacing fuzz-ed out power chords with unapologetically candid lyrics. It's also resonated with fans worldwide, leading to millions of streams and even the applause of megastars like Zach Bryan.

Meeting at LSU, the band seized any opportunity to perform in front of an audience, gigging marathon cover sets at college bars and frat parties. By the time senior year rolled around, the four-piece cut their first original 'Makeup.' It organically exploded online once Zach Bryan shared it on his Instagram story, calling it 'the song of the year.' It eventually amassed over 6.2 million Spotify streams and paved the way for 'Fair Weather' and 2025's Leeward Drive EP. Along the way, they notably captured the ear of Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin who jumped at the chance to produce and co-write 'Virginia' and introduced them to Warner Records.

IF YOU INSIST also includes the previously released singles SEASONS CHANGE and SMOKING IN BED, the latter of which reached the Alternative Airplay Top 100. THE BENDS are currently touring North America in support of the new material.

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