The 502s Release New Single 'Leading Lady'

Five-piece The 502s are happy to share "Leading Lady", the latest preview of their forthcoming new album Could It Get Better Than This, out October 15th, 2021. The idea behind the song, explains the band's Ed Isola, "was to make something everyone at our live shows would be able to sing along to while dancing with us." The new single comes on the heels of the music video for "I Keep Rolling" earlier this year, and drops just as the band saw one of their songs on Spotify reach the 1 million streams milestone for the first time, not to mention the millions of streams their other songs have racked up on Spotify, YouTube, TikTok and other platforms combined.

Could It Get Better Than This is the follow up to their debut Because We Had Too, which earned them a dedicated and growing fanbase, and led No Depression to anoint the group "a charismatic indie folk band with enough energy to take on the world." The 502s are a band on a mission to bring that message to the world, and through their music and live shows aim to create a safe and collaborative space for people to smile widely and appreciate the good things in life. That approach has resonated deeply with people, and just since October 2020 the band has had over 5000 people sign up for their virtual experience "Camp Feels Good", and seen their videos explode on TikTok with millions of streams.

Led by affable banjo-strumming songwriter Ed Isola, The 502s' new album finds the 5-piece indie folk band reveling in the thrills and joys of living their dreams, yet resilient in the face of heartbreak and relentless upheaval which comes with the passing of time. Their sophomore full length expands their sonic range with a veritable Folk orchestra, comprising a colorful menagerie of instruments from strings and xylophones to brass, melodicas, whistles and bells, all wrapped in neighborhood-block-party-sized singalongs with vaulted vocal harmonies worthy of any great concert hall.

Ed remarks, "everything we sing and play comes from our hearts, and it's incredibly humbling and honestly somewhat surreal to see people all over connecting with it on a deeply personal level. We love to really create meaningful relationships with people, because we intend to do this for a long, long time."

That earnest approach to their music has left an indelible impression upon a countless number of music listeners so far. Whether it be charming thousand person audiences at festivals in Europe into spontaneous dance parties after hitting the stage sight unseen, or racking up millions of streams on TikTok on account of their relatable magnetism, The 502s have made new friends and fans at every turn. Their quick rise is nothing short of incredible considering their unassuming beginnings. Ed laughs as he recalls, "I had no idea what I was doing at first, I just knew I wanted to do cool stuff. I taught myself guitar and banjo in college and just came home one summer with a bunch of songs I wrote. I formed a band of any family and friends that wanted to play, and things kind of took off from there."

If their debut Because We Had To lived up to its name in that it documented their journey in bringing their music into the world by sheer force of spirit and heart alone, their new album Could It Get Better Than This is the sound of a band that has come into their own as a cohesive unit after spending the past two years bringing their 'party' to over 50 cities across North America and Europe. "They're both great albums that I am so proud of," says The 502s' Matthew Tonner. "Our debut was recorded in a weekend with a band who had only been rehearsing for a month or two. Many of the songs on Could It Get Better Than This have already been played live in our setlist for a long time and we've been able to put in so many fine details and nuances."

"The biggest difference I think is that the band is a cohesive family," Matthew continues. "We're all practically breathing together, and I think that's part of what makes listening to this such a blast."

Listen to "Leading Lady" here:

Photo Credit: Gabriel Lugo

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