Jade Tree‘s newest signing, West Chester, Pennsylvania punk trio Spraynard have announced they will release a new two-song 7″ on the label on May 18 as a precursor to a forthcoming full-length album on Jade Tree.  
The AV Club is streaming “Bench”, the title track from the  7″, saying “the track makes good on vocalist-guitarist Pat Graham’s promise that Spraynard’s new material would be a step away from its early pop-punk days… “Bench’ marks the next step in the trio’s evolution.”
The new 7″ is now available for pre-order via Jade Tree <http://brixtonagency.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d0b2596fe77300073ac12cbe5&amp;id=d7dd8fec47&amp;e=b00f61b167> .  
Listen to “Bench” <http://brixtonagency.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d0b2596fe77300073ac12cbe5&amp;id=58cf0f2f93&amp;e=b00f61b167> 
Spraynard began playing together in 2009, focusing on cultivating a scene organically around them and quickly becoming local favorites in the process. The band released their first full length, Cut and Paste, in 2010, and caught the attention of Asian Man Records, who released the band’s second full-length, Funtitled, in 2011.
With their steadily growing popularity, the band began touring more extensively and spending more time in the nearby city of Philadelphia, while continuing to work hard to keep the West Chester scene alive. The endless touring and sudden popularity turned out to be more straining then expected, leading the band to announce a hiatus in 2012. But the break did not last long and buoyed by the strong friendships between the members, the band announced the release of The Mark, Tom, and Patrick Show, a compilation record on Asian Man in 2014. The release was quickly followed by a sold out show in Philadelphia, and it was quickly evident that Spraynard’s fan base had only grown in their time apart. The remainder of 2014 saw the band embark on a full U.S. headlining tour before venturing to the UK with Modern Baseball.
Spraynard will embark on a series of short tours this spring with Iron Chic, Modern Baseball and The World Is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die as well as playing at Bled Fest and Skate and Surf.  All tour dates are below.
Ghettoblaster recently caught up with Graham for a chat and this is what he said.
Was Jade Tree a label that you were a devotee of in your formative years, or did you realize their history and legacy after discussions of Spraynard’s collaboration with them began?
Honestly, Jade Tree was the most important label to us growing up. Kid Dynamite, Paint It Black, Strike Anywhere, The Promise Ring… the list goes on and on, but all of those bands were what got us writing music in the first place. I remember burning Dos a Kid Dynamite CD-R when we first met and chatting about how ridiculously good it was over AIM. It’s still kind of surreal that we’re working with them. If only they knew how nerdy we really are about their back catalogue.
Pennsylvania is a hotbed of activity the last few years.  You guys, Title Fight, Beach Slang, etc.  Do you feel a kinship and camaraderie with those other bands that are breaking at about the same time you are?
There’s definitely a sense of camaraderie amongst bands that are similar levels as us, but I don’t think Pennsylvania bands necessarily have a “special bond” or anything. Sure… we all talk about the King of Prussia mall and shit, but honestly it’s just easy to get down with any band that has chosen to throw their life away and tour all the time.
What new directions are Spraynard exploring on the forthcoming 7″ and LP?
Well, the 7″ is pretty much a “single” from the record, so the new explorations are more so obvious on the LP itself. We definitely went at songwriting with more of a pop-structure in mind, but also let ourselves get a little more in depth. We used to write songs in a few hours. We’d get to a certain part and be like, “Uh, I guess that’s the end. Keep it short.” This time around we let the songs sit for a few weeks here and there and tried to think them through a little more. There’s still a few really short songs, but that’s part of the spirit of our band.
When did you begin writing the material for these releases?  Is there a common theme or idea that runs throughout that material?
We started writing songs for the releases about a year ago. It feels like a long time, but honestly it was hard to get back into writing together again after a bit of a hiatus, so I was impressed we got through it at all. I definitely think there’s a theme of self-reflection amidst this record. Our older releases were more about writing “for” people – writing songs that people can relate to and sing along to and feel a bit of catharsis. This time around, it was more about me finding catharsis. Of course, people will probably still relate to the songs, but I had less of the listener in mind for these songs and more of myself.
What were the pressures or catalysts that caused your hiatus in 2012?  What have you learned or implemented that will keep those pressures at bay in the future?
We went on tour for three months straight. We were all amidst finishing school and figuring out if being a band was going to be our “jobs,” and I got really freaked out and decided I needed to finish school. I never wanted the band to stop, but a lack of communication and unsaid feelings led to that. In retrospect, it could have been solved with an honest conversation, but three months on the road (sharing vehicles with other bands, nonetheless) prevented any healthy resolutions. We’ve definitely learned how to communicate better and now that I’m finished school, I’ve realized this is the only thing that I’m truly passionate about.
You’ll be spending the next few months travelling in the Midwest.  Is this where the band is most at home or do you find like-minded communities in other parts of the world?
We find like-minded communities everywhere we go, but the Midwest definitely holds a special place in our heart. It’s where we learned a lot of the ethos we consider core parts of our band. The scene in Columbus, OH is a lot of the reason we continue to push. There’s a lot of incredible people doing even more incredible things with punk all around the world… the Midwest just has a special charm to their efforts.
You’ll be playing Dayton on Sunday with Iron Chic.  Last time they were here someone pooped on the floor during their set.  Were you adequately warned about that phenomenon?
I’ve apologized profusely to Chic for my actions that night. I don’t know how I ended up in Dayton and I’m even further from knowing how that ended up on the floor.
(See Spraynard live here:
5/01 – Lancaster, PA @ Fulton Street Arts Co-Op^
5/03 – Dayton, OH @ Blind Bob’s^
5/04 – Columbus, OH @ Double Happiness^
5/05 – Indianapolis, IN @ Hoosier Dome^
5/06 – Dekalb, IL @ The House Cafe^
5/07 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cocoon Room^
5/08 – Minneapolis, MN @ One Last Party Fest^
5/09 – Chicago, IL @ Fizz^
5/10 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme^
5/11 – London, ON @ Rum Runners^
5/12 – Toronto, ON @ Smiling Buddah^
5/16 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Skate & Surf
5/22 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar*
5/23 – Howell, MI @ Bled Fest
5/24 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom*
6/24 – Albany, NY @ Bogies&
6/25 – Rochester, NY @ The Bug Jar&
6/26 – Allentown, PA @ Planet Trog&
6/27 – Amityville, NY @ Amityville Music Hall&
^ = w/ Iron Chic * = w/ Modern Baseball & = w/ The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die)