The 1984 Draft, a band that channels American rock sensibilities through a ‘90s-tinted punk and indie lens, is set to release its sophomore LP, Best Friends Forever (Poptek/Sell The Heart/Engine Records), on January 19, 2023. 

“I thought I had Best Friends Forever completely written shortly after the release of Makes Good Choices said Joe Anderl, frontman for The 1984 Draft. “We began recording the record ourselves and then Chip Heck’s board got fried. That caused us to pause and then Covid hit. With the additional time at home, I kept writing, so some songs were swapped out.

“We did not intend for it to take this long to release another full-length, but it is the card that was dealt and I couldn’t be happier this how it turned out,” Anderl adds.  

According to Anderl, Best Friends Forever continues to tell the story laid out on Makes Good Choices. “I’m still writing songs about my family and life in general. This is my photo album of a period of time in my life. My kids continue to grow, I continue to evolve, and the world continues to be a mess. I think we cover a little bit of all of that on this record.”

The album was recorded by Fred Vahldiek (Dark Backward) at his Fredzoz studio in the band’s hometown of Dayton, Ohio. It was mastered by Chris Common (Mastodon, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Le Butcherretes). The album also features contributions from Susie Ulhrey (Pohgoh), Todd Farrell Jr. (Benchmarks, Two Cow Garage), and Sean Gardner (Denovo, Kopaz, The Receiver, Winter Makes Sailors, Minnows), and Cherry Fullam.

Pre-order from Poptek, Sell The Heart, and Engine Records.

Photo by Andy Ingram