Philly-born indie punk band Modern Baseball – MOBO for short – is hands down one of my favorites, and those boys are back at it, spreading good vibes through their music and now a mini documentary. Modern Baseball released a short behind-the-scenes documentary film via their Twitter account earlier this month, summarizing the history of the punk quartet while also updating fans about what's been going on the past few months and their upcoming album "Holy Ghost." "Tripping in the Dark" is directed by Kyle Thrash, who also directed all of Modern Baseball's music videos, along with music videos for other bands such as Knuckle Puck, Four Year Strong, and Neck Deep.
First birthed by best friends and guitarists Brendan Lukens and Jake Ewald in their high school in Maryland, Modern Baseball take their real-life experiences and turn them into art. After graduating high school and moving to Philadelphia, one of the richest DIY punk scenes in the country, Lukens and Ewald eventually picked up bassist Ian Farmer and drummer Sean Huber immediately after they kicked off their very first tour. Since their birth in 2011, Modern Baseball has released two full-length albums, a split album with fellow Philly punks Marietta, and dropped a surprise EP last October.
Modern Baseball released the first singles off Holy Ghost through their label's Soundcloud, Run for Cover, this past February. Check out the singles here: Everyday and Apple Cider, I Don't Mind.
Modern Baseball's documentary "Tripping in the Dark" primarily brushes up on inspiration for Holy Ghost, including some touching and personal stories from the boys themselves.
Jake Ewald mentions in the film that for this album, in particular, he "tried to write about situations where [he] can understand what people can get out of it, and what [he] can get out of it himself." Ewald also says how, for Holy Ghost, the passing of his grandfather acted as inspiration for the song of the same name. His passing affected Ewald significantly but explains how he found comfort in songwriting and new girlfriend/band photographer, Jessica Flynn.
In the latter part of the short, Brendan Lukens chimes in and touches on his personal life before, during, and after his suicide attempt last year, which resulted in the cancellation of Modern Baseball's Australian tour that summer. Lukens sheds a few tears over the difficult topic, including his experience with self-harm and substance abuse, and stresses the importance of mental health, urging those to get help, if needed. Brendan explains, "It's not wrong to seek help and receive help... They [my friends] saved my life." Brendan explains how since the incident, he's the most honest he has ever been.
"Tripping in the Dark" has received incredible support from bands Sorority Noise, PUP, and Basement along with many more, and has also acquired much exposure from music blogs like Noisey. The 17-minute vid was also promoted on music festival Lollapalooza's twitter page not too long ago, to which the boys are actually making an appearance at this July.
Brendan along with the rest of the Modern Baseball squad are incredibly happy with the amount of positive feedback from friends and fans alike.
Modern Baseball's third full-length album Holy Ghost is set to be released on May 13th, and the boys are currently getting ready to kick off their Holy Ghost Tour with SoCal punks Joyce Manor in June.
I'm wishing these boys and Brendan the best of luck for the rest of their music endeavors and for their upcoming tour. I also stand with them in letting people know that it's okay to ask for help when struggling with anything as severe as depression. Keep at it, boys, and thanks for letting us into your minds with the great music you're all putting out. I'll catch you in the pit this summer.
