You would be hard pressed to come out of 2022 without hearing the name Turnstile. From supporting My Chemical Romance on their epic reunion tour, to appearing on Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon’s shows, and then earning three Grammy nominations, 2022 could be called the year of Turnstile.
It’s hard to believe that with all of that, Turnstile was once a small, hardcore band from Baltimore, Maryland. Created in 2010, they took the Baltimore hardcore scene by storm with their demo, then followed it up their six-song EP, “Pressure to Succeed,” the next year.
The album’s namesake song highlights everything you’d need for a hardcore song; the group chorus yelling, the heavy guitar riffs that borderline what you would hear in a metal song, and the sped up/slowed down tempo throughout the song is the icing on the hardcore cake. The entire album is a great start to the band’s road to rock stardom.
The quartet rode the success of their first EP to release their second in 2013, “Step to Rhythm.” With the fan favorite “Keep it Moving,” we can only imagine front-man Brendan Yates amping up the mosh pit to do as the title says and “keep it moving.”
In 2016, the band released their first full-length album, “Nonstop Feeling.” By this point, Turnstile had picked up steam and already made a name for themselves. But with the new album, the band was able to show off their talents. The song “Blue by You” has a softer feel without losing any of their edge, which helped them earn fans among multiple genres – and gained the attention of Roadrunner Records.
Now signed to a major label, Turnstile released “Time & Space” in 2018, and due to their unique punk-fusion sound, they were rising in the hardcore scene. While with Roadrunner Records, they released many EPs, LPs, and even a short film, and now, Turnstile continues to break barriers.
Hailed by critics as their breakout album, “Glow On” was released in 2021 and met with sweeping praise. It debuted at number 30 on the Billboard 200 and Rolling Stone listed the album at number eight on their list of The Best 50 Albums of 2021.
The album also snagged three Grammy nominations for the band: Best Rock Performance for “Holiday,” and two for “Blackout,” Best Rock Song and Best Metal Performance. Their experimental, progressive punk blend has only gained strength in the last 10 years, and “Glow On” proves they are not slowing down anytime soon.
In October 2022, news broke that beloved pop-punk band Blink-182 was reuniting with Tom, Mark, and Travis for a world-dominating tour. Who do you think was listed as one of the few bands to possess a coveted supporting spot for the North American leg of the tour? Of course – since we were in the year of Turnstile – it was none other than our Baltimore boys. If people didn’t know who Turnstile was before, they sure do now.
Tickets for the Los Angeles show at Banc of California Stadium sold out so fast, an additional concert date was added. The Blink reunion tour will take them across North America, plus overseas to Australia, down to Mexico, and all over Europe.
Turnstile is of course properly prepared for such a mega tour. Known for shooting what looks like three tons of pink (to match the “Glow On” pink album cover) confetti out on to the crowd, Turnstile spent a large porting of 2022 touring North America with their own headlining dates, plus supporting My Chemical Romance.
TURNSTILE Promotional Band Photo
By now, you should be ready to see them perform live and get your own piece of pink confetti. As you wait for your local show to arrive, you can surely catch them on the airwaves. They are on many “Top” lists of 2022, including “Holiday” appearing as number three of TNN Radio’s Top Songs of 2022, only being bested by “Alone Again (Naturally)” by The Dollyrots, and the number one song, “Edging” by Blink-182.
The soul sonic force that is Turnstile features Brendan Yates on vocals and percussion; Franz Lyons on vocals, percussion and bass; Daniel Fang on drums; and Pat McCrory on backing vocals and rhythm guitar.
