Alternative rock band American Authors are back! Nearly a decade since the release of their smash hit “Best Day Of My Life”, and after years of growth and maturation, the band is finally ready to share their follow-up: Best Night Of My Life. The album is set to be released on February 10th. Fans can listen to the title track, now here.
To pre-save / pre-order the record, please visit: https://fanlink.to/
“With Best Night Of My Life, we really wanted to do something that’s never been done before. This is the most original idea we’ve ever had,” jokes frontman Zac Barnett.
Best Night Of My Life also features previous single “Blind For Love”, which saw American Authors testing their limits with six different versions released last year. The band will be bringing their new album across the country next month on the “Best Night Of My Life Tour”, featuring support from Billy Raffoul. The tour kicks off on February 10th in Fairfield, with dates to follow in Philadelphia, New York City, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and more. For a full list of upcoming shows, please see below or visit: www.weareamericanauthors.com/
About American Authors:
Nothing brightens your day (or evening) quite like a song does. The right tune at the right time will flip your whole mood upside down. American Authors pen the kind of upbeat, uplifting, and undeniable anthems that windows-down-singalongs and breezy morning movie montages were made for rife with hummable hooks, inventive instrumentation, and cleverly quotable lyrics. It’s why the group continue to captivate audiences worldwide. It’s why they’ve clocked over 1 billion streams, reached multiplatinum status, and consistently packed venues on multiple continents. It’s why they’ve managed to collaborate with everyone from Santana and Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty to Guy Fieri. It’s why the pop rock trio—Zac Barnett [lead vocals, guitar], Dave Rublin [bass, keys], and Matt Sanchez [drums]—can always be your go-to in order to feel good.
That holds true on their fourth full-length offering, Best Night of My Life.
“We wanted to write classic up-tempo American Authors songs,” states Zac. “It was a conscious decision. We agreed, ‘Let’s not pay attention to what other musicians are doing; let’s just do what American Authors does best—which is hopeful feel-good music’.”
With friendships dating back to their days at Berklee College of Music, their official introduction came in the form of 2014’s gold-certified Oh, What A Life. It boasted the triple-platinum smash “Best Day of My Life,” which catapulted to #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and proved inescapable in countless movies, TV series, video games, and sporting events. Thus far, they’ve earned a staggering 600-plus syncs and counting. Following What We Live For [2016] and Seasons [2019], the guys remained prolific with the Counting Down EP [2020] and the 2021 fan favorite single “Nice and Easy” with Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray. Beyond praise from American Songwriter and The Honey Pop, mega-chef Guy Fieri jumped at the chance to officially remix “Nice and Easy.” In its wake, they joined forces with Santana and Rob Thomas for “Move.” As a perennial live staple, they’ve toured with Andy Grammer, OAR, OneRepublic, The Revivalists, and The Fray and ignited festivals, including Lollapalooza, Firefly Music Festival, BottleRock Napa Valley, Reading Festival, and Leeds Festival.
Enjoying over a decade as American Authors, the boys carefully pondered their next move during a series of candid conversations often well into the night. Their general consensus would be to leap forward by looking back…
“At the 10-year mark, it made sense to bring it back to the beginning,” recalls the frontman. “Obviously, we’ve grown a lot in the last ten years and are in different places. However, we’re still the same band with a positive message. We’ve noticed what songs resonate live, so we thought about how we could maintain those elements the American Authors family really enjoys. It was nostalgic and updated. Best Night of My Life sounds like it could’ve been our second album, but it took us ten years of growing in the music industry as songwriters and producers to get here. Rather than looking at what was going on around us, we looked at who we are.”
Taking the reins and self-producing, the band recorded the entire album in Las Vegas over the course of just two weeks. After teasing out the record with “Blind For Love,” the title track and single “Best Night Of My Life” marks a full circle moment. Of course, it harks back to the seminal hit “Best Day of My Life,” yet it also evokes a renewed spirit. Musically, plucky acoustic guitar and high-register harmonies glide over a bouncy beat as Zac promises, “Oh hey, it’s gonna be the best night of my life. I got everything I need, good friends and my family.”
Sunny handclaps, whistling, banjo, and harmonica (which they Postmate’d to the studio) light up the instantly unshakable “We Happy”, and then there’s “Live on” with its stark ukulele, gentle verses, and promise: “When I step into the night, I’ll leave the light on, so that you always find your way home. In my heart, you’re never gone—you live on.”
“It was an ode to Dave’s sister who passed away,” Zac reveals. “He lost her a couple of years ago around the holidays, and it was really tough on him and the rest of us. She was super young, so it was a horrible loss. It’s a simple and stripped-back tribute.”
Organs hum in the background of “Madness” as a funky bassline adds a confident strut, and everything culminates in “Moving On” as acoustic guitar gives way to one final goodbye on a buoyant, albeit conclusive chorus.
“It’s about getting out of an abusive relationship,” he notes. “Even when you leave, you’re dumbfounded because the other person never understood it was an abusive relationship. You’re breaking free, moving on, getting out from underneath the situation, and knowing the best is yet to come.”
The same could be said for American Authors as they embark on what promises to be their boldest, biggest, and brightest chapter yet.
“The three of us wanted to create the most ‘American Authors’ album we’ve ever done,” Zac leaves off. “There are Easter eggs for our fans, but it’s meant to be hopeful. This band is my best friends. We’ve had great times and some not-so great times…I’ve loved every minute of it though. I can’t wait for what’s next.”
