Alkaline Trio released their new song “Surprise Surprise,” the final track in a trilogy recorded with producer Travis Barker of blink-182. Taking inspiration from a friend who persevered against poverty and became a Navy SEAL and an astronaut, the band reflect on how people can transform hardship into something meaningful.
“‘Surprise Surprise’ was inspired by and written for a friend of mine who grew up poor and entrenched in gang life, only to become a Navy SEAL and eventually an astronaut,” singer/guitarist Matt Skiba says. “It’s his story combined with my own thoughts regarding how a sort of alchemy takes place when someone takes the experiences of a bad situation and is able to turn them into something profound and beautiful. The rough sketch of the song had only verse and chorus parts, but no bridge, which was written by Dan [Andriano] in the studio. This song was the last one of the three we did in this session with Travis Barker and was even more of a collaboration and studio creation than the previous two.”
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The haunting video, aptly released on Halloween, features the band performing as skeletons in formal vintage suits to look like lounge singers. The song follows “Bleeding Out” and “Oblivion” from studio sessions with Barker and the first recordings with the band’s current lineup of Skiba, bassist/vocalist Dan Andriano, and drummer Atom Willard.
“Recording with Alkaline Trio was such a treat,” Barker says. “Bringing these songs to life from the demos Matt recorded was so exciting. Both Matt and Dan are incredible lyricists, two of my all-time favorites. The studio never feels like work, just a magical place to create. The process was so natural and easy, I could’ve kept going forever. Really proud of these songs, Matt, Dan, Atom, and I recorded. Excited for what’s ahead for Alkaline Trio and for fans to hear these special songs we made.”
Check out the new video for “Surprise Surprise” below.
