(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Sean Tobin and the Boardwalk Fire has released their third full-length album: Ghost of the Arcade, as well as a new music video for the title track. The album will be celebrated with three consecutive release shows in New Hope, Asbury Park, and Jersey City on June 23rd, 24th, and 25th respectively. 

Ghost of the Arcade was recorded during a one-week session at Audio Pilot Studio in Byram, NJ. Produced by Rob Freeman of pop-punk/post-hardcore renown, Ghost is a country-tinged, folk-rock novel that invites listeners into a world of hard work, redemption and old-fashioned Jersey Shore amusments. 

The eleven-track album follows the completion of a successful Kickstarter campaign which raised over $10,000 from the general public. Backers were incentivized with rewards like t-shirts, vinyl records, handwritten lyrics, and even private performances from the band. The campaign will allow Tobin and his band to fund PR, vinyl pressing, and a late-summer tour which is to be announced. 

“This one was a long time coming,” said Tobin of the upcoming LP. “I’ve been so focused on wanting to be a part of the punk scene that I’ve been fighting my folk roots. Folk songs pour out of me– alt-country and whatnot. And that’s exactly what his record is: a folk album. Some of these (songs) were written three years ago; some were written in autumn. All of them belong on this album. All of them make for an amazing live show.”

Ghost of the Arcade features ten songs and one interlude that tell tales like a written collection of short stories. Tobin’s proficiency in prose and poetry draws parallels to the likes of Steinbeck and Hemingway. His affinity for Americana is almost as obvious as the ever-present Springsteen shadow. “The best and worst advice I ever received was to stop ‘writing cool,’” said Tobin. “I took that and ran with it, and I think I’ve found the perfect middle ground. Somewhere between romance and reality.”

Sean Tobin and the Boardwalk Fire will continue to tour the US through the summer, with current release shows scheduled in New Hope, PA, Jersey City, NJ, and of course, Asbury Park. As they make their way down the road, they’ll bring a little bit of New Jersey grit to every stage they haunt. Ghost of the Arcade, is available on all streaming platforms now. 

Ghost of the Arcade by Sean Tobin 

Dimension No. 5 (4:21)

Ghost of the Arcade (3:32)

Memorial Drive (3:22)

On the Corner of Sunset (3:41)

Quiet Boy (3:50)

Interlude (0:51)

United We Stand (4:53)

Eugene (3:26)

Unfinished Business (3:47)

Ten-Cent Conversations (1:39)

I’ll Be Alright (4:04)

 

COLUMNS

Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Love & Let Go" by cr0wcallz

My Jersey Shore-raised nephew who goes by the stage name cr0wcallz has been killin' it as a DJ in his new hometown of New Hope, as well as his future hometown of Brooklyn.

---

Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...10/24/24

---

Katchats: 10/23/24

---

This Week in Music: Previews for Concerts from October 22-29, 2024