Mayday Parade’s New Single “Under My Sweater” Brings Back the Golden Era of Emo

Two decades deep into a career that shaped emo and alt-rock, Mayday Parade are far from slowing down. The Tallahassee legends just announced Sad, the second installment of their 20th anniversary album trilogy, arriving October 3.

Leading the charge is their new single “Under My Sweater,” a nostalgic yet forward-looking track that tips its hat to Weezer while carving out Mayday Parade’s own emotional lane.

“It’s difficult to sing about a sweater without invoking Weezer, but that’s part of what I love about this song,” says Sanders. “‘Under My Sweater’ wears its inspirations on its sleeve and feels both a part of old school nostalgic emo as well as something modern and a step forward for Mayday Parade.”

Where Sweet brought euphoric anthems, Sad leans into atmosphere, mood, and vulnerability. Tracks like “Promises” and “One Day At A Time” slow the tempo, while the expansive closer “I Must Obey The Inscrutable Exhortations Of My Soul” pushes the band into daring new territory.

Produced by longtime collaborators Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount, Sad continues the band’s self-released era, fueled by creative freedom and a direct connection with fans.

Following a sold-out anniversary tour and a Warped Tour main-stage return, Mayday Parade proves they’re still writing their legacy on their own terms. Stream “Under My Sweater” now and catch them on tour with All Time Low and at When We Were Young this fall.

How does Sad reflect where Mayday Parade are creatively at 20 years in?

I would say we've always tried to just write what comes out naturally. Since we all live in different states, we normally work on our demos independently of each other. I find it's rare to have a band where everyone writes, and it makes for a very eclectic album since our personal music tastes are all slightly different. I would like to think we have grown as musicians and songwriters.

"Under My Sweater" has nostalgic vibes; what inspired this track?

I think the idea was things slipping away that are out of your control, and how, in those uncertain moments when things are out of control, you can feel your heart racing in your chest. This is the impression I get from it anyway, Derek wrote this particular song, and I don't have all the details lol.

What was different about creating Sad compared to Sweet?

Truthfully, not too much other than the time between releases. For this three-part album, we've just been going back and forth from tour to the studio to a little time at home to work on music, rinse and repeat. We are recording with the same producers, Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount, out of Atlanta, and we've worked with them for the majority of our career. Everything just feels comfortable and fluid, so I don't personally feel like anything was different in the creation process at all, really. 

How has going independent changed your approach to making music?

You always have more freedom to be creative when you're independent, but you also bear all the weight of that when things don't work out. Truthfully, though, after our second album, we've said we would never allow a label to control our creative process ever again, and that has been true. We've been lucky that we've been allowed full control of our music for a long time now, even under previous labels. 

Looking back at Warped Tour and your anniversary tour, what moments stood out to you?

Man, I truly miss Warped Tour. It's great that they have come back to a degree, but people will never really understand what they missed unless they experienced it firsthand. We were lucky to have played it so many times. I'm thinking we did seven years of Warped Tour? Honestly, it's hard to recall. There isn't a particular moment that stands out, just the overall vibe of everyone working together for the same goal. 

Our anniversary tour was a blast. I loved all the bands and felt like it was such an easy tour. I think my favorite moment is when we had a day off before our last show, and we had all the bands come to a bar that a friend owned and reserved for us, and we just played games, drank, and chit-chatted from the afternoon until bus call. It was just a nice way to end the tour, and a last hurrah for everyone on the tour.