This fall, Dischord will release the Real Lessons in Cynicism, the second full-length record by Washington, DC's Soccer Team. It arrives 9 years after the band's debut, “Volunteered” Civility and Professionalism.
Ryan Nelson (Beauty Pill, Minutes) and Melissa Quinley formed Soccer Team in 2005. They are long-time friends who have both, at various times in the past two decades, been employees of Dischord Records. He played drums and guitar and she played bass. Each contributed vocals. In 2006, Soccer Team released “Volunteered” Civility and Professionalism, which was recorded at Nelson’s home in Southeast DC. Not long afterward, Nelson decided to relocate to Kalamazoo, MI and the band began a multi-year hiatus.
Upon Nelson’s return to the DC-area in 2012, Soccer Team reconvened and expanded to include drummer Dennis Kane and guitarist/keyboardist Jason Hutto (The Aquarium, Warm Sun). The band started work on a new album the following summer and wrapped up late last year. Real Lessons includes 14 songs that were tracked live in a basement using a Tascam 388 tape machine and then ported into a computer, where they were further tweaked and embellished.
The artwork comes courtesy of Nelson, whose drawings have graced countless show flyers, posters, and gallery walls throughout the last two decades. While this illustration was originally intended for a skateboard deck, you have to admit that it looks pretty good on an LP jacket.
Real Lessons in Cynicism will be released on vinyl and digital download on October 27, 2015.