Hoobastank are back with a new single, and for anyone watching catalog value, artist reactivation, and rock rights exploitation, the move matters now. “How Do You Sleep?” is the band’s first new song in eight years, and it pulls them back toward the punk sound they started with more than 30 years ago.
A new single aimed at the band’s roots
“How Do You Sleep?” finds the California band leaning into its ’90s punk roots rather than the mainstream-rock sound most listeners know from “The Reason” and “Crawling the Dark.” The song was produced by Howard Benson and, by the source’s description, sounds closer to The Offspring and Sum 41 than to Hoobastank’s best-known records.
Frontman Doug Robb’s delivery on the track reportedly pushes almost into hardcore territory. Hoobastank also performed the song at Vans Warped Tour in Washington, D.C. over the weekend.
Robb says the release opened a creative valve
Robb said he feels good about releasing new music and described the session as a creative “pressure valve” opening. He also said Benson’s enthusiasm played a major role, adding that Benson gave the band direction and more freedom than he may have previously.
The single arrives with a music video, and the band has not announced any plans for a new album. At this point, “How Do You Sleep?” appears to be a stand-alone release.
Tour support is already on the calendar
Hoobastank will head out as support on Staind’s Break the Cycle 25th anniversary tour, which is set to kick off September 8 in Atlanta. The new single and live performance give the band a fresh push just as it steps back into the road cycle.
What to watch next: whether Hoobastank keeps “How Do You Sleep?” as a one-off or follows it with more new music, and how the song plays once the Staind tour begins.
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