The Menzingers

The Menzingers are an American punk rock band formed in 2006 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, comprised of Greg Barnett, Tom May, Eric Keen and Joe Godino. Noted for their strong sense of melody and emotionally raw lyrics, the band has been considered one of the leading forces of the current American punk scene.

The Menzingers emerged from the NEPA area’s active ska-punk scene, with childhood friends May, Keen, and Godino being part of a popular local band named Bob And The Sagets. Barnett, a couple years younger, was a regular attendee of their shows, often opening for them in his high school band Kos Mos, which comprised his brother Bobby and Leo Vergnetti of Captain, We’re Sinking fame, as well as Adam Mcilwee, known for his work with Tigers Jaw and WICCA PHASE SPRINGS ETERNAL.

The Menzingers quickly incepted on the back of a supportive local scene and a debut album displaying what was described as “some of the best melodies this style’s heard in ages”. By 2008, May and Barnett had moved to Philadelphia to pursue higher education, and by 2010, the band were fully based in the City of Brotherly Love.

Their second opus Chamberlain Waits and its extensive touring cycle garnered more attention from the wider American punk scene, but it was the Epitaph-released On The Impossible Past that truly put The Menzingers on the industry’s map. Praised as the band’s masterpiece, OTIP’s raw and vulnerable angst was a complete critical success and became an instant classic for many.
Its follow-up, 2014’s dark and emotional Rented World, struggled to live up to expectations, but offered The Menzingers a great deal of exposure with leading singles “I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore” and “In Remission”.

The band’s fifth album After The Party, released in early 2017, received widespread success for its catchiness and its tender, kindly approach to the end of the band’s twenties.