I’m sure that most people will relate to knowing either a band or solo artist who doesn’t get as much attention as they deserve, and you wish that more people knew about them. I think we all have one, that one band that none of your mates even know exist. For me, they are The Maine. Arizona’s own pop-punk band who have been on the scene for 11 years. That’s right: these boys aren’t the new kids on the block. I’ve shared my love of this band with close friends yet I still wish more people knew how brilliant they are. You may read ‘pop-punk’ and be put off if that isn’t your usual genre of music, but give these boys a chance. Their spin onto pop punk is softer than most, and are a pleasantly easy to listen.

The Maine started in Tempe, Arizona in 2007 and released their first studio album ‘Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop’ one year later. This album helped the band gain recognition and they started touring with fellow punk bands, such as The Academy Is… and We The Kings, overseas.

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop has so much nostalgia for me, as it is where my favourite band started, and even now I love listening to these songs. It doesn’t feel outdated, but it does make me realise how far the band has come when listening to it against their latest releases.

The earlier sounds produced by The Maine has more classic punk-pop feels, so if this is your cup of tea then I recommend starting here and working your way through their releases.

In 2010, the band released their second studio album ‘Black and White’. The style of this release is similar to their first album however, it feels more refined and you can tell the band had grown together in just two years since their first album.

One year later, the boys released album number three titled ‘Pioneer’. This album contains some of the bands most notable songs to date, such as ‘My Heroine’ and ‘Some Days’. Personally, I think this is one of the best albums that The Maine has produced as every single song flows perfectly. I never get tired of listening to this, despite it being a few years old now!

In 2012, the album was re-released titled ‘Pioneer and The Good Love’ with 6 extra previously unreleased tracks; which just made the album even better than before. I’d recommend listening to this version of the album, and you’ll be pleased to hear that it is on Spotify!

The Maine really developed and played with their sound from 2013 onwards, starting with album four ‘Forever Halloween’. The aesthetic for this album is my favourite thing about it, as I’m so here for all things dark and spooky.

The songs had a darker twist, and it led the band into an experimental few years trying to perfect their own unique sound – in which they succeeded.

Their fifth studio album ‘American Candy’, released in 2015, was where the band really came into a sound of their own. They had taken the experimental twist from ‘Forever Halloween’ and spun a pop emphasis onto it. The songs feel very upbeat and positive but not always with a corresponding message, which in itself captures the true essence of punk music. Although this album felt complete for me personally, this was clearly the start of their perfect sound.

In 2017, they released ‘Lovely Little Lonely’ which for me was undoubtedly the album of the year. It felt as if after ‘American Candy’, The Maine’s music had finally evolved into a perfect version of their initial experiment with sound.

Every single song on the album feels like it belongs, and listening to it from start to finish takes you on a journey with the band.

After over 10 years on the pop-punk scene, The Maine create a perfect balance of pop and punk to truly define the genre. ‘Lovely Little Lonely’ is their best album, and I could not recommend it enough.

If you want to check out The Maine’s music, then click this Spotify link and listen to a playlist of my favourite songs by the band: https://open.spotify.com/user/c0pvpacuce7xo2whz6v0fv1os/playlist/55zW7hDR53GSr2nGJnwG39?si=62RxBIMaRpy8SPwHcZK7ig