Alt-pop phenoms The Strike are back with a bold new era. “Famous” marks the return of the Los Angeles trio following their sensational third album A Dream Through Open Eyes from 2024, offering a tantalizing glimpse of the boundless sound they’ve developed since. The new single is the first taste from the band’s forthcoming fourth record, and underneath the glowing sound and acoustic textures is a timeless message about staying true to yourself no matter what the circumstances are—a generous gesture from a band that continues to ascend towards new peaks.

The Strike’s forthcoming record is a culmination of the band’s aspirational origins,
tracing back to when frontman Chris Crabb and drummer Jay Tibbitts first met in college while Chris was already building The Strike in Utah. After the band’s previous drummer departed, Jay stepped in, and the two eventually made the move from Utah to Los Angeles to continue shaping the project’s future. Their vision fully crystallized with the arrival of keyboardist/guitarist David Maemone, who had been gigging with Jay alongside former American Idol winner David Archuleta. “David was the missing puzzle piece,” Crabb says about the band’s formation. “I’ve always gravitated toward lyrics and melody, while Jay brings so much to the table through his deep understanding of production, music theory, and his incredible instincts as a drummer. When David joined, everything expanded. His ability to play multiple harmonic instruments so well—whether piano or guitar—along with his talents as an exceptional producer, made him the perfect complement to what we were already building.”

The trio hunkered down in an apartment and began honing the tunes that would
eventually become their first full-length record as a unit, The Lost Years from 2022—a collection of songs the band put together during the COVID-19 pandemic that captured both reflection and momentum. Following its release, The Strike signed to their current label home Nettwerk, who released their third LP A Dream Through Open Eyes in 2024. Since then, the Strike have been hitting the road across the nation for support slots and a handful of headline dates, with work on their upcoming album commencing after a stint opening for the Fray across the U.S. “Once we got home, we tried to buckle down and generate as many demos as we could,” Crabb adds, as the three started passing ideas back and forth and adding each of their distinctive creative POVs in the process. “In the past, some of our songs have been me sitting at my laptop and programming a lot of various aspects,” Maemone explains while talking about the new direction they’ve been exploring in the studio. “I really wanted our next batch of songs to sound like a band, because we are a band, and I think that's cool. Bands have fallen out of fashion in a lot of ways, but I want to give bands a voice and let people know that the dream is not dead. It was a challenge to make it feel that way, but I think that we got there.”

Lyrically, the new material follows Crabb and The Strike as their growing maturity
contributes to changes in their lives. “We're in our 30s as a band, which informs the lyrics as we come into this chapter of our lives,” Crabb says. “I always want to be the type of person that writes lyrics appropriate for my age—lyrics that are genuine and true to the experiences that I'm having as a human being. And that certainly extends to the perspective he expresses on “Famous.” “I came up with that idea sitting at my piano,” he recalls. “How do I feel about fame as
someone who's been pursuing music for a while? What do I really want to be known for? At this point in my life, what I really want to be known for by my family and friends— the people who really mean the most to me in my direct circles—is being a good husband, a good son, and a good friend. Somebody who shows up for other people. What's better than that?”

Indeed, the song’s relatable message reflects The Strike’s goals as they finish work on the forthcoming record—a path of self-betterment while never losing focus of what makes them unique. “I want to continue pushing the band as far as our sound and arrangement,” Maemone says while reflecting on where the band is heading with this exciting new chapter. “We have certain tendencies that tend to come through no matter what, but intentionally pushing things in directions that we haven't gone before— challenging ourselves to think outside the box and find different ways of doing things—is really where we’re at right now.”