Yacht Rock Revue, dubbed the “world’s premier soft-rock party band” by Rolling Stone, delivers their final single “Bad Decisions.” The track will lead into the arrival of their ambitious 21-track concept album Escape Artist, with Disc 2 of the project dropping Friday, November 29.
STREAM “BAD DECISIONS” HERE. PRE-SAVE / PRE-ADD DISC 2 HERE.
“Bad Decisions” kicks off with a slinky bassline dripping in groove, tight and rhythmic, locking in with crisp snare hits and a punchy guitar riff. As the groove unfolds, it starts to shimmer with David Bowie-esque glam, weaving in spacey synths and a haunting, atmospheric vocal delivery. The chorus swells with cosmic energy, a blend of swagger and psychedelia, echoing Bowie’s experimental flair from his Young Americans era. It’s a soul-charged, otherworldly ride that feels both nostalgic and futuristic, where funk meets glam rock in a seamless, stylish collision.
“‘Bad Decisions’ is about behaving badly to get noticed, but not actually getting noticed,” shares Yacht Rock Revue’s lead vocalist Nicholas Niespodziani. “If there really aren’t ANY consequences, why even try to be good? Everyone gives in to that fuck-it mentality sometimes. Some of us give in daily. This song goes out to the Patrick Bateman devil on your shoulder.”
Nick continues, “I tried to use that grimy synth pulse as a counterweight to the retro smooth chords that get almost old-timey in places. I wanted to keep the lyrics simple and honest, and I felt like I learned something about myself as the song unfolded.”
On Friday, September 6, the band unveiled the first half (Disc 1) of Escape Artist. The entire 21-song concept album (Disc 1 and Disc 2) — spanning four sides of vinyl — showcases Yacht Rock Revue’s evolution beyond a mere tribute act. This pioneering collection blends the band’s distinct style with the classic yacht rock vibe, capturing waves of emotion and paying homage to the vinyl era. It’s a sun-soaked journey back to the anthems of the ‘70s and ‘80s. As the summer season comes to an end, Yacht Rock Revue is gearing up for a handful of headlining shows after wrapping up the 45-city tour with Train and REO Speedwagon.
STREAM DISC 1 OF ESCAPE ARTIST HERE.
The band spent their summer redefining the limits of what a cover band can achieve on the tour with Train and REO Speedwagon as direct support. In an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, Yacht Rock Revue’s Nicholas Niespodziani and REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin shared their enthusiasm for the tour. Additionally, Yacht Rock Revue offered an exclusive peek into life on the road with a candid tour diary for V13, while Music Connection featured the band with tips on “How to Be Original in a Cover Band.”
Reporting her first-hand experience of Yacht Rock Revue’s liberating on-stage energy, Sarah Bahr of The New York Times observed fans who “danced for two hours to tunes from the 1970s and ’80s,” while Entertainment Weekly noted that “the shows tend to be unabashedly joyous affairs.”
The forthcoming collection, Escape Artist, captures the desire to escape modern society, using music as a primary tool to break away from the worries of daily life. “Look out in the crowd and imagine what each person is escaping from. They’re escaping the modern condition to the idea of a less complicated time,” Nick explains. “We see it every night on the road — an audience transported somewhere else. We are Escape Artists. That’s our magic trick.”
“Of course, there’s the literal layer — I want to escape the confines of what our band is supposed to be,” Nick continues. “Are we allowed to be artists, or are we trapped by a genre? We’ve always been pushing the envelope, going where no band like ours has gone before. I want it to be OK for us to express optimism and sadness and fear and vulnerability. I want to escape the caricature that defines us. The ‘Escape Artist’ song lyrics tell that story.”
The new project from Yacht Rock Revue features a rich collection of singles showcasing their signature yacht rock sound. Prior to “Bad Decisions,” the band delivered the groovy “San Junipero (Every Night Like Tonight)” on October 4. The August 9 release included the double single featuring “Waves” and “Sail On.” “Waves,” with its gentle synthesizers and steady bassline, features ethereal vocals from Kourtney Jackson that navigate lyrics about life’s ebbs and flows. Meanwhile, “Sail On” offers a Caribbean-inspired melody and island ambiance, with Peter Olson delivering reflective lyrics about simple life lessons.
The band released “Lost In The Meantime” and “Steal Away” on July 12. Nick describes “Lost In The Meantime” as a tribute to the understated yet profound moments in relationships, while “Steal Away,” a cover of Robbie Dupree’s 1980 hit, has been praised by Dupree himself for its fresh and delightful take. The album also features lead singles, “Tropical Illusion” and “Passengers,” which debuted on May 24. “Tropical Illusion,” co-written by Elliot Lurie of Looking Glass and Nicholas Niespodziani, pays homage to Looking Glass’s classic “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl).”
ESCAPE ARTIST TRACK LISTING:
DISC 1:
Escape Artist
Make You Miss Me
Separate Grooves
Waves
Reverse Sunset
Lost In The Meantime
Sail On
Steal Away (Robbie Dupree Cover)
Tropical Illusion (feat. Elliot Lurie)
Passengers
DISC 2:
Triangle of Combustion
Lonely For You
Inverse Sunrise
San Junipero (Every Night Like Tonight)
Things Look Different
Monkeys Always Swinging
Bad Decisions
Worse Decisions
Here For the Feeling
Four in the Morning
What A Year
