This Addiction (song)
Encyclopedia
"This Addiction" is a song by the punk rock
band Alkaline Trio
, released as the first single from their 2010 album This Addiction
. The single was released as a digital download
through online retailers on January 12, 2010, and as a 7" single exclusively through Hot Topic
stores on February 9, 2010.
(though the album credits all songs to the band as a whole) and was first performed live by Alkaline Trio during their Spring 2009 tour. It was recorded, along with the rest of the album, in July 2009 at Atlas Studios in the band's hometown of Chicago
, where they had recorded much of their early material including their first two albums, 1998's Goddamnit
and 2000's Maybe I'll Catch Fire
. The sessions were engineered, co-produced
, and mixed
by Matt Allison, producer of both of those albums as well as 2001's From Here to Infirmary
and much of the band's other early material. The band's decision to record in Chicago and to work with Allison reflected a desire to return to the punk rock
roots of their early albums.
Thematically, "This Addiction" uses heroin and methadone
addiction as a metaphor for love. Skiba remarked that "It's a human condition that I think we all, in one way or another, fall victim to. It's not to say that people can't be happy or find bliss in a relationship. It's just amazing to me how unhappy most people are and they can't shake it and can't fix it, much like an addiction."
through a dedicated website on January 5, 2010, using a marketing technique in which listeners were required to post an advertisement about the album to Facebook
or Twitter
in order to access the song. It became available as a download through digital retailers on January 12, and was released as a 7" single exclusively at Hot Topic
stores on February 9. The 7" version includes "Dine, Dine My Darling", also from the album, as a B-side
.
The music video
for "This Addiction" premiered February 8. The video was filmed in a mountain field in Ventura County, California
, described by Epitaph Records as "an open battlefield where two sides of the heart collide in a vibrant burst of color." It depicts the band performing the song in the center of the field, while on either side a number of children are gathered wearing black, white, and grey school uniform
s. On one side the children are clean-cut, while on the other they are disheveled, wearing kerchief
s, face paint, and patch
es bearing the band's "7" logo (designed by drummer Derek Grant
to commemorate This Addiction
as the band's seventh album). The two groups charge across the field at each other, and as they collide in front of the band they explode as bursts of colorful confetti
.
, Dan Andriano
, and Derek Grant
Production
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band that formed in McHenry, Illinois, in 1996. The band's line-up consists of Matt Skiba , Dan Andriano , and Derek Grant...
, released as the first single from their 2010 album This Addiction
This Addiction
This Addiction is the seventh studio album by the punk rock band Alkaline Trio, released February 23, 2010 as the first release by their newly formed record label Heart & Skull, a joint venture with Epitaph Records...
. The single was released as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
through online retailers on January 12, 2010, and as a 7" single exclusively through Hot Topic
Hot Topic
Hot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...
stores on February 9, 2010.
Background
"This Addiction" was written by singer and guitarist Matt SkibaMatt Skiba
Matthew Thomas Skiba is the lead singer and guitarist of Alkaline Trio.-Early life and family:...
(though the album credits all songs to the band as a whole) and was first performed live by Alkaline Trio during their Spring 2009 tour. It was recorded, along with the rest of the album, in July 2009 at Atlas Studios in the band's hometown of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where they had recorded much of their early material including their first two albums, 1998's Goddamnit
Goddamnit
Goddamnit is the debut album by the Chicago-based punk rock band Alkaline Trio, released October 13, 1998 through Asian Man Records.- Reception :...
and 2000's Maybe I'll Catch Fire
Maybe I'll Catch Fire
Maybe I'll Catch Fire is the second album by the Chicago-based punk rock band Alkaline Trio, released March 14, 2000 through Asian Man Records...
. The sessions were engineered, co-produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and mixed
Mix engineer
A mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"...
by Matt Allison, producer of both of those albums as well as 2001's From Here to Infirmary
From Here to Infirmary
From Here to Infirmary is the third album by the Chicago-based punk rock band Alkaline Trio, released April 3, 2001 through Vagrant Records. It was their first album for Vagrant and their only album with drummer Mike Felumlee, who replaced previous drummer Glenn Porter. It was also their first...
and much of the band's other early material. The band's decision to record in Chicago and to work with Allison reflected a desire to return to the punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
roots of their early albums.
Thematically, "This Addiction" uses heroin and methadone
Methadone
Methadone is a synthetic opioid, used medically as an analgesic and a maintenance anti-addictive for use in patients with opioid dependency. It was developed in Germany in 1937...
addiction as a metaphor for love. Skiba remarked that "It's a human condition that I think we all, in one way or another, fall victim to. It's not to say that people can't be happy or find bliss in a relationship. It's just amazing to me how unhappy most people are and they can't shake it and can't fix it, much like an addiction."
Release and music video
"This Addiction" was made available for listening as streaming audioStreaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
through a dedicated website on January 5, 2010, using a marketing technique in which listeners were required to post an advertisement about the album to Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
or Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
in order to access the song. It became available as a download through digital retailers on January 12, and was released as a 7" single exclusively at Hot Topic
Hot Topic
Hot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...
stores on February 9. The 7" version includes "Dine, Dine My Darling", also from the album, as a B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
.
The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "This Addiction" premiered February 8. The video was filmed in a mountain field in Ventura County, California
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
, described by Epitaph Records as "an open battlefield where two sides of the heart collide in a vibrant burst of color." It depicts the band performing the song in the center of the field, while on either side a number of children are gathered wearing black, white, and grey school uniform
School uniform
A school uniform is an outfit—a set of standardized clothes—worn primarily for an educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries . When used, they form the basis of a school's dress code.Traditionally school uniforms have been largely subdued and...
s. On one side the children are clean-cut, while on the other they are disheveled, wearing kerchief
Kerchief
A kerchief is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head or around the neck for protective or decorative purposes...
s, face paint, and patch
Embroidered patch
An embroidered patch is a piece of art which is created by using a fabric backing thread and some form of a needle. Embroidered patches can be attached with a pin or can be sewn on, but some of the more modern methods of attachment include both an iron-on and Velcro backing...
es bearing the band's "7" logo (designed by drummer Derek Grant
Derek Grant
Derek Grant is the drummer for punk band Alkaline Trio, where he replaced Mike Felumlee. He was previously a member of The Suicide Machines, Telegraph, Gyga, Thoughts of Ionesco, Remainder, Walls of Jericho, The Exceptions and Broken Spoke, a side band with Royce Nunley and Jay Navarro...
to commemorate This Addiction
This Addiction
This Addiction is the seventh studio album by the punk rock band Alkaline Trio, released February 23, 2010 as the first release by their newly formed record label Heart & Skull, a joint venture with Epitaph Records...
as the band's seventh album). The two groups charge across the field at each other, and as they collide in front of the band they explode as bursts of colorful confetti
Confetti
Confetti is a multitude of pieces of paper, mylar or metallic material which is usually thrown at parades and celebrations, especially weddings . Confetti is made in a variety of colors, and commercially available confetti is available in imaginative shapes...
.
Reception
Critical reaction to "This Addiction" has been mixed. Corey Apar of Allmusic complemented it as one of the album's strongest songs, and Drew Beringer of AbsolutePunk remarked that Skiba "sounds awesome" in it. Scott Heisel of Alternative Press, however, criticized Skiba for falling back on his "well-worn" lyrical theme of drugs, stating that "It's moments like these where it feels like he's trying too hard to keep up appearances with his band's more fairweather fans."Track listing
All songs written and composed by Matt SkibaMatt Skiba
Matthew Thomas Skiba is the lead singer and guitarist of Alkaline Trio.-Early life and family:...
, Dan Andriano
Dan Andriano
Daniel Michael Andriano is the bassist and co-vocalist of the punk rock band Alkaline Trio.-Education and early bands:...
, and Derek Grant
Derek Grant
Derek Grant is the drummer for punk band Alkaline Trio, where he replaced Mike Felumlee. He was previously a member of The Suicide Machines, Telegraph, Gyga, Thoughts of Ionesco, Remainder, Walls of Jericho, The Exceptions and Broken Spoke, a side band with Royce Nunley and Jay Navarro...
Digital version
U.S. 7"
U.K. 7"
Personnel
Band- Matt SkibaMatt SkibaMatthew Thomas Skiba is the lead singer and guitarist of Alkaline Trio.-Early life and family:...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Dan AndrianoDan AndrianoDaniel Michael Andriano is the bassist and co-vocalist of the punk rock band Alkaline Trio.-Education and early bands:...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Derek GrantDerek GrantDerek Grant is the drummer for punk band Alkaline Trio, where he replaced Mike Felumlee. He was previously a member of The Suicide Machines, Telegraph, Gyga, Thoughts of Ionesco, Remainder, Walls of Jericho, The Exceptions and Broken Spoke, a side band with Royce Nunley and Jay Navarro...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, design of "7" logo (refined by Mark Penxa)
Production
- Matt Allison – recording engineer, co-producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, mix engineerMix engineerA mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"... - Ted Jensen – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Matthew Reeves and Tyler Curtis – cover photography