FILM To Release Debut Album On May 22nd Via Lauren Records

Philadelphia-based melodic punk trio FILM announce their debut album Permanence, due May 22 via Lauren Records. Featuring members of Algernon Cadwallader, The Starting Line, and Halfway to Holland, the album captures a raw, unfiltered moment in time, serving as the final recordings from beloved drummer TJ DeBlois, who passed away unexpectedly in 2023 at the age of 38. Alongside the announcement, the band share their lead single “Roundabout,” out now.

FILM is composed of singer and bassist Ken Vasoli (The Starting Line, Vacationer), guitarist Joe Reinhart (Hop Along, Algernon Cadwallader, Dogs On Acid), and drummer TJ DeBlois (Halfway to Holland, A Life Once Lost). What began as a low-pressure collaboration during the pandemic quickly evolved into something more instinctual: music made without overthinking, rooted in the raw spirit of punk and post-hardcore.

FILM’s “Roundabout” is a howler of a track, stripped down to its core. Listening feels like stepping into a basement practice – three musicians locked in, playing with urgency and purpose. “The production is the lack of production,” Joe Reinhart explains.

“The music came together in an instrumental combustion during a practice session,” said Ken Vasoli. “The title came from a small exchange in a car ride with TJ. There was a newly constructed traffic circle on the route from his house to the studio. When it came time to name the song, I was searching for the word and asked what those traffic circles are called. He chimed in, ‘Roundabout?’ There it is.”

Originally intended as a demo, FILM’s Permanence took on new meaning after DeBlois’ passing. The band chose to leave the recordings untouched, preserving their immediacy and spirit and transforming them into a powerful document of friendship, collaboration, and loss. The album’s rawness is not just aesthetic, but emotional: a snapshot of a band discovering itself in real time, and a tribute to a FILM’s drummer whose impact ran deep.

“I think people need to hear this,” Reinhart says, “not because we did this amazing thing, but for TJ’s sake. This is the last thing he played on. He was such an important drummer to so many people, and he’s been one of my closest friends for twenty years.”

“I’m just forever grateful that he brought us together and that he put such a phenomenal performance down on this record,” Vasoli adds. “Now everybody gets to hear it.”

Permanence draws from the gritty, melodic DNA of bands like Drive Like Jehu, Mclusky, and Braid, channeling a reckless, instinct-driven energy. It’s a record that doesn’t chase perfection.

FILM is a melodic punk trio featuring Ken Vasoli (The Starting Line, Vacationer), Joe Reinhart (Hop Along, Algernon Cadwallader, Dogs On Acid), and the late TJ DeBlois (Halfway to Holland, A Life Once Lost). Formed during the pandemic, the band came together with a shared desire to make something raw, instinctual, and unfiltered, drawing from the noisier, more experimental corners of punk and post-hardcore.

Their debut album Permanence, out May 22 via Lauren Records, began as a set of demo recordings but ultimately became something more enduring: the final recorded work of DeBlois, whose legacy as a drummer and collaborator continues to resonate. The album stands as both a document of spontaneous creation and a tribute to friendship, capturing a band at its most immediate and alive.