Pop punk trailblazers Mayday Parade have released ‘Blame It On The Youth‘, the first taste of the third instalment of their trilogy album series celebrating the band’s 20th anniversary. The single arrives fittingly on May Day, alongside an official video.
Built around a chorus brought in by drummer Jake Bundrick, the track is described as an anthemic ode to blissful recklessness. The whole band rallied around the idea, pitching in with multiple lyric and verse versions until the song came together. Guitarist Brooks Betts describes the process as truly collaborative, resulting in something the entire group is proud of.
‘Blame It On The Youth‘ hits with that good old fashioned pop punk spirit that defined the early 2000s, all fun loving energy and infectious hooks. It’s the kind of track that takes you right back to that era and reminds you why so many of us fell in love with the genre in the first place.
The trilogy series, which kicked off with Sweet and Sad in 2025, marks Mayday Parade’s first self release since their 2006 debut EP Tales Told By Dead Friends. That original DIY release went on to sell over 50,000 copies, sold by the band themselves in Vans Warped Tour parking lots, laying the foundation for a two decade career. The trilogy is being framed as a full circle moment for the Tallahassee five piece.
With over 1.43 billion streams, multiple platinum and gold singles, and a catalogue that helped shape modern emo and alternative rock alongside acts like Taking Back Sunday and Yellowcard, Mayday Parade remain as energised as ever. The band have a huge run of US festival appearances ahead this summer including Welcome to Rockville, Sonic Temple, Vans Warped Tour and Aftershock, plus a stint on the Emo’s Not Dead Cruise with Yellowcard in January 2027.
We’ve followed Mayday Parade since their early UK runs and there’s something genuinely heartening about a band closing the loop on 20 years by going back to their DIY roots. ‘Blame It On The Youth‘ suggests the trilogy’s third chapter could be the most fun yet.
