Taking Back Sunday/Brand New Beef Is Still Hot After 15 Years

Taking Back Sunday/Brand New Beef Is Still Hot After 15 Years

For anyone familiar with the early ’00s emo scene, the bad blood between Taking Back Sunday and Brand New was (and still is) the beef to end all beefs. It started, most appropriately, over a girl, and has taken on a mythic quality since the inciting incident over a decade ago.

Here’s a quick rundown: Brand New frontman Jesse Lacey was originally the bassist for Taking Back Sunday. TBS’ then-frontman John Nolan apparently hooked up with Lacey’s girlfriend at the time, which caused Lacey to leave the band and eventually start Brand New. Cue the release of both of their debut albums. First, Jesse Lacey writes “Seventy Times 7,” a caustic song about the incident that would serve as the inspiration for AIM away messages for years to come. In response, Taking Back Sunday included “There’s No ‘I’ In Team” on their debut, a direct response to the track with a specificity in its calling out that isn’t often seen outside of the rap game.

There have been a few thaws over the years. A brief 2002 tour even saw the two bands singing their dis tracks together on stage. But, for the most part, the two Long Island-bred bands have avoided each other over the past decade, all while occasionally stoking their well-known feud in the press or in some comments on stage.

Brand New seems to have moved past the whole thing (or at least, because they’re largely hermits when it comes to the press, don’t comment on it publicly as much), but Taking Back Sunday is still down to talk shit, thankfully. In a new interview with O.C. Weekley frontman Adam Lazzara (not Nolan, you’ll note — that’s a whole other story — though the original frontman is still with the band) talked a little bit about the infamous feud. Here’s the appropriate portion (via Alternative Press):

When asked about playing a song like “There’s No ‘I’ In Team,” which directly references a longstanding feud with the band Brand New (specifically front man/former Taking Back Sunday bassist Jesse Lacey), Lazzara continues to add fuel to the old fire.

“I think Jesse Lacey is just a dick,” he says. “He just sucks. He’s not a good person.”

Lazzarra [sic] goes on

“Who am I to say?”, he says. “There’s somebody out there that’s gonna say I’m not a good person. I don’t know.”

“Is that what you call tact?/ You’re as subtle as a brick in the small of my back/ So let’s end this call and end this conversation…”

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