Never Loved Sign to Equal Vision Records, Premiere Matt Squire-Produced 'Dead Inside': Exclusive

Never Loved is a pop-punk band. The Florida quartet knows how to turn a sneering vocal hook and a parade of power chords into a thumping chorus. They're a perfect match for multi-platinum producer Matt Squire, and together, they know not to veer too far into studio tricks as to lose their edge. At least that's what we can tell from "Dead Inside," the first song the band has ever released, premiering today (Nov. 12) on Billboard.

When emo and pop-punk's influence over Top 40 was at its highest, Squire was a massive, behind-the-scenes link between the two worlds. Over the second half of the 2000s, the studio stalwart produced scene hits like Panic! At the Disco's "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" and Boys Like Girls' "The Great Escape," leading to collaborations with budding pop stars like One Direction, Selena Gomez, and Ariana Grande. Squire leans towards the rock end of the spectrum these days (his 2018 credits include Underoath's awesome comeback album), but "Dead Inside," his most recent project, calls back to those late '00s glory days.  

“’Dead Inside’ is a song about how I fight the frustration of feeling stagnant in life sometimes," explains frontman Camm Knopp. In past projects, Knopp had experimented with metalcore and straight-up pop, to mixed results, before forming Never Loved. 

"I’ve realized that there will always be these negative thoughts and emotions, and the way to overcome them isn’t by pretending they don't exist," Knopp adds. "It’s a matter of choosing what thoughts and emotions I put my energy into...sometimes you just gotta say fuck you to the 'feels.’”

Never Loved are also announcing their signing to punk and post-hardcore mainstay Equal Vision Records (Saves the Day, Waterparks, formerly Circa Survive), so expect more music from them soon.

Here's the video for "Dead Inside."

Below, find Never Loved's upcoming tour dates:

11/30 – Richmond, VA @ Canal Club
12/1 – Stanhope, NJ @ Stanhope House
12/2 – Amityvile, NY @ Amityville Music Hall
12/3 – Boston, MA @ O’Brien’s Pub
12/4 – Albany, NY @ Pauly’s Hotel
12/5 – Scranton, PA @ Stage West
12/6 – Columbus, OH @ Donatos Basement
12/9 – Chicago, IL @ Downstairs (at Subterranean)
12/11 – Nashville, TN @ The End