Philadelphia melodic punk trio FILM today release their debut album Permanence via Lauren Records – seven songs tracked in a single Spring 2022 session and left exactly as they were played. The record is also the final recorded work of drummer TJ DeBlois (Halfway to Holland, A Life Once Lost), who passed away unexpectedly in January 2023 at the age of 38. Also featuring Ken Vasoli (The Starting Line, Vacationer) and Joe Reinhart (Hop Along, Algernon Cadwallader, Dogs On Acid), Permanence is out now on all platforms.
LISTEN: https://lr-d.ffm.to/permanence
Originally tracked in Spring 2022 at Headroom Studios in Philadelphia, Permanence was never meant to be the final album. The recordings began as demos, but after DeBlois' passing, Vasoli and Reinhart returned to the sessions with a different perspective, choosing to leave the recordings untouched and complete the album in his honor.
The record draws from Drive Like Jehu, Mclusky, Braid, and early Nirvana, embracing imperfection as part of its identity. "The production is the lack of production," says Reinhart. Previous singles "Roundabout" and "Rings True" introduced both the band’s chemistry and the emotional weight behind the record; new focus track "Blurry" lands somewhere in between: ragged, melodic, and restless, capturing the immediacy that defines the album as a whole.
"I think the things that are most raw about music are the things that should be preserved the most," Vasoli says. "I want to actively pursue those things as much as I can."
While Permanence stands as a tribute to DeBlois’ final recordings, FILM continues forward in his spirit. The band have enlisted drummer Chris Wilson (Hammered Hulls, Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, Titus Andronicus), whose dynamic playing brings new energy to the trio as they prepare to take these songs to the stage.
Permanence Tracklist:
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Reassurance
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Dumber
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Roundabout
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Diminished Return
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Loyalty Program
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Blurry
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Rings True
Permanence is now streaming on all major platforms.
About FILM
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.