Dayton band Leaving Off channels pop-punk nostalgia with vulnerability

Leaving Off will be performing Sept. 26 at Oregon Express, along with Ace Slite, Socks, and Saving Them. Tickets are $10.

Leaving Off’s latest single, “Anxiety,” out in September, is the first of a smattering of singles to be released in the next few months, which will culminate in a six-song EP in the spring. As the band’s 13th release, “Anxiety” dials back the pop-punk a bit, introducing a softer anthem to the band’s otherwise fast-paced catalog. The verses are chilled, though the aggressive, nasally chorus pulls it back to the band’s energetic roots.

Produced, mixed, and mastered by Will Deely in Columbus, “Anxiety” also brings in some hip-hop with an 808 hi-hat and some other electronic elements the band wouldn’t normally use. That sonic exploration was a collaboration that began the day Deely and the band met in the studio.

“That was my first time ever actually sitting down and writing lyrics in a studio setting like that,” Scott said. “It forced me to kind of think about what I was writing more, and think about what I wanted the song to project and convey.”

“Anxiety” is about understanding, being compassionate and empathetic, and ultimately being there for someone going through a panic attack. He doesn’t personally suffer from them, but he knows people who do, including his girlfriend of 11 years. Writing from such a vulnerable place, and pulling back on some of the pop-punk aggression, Scott explained why he sings (and yells) about personal subject matters.

“It’s extremely important to be relatable,” he said. “You want someone to listen to your songs and feel like it’s their life, too. That’s how I’ve always listened to music. From this point forward, I want to be more relatable and more open about myself and my personal life. That’s definitely gonna come out in these new songs.”

Now nearing 30, Scott says he’s shed much of the self-consciousness that once weighed on him. In fact, those things seem to embolden him and his art further.

“I don’t care about that stuff anymore,” Scott said. “It helps me get up there with this kind of attitude, like, I got something to say, so I’m going to say it. People will like it or won’t. I’ve had so many people say negative stuff about me in my life and my singing and my music that it’s gotten to the point where I just don’t care. I just get over it.”

Eric Scott Jr. no longer gets nervous playing on stage because playing music is his “favorite thing in the entire world.” His band’s new song about anxiety can help those who still do.

Leaving Off unapologetically taps into early-2000s pop-punk, a sound that never really disappeared but feels fresh again in nostalgic hands. This new single proves that its energy can sometimes take a back seat for a softer anthem from time to time, if it’s in service of a personal truth.

Don’t forget to breathe. It’s not as bad as it seems. It’s just, you know, the title of the song.

Leaving Off’s “Anxiety” is available digitally. The lyric video is on YouTube.

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