Alternative rock crew Tokyo Rose have released their first single in 19 years. The East Coast outfit splay driving guitars with emo intonations on "Something Sweeter", an honest and unerringly infectious comeback.
The new single follows the band's return to the fore last year, for the release of a 20th Anniversary Remastered Deluxe of their breakout album New American Saint, a record that sprung the band into the mix of the Jersey scene in 2005.
The quartet are also teasing an upcoming EP, set to drop later this year.
Sharing the story of their return and how the new single came to life, vocalist & guitarist Ryan Dominguez shares: "Eighteen months ago, Tokyo Rose was a distant memory and a chapter of life that seemed sealed in wax. Yet after a call from an old school scene stalwart, the boys agreed to lace up their chucks and play a sold-out reunion show at a legendary NJ establishment. One show turned into 3 or 4. That weekend turned into over 20 shows across the country with old friends and tour mates from a lifetime ago."
The shows would be just the beginning, setting the comeback train in full motion, Dominguez explains: "Fast-forwarding to present day finds Tokyo Rose partnering with Manic Kat Records, Fred Mascherino and Steve Angelo at Diver Down Studios to bring you a new chapter that seems to be writing itself. “Something Sweeter” - the new single from our upcoming EP Phoenician Fire on Manic Kat Records, is our first new music in almost 20 years; seasoned, weathered, distilled to its simplest and most powerful state sonically, lyrically, and artistically."
Formed in 1999 by ex Senses Fail bassist Mike Glita & Matt Reilly, formerly of The Finals, Tokyo Rose emerged from what would become the iconic New Jersey alternative rock/emo scene of the early 2000's. The sound, accordingly, was a deeply relatable, perennially heart-on-sleeve brand of rock. Emotive guitars and the rousing vocals captured fans across the US, with bold, sweeping melodies capturing a mainstream following.
After going through personnel changes that would see Reilly depart, the East Coast outfit emerged with Ryan Dominguez taking duties as lead vocalist and guitarist.
2002 saw the release of the band's debut EP, Chasing Fireflies on All About Records, followed by debut full-length, Reinventing A Lost Art the following year. But it would be 2005 LP New American Saint that would truly put Tokyo Rose on the map. Tours with Taking Back Sunday and a spot on the 2006 Vans Warped Tour soon followed, with Tokyo Rose's innately personal and emotionally resonant live show impressing nationwide.
Though Tokyo Rose continue to tour through present day, 2007 record The Promise in Compromise would go on to be the band's last studio album. Last year's Remastered Deluxe version of their sophomore LP, would mark their re-emergence, and the quartet have wated no time in making a mark on 2026 with moreish new single "Something Sweeter".
Featuring a reassembled line-up but a sound imbuing Tokyo Rose at their peak, fans are treated to a slice of throwback emo excellence. Blossoming nostalgia for those who adore Jimmy Eat World and Taking Back Sunday, but with a sonic allure equally as enticing for modern fans of the genre.
