In terms of representation, this blog tends to bias towards bands from the US. There's a few reasons for that. For one, the US is both a very large country and the birthplace of emo, and therefore the majority of emo bands are from America. Another reason is that bands from the US are simply more visible from within the country, on the internet and otherwise. It's very difficult for me to find bands from local scenes in other countries, especially non-English speaking countries. With the advent of Bandcamp and other online platforms, this is not so much the case anymore, but I know that there are many bands from other countries who existed in the 90s and 2000s that are now inaccessible to me. Despite this, I try to cover bands from everywhere, and like to think that this blog is a testament to the international appeal of emo.
Carrying on the spirit of the legendary German emo scene, Stay Focused are a band from Limburg, active from 2015 to the present. The band was formed from the ashes of two other projects, melodic punk outfit Whiteout Alley and the metalcore band As Seconds Become Centuries. They take inspiration from the contemporary bands of the emo revival, citing Hot Mulligan, Free Throw, and Tiny Moving Parts as direct influences, all of which can be heard—at least on their latest album. Stay Focused's sound changed considerably over the band's nearly decade-long existence.
Their first album, Contrasts, was released in 2018 and although there is a strong emo influence throughout the record, it primarily sounds like a combination of the two previous projects, blending melodic hardcore with a great deal of metalcore (their demo, released in 2015, even features a guitar solo). Over five years later, the band released their second LP, Values, in 2024. On this album, the band embraces the emo revival, leaving behind the metalcore (outside of a few select moments) but not entirely abandoning the melodic hardcore. They are a less twinkly band than most of their influences, leaning on heavier riffs and only rarely getting noodly in the Kinsella manner; good comparisons could be made to Kayak Jones and Arm's Length.
I hope these guys get some more attention within the ongoing emo revival, because I think Values is a great album. I really love the opening track, "Old Wounds", as well as "New Picture Frame." On a more personal note, I relate pretty hard to some of the lyrics as well. If you're at all a fan of contemporary emo, give them a listen.
but if we never change our ways, we can only stay the same
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