Hop Along

Led by idiosyncratic singer/songwriter/guitarist Frances Quinlan, Philadelphia’s Hop Along make impulsive, punk-injected indie rock. The group emerged from Quinlan’s lo-fi indie folk solo project called Hop Along, Queen Ansleis, which released one album, Freshman Year, in 2005. Her brother Mark Quinlan joined her on drums in 2008. Tyler Long followed on bass in 2009, and the name was shortened to Hop Along. After releasing the EPs Wretches and Is Something Wrong? in 2009, their first band full-length, Get Disowned, was recorded piecemeal over a two-year period at Headroom Studios in Philadelphia. It arrived in 2012 to a warm reception by the indie music press. In 2014, they added Joe Reinhart on guitar, and Hop Along signed to Saddle Creek Records. Noted in part for its raw, candid lyrics, their sophomore album, Painted Shut, followed a year later and landed on several high-profile year-end lists, including Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Albums of 2015. It also appeared on Billboard’s rock, independent, vinyl, and Heatseekers charts. Hop Along returned in April 2018 with Bark Your Head Off, Dog. Also recorded at Headroom, it featured an expanded palette, including strings and backing vocalists. ~ Marcy Donelson