Trenton, New Jersey punk band The Cryptkeeper Five have recently announced their signing to Richmond, Virginia label Say-10 Records. Part of the announcement included that the label would be re-releasing their newest record, The Stronghold, with a bonus cover of “Wake Up” by Arcade Fire, exclusively on vinyl; release date TBA.
The Cryptkeeper Five have been around since 1997 and, like many of their peers that they have been compared to, draw influences from artists like the Ramones, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and even U2. Think something along the lines of an Against Me!, the Misfits, the Gaslight Anthem, or even the Menzingers — The Stronghold represented the best of the Cryptkeeper Five.
Today, we are excited to be premiering a new music video for their song “1,000 Keys” — which you can find at the top of this post. The video shows a group of kids playing in the woods, something simple and sweet, yet nostalgic all at the same time. Johnny Ott (singer/guitarist of the Cryptkeeper Five) explains that “‘1,000 Keys’ is about finding a safe space (a stronghold), among friends, away from an abusive home life. Seeing the video for the first time made me a bit homesick. Nostalgia is a funny thing. It reminds you just how much some things have changed… and also how some haven’t changed at all.”
While The Stronghold was recoded with Sean Glonek (Tonya Donnelly, Juliana Hatfield) and mastered by Brian Lucey (The Black Keys, Cage the Elephant, Ghost), there will be a remaster of “1,000 Keys” done by a special guest: Roger Lima, bassist of Less Than Jake. The alternate master of “1,000 Keys” was done by Lima at this Moathouse Recording Studio, and will also be available as a Spotfy exclusive starting tomorrow.
Below you will find all of the band’s upcoming tour dates.
11/15: The Metropolitan | Annapolis, MD
11/16: Wonderland | Richmond, VA
11/17: Studio Brew | Bristol, TN
11/19: The Southgate House Revival | Newport, KY
11/20: Slash Run | Washington, DC
11/21: The Tusk | Philadelphia, PA
11/23: Millhill Basement | Trenton, NJ
12/02: Dingbatz | Clifton, NJ
12/21: Millhill Basement | Trenton, NJ