News / Bands

The Ataris plan to release their first new album in more than 15 years -- starting with a new single yesterday, "Car Song."

The song is dedicated to the late father of vocalist Kristopher Roe, who was also a fervent supporter of the band.

“I’ve always been so lucky to have my dad’s unwavering support for The Ataris. He wasn’t just a fan -- he was a fixture of our community. He would often interact with fans on the band’s message board, film live sets, and share them with everyone—everyone knew him. He was a huge part of the band’s journey,” Roe says in a press release.

“When I read about a service that would press a loved one’s ashes into vinyl, it instantly hit me. What better way to honor my dad than making him a permanent part of the music he always loved? It felt like the most meaningful tribute I could give him.”

William Roe passed away in 2014. The single, plus an acoustic b-side take on the song "In This Diary," are pressed to 7" (Double Helix Records), and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Shatterproof, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending addiction.

In a tough to summarize story behind the song, the press release states:

The band’s return to the studio was sparked by an unlikely source: Roe’s purchase of Walter White’s iconic Volvo from Breaking Bad’s final season. A longtime fan of the show, Roe bought the car from a friend who worked on the show, even discovering a receipt signed by Bryan Cranston as Walter White in the glovebox. Roe later traded the car to his producer Bob Hoag in exchange for studio time—an exchange that led directly to the creation of “Car Song.”