Rooted in Midwest punk rock, Bad Year formed in 2019 and calls Milwaukee home. Inspired by heartbreak, angst, and self-reformation, Bad Year injects the scene with anthemic chorus hooks and brutal optimism. In the spirit of promoting positive aspects of mental health, their cathartic melodies are known for freely inspiring listeners with a sense of empathy, mutual understanding and hope. Mike, Joey, Sean and Jake put a fresh, more decorated feel on musical incarnations and lived experiences of the past.

Bad Year’s groundbreaking debut EP Handshakes received immediate acclaim from listeners with an unmediated Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) Award nomination, while the title track’s music video has gained over 170k views to date. Out of 24 major cities, iHeartRadio and Jack Daniel's has also selected Bad Year as a finalist representing Milwaukee for the past two consecutive years along with recent features in New Noise Magazine, Milwaukee Record, Hope For The Day and HereForLyf. The band refrained from allowing a pandemic to slow the tempo with the smash-hit Blackout that kept the momentum and expanded the boundaries of incendiary musical composition in their first of many productions with highly sought-after producer, Nick Rad. The follow-up release, A Moment In Time EP, created new acoustic landscapes of sound that invoke serene feelings, passionate energy, and longing memories.

The recent feeling of shared musical experiences has been sorely missed. With the physical community displaced, longing for connection together, this desire will surely be met by more upcoming releases. Born from lived experience and forged from the pandemic, the spankin’ new singles Killing Me, Paranoid Failure and The End have exceeded listeners' expectations.