Messed!Up
Free Throw formed in 2012 and quickly become a fixture of Nashville’s D.I.Y. circuit of basement and house shows. Early EPs Free Throw and Lavender Town revealed a band with a strong melodic sense and a gritty catharsis that eventually earned them a spot on Count Your Lucky Stars’ label roster. The five-piece lineup of Cory Castro (vocals, guitar), Jake Hughes (guitar, vocals), Lawrence Warner (guitar), Justin Castro (bass), and Zach Hall (drums) made their label debut with These Days Are Gone, the band’s first LP. The album saw them break into the national touring scene, as they racked up shows with Sorority Noise, Tiny Moving Parts, and other like-minded bands. With Kevin Garcia replacing Hall on drums, they entered the studio with producer Brett Romnes (I Am the Avalanche, Sorority Noise) and recorded their follow-up LP.
Released in May 2017, Bear Your Mind was Free Throw’s first release for New York label Triple Crown Records. A 2018 EP, Missing Pieces, offered reworked acoustic version of several tracks from Bear Your Mind as well as a cover of the Chance the Rapper cut “Same Drugs.” Free Throw later returned to full-electric form on 2019’s What’s Past Is Prologue.
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic impacting touring and the music industry at large, the band used the period productively – writing and recording material that reflected their evolving lives as young adults. This period of introspection fed into their fourth studio album, Piecing It Together, released in June 2021 on Triple Crown Records. The record fused their traditional raw emotionality with a maturing perspective on identity, relationships, and self-reflection.
By 2023, Free Throw had fully re-established their momentum. They released their fifth full-length album, Lessons That We Swear to Keep – a record that broadened the band’s emotional palette while keeping the earnest, introspective lyricism that fans cherished. This era bridged the youthful angst of their early work with more seasoned observations about life’s trials and transformations.
The band also maintained an active touring schedule, playing shows across North America and abroad and often sharing bills with contemporaries and influences alike, reflecting their deep roots in the DIY and emo communities.
One of the defining milestones of this period came in 2025 with the 10th anniversary celebration of their breakthrough album Those Days Are Gone. The band released a deluxe edition of the record featuring new versions of songs with guest performances by artists from Hot Mulligan, Microwave, Movements, Pool Kids, and Covet – a testament to how influential the album had become within the emo and punk communities.
Free Throw commemorated the anniversary with an extensive North American tour, performing the album in full and drawing enthusiastic crowds old and new. They were joined by support acts like Ben Quad and Harrison Gordon, underscoring both their influence and camaraderie within the scene.
Looking toward the future, early 2026 marked another major chapter for the band. Free Throw announced their sixth studio album, Moments Before The Wind, scheduled for release on March 27 via Wax Bodega – their current label. The announcement was paired with the release of the first single, “A Hero’s Grave,” which blends classic Free Throw earnestness with more nuanced explorations of themes like life change, loss, and impending fatherhood (particularly reflecting frontman Cory Castro’s personal experiences).
The band also launched a 2026 North American tour in support of the new album, bringing their signature blend of emotional intensity and melodic drive to cities across the U.S. and Canada, and continuing to solidify their reputation as a compelling live act.
This summer, they return to Germany for four dates on the back of their new album Moments Before The Wind.
GIG DATES
- 29 June at Gebäude 9, Cologne
- 30 June at Neue Zukunft, Berlin
- 01 June at Zentralcafé, Nürnberg
- 02 June at JuHa West, Stuttgart
