Dayton emo legends Hawthorne Heights are starting a brand-new chapter. The band announced October 30 that they’ve signed with Thriller Records — and celebrated by dropping a brand-new single and music video, “Carry Me,” the same day.

The track is the first release under the new label partnership, and frontman JT Woodruff says it’s a heavier turn for the band: “The real challenge for me in writing new music, this far into our career, is trying to go down roads we’ve never explored… What does the heavier side of Hawthorne Heights really sound like?” Woodruff says the song brought out “an anger in my voice that hasn’t been there for awhile, and I embraced it.”

Hawthorne Heights — the Dayton band behind emo-era staples like “Ohio Is for Lovers” and “Saying Sorry” — are currently on the road celebrating the 20th anniversary of If Only You Were Lonely, with a stop in Detroit on Nov. 22.

Watch the “Carry Me” video:

Sources: Insane Blog

Photo: Wikimedia Commons