Boycott Heaven

Last updated
Boycott Heaven
Studio album by
The Format
ReleasedJanuary 23, 2026 (2026-01-23)
Recorded2025
Studio Henson Recording Studios
Length43:32
Label The Vanity Label
Producer Brendan O'Brien
The Format chronology
Dog Problems
(2006)		Boycott Heaven
(2026)

Boycott Heaven is the third studio album by American indie rock band The Format. It was released on January 23, 2026, through The Vanity Label.

Contents

Background and production

American indie rock band The Format announced their hiatus on February 4, 2008. [1] In 2019, Nate Ruess was inspired to reach out to Sam Means while listening to the band's 2003 debut album, Interventions + Lullabies . They reunited for a surprise performance on February 3, 2020. [2] A handful of reunion shows were repeatedly postponed and ultimately canceled due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the music industry. [3] The next year, Ruess began learning how to play guitar, which led to "a crazy writing streak for nobody other than [Ruess]". [1] Originally, Ruess intended to write a solo album with Means's assistance. By September 2024, the duo pivoted towards another Format album. They developed Boycott Heaven in two-week segments, working at Ruess's home in Santa Barbara, California, or at the Hello Merch warehouse in Phoenix, Arizona. Brendan O'Brien was later brought in as a producer. [1] [4] Recording began in January 2025 at Henson Recording Studios. [5] [6]

Style and composition

Ruess envisioned Boycott Heaven as a rock album, as O'Brien was known for producing alternative rock albums. After listening to the demos, however, O'Brien told Ruess that he "cannot help but write pop songs". [4] Ruess and Means were accompanied by O'Brien on bass guitar and Matt Chamberlain on drums for the recording of the album, with the former also providing additional guitar, piano and keyboards on certain tracks. [1] Ruess originally wrote "Back to Life", the final track on the album, for Young Thug. It was changed into a Format song after O'Brien told Ruess that he was "not allowed to give that song away" to another artist. [7]

Release and promotion

The Format announced Boycott Heaven on October 6, 2025, and shared debut single "Holy Roller" that night while performing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon . [8] The following week, the band announced a North American tour to promote the album, with support from Adult Mom, Ben Kweller, Phantom Planet, and Limbeck. [9] Three more singles followed: "Shot in the Dark" on November 12, [10] "Boycott Heaven" on December 12, [11] and "Right Where I Belong" on January 6, 2026. [12] Boycott Heaven was released on January 23, 2026. [13]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Nate Ruess and Sam Means.

Boycott Heaven standard track listing
No.TitleLength
1."No Gold at the Top"03:17
2."Holy Roller"03:55
3."Shot in the Dark"04:11
4."Forever"03:47
5."Depressed"03:32
6."No You Don't"05:18
7."Right Where I Belong"04:00
8."Human Nature"03:00
9."Leave It Alone (Till the Morning)"04:33
10."Boycott Heaven"04:35
11."Back to Life"03:24
Total length:43:32

Personnel

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Masley, Ed (January 14, 2026). "The true story – and friendship – behind The Format's epic reunion". The Arizona Republic . Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  2. ↑ Masley, Ed (February 3, 2020). "Here's what happened when the Format played a surprise reunion concert in downtown Phoenix". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  3. ↑ Masley, Ed (January 26, 2022). "'We feel it's most responsible': Why the Format canceled 2022 reunion concerts". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Beck, Ethan (January 25, 2026). "Nate Ruess set the pop music world on fire. Then he walked away" . The Washington Post . Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  5. ↑ Masley, Ed (January 26, 2026). "These beloved Arizona bands are putting out new music in 2026". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  6. ↑ Mosk, Mitch (January 23, 2026). "'Letting go of nothing': The Format give us something to believe in on 'Boycott Heaven,' an indie rock anthem for a broken present". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  7. ↑ Masley, Ed (January 22, 2026). "How a song written for Young Thug landed on The Format's reunion album". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  8. ↑ Hatfield, Amanda (October 6, 2025). "The Format announce first LP since 2006, share 'Holy Roller'". BrooklynVegan . Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  9. ↑ Pearis, Bill (October 14, 2025). "The Format announce North American tour w/ Piebald, Adult Mom, Ben Kweller, Phantom Planet, more". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  10. ↑ "19 New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. November 12, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  11. ↑ "9 New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. December 12, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  12. ↑ Sacher, Andrew (January 6, 2026). "12 New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  13. ↑ Douris, Raina; Junod, Kimberly (January 23, 2026). "The Format return with 'Boycott Heaven,' their first album in 20 years". World Cafe . NPR . Retrieved January 26, 2026.
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