Punchline

punk rock · pop rock · alternative rock

Punchline is a pop-punk band from Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, south of Pittsburgh, formed in 1997 as a three-piece around vocalist-guitarist Steve Soboslai, bassist Chris Fafalios and drummer PJ Caruso. The group started out during the third wave of ska, writing ska-punk songs about girls and high school, and financed and released its debut CD, How to Get Kicked Out of the Mall, itself in 1998; a self-titled second record followed on the same terms in 1999. The sound moved steadily toward straight pop-punk over the next few years. Punchline signed to Fueled by Ramen in 2003 and released Action in 2004 and 37 Everywhere in 2006, then left the label in February 2008 and founded its own imprint, Modern Short Stories, which has carried its records since. Later albums include Delightfully Pleased (2010), Thrilled (2015) and LION (2018), with the So Nice to Meet You EP in 2012 and a ninth album, Somewhere to Land, released on 12 September 2025. The lineup has turned over around Soboslai and Fafalios: guitarist Paul Menotiades left and later returned, Greg Wood and Jon Belan each spent time on guitar and keyboards, and Cory Muro took over drums permanently in 2010 after Caruso's departure the previous year. Trevor Leonard is also a current member. The band has toured widely in the United States and built a particular following in Japan, sharing stages with Less Than Jake, Fall Out Boy and the Gin Blossoms, and in 2017 it crowdfunded a music special through Kickstarter that was released on Amazon Prime in 2020.

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