The band has faced criticisms, and even threats, over their choice to sign to a major label, but continue to defend the decision that alienated so much of their fanbse, saying, "maybe I don't necessarily want to be limited to just being a punk band." Tom Gabel, the band's singer, added, "Maybe people get upset about that — I don't know."
The interesting thing is, the article notes fans should be "used to" bands hopping from small indies to bigger indies, to majors, citing bands like AFI and Green Day as examples of bands who have done just what Against Me! did -- but they're forgetting something: Against Me! have always claimed to stand for something, and they have claimed to be "anarchists" -- which isn't really in line with running around saying, "hey, cool, I just signed a huge deal with Warner Bros.!"
To think in more historical terms, when Green Day signed to a major, people were surprised, and they were even accused of "selling out." But fans didn't turn their backs on them -- the way people did to smaller bands who are just a blip on the major label radar [such as Jawbreaker and Screeching Weasel, both bands who said they'd never sign or "sell out."] And that's the fine line, and the difference between Against Me! and AFI or Green Day. It's the message, it's the delivery, it's the people in the band saying one thing and doing something else.
Nonetheless, you can't fault a guy who says, "Making music is about following your muse and doing what it tells you. However off the wall or misunderstood by other people, you just have to follow what your gut tells you." I mean, when it comes down to it: if you were in those guys' shoes? What would you really do?
