Going stronger than ever as they power into their fifth decade as a band, Power Pop Hall Of Famers THE SPONGETONES present their fifth 2026 standalone single: “Starting To Feel,” an absolutely gorgeous ballad dripping with the hooks and harmonies for which the band is famed and marking the lead vocal debut of drummer Eric Willhelm. The new single is out October 16 on all digital platforms worldwide and up for pre-order and pre-save now:

https://orcd.co/spongetones-stf

The past two years have marked a surprising and welcome renaissance for THE SPONGETONES. Having celebrated their 40th Anniversary with a sold-out concert in their home state of North Carolina – a show preserved for posterity on a hit live album from Big Stir Records – the band has been hard at work pushing forward in the studio ever since. The current lineup of founding singer-songwriters JAMIE HOOVER (guitar), STEVE STOECKEL (bass), PAT WALTERS (guitar) and recently-inducted drummer ERIC WILLHELM – not only delivered three new powerhouse studio tracks in support of the live album, but continued on this year with a series of old school standalone guitar pop singles. Each one (“So Long,” “(I Really Need) To Kiss You,” “Lifetimeline” and “The Music At The Close”) has left its mark on indie pop radio and playlists worldwide, and each has showcased a different facet of the band's pop acumen. The fifth in the series, “Starting To Feel,” performs the amazing feat of introducing a new voice from among the talent on hand in the band's lineup while preserving everything about THE SPONGETONES' enduring identity.

“This is the first time in the band’s history that someone other than Jamie, Pat, or me has sung lead vocal,” says bassist STOECKEL. He's referring to WILLHELM stepping to the fore to deliver the soaring melody over an emotive backing track (and a wall of signature harmonies) that couldn't be crafted by any band other than THE SPONGETONES. It's Willhelm's second co-written song with Spongetones co-founder Hoover, who sang lead on this past June's joyful hit “(I Really Need) To Kiss You,” but his debut in front of the band (while also still manning the drum kit)... and he's more than up to the challenge of lending a voice to this lush, moving tale of recovery and rebirth.

Willhelm explains, “As with the first co-write with Jamie, this was another series of chords and a melody line I’ve had bouncing around in my head since the early '90s. All this time it’s just been a la-la thing in my head. Jamie remedied the la-la part!”
 Hoover takes up the tale: “Eric evidently had these two recent songs we’ve co-written just lying around for a long time. The first time I listened to this cut I said Holy cow, let me at it! Like the other tune we did together, these lyrics just streamed to me from somewhere. Love it!” So will the band's fans, and quite likely many more lovers of the classic pop sound beyond THE SPONGETONES' faithful audience. It's one more surprise from the beloved veteran rockers, and one more step toward the inevitable new album taking shape in North Carolina. Keep your ears open for more news, and more singles on the way.