Recently, I was able to catch up with AJ Perdomo and Matt Kennedy of The Dangerous Summer for a Zoom call to discuss everything that went into the band’s upcoming full-length record. I asked the band about their new partnership with Rude Records, including some insight on the type of deal they signed, and we also chatted about the band’s legacy and what they feel they can still contribute to the music scene at this stage in their careers. The Dangerous Summer are scheduled to release their second single from the new album on June 17th, with the LP scheduled to be released this August.
Read More “The Dangerous Summer”Interview: Dominick Fox of Bad Luck.
Recently I had the chance to catch up with the frontman of NY-based pop-punk band Bad Luck. As Dominick Fox and I chatted about the upcoming new music from his band, it became apparent that his confidence level in what his band is cooking up could take a lot of people by surprise. We discussed everything that went into the recording of the band’s last album, Summer of Pain, their difficulties with touring in a pandemic, as well as what the future holds for the direction of the band’s music.
Read More “Dominick Fox of Bad Luck.”Interview: Barry Johnson of Joyce Manor
It’s release week for Joyce Manor’s sixth album, 40 Oz. To Fresno and vocalist/guitarist Barry Johnson is thinking about how it’ll be received. “I care about the reviews, I don’t know why I care about the reviews, but I do. So, if we got bad reviews it would really hurt my feelings. But so far everything I’ve read has been really positive. So, that’s a huge relief.” It’s refreshing to hear that kind of honestly from a musician, as it’s typical for artists to say they avoid (or pretend to) the critiques on their art. But Johnson isn’t like most artists, his self-awareness shining through during the entirety of our Zoom session. His band’s latest collection of emo-leaning power-pop punk songs look back on past eras of Joyce Manor while staying true to the natural progression the band has made since 2011’s self-titled record. The 9-track 17-minute album features some of the band’s most explosive work yet (“Gotta Let It Go,” “NBTSA,” and “Secret Sisters” being the main culprits) along with the band’s incredible knack for creating inescapable melodic mid-tempo tracks (“You’re Not Famous Anymore” and “Did You Ever Know?”) – making 40 Oz. To Fresno the Joyce Manor record for Joyce Manor fans. Below Johnson and I chat about the origins of this record, trying to take a break from the Joyce Manor machine, working with Tony Thaxton, the big Long Beach show in 2023, and more.
Read More “Barry Johnson of Joyce Manor”Interview: Yours Truly
A couple of days ago, I was able to catch up with the lead vocalist of alternative rock band, Yours Truly, to discuss everything that went into the writing of their upcoming EP. Mikaila and I also chatted about her and the band’s core influences, their touring plans, as well as the message the band hopes will resonate with their fans both new and old.
Read More “Yours Truly”Interview: Chase Tremaine
A little bit of time ago, I was able to catch up with singer-songwriter Chase Tremaine to discuss the re-release of his sophomore record Development and Compromise, my adoration for his debut called Unfall, as well as a lot about what the future has in store for his musical path ahead. I really enjoyed hearing about what made Chase want to explore his musical journey, and hear about his influences that he draws inspiration from.
Read More “Chase Tremaine”Interview: Out Of Service
Recently I was able to hop onto a Zoom call with the emo rock band Out of Service, and we discussed their recently released single called “What You See” that features John Nolan (Taking Back Sunday/Straylight Run), their upcoming touring plans, and most importantly their finishing touches on their third full-length record called The Ground Beneath Me. Out of Service is comprised of Teebs Williams (guitar), Mike Capuano (vocals), Ken Bond (drums), and Brian McGovern (bass). The upcoming album will be released on Enjoy The Ride Records on June 3rd, and the vinyl will be available for purchase at the same time as the digital release date.
Read More “Out Of Service”Interview: White Label Analog
Recently I was able to catch up with Austin pop-rockers White Label Analog after they released a great new single called “Curves.” I asked the band about their songwriting process as well as how they stayed active during the pandemic. The band is considering upcoming touring plans as well as releasing more singles in the near future.
Read More “White Label Analog”Interview: Craig Mabbitt of The Dead Rabbitts
Recently I was able to catch up with the lead vocalist of Escape the Fate and The Dead Rabbitts, Craig Mabbitt, before the release of the latter band’s third studio album called Rumination. In this interview I asked Craig about the differences between writing music for both bands, the touring plans for each project, working with veteran producer John Feldman, and he also shared about his recent sobriety that allowed him to see his career path in a much better light. I enjoyed my conversation with Craig as he shared insight on the writing behind both bands, and The Dead Rabbitts’ latest album, Rumination, hits the streets this Friday (April 1).
Read More “Craig Mabbitt of The Dead Rabbitts”Interview: Midtown
A couple of weeks ago I jumped on a Zoom call with Midtown to talk about the band’s upcoming tour dates with My Chemical Romance, their plans for the future, looking back at their career with the benefit of hindsight, and what it was like for all of us to grow up in this music scene. Our conversation can be found below.
Read More “Midtown”Interview: Adam Jessamine of PHNTMS
When I last checked in with PHNTMS, the pop-rock band had just released their single called “Paper Flowers” and was preparing for a few upcoming shows. I’m pleased to announce that the band is back with another great single called “Body Language.” The song rallies around a great riff from lead guitarist Adam Jessamine that builds to an anthemic chorus courtesy of vocalist Alyssa Gambino, who channels her soul influences to make for an excellent-sounding hook. The single’s lyrical material is largely based on the complexities of relationships and the longer we’ve been with a person, the easier it can be to tell when something is wrong. Bassist Mikal Smith keeps the song grooving along with veteran ease, and the tail end of the track features a well thought out guitar solo from Jessamine.
After hearing this great new song, I knew I needed to connect with lead guitarist Adam Jessamine to hear about the background between this songwriting session that led to this single. In the interview below, I asked Jessamine about how he directed the music videos for the band, how the band has been doing the majority of their songwriting during the pandemic, as well as what the band is most looking forward to with getting back on a regular touring schedule. Jessamine also shared the reasons behind scrapping a full-length record that was ready to be released, as well as other interesting details about what keeps the band inspired.
Read More “Adam Jessamine of PHNTMS”Interview: Cal Stamp – “Hey Amy”
Your next music obsession has arrived, thanks to Cal Stamp. The singer/songwriter has been around the music scene for quite awhile with his previous projects called Spirit Animal and most recently, Record Heat. The latest version of Cal’s unique brand of breezy, 80’s guitar-driven pop rock might just be his best work yet. The song, called “Hey Amy,” builds casually over an 1975-esque type of guitar-toned rock and Cal Stamp’s vocals are smooth as silk as he makes a song worthy of any playlist. What Stamp does best on this song is making the listener feel connected to his vocals, while the guitars bring the track into the upper echelon of pop bliss. The song comes from the first of a trilogy of EPs, starting with Nylon, that hits the streets on May 6th.
I also caught up with Cal Stamp to discuss the new EPs as well as provide an in-depth peek at what went into this great new single.
Read More “Cal Stamp – “Hey Amy””Interview: Nick Comanici of Sadurday
This past week I was able to connect via a Zoom call with Nick Comanici of a band called Sadurday. We discussed his new single, “Out of Touch,” that features vocalist Mae Sexton (of WREX), and drummer Tucker Rule (of Thursday), and was produced by Jon Markson (Drug Church, Soul Blind). Also in this feature, I asked Nick about his plans for touring on the new material, other artists he’s influenced by, and how Sadurday’s sound continues to evolve over time. “Out of Touch” is available at all of your favorite streaming services now.
Read More “Nick Comanici of Sadurday”Interview: Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath
A couple of days ago, I was able to connect with vocalist Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath right as he and his bandmates were preparing to go on tour next month. In this conversation, I asked Spencer about what he’s noticed from the fan reactions to Voyeurist, how he manages to stay busy with his other band Slo/tide, the well-received livestreams conducted during lockdown, as well as in-depth details on the writing and recording of Underoath’s ninth studio album. Voyeurist was released last month and can also be purchased here.
Read More “Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath”Interview: Cove Reber of Dead American
Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with one of my favorite post-hardcore vocalists, Cove Reber. The ex-Saosin singer looked back on what he was most proud of from the early days of his career, and we spent the majority of time discussing his new band, Dead American. Dead American’s brand new, full-length record called New Nostalgia is out today wherever you stream your music, or you can pre-order a physical copy (Vinyl/CD) here.
Read More “Cove Reber of Dead American”Interview: JJ Braves
Recently I was able to get a hold of LA-based artist, JJ Braves, for an interview regarding the music he’s been creating, including the great new single for “Jawbreaker (Future Vision).” In this conversation, I asked Josh about his core musical influences, his recent production work with other artists, his insight on the LA music scene, among many other topics. The new single hits the streets on February 18th, and I’d recommend it for fans of 80’s synth rock in the same realm as Tears For Fears with the modern flair of Jamiroquai.
Read More “JJ Braves”