Alter The Press!

ATP! Interview: The Maine (2013)

2013-05-20T15:59:00.000-04:00

Halloween. It’s the one time of year where it’s socially acceptable to dress up as anything. More importantly, it’s the time of year where you can dress up as what you dream to be. The Maine's upcoming new album, Forever Halloween may have pulled its name from an offhand comment from one of their own idols, but it stands for so much more than that. It not only evolved into the band’s best effort to date, but offers a glimpse at the change the group has made. It’s clear that the Arizona quintet has seen and grown a lot in their seven years of existence. Much like a fine wine, they are only getting better with age. With just over two weeks until Forever Halloween’s release date (June 4th), frontman John O’Callaghan discussed the album with us, as well as their summer headlining tour, writing process and the very evolution of The Maine.

Alter The Press: How did you guys decide on Forever Halloween for the title of your new album?

John O’Callaghan (vocals/guitar): Awhile back we got to meet a dude named Ryan Adams, who we’re like, huge fans of. He’s a singer/songwriter, and if you’re not familiar with him, I strongly urge you to become so.

ATP: Yeah, he’s amazing!

John: Yeah! And, so by the luck of the draw, or I don’t know, thanks to Twitter, we got hooked up with him and he gave us a tour of his studio. He was shooting a music video or something with some of his friends and he was talking about a Halloween store. He didn’t know the name of it but he said “Forever Halloween” and he said it really nonchalantly like that Forever 21 store. I don’t even think that’s the name of a real place but for whatever reason, when he said it, it kind of resonated with me. So I wrote it down, as I do a lot of the thoughts and cool ideas that I hear or come up with myself and that one just kind of... I don’t know, it lingered. In a good way. And after the process and going through what we went through and how we got to the point that we did today, given the change in physical appearance, the changes in mental headspace over the last six or seven years we’ve been a band, I felt like it was a really appropriate, all-encompassing title for the album. For me, it captures exactly what we did this time around. I guess on a more basic level, it’s like the daily kind of camouflage that we all wear in scenarios we put ourselves in and how easy it is to forget who we really are, and pretend to be something we’re not.

ATP: When I heard it, I definitely thought it was along the lines of Halloween being the time of year you can be whatever it is you want to be.

John: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

ATP: [Laughs] Now, this is the second album you guys have released independently. Do you guys like releasing them that way as opposed to going through a label?

John: For us at this point, it was just imperative that we created one more album that was really just us. You see, the thing with labels is that there are so many people that are depending on what you’re doing because they have to make money, you know, they have to feed their kids, so it ends up becoming some sort of business venture than really creative and artistic outlet. It becomes something that it shouldn’t ever be. Not to say that there aren’t great records that are made on record labels, but at this point for us, fortunately we had some coin to work with that we had saved up and we kind of figured that we wanted to do it again. I guess the huge thing that kind of made us do it was the freedom and the liberation that you feel when there is no one else to answer to and no one else that you have to deliver for or to. So luckily we got to team up with Brendan Benson (producer/musician) and he worked with us and that was what we were most concerned with. Having that sixth kind of member being a part of our band and giving an unbiased ear to what we were creating and not just kind of nodding yes and no and really diving into the material and becoming a part of it himself. Being a musician and an artist, he knows how delicate the process of songwriting and record making can be. He understands it, and he got it and we couldn’t have been more fortunate to work with such a great guy.

ATP: Do you think having that freedom is what caused the change in sound from Black & White and Pioneer? Because if you listen to what you came out with in the beginning and what you’re producing now, it’s like two completely different bands. Not that it’s bad, they were both great sounds, just two different sounds.

John: You know, I think there are a lot of different factors that created all the different sounds that we’ve had. Earliest on with Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, our first album, and the earlier stuff, it was just a bunch of 17 and 18-year-old kids that were fresh out of high school. I was in college when we first started. So it was like our tastes and the way that we thought about music was vastly different than it is now. So signing with Fearless, we were just being thrown into it and all the stuff in our past has led us to where we are today so we don’t look back and regret anything that we’ve done. It’s all been a learning experience. Going into Black & White, our first major label record, was another thing where we were all wide-eyed and we didn’t want to rub anybody the wrong way or burn any bridges so it was just kind of “smile and say yes” and play along with what they told us to do. So that was when they introduced us to songwriting and co-writing with other people and I think that’s what caused the biggest difference in sound between that second record and the third. The third record, we went back and we just kind of said “fuck you,” for lack of better words, and we kind of remembered why we started to write music in the first place. One, because it’s what we love doing and it’s the only thing we know now, but two, it was because it was a way of releasing some sort of emotion and try to relate to people and say the things you aren’t necessarily comfortable saying in real life or face-to-face scenarios. So I think that’s what really contributed to the difference in sounds. It was just more of a carefree, for the love of music kind of approach than it was the second time around where it was more calculated and more thought out and contrived, I guess.

ATP: It basically goes back to what you were saying earlier about having more creative freedom.

John: Yeah, yeah, just kind of saying what you want to say and doing what you want to do.

ATP: So when you first formed, this wasn’t the sound you envisioned yourselves having one day. It just kind of grew with you as you grew.

John: Absolutely! Like I said, our tastes in music and our headspace when thinking about music has completely changed and that’s the coolest thing. I don’t think we let too much dictate what our sound is going to be, we just kind of let it happen and I think that’s the way you get a real natural progression, or evolution. You know, I would feel like a piece of shit if I was writing the same songs as I was when I was 18 years old, you know what I mean? I’d feel like I hadn’t experienced anything in my life or I would feel like a little kid, and I don’t think anybody deserves that and I don’t think the people that listen to our music deserve that. I feel like that’s kind of disrespectful if you just maintain this monotony of like “oh, girls suck and boys rule” and whatever it is. So I would feel like I was doing myself and injustice if I stayed on that path.

ATP: Yeah, and as a fan having grown up with your music it’s cool because as I’m growing up, the music’s growing up with me and I’m sure a lot of other fans feel that way.

John: Right on, I appreciate that!

ATP: Was there any moment when writing or recording this album that you thought “This is us. This is The Maine and this is what we’re all about?”

John: I suppose it’s more in retrospect. It was more of an eye-opening experience. Recording the album the way that we did it, kind of live to tape and just like a real band, I feel like it made us realize that that’s what it’s really all about. It’s always strange because people will never hear some of the songs that I’ve written just in my bedroom that’ll never see the light of day, but it’s only when you kind of publish your works that you really open up and are susceptible to judgement. I don’t think there’s ever been a point where we’re like “this is the sound, and we’ve captured it” and I think that’s the cool part. We like it to be ever evolving and ever changing. At this particular moment in time, I think it was just looking back on the experience and the process in which it was carried out that made us realize that we are a band at this point and we can proudly say that we are a band. In the land of the drum machine, we are actual musicians for once. So I feel like we can proudly say that. As far as our sound goes, that could change and I hope it does. I hope we get the opportunity to keep creating records and changing how we’re feeling and how we’re growing up. I think it was more so the process that made us have that epiphany of “Wow, we’re a band.”

ATP: Do you have any personal favorite on the album? Or right now, they’re all favorites?

John: I think just because it’s so new and so fresh, I think you’re right that they’re all kind of our favorites. I think it’s just the album as a body of work is what we’re really proud of. And as we start to tour and play new songs, I think that’s when it’s like “I like playing this one live” or “I don’t like playing this one.” But I think at this point, yeah, it’s an all inclusive deal.

ATP: You guys just released a Q&A, and in it you were asked if there were any emotional songs on Forever Halloween, and Garrett [Nickelsen, bassist] said ‘These Four Words.’ Was that song, or any other song, particularly hard to write and record?

John: Yeah, for me personally, with this record, I tried really hard to put more of myself out there and into the songs. I’ve always looked up to songwriters who can take a specific concept and make it relatable. So if a specific kind of event happened in their lives-- like Tom Petty, Neil Young or even Ryan Adams-- they’re so good at taking something very personal and making it broad and relatable. So I tried to, with this album, share some of my experiences whereas in the past I feel like I’ve maybe left things too broad and maybe too open to interpretation. I don’t know, you heard the songs. There’s stuff that I think is just more straight forward and more just storytelling than there has been in the past. So that’s something I definitely tried to really convey.

ATP: Was it hard to make yourself vulnerable, I guess, in writing those songs, knowing that there are so many people that hear them?

John: You know what, I think that the hardest part for me was knowing that there’s a chance that the people I wrote the songs about will hear them and and realize that they’re about them. I don’t like being mean. [Laughs] And I don’t want people to have hurt feelings, but like I said before, a lot of what I said and what I’m saying is stuff that I don’t have the audacity or the gusto to say to their faces. I guess that’s what makes it easy. I’m hiding behind a guitar, or a piano, or pen and paper.

ATP: I wouldn’t say it’s hiding, per se. At least they do get a song about them, there’s a bright side, right?

John: Yeah, and if they ask, I’ll say it’s about somebody else.

ATP: Just be like, “No! No, it’s not about you! That’s just coincidence!”

John: Exactly!

ATP: Now, you guys have released two songs already, ‘Happy’ and ‘Love & Drugs.’ How has the fan response been to them?

John It’s kind of hard to, especially for me, my roommates that I live with call me “Technology Dad” because I don’t really keep up. I don’t have the Twitter app or anything like that, and I probably should, but I just don’t care enough. And that sounds so elitist and pretentious to say, but that’s not to say that I’m not on like, YouTube and reading the comments and stuff like that. But it’s just really hard, for me personally, to gauge how people are feeling when we’re not out on the road. I feel like it’s really easy to communicate to others how you’re truly feeling. It’s like the hardest thing to do is convey emotions through a text message or a YouTube comment. Most of the YouTube comments start out nice and then they end up racist and religion bashing anyways. But I think that it’s going well. Like I said, it’s one of those things that, come June 4th, I’ll have a better indication of how people feel about it, and really be able to talk to people about it.

ATP: So are you excited to finally get it out and be able to share it with fans?

John: I really am! Because I’ve been sitting on this fucking thing for like a couple months now and I want to give it to all my friends and give it to people because I am just so excited about it, but it’s just one of those things. I don’t know, it’s like 15 days or something like that, which isn’t too long, but yeah, I’m excited to have people hear it and excited to hear what they have to say.

ATP: And I know usually bands write more songs than they put on the album, so did you guys have a large amount, and can we expect to hear any as B-sides?

John: We had like, two days, of extra time, so we recorded like a silly punk thing, but yeah, we have a couple songs that didn’t make the album. I think there were two or three that we tracked, but for this kind of effort, we felt like it was necessary to have just a clear idea of what we were going in with and just expend all of our energy on those songs. So we didn’t have 27, or whatever we had last time around, but there are a bunch of songs that we didn’t even take to Nashville with us. It’s one of those things that we probably can record those songs on our own at some point, and we do have a couple B-sides that we recorded with Brendan, so at some point down the road I would imagine those would come out. And then who knows. We could do some acoustic EP or something like that down the road, but for now it’ll probably just be the two B-sides that come out a couple months after the record.

ATP: Your headlining tour tour starts around the same time as the album is released. So do you guys have any big plans for it, or is it just going to be an intimate sort of thing?

John: Yeah, yeah, the venues vary in size. I think, for us, we have a free show in Arizona that we’re playing the day the record comes out, so that’ll be like the big hurrah with our families and all of our friends there. Then we drive to Los Angeles the next day and have a bunch of press to do, so I’m sure it’ll be a short-lived celebration. Then we’ll get to work and start having fun on the road and telling people about the new stuff.

Forever Halloween is out June 5th via 8123.

Words by Victoria Patneaude.

Demi Lovato Covers Rihanna's "Stay"

2013-05-20T15:48:00.002-04:00

Demi Lovato treated fans in attendance at the Kiss 108 concert in Mansfield, MA last week to a stunning cover of Rihanna's "Stay."

You can watch a fan-shot recording of the performance below.

Brand New Announce US Fall Tour Dates

2013-05-20T12:02:00.000-04:00

Brand New have announced a string of shows around their appearance at Riot Fest in Chicago, this September.

Dates can be found below. Pre-sale tickets can be purchased here.

SEP 13 Bogart's Cincinnati, OH
SEP 14 The Intersection Grand Rapids, MI
SEP 17 Town Ballroom Buffalo, NY
SEP 18 Upstate Concert Hall Clifton Park, NY

Cassadee Pope Releases New Single "Wasting All These Tears"

2013-05-20T11:33:00.003-04:00

The wait is finally over! Cassadee Pope has released her brand new single, "Wasting All These Tears," which can be streamed below.

The track, scheduled to be released digitally on June 4th, is taken from the singer/songwriter's new album which is coming out in the fall via Republic Nashville.

Don't forget, Cassadee will be heading out on tour this summer supporting Rascal Flatts. All dates and ticket information can be found here.

Ed Sheeran To Start Recording New Album In August

2013-05-20T11:14:00.001-04:00

Ed Sheeran has revealed in a new interview with Billboard that he will start recording his long-awaited new alum this August.

You can watch the full interview with Ed below.

Don't forget, the British singer/songwriter is currently touring across the country supporting Taylor Swift on her Red tour. All dates and ticket information can be found here.

Ellie Goulding Announces UK Tour

2013-05-20T10:24:00.000-04:00

Ellie Goulding has announced she will be touring across the United Kingdom this fall.

Dates can be found below.

October
3rd - O2 Academy Sheffield
4th - York Barbican Centre
6th - Civic Hall Wolverhampton 7th - O2 Academy Newcastle
10th - Cardiff University
11th - O2 Apollo, Manchester
16th - Hammersmith Apollo London

Selana Gomez Performs "Come & Get It" at 2013 Billboard Music Awards

2013-05-20T10:08:00.001-04:00

Selena Gomez took to the stage last night (May 20th) at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, to perform her recent single, "Come & Get It," which can be viewed by clicking read more.

"Come & Get It" is out now and can be purchased digitally via iTunes.

Ed Sheeran Performs "Lego House" at 2013 Billboard Music Awards

2013-05-20T01:45:00.002-04:00

Ed Sheeran took to the stage earlier tonight (May 19th) at the Billboard Music Awards to perform his recent single, "Lego House."

You can watch Ed's performance from the ceremony by clicking read more.

Don't forget, the British singer/songwriter is currently touring across the country with Taylor on her Red tour. All dates and ticket information can be found here.

Taylor Swift Scoops Eight Trophies At Billboard Music Awards; Performs "22" Live

2013-05-20T01:37:00.001-04:00

Taylor Swift dominated the 2013 Billboard Music Awards tonight (May 19th), by taking home eight trophies in total.

Swift was honored as Top Artist, Top Female Artist and Top Billboard 200 artist in ceremonies held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas where awards were handed out in 45 categories, 10 of them on the ABC telecast. Taylor received the night's top honor, Artist of the Year, as well as Top Billboard 20 Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Country Artist and Top Digital Songs Artist. "Red" was Tops in the Billboard 200 and country albums categories; her "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" was named Top Country Song.

Taylor took to the stage as well at the ceremony for a performance of "22," which can be viewed by clicking read more.

We The Kings Add T. Mills To "Summer Fest 2013" Tour

2013-05-19T15:04:00.003-04:00

We The Kings have announced that T. Mills will join the band on their "Summer Fest 2013," tour alongside The Ready Set.

A message from the Floridian five-piece can be found below.

Dates and tickets information is yet to be released at this stage.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are proud to announce that T Mills @ilovetmills is the 2nd band on the We The Kings Summer Fest Tour 2013! Go crazy
— We The Kings (@WeTheKings) May 19, 2013

All Time Low, Tonight Alive, A Rocket To The Moon To Play Philippines Festival, 'Bazooka Rocks II'

2013-05-19T14:35:00.002-04:00

To our friends in the Philippines, August cannot come any quicker!

All Time Low have been confirmed to headline the Bazooka Rocks II festival, which is set to take place at the SMX Convention Center on August 25th.

If that wasn't enough, ATP! favorite Australian pop/rock quintet, Tonight Alive are scheduled to play this year's festival as well as A Rocket To The Moon, who will be playing their final show as a band.

You can check out the full lineup and the show flyer below. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased here.

ALL TIME LOW (headliner)
Anberlin
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
We Came As Romans
Tonight Alive
RadioDriveBy
UchuuSentai:NOIZ
&
One Last Night with: A ROCKET TO THE MOON

Filipino bands joining are :

Save me Hollywood
FaintLight
Mad Hatter Day
Penguin

Demi Lovato Performs "Really Don't Care" with Cher Lloyd Live

2013-05-18T23:27:00.001-04:00

Demi Lovato treated fans in attendance at the Kiss 108 concert in Mansfield, MA tonight (May 18th), with a performance of, "Really Don't Care," alongside Cher Lloyd.

You can watch a fan-shot recording of the performance below.

The track is taken from The X Factor judge's stunning new album, Demi, which is out now.

ATP! Album Review: Marianas Trench - Face The Music: The EP

2013-05-18T16:27:00.002-04:00

Canadian pop-rockers Marianas Trench released a four song EP last week titled, Face The Music. The EP, which includes two previously released songs, 'Desperate Measures' and 'Haven't Had Enough,' along with acoustic versions of 'Fallout' and 'Haven't Had Enough.' Although hoping we might have been given a glimpse into some new material, this EP features some good work.

With a steady beat, sweet harmony and electric feel, 'Desperate Measures' is a must have (if you don't have it already). 'Haven't Had Enough' has the same sort of vibe as 'Desperate Measures' - mainly a pop tune with catchy lyrics. It is very upbeat with a beat comprised of an electric feel within the music.

The two acoustic songs really stand out as we have never really heard soft spoken songs from this band. Most of their tunes are upbeat pop with the acoustic version of 'Fallout' particularly standing out. The song has a lovely string of an acoustic guitar that starts the song off and then runs throughout the whole song. Possibly the best thing about this acoustic tune is that it really showcases frontman Josh Ramsay's natural vocal talent and it gives you the chance to actually hear his vulnerability that relates to the lyrics and message of the song, something you cannot hear as well in the original version. The acoustic version of 'Haven't Had Enough' doesn't differ too much from the original. The song features softer guitar and guest vocals by another member of the band and a nice beat by a maraca. There are also a few points in which the whole group harmonizes together.

If anything, Face The Music is worth it just for the the two acoustic versions as they are the most unique and are something you might not expect to hear from such a pop/electric influenced band. 'Fallout' acoustic is a really a gem and piece of art released by the band so take a listen!

3.5/5

Cara Friedman

Face The Music: The EP is out now via Cherrytree/Interscope Records.

We The Kings Announce 'Summer Fest 2013' Tour; First Opener Revealed

2013-05-18T15:14:00.003-04:00

We The Kings have announced they will be revealing details of their Summer Fest 2013 tour over the next few days.

The band confirmed earlier today (May 18th) that the first opener for their summer tour will be The Ready Set.

A message from We The Kings can be found below.

Haha that was mean, sorry! We are proud to announce the first band of the @wethekings Summer Fest 2013 tour..... @thereadyset :)
— We The Kings (@WeTheKings) May 18, 2013

We will release a different band from the tour every day until the whole tour is released along with dates/venues and tickets :) #SummerFest
— We The Kings (@WeTheKings) May 18, 2013

Demi Lovato's New Album 'Demi' Bound For #3 On Billboard 200

2013-05-17T22:48:00.000-04:00

Demi Lovato's new album, Demi, is expected to debut at number three on the Billboard 200 next week.

According to Billboard, industry sources are predicting that Demi's latest effort is on target to sell 110,000 units by the end of the tracking week (Sunday, May 19th).

The X Factor judge is up against Vampire Weekend and George Strait, who are both on target to chart at number one and two respectively.

Cassadee Pope Confirms New Single "Wasting All These Tears"

2013-05-17T16:15:00.000-04:00

Cassadee Pope has confirmed in a new interview with Charlotte radio station, 102.9, that the first single from her long-awaited (yet-to-be-titled) album will be, "Wasting All These Tears," and is scheduled to be released on June 4th.

An excerpt from the interview can be found below.

Cassadee's new album is expected to release in the fall via Republic Nashville.

"The opening slot on the Rascal Flatts Live & Loud Tour this summer puts her head first into the world of country music. And she’s ready for it.

“You can expect new songs, of course,” she says, and “I might throw in a cover or two in there.” But she goes on to say she may be most excited to play her new single “Wasting All These Tears” “because it’ll release June 4, which is really soon after the tour starts, and I’m excited to see the progression of people learning the song” at each of the tour stops.

Forever The Sickest Kids Frontman Jonathan Cook Being Sued By Rolex For $2 Million After Selling Counterfeits

2013-05-17T16:13:00.001-04:00

Forever The Sickest Kids frontman Jonathan Cook is being sued by Rolex for $2 million in damages, as a result of his infringing upon the watchmaker’s trademark, after being arrested back in January for selling counterfeits.

“Defendant intentionally, maliciously, and willfully sold, offered for sale, distributed, promoted, and advertised watches bearing counterfeits of one or more of the Rolex Registered Trademarks, despite knowledge that such sales were illegal,” says the suit. “Defendant’s acts were calculated to confuse and to deceive the public, and were performed with full knowledge of Rolex’s rights.”

You can read the court documents by clicking read more.

Issues Frontman Tyler Carter Covers Justin Timberlake's "Mirrors"

2013-05-17T14:58:00.003-04:00

Issues frontman Tyler Carter has released a cover of Justin Timberlake's "Mirrors," which can be streamed by clicking read more.

The Front Bottoms Stream New Album "Talon Of The Hawk"

2013-05-17T14:57:00.000-04:00

The Front Bottoms' new album, Talon Of The Hawk, can now be streamed in its entirety over at Noisey or below.

You can read our 4/5 review of the album here.

Paradise Fears Announce New "Antebellum" EP

2013-05-17T14:36:00.004-04:00

Paradise Fears have announced they will release a new EP titled, Antebellum, on June 25th.

You can check out the EP artwork and track listing by clicking read more.

A variety of pre-order packages can be found here.

01. Warrior
02. Lullaby
03. What Are You Waiting For?
04. Who You Are
05. Fought For Me
06. Used

ATP! Giveaway: Win Demi Lovato's New Album, 'Demi'

2013-05-17T13:04:00.001-04:00

ATP! has teamed up with Hollywood Records to giveaway two copies of Demi Lovato's stunning new album, Demi.

Want to be in with a chance of winning? All you have to do is:

1) Follow @AlterThePress on Twitter
2) Follow @ddlovato on Twitter
3) Tweet - "Hey @AlterThePress! I want to win @ddlovato's new album! #Demi"

The contest closes next Friday (May 24th). Good luck!

Demi is out now via Hollywood Records and can be purchased via iTunes. You can read our 4.5/5 review of the album here.

VersaEmerge Drop Off 2013 Vans Warped Tour

2013-05-17T12:18:00.002-04:00

VersaEmerge have sadly announced they have dropped off this year's Vans Warped Tour.

A statement from the band can be found by clicking read more.

Hello everyone,

We’re very sorry to say that we are canceling our appearance on this summer’s Van’s Warped Tour. This was not an easy decision and we sincerely apologize to the Vans Warped Tour and to anyone who planned to see us this summer. We are still going through some important changes that would be unjustifiable and inexcusable to rush.

Do not fear! We are not splitting up. We’ve been working hard towards an exciting and much needed reorganization. It has taken quite a long time to solidify what direction we want to go in and but have we finally figured that out. We’re challenging ourselves daily with self-producing A LOT of new material. So look forward to some new songs… Very very soon. (FOR REAL THIS TIME)

We know that we haven’t made any major announcements in these past few months, and we cannot thank you enough for hanging in there with us throughout this vast period of silence.

We hear you guys!

We will be releasing some more information in the weeks to come concerning future plans and new music…

Much love,
Blake & Sierra

Paramore Add Second London Show To 2013 UK Arena Tour

2013-05-17T12:05:00.001-04:00

Due to overwhelming demand, Paramore have added a second night at London's Wembley Arena to their United Kingdom arena tour in the fall.

The updated tour routing can be found below. Tickets are now on sale for all shows.

September
Mon 2 The O2 Point Dublin, Ireland
Fri 20 MEN Manchester
Sat 21 Motorpoint Arena Cardiff
Mon 23 LG Arena/NEC Birmingham
Tue 24 Arena Nottingham
Fri 27 Wembley Arena London
Sat 28 Wembley Arena London

Cassadee Pope Reality Show To Air 'Around September'

2013-05-17T11:37:00.001-04:00

Cassadee Pope has revealed that her new reality show, which is currently being filmed, is set to air on CMT 'around September.'

An excerpt from her interview with Charlotte radio station, 102.9 can be found below.

Cassadee's new show will show her journey from The Voice through the following months of recording, radio tours, and her debut as opening act on Rascal Flatts‘ upcoming summer tour.

”I am doing a docu-series. It’s less dramatic than a reality show, and it’s gonna be on CMT around September.”

Part of her journey includes another hurdle: Winning over the country world after jumping in from the punk-pop world. She had been a member of the band Hey Monday since 2008, but on The Voice she won over fans and mentor Blake Shelton with a series of country songs, including a cover of Miranda Lambert’s “Over You.”

“People are a little hesitant,” Cassadee says of her transition to country, “but for the most part I think, on the show, I proved to a lot of people that as long as you’re real, you’re genuine and you’re singing songs you connect with, then no matter what genre people will embrace you.”

ATP! Album Review: The Front Bottoms - Talon Of The Hawk

2013-05-17T10:46:00.004-04:00

In such a short space of time, The Front Bottoms have managed to acquire a cult following worldwide and tours with Motion City Soundtrack, Say Anything and Bad Books have only helped propel them into the limelight. With their self titled debut released in 2011, they really reinvented their genre. Laced with simplistic power chords, awkward lyrics and uptempo drums that sounds nothing like every other punk record. However, with any band's first album, they have the first part of their life to write it and only 2 years to rehash that formula and write the follow-up, will this ring true with The Front Bottoms though?

Starting off with 'Adios (Au Revoir),' the short but quirky song takes the miscommunication and accusations of a relationship and lends them nicely to a simplistic, yet infectious, chorus. 'Skeleton' however, retains the simplistic nature of the previous song but it doesn't feel as accessible on a first listen and falls short. The band chooses not to censor themselves with fireworks like they did on 'Mountain' (from their 2011 debut album) and instead Sella sings about getting "so stoned" that he "fell asleep in the front seat".

This is not saying that the musicianship has dropped, in fact it is quite the opposite. The addition of Tom Warren on bass and Ciaran O'Donnell on keys has really added to the texture of the record. It isn't quite as raw as previous material but on songs like layered behemoth 'Twin Size Mattress' it really helps them to get to that next stage dynamically and helps drive the lyrics home. 'Everything I Own' is a similar track which utilises an organ and has the familiar blend of Sella's self evaluating lyrics whilst embracing a pop aesthetic and could quite easily be a single.

What separates The Front Bottoms from most bands is the meticulously detailed lyrics which really paint an awkwardly relatable picture. 'Lone Star' describes a pregnancy scare and the frightened boyfriend. It's these characters, whether real or not, that really make the songs lyrics come alive and the protagonist in this particular song is one that you're rooting for. With lyrics like "goodbye future once so bright, meet my pregnant girlfriend."

Overall, Talon Of The Hawk is a progression. It is here where we now see a baby faced Brian Sella and Mathew Uychich not wearing a tie as a bandanna to impersonate Rambo, but to wear round their neck and go about their every day business. Mature is a tacky word that you use to describe the fermentation of wine, but that is what Talon Of The Hawk is, something that has to sit with you and grow on you until it becomes something more.

4/5

George Gadd

Talon Of The Hawk will be released on May 21st via Bar/None Records.