We first spoke to Singer Alex Gaskarth when they came Down Under for Soundwave Festival earlier this year (read that here), but he took some time to chat to us again about their latest album, how it came to be, and touring...
‘Don’t Panic’ is your second album to peak in the Australian, UK, and Japanese top 20s, are you ever surprised by the reach your music has?
Absolutely. We never expected our band to come this far and our music to reach across the globe. It's an incredible feeling to know that we have so many people out there, worldwide, supporting our music.
The latest album is a more refined and mature release than previous ones, what do you think ‘Don’t Panic’ says about the band that the previous releases didn’t?
Don't Panic is definitely our most realized record to date. I think the record says that we're going to continue to grow and change musically, but that we're aware of our overall "sound" and know how to make music within the scope of what All Time Low is expected to sound like.
How did you go about writing ‘Outlines’ with Patrick Stump?
He stopped through the studio one day, and we discussed the direction of the record. We came up with a concept dealing with living in and for the moment, and just built out from there. Patrick brings a lot to the table melodically and conceptually, so we really got in a great, creative groove. The song came together really quickly, and it's one of my favorites on the record.
Did you write it with the plan to ask Jason Vena to record vocals on it, or did that come later?
We asked Jason to sing on the song a little bit later, but when Patrick got tied up making the new FOB record, Jason was an obvious candidate for the part. We hadn't really heard from him in a while, musically, so I think it's really special that we got him to lend his talents to the song.
Not at all. Hopeless records feels like home. They're fully aware of how the industry is shifting and have been awesome to work with since we resigned before the release of Don't Panic.
Do you find you have more creative control on an independent label than you did on Interscope?
For sure. It seemed that in our situation. There were just too many cooks in the kitchen, and decisions were often being made by one too many people, to the point where nothing really ever got done correctly because everyone wanted different things from the band. With Hopeless, it's a much more streamlined process, and we have the freedom to make most of the calls, (especially creative) without any outside input.
There are some tracks on ‘Don’t Panic’ that are reminiscent of the early days of All Time Low, such as ‘So Long Soldier’ Is this an intentional throwback to the start of the band, or is it just a permanent part of the band’s sound that raises its head every so often?
I'd say it's always been a staple sound of the band. It pops up here and there throughout our entire catalog, but in reality, it's a sound that we write pretty sparingly because I think it would get stale if we were to overdo it. That doesn't mean it ain't fun every once in a while.
How do you think All Time Low has developed as a live band over the course of your career?
With time and experience, I feel like our live show has just gotten better and better. We strive to put on a really entertaining performance, and we're always looking for new ways to push the envelope.
What can Australian fans, or those experiencing an All Time Low show for the first time, expect from your tour later this year?
Madness. Complete and utter mayhem.
All Time Low kick off their tour at the end of August, finishing with their SOLD OUT show here at HQ on Tuesday 3rd of September.