Imagine being given an amazing opportunity that you could have only dreamed of.
I’m talking about interviewing a band you’ve been listening since middle school or being a band garnering tons of international support and out your musical dreams.
All Time Low has been together since 2003 when they got their start playing local shows all over the Baltimore area. The guys have truly become quite the success story, releasing their first major label debut last June.
With all of their success people might expect their egos to inflate, however, that would be far from the truth.
During our phone interview with singer Alex Gaskarth, the first thing he said was, “Don’t be nervous! We’re just normal people.”
Gaskarth explained that they don’t like to take time off from touring but that it does get difficult always being on the road. “Just the obvious things, family and friends. Just the silly things like driving your own car, doing laundry.”
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During their Dirty Work tour, the band wrapped the tour by playing close to home at UMBC, which provided for some unique experiences. The entire night, The Summer Set, Hey Monday, Yellowcard and All Time Low played pranks on each other. From taking over their ear monitors to switching backgrounds, the bands were enjoying their last night of playing with each other.
At one point, All Time Low’s drummer Rian Dawson’s mother got on stage and played a few bars for the audience.
“It’s cool. It’s awesome that our parents are so supportive. You don’t always hear those stories. We’re very fortunate to have families that support us,” Gaskarth said.
With all of the touring, Gaskarth hasn’t been able to experience hearing the band on the radio. Local stations, 93.7 and 106.5, have dramatically increased their All Time Low play over the past few months, but Gaskarth hasn’t had the chance to hear it. “I keep getting calls and emails and texts from people saying we’re being played on the radio but I’m never there.”
All Time Low has a unique story that doesn’t involve radio airtime or large music outlets. When asked about how he feels about the likelihood of bands becoming well known through other means, Gaskarth had this to say: “The music industry is a much different place. The old format isn’t the be-all-end-all anymore,” he said.
He added, “Spreading awareness is important. We’re lucky, we garnered success on the Internet, built fan base through networking and a DIY approach. It’s cool to be in control of your success. And people aren’t being force fed what’s popular anymore.”
Knowing the band hasn’t played many college campuses, we were curious as to if that was something the guys had thought about. Gaskarth explained that everything has to align just right, which makes it a bit difficult to plan. But it was certainly something they have considered.
You can check out more from All Time Low at their official website.
