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All Time Low: Interview
Mon. May 5, 2008
Author: Sarah Ng
Content Warning: Some users may find the contents contained within this article objectionable.
The Maryland-based band All Time Low came through Dallas, Texas on March 16, 2008 on the Alternative Press Tour, and I had a chance to interview the band’s lead singer and guitarist, Alex Gaskarth. After waiting on their tour bus and being given a mini-tour by their tour manager, the twenty year old singer walked onto the bus singing a little song and wearing a hoodie over one of his trademark beanie hats. After we introduced ourselves and chatted for a bit about their flat screen TV and the bus décor, the interview began.
Kristen Reed (me): Ok so this is y’all’s first week on the AP tour, and how’s it been so far?
Alex Gaskarth: It’s been really good. Yesterday…no two days ago was the first day, and it was amazing. It’s really cool to be headlining at this level of venues and ,y’know, fill up a room with 1700 kids, and be like “wow, we did that.” Obviously though the other bands are a huge part of it, but it’s cool to be at the top of the bill and, y’know, feel like it’s your tour. It’s awesome.
Kristen: So you guys actually sold out the House of Blues, and I don’t know how often that happens here, but how does it feel to actually sell out a show?
Alex: I don’t know if we actually sold it out. This is The Rocket Summer’s home town and Forever The Sickest Kids’ home town. So I have a feeling they had a lot to do with it as well, but it still feels really good. It’s awesome.
Kristen: Ok and now for the actual questions. What do you wish someone had told you about the music industry before you got involved in it?
Alex: (laughs) Um…probably that everyone’s gonna steal all of your money.
Kristen: Wow. (we both laugh) Do you guys feel like you’ve finally made it now that you’ve been on Jimmy Kimmel and TRL and things like that?
Alex: I don’t think we’ve made it yet. I think we’re in the process of maybe making it… Trying to make it, but no we’re not there yet.
Kristen: Well, I’ve been on your [message] boards because that’s where I got [some of] the questions from. A lot of your fans are talking about fanfics (Alex groans quietly) that they’ve written about you guys. If you had to pick who to be paired with in your band in one of those fanfics, who would it be?
Alex: Uhhhh…Probably Jack [Barakat, guitarist].
Kristen: Any particular reason?
Matt Flyzick (tour manager): He has the biggest penis.
Alex: I’m attracted to him.
Kristen: (laughs) Wow…All I’ve gotta say to that is “wow.”
Kristen: What was it like to work with Mark Hoppus of +44 and Blink 182?
Alex: It was amazing. Probably one of the coolest moments of my life. Wow. It was like I was working with a hero of mine, so it was a really big deal. I was pretty speechless.
Kristen: Okay, if you guys were the Spice Girls, what do you think your “Spice names” be?
Alex: Ahhh…Slutty Spice probably.
Kristen: Nice. Anybody Old Spice?
Alex: Old Spice? (both laughing) No, Jack would be Hairy Spice.
Kristen: Nice.
Kristen: So can you ever actually sit and enjoy your own music, or do you find yourself critiquing your performance all the time?
Alex: Ummm…yeah I don’t know. It’s hard to listen to your own record or your own songs and not…pass judgment, y’know, in a critical way just because…I don’t know…It’s your own thing. I don’t know. It’s weird to sit down to listen to it to enjoy it. Sometimes I do try to sit back and listen to it from like the perspective of “y’know if it wasn’t my band would I enjoy this CD and would I listen to it?” I think I would.
Kristen: Well that’s a good thing.
Kristen:What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever found while Googling yourself?
Alex: (laughs) Um…That’s a good question. Sometimes I just find like weird pictures that are like…I don’t know how people found them of me. ‘Cause they’re like…a friend of mine took them…
Kristen: They’re lurkers.
Alex: …Like personal friends, and somehow they get on the internet, and sometimes weird pictures will pop up from nights that I didn’t think would have any proof that they actually happened.
Kristen: What’s a famous song that you wish you’d written?
Alex: Uhhh…man. That’s a tough question. There’s a lot of songs. Probably “Sugar We’re Going Down” [by Fall Out Boy].
Kristen: Nice.
Alex: That’s a pretty big…or no. “Dammit” by Blink 182.
Kristen: (laughing) I’ve actually never heard that song.
Alex: I’m sure you’ve heard it. You’ve definitely heard it. You’d recognize it if you heard the song.
Kristen: Probably.
Kristen: If you were running for president, what would your slogan be?
Alex: Ummm…(laughing) It would be the tagline from that song [Kanye West’s “Stronger”] “Harder, better, faster, stronger in ‘08.”
Kristen: Wow...
Kristen: If you could form a “superband” with any musicians living or dead, who would you pick?
Alex: Bryan [Donahue] from Boys Like Girls because he’s a great bassist and he can sing his ass off. Probably Shawn [Harris] from The Matches. The drummer of…It would be Travis [Barker] from Blink [182] for the drummer. Ummm and…and…and…Elvis [Presley].
Kristen: (laughs) Awesome. He could teach everyone dance moves.
Alex: I’ll throw him in there, yeah.
Kristen: Okay, what’s the best non-mainstream band you’ve heard lately?
Alex: Non-mainstream band? Umm…(laughs) I only listen to mainstream bands. (laughs) That’s nice for you.
Kristen: Shame on you.
Alex: I don’t really like any indie music.
Kristen: Seriously?
Alex: Yeah.
Kristen: What about just any unsigned bands?
Alex: Oh yeah! I mean there’s a bunch of up-and-coming bands that I’ve recently gotten into. Ann Arbor, Forever The Sickest Kids are coming up and are doing really well…The Cab, The Maine, The Bigger Lights, Every Avenue, and a bunch of new bands that are doing really well.
Kristen: Okay, what’s the best prank you’ve ever played on tour?
Alex: Man, we’ve done some good ones. I think that one of the best was when we completely saran wrapped a van.
Kristen: (laughing) Awesome.
Alex: It was pretty funny.
Kristen: That would be really bad on a summer day in Texas.
Alex: Yeah, you wouldn’t be able to get it off.
Kristen: Yeah.
Kristen: What’s something you would go insane without when you’re on tour?
Alex: Go insane without…Probably my hair straightener.
Kristen: (laughs) Do you have one of those travel ones or do you have the heavy duty, the real thing?
Alex: Oh we have Chis. We all have insane really good ones.
Kristen: Alright.
Alex: They’re worth the money though.
Kristen: Let’s see…Did I skip over anything?
Kristen: Oh God…Okay, this is one question your fans were adamant about me asking, and it’s really awkward so you don’t have to answer it, but what’s the most inappropriate time you’ve ever gotten a boner?
Alex: Umm…man…The worst time is when I was in high school…like when you’re in class and class is about to end, like the bell’s about to ring, and you have a boner and the bell rings. You basically have to find a way to walk through the hall…
Kristen: Use a binder.
Alex: …Without showing everyone that you have a boner. Gym class…This never happened to me, but like gym class was the worst time to get a boner just because you’re wearing those shorts.
Kristen: There’s no structure to the fabric.
Alex: Yeah, you’ve got nothing to hide behind.
Kristen: That’s unfortunate. That’s why I’m glad I’m a girl because I don’t have to worry about that.
Alex: Yeah.
Kristen: So is there anything you want to say to all of your fans out there?
Alex: Yeah, just thank you for being awesome and being the coolest fans any band could ever have. It means a lot. Come see us on the AP tour.
You can see Alex perform with All Time Low on the Alternative Press tour with Sonny Moore, Forever the Sickest Kids, The Matches, and The Rocket Summer now through May 2, 2008. Check out www.alltimelow.com or www.myspace.com/alltimelow for more information.
All Time Low interview courtesy of Kristen Reed for More Than A Zodiac Sign.
New Music, indie bands, and live shows – Supernova.com
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