EastScene

Out on their first U.K tour, EastScene’s Shannah Lauren was able to catch up with A.J and Cody from The Dangerous Summer at the 02 Academy in Birmingham. Releasing their last album in 2009, they are in the works of creating another that will be able to show another more popper side to The Dangerous Summer. They are building up the publicity throughout the years, and they deserve it; Shannah Lauren quoted the members of The Dangerous Summer being “the nicest, most genuine guys and really deserve to make it big”. If you haven’t heard of these guys yet, it’s about time you did, check out their MySpace page.

Shannah Lauren: So you guys formed in 2006?

A.J: Yes, 2006.

Shannah Lauren: How did you guys get together?

A.J: We went to High School together, we had another guy who was in a neighboring band who played drums. We all really just formed together, we all were from the same county.

Shannah Lauren: So where you guys from?

A.J: Maryland

Shannah Lauren: Was it a good place to grow as a band for music? Because I don’t know many bands that have come from Maryland.

Cody: No way, not at all. It’s not really a music city at all!

A.J: All Time Low is from there, that’s like the biggest thing.

Cody: Good Charlotte are from there too.

Shannah Lauren: So I mean, you guys built up pretty quick since you started in 2006. I mean usually bands, even Anarbor who your touring with, started in 2003 and their just now getting really well known.

A.J: We got together in 2006 in our Senior year of High School, and then the same year we got signed to Hopeless because we met All Time Low at Guitar Center, and they were like “your music is sick”, and then they pushed us. And it worked out so after high school, we just toured and here we are.

Shannah Lauren: Did you guys think it was going to happen or was it just something that caught you by surprise?

A.J: I mean we really had the goal that we were gonna tour, we’re gonna get signed, we’re going to do it every legit way and for some reason it worked out.

Shannah Lauren: Well you do deserve it. So you guys are coming out with the new album in? 2011?

Cody: We’re writing, we’re writing. We don’t really know how long exactly.

Shannah Lauren: Are you guys excited about it?

Cody: Oh yeah, it’s gonna be different.

A.J: It’s gonna be awesome. Well, we’re working on it!

Shannah Lauren: What influences you guys when your writing? Music, or situation wise?

A.J: Lately, we’ve been getting like MGMT, Metic -

Cody: Passion Pit

A.J: Yeah, Passion Pit. More of the poppier stuff, and like before we were in like the sadder stuff like Manchester Orchestra and Brand New, so like combining every element.

Shannah Lauren: So it’s going to be totally different?

A.J: It’s going to be awesome! We’ll see how it turns out. Like we even went in to record a new song and we’re unhappy with part of it, so we’re going to re-record it. We’re just going to take out time because we really make songs that we want to make.

Shannah Lauren: Exactly. I mean, you guys are touring in the U.K, have you ever been here before?

Cody: No, no.

A.J: This is the first!

Shannah Lauren: Is it exciting or is it scary?

Cody: Oh yeah, it’s definitely like a dream come true.

A.J: Yesterday was like a wake up call with all converters!

Cody: Yeah I actually broke stuff!

A.J: Yeah, he actually broke shit. (laughs)

Shannah Lauren: Do you plan on coming back here more often or what’s the plan?

Cody: We really are hoping to come back before 2011.

A.J: Yeah like Fall probably, we’re already talking about it.

Shannah Lauren: You guys actually have a song that was on the preview for “Love Happens”, how did it feel to achieve that?

A.J: It was definitely insane, it was crazy. My mom was finally like “your actually in a band that’s doing something” so my family got faith in me, so that was awesome. And it blew our minds, like watching Jennifer Anniston because I like Friends, personally, I don’t know that was, that was just sick.

Shannah Lauren: So what is your guys goals for the next five years, where do you want to be?

A.J: We want to get, big. You know? (laughs) We’re playing with like Warped Tour bands, and that’s awesome, but we want to be up there with like, we think we compare to like Kings of Leon, and shit like that. Literally, we just kind of just want to break away from The Dangerous Summer as pop-punk band

Cody: We just want to be a rock band

A.J: Like, maybe radio if that’s in our cards or if it’s not then we want people to just understand our music as like a rock band. You know, just like Third Eye Blind is a rock band.

Shannah Lauren: Yeah I know, I mean how are you guys dealing with being a musician in today’s music industry because of it being so tough to get into?

A.J: We don’t really sweat it!

Cody: We don’t let it bother us, it’s all really just politics. We just hope for the best really.

A.J: And honestly, we don’t sell as many records as if we were a band like ten years ago. But like who cares, people come out to shows and people sing to our lyrics. And it’s like, to us, that’s all that matter. People don’t even know, record labels, we don’t even see as much money that you’d think we see. So like, just having people come out, and download our music online. Cause, as long as people know the words, we’re stoked as hell. We’re over here in the U.K, and a few of the people were singing along, and we were like we never have been here before. We’re a new band, and it blows our mind.

Shannah Lauren: Yeah definitely! If you could have any tour list, any bands involved, who would it be?

Cody: Like, Jimmy Eat World, Blink 182.

A.J: Yeah, U2. (laughs)

Cody: Bands that have been around, and will stay around forever.

Shannah Lauren: So do you have a message that you’d like to send out to your fans?

A.J: Thank you for supporting us, and if your not a fan yet, please check out our music. And hopefully, you’ll love it like some people do.

Shannah Lauren: Well thank you guys so much for the interview!

A.J: Thank you! It was so awesome.