After the cut check out an interview we got to do with Punchline about their latest album Delightfully Pleased and find out how they’ve managed to keep it together as a band for over ten years now. Make sure you go pick up their new album, Delightfully Pleased, in stores and online now!
The band has been together now for over 10 years, what do you think has kept you guys going for so long?
I think the reason we’ve been a band for so long is because we all like playing and we like what we’re doing so there was never really a reason to stop playing. I kinda also feel like that as long as every album, in our opinion, is better than the last we’re going to keep going. If at any point we’re like ‘that album we just made is not as good as our last couple’ then that will probably be the end. So as long as we keep progressing musically in our opinion then I think we’ll keep being a band. We’ve been together for 13 years now, I don’t think there’s any reason why we couldn’t be a band for another 13. We’re all really good friends and we all like playing music a lot, so I think that’s all there is to it. Regardless of how many records we sell or anything like that, I think we’ll pretty much always be a band.
I think the reason we’ve been a band for so long is because we all like playing and we like what we’re doing so there was never really a reason to stop playing. I kinda also feel like that as long as every album, in our opinion, is better than the last we’re going to keep going. If at any point we’re like ‘that album we just made is not as good as our last couple’ then that will probably be the end. So as long as we keep progressing musically in our opinion then I think we’ll keep being a band. We’ve been together for 13 years now, I don’t think there’s any reason why we couldn’t be a band for another 13. We’re all really good friends and we all like playing music a lot, so I think that’s all there is to it. Regardless of how many records we sell or anything like that, I think we’ll pretty much always be a band.
Tell us a little about the new album, Delightfully Pleased, what was the intended direction for this album?
We wanted to make an album that was kinda an all out. Like on the last couple we had some slower songs, some piano, we were like ‘We want to make an all out rock and roll your windows down in your car kinda album’ and I think that we did that. I tested it out after we got it, I rolled my windows down and drove around and listened so I think we succeeded in that. I think it’s the album that people who have known and liked our band for awhile have wanted us to make and I’m kind of glad we made it. If we want to go in a different direction for future albums I think that’s cool but I’m really glad that we made this one because I think we did what we’re best at. We’re pretty widely known as a pop punk band and I think that this album could very easily fall into pop punk but I think we do other things that kinda separate us from that general term. Yeah that was our intention, was to make the best album possible and make it pretty rockin’ and I think we succeeded.
We wanted to make an album that was kinda an all out. Like on the last couple we had some slower songs, some piano, we were like ‘We want to make an all out rock and roll your windows down in your car kinda album’ and I think that we did that. I tested it out after we got it, I rolled my windows down and drove around and listened so I think we succeeded in that. I think it’s the album that people who have known and liked our band for awhile have wanted us to make and I’m kind of glad we made it. If we want to go in a different direction for future albums I think that’s cool but I’m really glad that we made this one because I think we did what we’re best at. We’re pretty widely known as a pop punk band and I think that this album could very easily fall into pop punk but I think we do other things that kinda separate us from that general term. Yeah that was our intention, was to make the best album possible and make it pretty rockin’ and I think we succeeded.
Do you have any upcoming tours to support the release of the new album?
We have some shows coming up and we’re going to be doing a Japanese tour in November. Our lead singer Steve, he had finished 3 years of college and never finished his 4th year so right now, this fall, is his final semester so all we’re doing til he finishes is anywhere that’s within 10 hours of us we’re going to do a lot of weekends. We’ll do a Detroit weekend, we’re going to do all through Pennsylvania, anywhere that we can but we won’t be doing a full US tour or anything like that until starting in December. We’re not sure what we’re going to do yet, what the first tour we’re going to do yet is but we’re definitely going to be doing a lot of shows and doing a lot of planning and some music videos and possibly even some recording before that, while Steve finishes up his last semester of school.
We have some shows coming up and we’re going to be doing a Japanese tour in November. Our lead singer Steve, he had finished 3 years of college and never finished his 4th year so right now, this fall, is his final semester so all we’re doing til he finishes is anywhere that’s within 10 hours of us we’re going to do a lot of weekends. We’ll do a Detroit weekend, we’re going to do all through Pennsylvania, anywhere that we can but we won’t be doing a full US tour or anything like that until starting in December. We’re not sure what we’re going to do yet, what the first tour we’re going to do yet is but we’re definitely going to be doing a lot of shows and doing a lot of planning and some music videos and possibly even some recording before that, while Steve finishes up his last semester of school.
Are there any other major highlights or differences between Delightfully Pleased and Just Say Yes?
I think one of the main differences is that we have a lineup change and we have an original member, Paul, so 3 out of the 4 of us are original members, Paul’s back in the band and I think that our drummer Cory is the best drummer I’ve ever played with. I think that musicianship wise everything stepped up, and as far as song wise, I’m really happy with Just Say Yes and I thought that up until we recorded this album, I thought it was our best album and we did some cool things on that album. I’m not like putting that album down or anything but I definitely think that we really kind of hit our stride on this album, I think it’s our best lineup. A lot of people that have liked our band for awhile really like the combination of Steve and Paul’s vocals and I think adding a really solid drummer and now we have 4 singers so it just helps a lot in our overall sound.
I think one of the main differences is that we have a lineup change and we have an original member, Paul, so 3 out of the 4 of us are original members, Paul’s back in the band and I think that our drummer Cory is the best drummer I’ve ever played with. I think that musicianship wise everything stepped up, and as far as song wise, I’m really happy with Just Say Yes and I thought that up until we recorded this album, I thought it was our best album and we did some cool things on that album. I’m not like putting that album down or anything but I definitely think that we really kind of hit our stride on this album, I think it’s our best lineup. A lot of people that have liked our band for awhile really like the combination of Steve and Paul’s vocals and I think adding a really solid drummer and now we have 4 singers so it just helps a lot in our overall sound.
Do you have any personal favorite tracks from this album?
I think my favorite song on the album is Coyotes In B Major, it was a song that we had for a couple years but we had never found the perfect chorus for it, it was always like ‘we really like the verses, we really like the bridge’ but we really hadn’t found that chorus that really put it over the top. We worked on the song together with our current lineup and we finally found the chorus that we loved, fit perfect with it and we finally said ‘Okay this is it we finally get to put this song out.’ At that’s totally my favorite song on the album, I think it stands out; it’s kind of strange, I think it’s my favorite song on the album.
I think my favorite song on the album is Coyotes In B Major, it was a song that we had for a couple years but we had never found the perfect chorus for it, it was always like ‘we really like the verses, we really like the bridge’ but we really hadn’t found that chorus that really put it over the top. We worked on the song together with our current lineup and we finally found the chorus that we loved, fit perfect with it and we finally said ‘Okay this is it we finally get to put this song out.’ At that’s totally my favorite song on the album, I think it stands out; it’s kind of strange, I think it’s my favorite song on the album.
Why do you believe that this is your best album yet?
I think just overall everything about it from songwriting, being a band for awhile you kind of learn the ins and outs of songwriting, overall song wise and as far as the current members of the band, it’s overall the best line up that we’ve ever had, I think it’s the best collection of songs that we’ve ever put together, I think just overall from start to finish it’s our best. I don’t think there’s any filler on the album; I think that every song could stand alone. If I wanted to show someone our band who has never heard us, any song played on it I would be happy to let them listen to as a good example of our band.
I think just overall everything about it from songwriting, being a band for awhile you kind of learn the ins and outs of songwriting, overall song wise and as far as the current members of the band, it’s overall the best line up that we’ve ever had, I think it’s the best collection of songs that we’ve ever put together, I think just overall from start to finish it’s our best. I don’t think there’s any filler on the album; I think that every song could stand alone. If I wanted to show someone our band who has never heard us, any song played on it I would be happy to let them listen to as a good example of our band.
What distinguishes you from the other pop punk bands that you mentioned you often get grouped with?
I think that you can take our songs and we play a style of upbeat songs with distorted guitars and some faster beats and we get grouped as pop punk but I think that you could take our songs and you could play them country and I feel confident that they would still be good songs. I feel like what makes a good song is not all the production that goes into it but I think that if you could take a song with one guitar, sit down and play it and it’s still a good song then you’re doing fucking good. I feel pretty good about the fact that you can do that with any of the songs on this album. I grew up listening to a lot of pop punk music all across the board and I think what also distinguishes us is we’re pretty confident in our lyrics and the message behind our songs. I think we’re writing pretty meaningful stuff from the heart, I don’t think we’re just writing fluff.
I think that you can take our songs and we play a style of upbeat songs with distorted guitars and some faster beats and we get grouped as pop punk but I think that you could take our songs and you could play them country and I feel confident that they would still be good songs. I feel like what makes a good song is not all the production that goes into it but I think that if you could take a song with one guitar, sit down and play it and it’s still a good song then you’re doing fucking good. I feel pretty good about the fact that you can do that with any of the songs on this album. I grew up listening to a lot of pop punk music all across the board and I think what also distinguishes us is we’re pretty confident in our lyrics and the message behind our songs. I think we’re writing pretty meaningful stuff from the heart, I don’t think we’re just writing fluff.
How would you say over the last 13 years you’ve grown as a person as well as a musician?
I’m definitely a lot different of a person than I was. When you’re in a band and you’re younger, you’ve got your eyes on wanting to be some huge band, you have big dreams and big expectations and I think as your get older you become more of a realist and realize that it’s awesome that you can make music with your friends and have people listen to it. It’s cool to start our own record label and put out some other bands’ music. I feel overall as a musician there’s a natural growth, if you’re not getting better as a musician over a course of that time then there’s probably something wrong. As a person, I think I’ve become a lot more chilled out, I think we all kinda have, I think everyone when you’re younger is a little crazier but I think we’re just 4 laid back guys that like to play music. We’ve always liked to play music but I think we were a little more high strung when we first started out but now every time we play together it’s a really enjoyable experience, especially recording, recording is always awesome. I think we want to get to the point where we can put out an album every year; it’s been about every 2 years for us. We have a pretty big backlog of songs and we’re always writing songs but I think it’s just been more a matter of funding it and being able to do tours in between.
I’m definitely a lot different of a person than I was. When you’re in a band and you’re younger, you’ve got your eyes on wanting to be some huge band, you have big dreams and big expectations and I think as your get older you become more of a realist and realize that it’s awesome that you can make music with your friends and have people listen to it. It’s cool to start our own record label and put out some other bands’ music. I feel overall as a musician there’s a natural growth, if you’re not getting better as a musician over a course of that time then there’s probably something wrong. As a person, I think I’ve become a lot more chilled out, I think we all kinda have, I think everyone when you’re younger is a little crazier but I think we’re just 4 laid back guys that like to play music. We’ve always liked to play music but I think we were a little more high strung when we first started out but now every time we play together it’s a really enjoyable experience, especially recording, recording is always awesome. I think we want to get to the point where we can put out an album every year; it’s been about every 2 years for us. We have a pretty big backlog of songs and we’re always writing songs but I think it’s just been more a matter of funding it and being able to do tours in between.
