Tonight Alive are experiencing the snowball effect. Over the past two years, the Aussie-based quintet went from being virtual unknowns to a bona fide pop-punk troupe on the brink of international superstardom. The five-piece signed label deals with Sony Australia and Fearless Records, collaborated with Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus and charmed native audiences with empowering music.
Now, the Jenna McDougall-led collective returns to the United States just in time for the Lucky Street Tour to promote the re-release of their freshly minted debut album “What Are You So Scared Of?” Tonight Alive is so excited, they might strip for joy despite how frigid the weather may be. Apparently, the four dudes in the band have a history of doing that.
“It was freezing last time we were in town! It was also the first time a lot of us saw snow,” McDougall, the only female in the group, recalls. “A stand out memory from the Fearless Friends Tour would definitely be our first sighting of snow where the boys -- in their tradition -- got naked and ran around off the side of the highway.”
Streaking aside, Tonight Alive bare all on “What Are You So Scared Of?” Produced by Mark Trombino (Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World, Silverstein), the troupe come across as the Aussie version of Paramore on the sincere 12-track offering.
The upbeat “Starlight” is a catchy single about being happy despite the problem’s surrounding one’s self, the introspective “Let It Land” deals with the difficulty of re-adjustment and the pulsating “Breaking & Entering” focuses on regaining a grip when life spirals out of control. Also, the group gets an assist from Mark Hoppus on the pop-punk ditty “Thank You & Goodnight” where McDougall and the Blink 182 front man sing about a mutual break-up.
Lyrically speaking, McDougall uses the album to overcome her ultimate fear -- a fear shared by many young adults. “My original idea for the concept of 'What Are You So Scared Of?' stemmed from my fear of being judged,” she admits. “The whole idea of the album and the message is that such a simple question can give you a lot of answers and often putting a face or a name to your fears makes them a lot less scary and a lot easier to move on from.”
“The record wasn't written as a concept album,” the 19-year-old continues. “But by the end of the writing process, it became evident that every song in the track listing was my way of getting over something. The songs are generally about growing up; the struggles you face with love, loss and within yourself.”
Formed in 2008, the pop-punk quintet recorded a couple of tracks, uploaded them on the Internet and, even though MySpace’s role in the social media world had begun to diminish by then, the networking site allowed the group to have a central destination for their music, videos and fan interaction.
Although their popularity was rising, the Aussies were barely scraping by. “We were just five best friends writing and playing music. It was kinda simple really,” McDougall says. “To be honest though, we've been broke since the day this band started moving. When the boys left school -- one year prior to me -- they all got jobs, but later quit them in a summer of preparation for the year of touring we faced. It wasn't ‘til I was 18 and out of school that I got my first job at a coffee shop. But once our touring took off, we had no time to work.”
Eventually, they acquired management and built a core following by opening up for other artists. Also, they saved up enough money to fund their independent EP “All Shapes And Disguises,” which was released in 2010. That attracted attention from a plethora of record companies and, ultimately, Tonight Alive signed with Sony Australia.
"For us, it was never about being signed to a 'major label."
“It was their immediate passion and drive for the band that won us over,” McDougall explains. “For us, it was never about being signed to a 'major label.’ It was always about having close and personal working relationships on the business side of things, so the team at Sony [Australia] were a big part of why we signed.”
The pop-punk troupe released “What Are You So Scared Of?” this past October in Australia only and, thanks to their new partner Fearless Records, dropped it on Valentine’s Day 2012 in North America. Tonight Alive will support the effort on the Lucky Street Tour with Go Radio from March 20th at Emerson Theatre in Indianapolis, Indiana through May 2nd at the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, California. From there, they’ll hop on Warped Tour all summer long.
With valuable time by their side, Tonight Alive hopes to continue expanding their presence in the ‘States and also deliver a valuable message to their growing legion of fans. “You have a purpose and you have the potential to do anything you set your heart and mind to,” McDougall says. “Don't waste your life holding back or being afraid to make mistakes. Everything happens for a reason, so make the best of what you have and don't get caught up in the little things.”
Tonight Alive isn’t holding anything back. After all, they go streaking alongside random highways. It’s in their tradition.
Band
- Jenna McDougall – Vocals
- Whakaio Taahi – Guitar/Vocals
- Jake Hardy – Guitar
- Cam Adler – Bass
- Matt Best - Drums
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