Idobi Radio Summer School Tour Preview

This article has been imported from chorus.fm for discussion. All of the forum rules still apply.

Recently, I was able to schedule some Zoom calls with Idol Radio Summer School Tour artists Taylor Acorn, Charlotte Sands, and Arrows In Action to ask them about what they’re most looking forward to once the trek kicks off today (July 11th). In these full interviews with each artist, I asked each of them about their own “summer school” experiences as kids, the music they have been working on, and what to look forward to from each of them once the tour wraps up. Idol Radio’s Summer School starts now, and there are still a few tickets available here.

Taylor Acorn

Thanks for your time today, Taylor! It’s nice to finally meet face to face, albeit via Zoom, but this works! Chorus recently premiered a key single from your deluxe version of your incredible record, Survival In Motion, called “Burning House.” Now that the song has been out for a bit, what do you think the fan response has been to it?

Oh, man. I think it’s been awesome. This song wasn’t one that was essentially on my bingo card to release this year, but it’s been one that…I think we wrote it back in 2022, or something like that. And it’s always been one that’s kind of stuck with me for the last few years. And when we were talking about doing an album, sorry, we’re filming a music video at the moment in Kentucky…

I saw something on Instagram about dirt bikes and possibly…fire?

Yeah, so I’ve got a crew of people in there and they’re burning it. They just set a stake on fire. It’s smoking really badly… <Laughter> So yeah, this <song> has been one that, since we wrote it, I’ve always had this major love for it, and just couldn’t stop thinking about it. And was just thinking about when we could put it out, and when it came up to the idea of putting out a deluxe album and just how everything sounds and the cohesiveness of it. I was like, this song feels like it could fit in that world and help really bridge the gap between how the new music is going to sound versus the old record. So I’m really glad that everybody was on board with that, and now it’s out. And it’s actually really funny, because that song, when I first wrote it, I sent it to my sister, and that’s one of her favorite songs that I’ve ever written. And so she texted me afterwards, and she’s like, “I don’t think I feel good about everybody else hearing it!” <Laughter> Her own little secret gem…So it’s just cool to be able to see people reacting the way that my sister did, and it seems like people really love it.

Yeah, I think it’s great. Your vocal performance in particular was really impressive on that one.

Thank you! Yeah, it was very different. That was the one thing too. We wrote it actually with the boys from the band, Grayscale, and Colin. So Colin was very adamant. He was like, we should try to go for a Cranberries kind of vibe. And I was like, I don’t know if I can pull that off, but we’re gonna try! And when we finished it, we’re like, “Man, this is really cool!” And it just feels different from the rest of the record, but also still has the same type of production feel and everything. So yeah, it was just a cool little little additive to that.

Yeah, and the deluxe version also has a key collaboration with your Summer School touring friend Charlotte Sands, called “Final Nail.” I believe this used to be a vinyl only track, so why’d you feel it was important for fans to hear this on the full, deluxe version?

I mean, first of all, I just love Charlotte to death. I think that she’s so incredibly talented. And so when we wrote “Final Nail,” it was, like, one of those things where I wanted to eventually be able to single it out so people would be able to get that full experience of the both of us singing together. But I kind of wanted to still have a little bit of mystery to it too. So I think when people would buy the record and they saw that feature, they would get excited saying, “Oh, this is the only thing that I have right now.” And so, yeah, when we decided to do the full record, I just thought that it just made sense to have her and all of the features on there. And it just kind of brings a little bit more attention to it, especially going into the Summer School tour with her. I just thought it was a cool little thing to add.

The song sounds great. And I assume you guys are gonna try to pull it off live too, right?

Hopefully! I’m not gonna pressure her, with how exhausting touring is. And so, yeah, maybe, maybe we’ll pull it out in a night or two. Or, maybe she’ll be up for it every single night. I don’t know!

What are you most looking forward to with this Summer School tour?

Oh, man. I mean, I think what’s so exciting about it all is that it’s so many of my friends and, like, especially the boys from Arrows In Action. They were one of the first bands that when I transitioned into making the genre of music that I make now, they were the first tour that I was on. It was This Wildlife, myself, and Arrows. And it was so funny, because at that time, obviously, it was still kind of like the world was opening back up again a little bit, but not quite fully. So when we went out, I only had my own guitarist, but they actually posed as my band! <Laughter> We shared a van, we did all the things. And so it was so funny, because they would be on stage before me, get off stage, and then I would come on stage. And so I think people thought we were an actual band for the longest time. <Laughter> It’s just fun to be able to look back on those times when we were a lot smaller in the scene, versus now, where we’re headlining now, and they’re playing big sets as well. And just to be able to experience this with them, it all feels really awesome. All of the bands are just really incredible people, and so just to be able to share this experience with all of them is going to be really fun.

That’s awesome. Actually, I’ll be chatting with Arrows In Action after our interview wraps!

Oh, wow! Tell them I said hello.

Will do! What are some of your favorite memories of being on tour and playing your songs to all these people live?

Oh, man. I mean, I feel like every show is so different. Obviously we’ve gone all the way across the pond, in different countries and stuff. And I feel like every single show is just its own thing. I think being able to finally connect with people and see people, especially because of the fact that when I started really taking off, we were in quarantine. So for the longest time, I was connecting with people online, and you don’t really know if they’re real people that are going to show up, or whatever it may be. And to see the people show up and to sing all those songs, and just to be able to connect with people, I feel like, is my favorite thing. I’ve been off <tour> now for, I think, five or six months, and this is the longest time that I’ve been off from touring in a really long time. And so I just am getting antsy for that connection again. And I think that’s the main thing that I look forward to. I just love it when I’m on stage, and especially with my band and everything. It just feels so surreal. I feel so fortunate to be able to do this. We have a lot of fun on stage. And I think it really all too comes down to just the group of people that I tour with. The team that I’ve been able to build the last few years. We’re just family, and so I’m super excited just to be able to spend that time with them again.

And speaking of Summer School, did you ever attend it as a kid? I was wondering if that brought back any memories, good or bad…

Did I go to summer school? Yeah. Yes, I did. I was one of the students that was very much into the sports aspect of school. I played soccer and basketball, and I ran track, but the problem is I was really interested in that side of everything, and really passionate about that…so when it came to school, my ADHD, man. I just couldn’t pay attention! And I struggled really, really badly. So yeah, I did have to go to summer school. I think it was my junior year summer.

Hopefully this go-round will be a better experience with being on stage and playing music instead of learning!

Yeah, it’s gonna be a little different.

What was your music upbringing like as a kid, and what inspired you to want to make music in the first place?

Oh, man. Ever since I was really, really young, I just remember being so drawn to music. My dad was a huge rock fan, so growing up, we listened to a lot of Metallica, Disturbed, and when Kid Rock popped on the scene, plus Limp Bizkit, <I was hooked>. And my brother is six years older than me, so I think I acquired a lot of his music tastes too. And I think he really thought it was funny that my sister and I would be doing the “Disturbed ooo-ahhh-ahhh-ahhh!” at five years old <Laughter> And I spent a lot of my childhood in Seattle, which has a really big rock scene, and all those things. And I just think I was really drawn to it. And I love to sing. I remember my mom, I think they put me in a vocal lesson when I was five years old. And, I just really loved that. But obviously, at five years old, your vocal cords haven’t fully developed, so they pulled me out of that, and I actually taught myself how to sing by listening to the Fallen record by Evanescence. I literally would, like, put it in my big boom box I had, like, a karaoke machine. And I would sneak downstairs at 7am, plug in my little Sony headphones. You know, the ones that have the foam over the top? I would like, plug it in and listen to that record. And I was singing “Tourniquet” over and over again. My mom’s like, are you okay?

That’s probably my favorite song on that Evanescence record…

I love that song, and “Nobody’s Fool”…so good. So I would listen to that, and I would sing, and I would try to mimic her vocals. And I felt really drawn to rock music in that way. And then I first sang in front of a group of people when I was in, I think, seventh grade. I did a school talent show. And I remember I sang Carrie Underwood, and it was literally to the actual recorded version. And that was the first time anybody knew I could sing since before then I was just kind of hiding it in my room. My family knew I loved it, but I never took it seriously. And then, as the years progressed, I got more into playing guitar, and I taught myself how to play guitar on YouTube, plus I had a friend in high school who also played guitar. So we formed our own little acoustic band. We called ourselves Tame Cal. So we would go around town and do talent shows and stuff but it always felt like something that I wanted to do in the future. But I was living in such a small town at the time. My family, my dad, passed away in 2001 and after that, my family moved to Pennsylvania to be closer to family, because my dad’s family is out there, and my mom’s family is out there. That’s where they’re all originally from. So when we moved out there, like looking around and being like, no one else here is trying to chase that dream, so I felt almost pressured into doing the “go to college, get a career…”And obviously nothing wrong with that. But for me, I don’t know it just it never felt like it was what I was supposed to be doing. So I’m very happy that I eventually did try to take the leap of faith and take music seriously. It was just a thing that I really, really loved, and now I get to do it every single day, and I get to sing with people. And it’s incredible. It’s the best job in the world.

Yeah, that’s a really interesting answer too. I didn’t know all that background about you! What are your goals for the rest of this year?

I mean, definitely more shows. Hopefully after Summer School we get to do another tour. That’d be amazing. New music, all of that stuff. And I’m just so grateful to even be able to do this. I kind of just take it one day at a time, and try not to get too ahead of myself, but definitely more music and shows.

Great to hear! The last question I have for you is now that the quote, unquote “full artistic statement” of Survival In Motion is out, what would you remember most from this era of your dynamic music?

I mean, I think the biggest thing that I have taken away from it is just how much more confident I’ve become in my writing and in my artistry. I think the whole process of writing this album was so fun. I actually got to write it with my two best friends, Dan Swank, who I’ve been working with for the last seven years, which is just so cool to see the progression and see what we’ve been able to achieve has just grown over the years. And then my best friend, Emma White, and just the whole process, we didn’t know that we were writing an album. It just kind of happened. We were just going into the studio and having literally the best time. And by the end of it all, I remember Dan pulling up all of the songs on his screen, and he was like, “Wouldn’t this be crazy if this was the album?” And I was like, “No, that literally is that!” And so it just, it just felt so organic, and it was so fun, and to be with two people who I trust with my entire life…I think that’s the biggest thing, and the fact that I was, and still am, so proud of all of those songs, it really pushed me to strive to be as creative as possible. And now, moving forward, going into this new music, I’ve just felt such a shift and the dynamic and my own like confidence, you know? And I think that, to me, is just a really cool feeling. And I don’t know it’s just…I’m sad that that chapter is closing. I think that’s why I wanted to put out the deluxe. Because I was like, “I’m not ready yet!”

Yeah, it’s tough to let go of a great thing…

But I mean, for it being my first vinyl, for it being my first full-length album, I can hang my hat on that. So it was a really amazing experience, and I got to do it with everybody that I loved the most and people that truly believed in me. And there’s something that’s just really special about that.

Yeah, and not everybody’s that fortunate with their debut album to have that kind of support system/record label and everything like that. So kudos to you and your team.

Yeah, and that was another thing. I mean, to look back and be like, “Dang, we did this without a label. It was fully independent, and I worked my butt off, to be able to do something like that. And now to have it all come together, like you said, it’s crazy to have a team of people that are just so encouraging of doing things like that. <The fact> that no one strayed away from my ideas, and everybody was fully on board…everybody was there to help and work and make it the best that they could. And, yeah, it was really awesome. And so moving into this next chapter, it’s gonna be different, but I’m excited!

That’s awesome. I hope you stay safe, and I’m looking forward to seeing you on tour. And also, try not to burn too many things down with that burning stick in the background… <Laughter>

<Laughter> I had to open the door, because it was so smoky! And I went to grab it, and I just see Dalton in the background with a stick, and it’s just smoking. This is chaotic!

The irony was, we were talking about the song called “Burning House” at the time too! <Laughter>

Oh, goodness! Yeah.

It was so nice to talk with you, Taylor!

Thank you so much for having me, and I’ll be excited to see you at the show.

Likewise! Take care, and we’ll talk more soon.

Thanks, Adam!

Charlotte Sands

Thank you so much for your time today, Charlotte. It’s great to reconnect and see you again. Since we last spoke, you’ve released an EP, a killer debut record called Can We Start Over?, been on several key tours and now gearing up for Summer School with Taylor Acorn, Arrows In Action and many more. What are you most looking forward to on this upcoming tour?

Oh, so much. I think I’m so excited to be able to have a touring experience with so many other bands on the same lineup, and the fact that we’re all kind of moving as a unit together from city to city, and just get to experience the entire days together. It just feels like a big family already, and it just feels like a summer camp that’s touring together. And I just love the people that are going to be there. I’m already such good friends with so many of the bands, and so it just is going to be such a fun experience for the artists, and for the audience as well, and I’m so excited for it!

That’s awesome! And I understand you’ve also done some guest spots with Taylor Acorn in the past, and possibly vice-versa in the future. What do you have to say about that?

Yeah, I would love to. I mean, she’s just incredible. And she’s honestly become one of my really good friends in the last few months. And so the fact that we just get to spend so much time together, and I get to spend time with somebody who I would want to be hanging out with anyway, is so incredible. I’m such a fan of her, I’m such a fan of her music, and I feel so lucky that we’ve been able to work together in that capacity, and that we get to work together even more in the future.

That’s great to hear, and you recently released a cool single called “Hush,” which I love, by the way…It’s kind of like a dance club anthem that has another great vocal performance by yourself as well. Who produced the track?

Keith Sorels and Oscar Linander, who did a lot of the songs on Can We Start Over? album as well.

Nice, yeah, it’s a good progression from that album, and a good jumping off point to where you can go in the future. Can you explain some of the lyrics behind “Hush”?

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, that song started because I really wanted to write…I had “hush” written down in my phone for a long time, and just wanted to write a song that felt loud but was almost saying the opposite. And when I wrote that song, and originally I had just come up with that chorus/melody, and I think, on the way to the session, I just started singing random things. And I really wanted to experiment more with electronic rock/leaning types of things, so we just kind of wrote that track. And then for a few months, I honestly thought that I would probably just end up pitching that song because I felt like it was very pop. And at that time, it didn’t feel like it fit with what else I was doing, but then I just kind of grew into it and grew into loving it and couldn’t imagine it not being mine. And so Keith and Oscar ended up just adding more like live drums and live elements to make it feel more like me. And then it just felt like it fit perfectly, and we were able to combine all those elements that I loved,

I agree with everything you’re saying, it’s really good. What’s been the fan reaction to the single?

I mean, it’s been amazing that people are so supportive and so kind. And I think I do really want to try and bring people just more light-hearted, fun experiences sometimes, and I think sometimes I forget, as an artist, that my responsibility is to also help let people escape their realities and their normal day-to-day lives. And sometimes making music that can just be fun and exciting, and yeah, you can just dance to it or just have a good time too. It is also as important as having music that has a lot of emotional depth or tells really specific stories or experiences. So, it’s been wonderful, and I think people are just having a really good time with it. I’m really excited to play it live on this tour.

That’s awesome. And you’ve been a big proponent of mental health awareness. What advice would you give people going through all the everyday stressors of today’s news cycle and everything else?

It’s a lot. I think I am somebody who is currently, every day, I feel like I’m having to go through the struggle of trying to keep myself in the loop and keep myself educated on what’s going on. But also trying to balance the emotional strain that that puts on each of us, some more than others. And it is really complicated, and it’s really difficult, and I think as somebody with a platform as well, it is difficult to figure out the balance of speaking out and sharing information on your platform and trying to really speak up for certain groups of people in certain communities that don’t have the same privileges, and don’t have the same platforms that I do right now. I think everyone is just trying to do their best. I know that I am, and I think it’s really important to take time away from your phone…I try to go on walks every day and listen to my audio books and kind of decompress. Also reach out to people and have thoughtful conversations with the people that share the same views that you do, and things that they can help support you in those emotions and those feelings, and know that you can be open and honest with them. And yeah, I think it’s a really difficult time for a lot of people, but we’re all in it together, and that’s why this tour is gonna release a little bit of stress. I hope it can be an outlet for some people to just escape a lot of the reality, just enjoy themselves, and have a good time.

That’s great advice, Charlotte. Did you ever have to attend summer school as a kid?

That’s a great question. Honestly, I think I did. I think my mom, who has always worked in education…she was actually the principal of one of the schools that I was at, so I think I actually did attend <summer school>, but not because I had to take classes. It was because she was teaching, and so I would go with her throughout the summer and help her grade tests and just hang out in her office, play games, and run around the hallways. But that was actually some of my favorite experiences. There’s something about a school when it’s completely empty, throughout the summer and just coming and going. I’ve always really loved those memories and that experience.

And I think <the Summer School Tour promoters> did some of the promo footage in a school, right?

Yeah! Which is so much fun like shooting that it was definitely such a throwback to being in a classroom years and years ago.

Nice! I also come from a family of educators, and I used to be a fourth grade teacher.

Oh, no way! That’s incredible. I really wanted to, and I thought I wanted to go into early education when I was in high school, and I interned for about two weeks, and then realized that I did not have the patience! <Laughter>

Now I have three kids, so I have my own kiddos to worry about. <Laughter> So looking back on the Can We Start Over? era, what are you most proud of accomplishing?

I would say I’m the most proud of doing my first world tour with that album. And I think for me, I’m definitely like a person who needs to see something physically in my hands or really experience something in person for me to actually understand the gravity of it. And so a lot of times, I think our careers are so much based on numbers and metrics and things online. And people are like, “Oh, you’re doing this well because of this, and you have this many people listening to you…”but that stuff never feels real to me because it’s not tangible. It feels like it can just disappear at any moment. And so it’s hard for me to actually see those as real things. But then the second I’m in those shows, especially outside of the US, and I’m able to experience audiences in countries and places that I’ve never been before…It just completely shifted my mind and made me realize how far the reach actually was. Being able to play one of my biggest shows or headlining shows in London, and realize that I’m like, “Oh, okay. There are people in London that are listening to my music and across the world, and that’s just so exciting. And then my team was like, “Yeah, we’ve been telling you this!” But to me, it’s just when I see the people, I see their faces, and I hear their voices singing the songs, that is the moment that clicks for me. And I feel like it defeats the imposter syndrome that usually exists. And that’s the moment that I can actually be present and be like, “Oh, okay. This is my show.” People come here for these songs, and it’s really exciting. And those moments were the things I was the most proud of, and being able to accomplish that with my team as an independent artist, was incredible.

That’s got to be such a self-motivating thing. To hear people singing your music back to you that you created.

Especially in different accents! That is something that I think a lot of people don’t realize. It’s so interesting because so many other countries, most people, I mean, in Europe and stuff, they’re bilingual. And they can speak so many different languages, which is so incredibly impressive. And so they’ve learned all these songs, and all these people in Budapest, Poland, and all these places have learned these songs completely in English. And are singing them back to me. It’s just so incredible, and it’s just the most exciting experience every time.

That’s the power of music in a nutshell. When do you think fans can expect another EP, full-length record, or another single?

Um, there’s definitely more music. I think that’s all I could say <for now>. There’s a lot of music that I have been writing for the last year. I am so excited about the songs that we do have, and there will definitely be some music sooner than most people might think, and there’ll definitely be new music on this tour, perhaps. I think I’m gonna play some unreleased songs as well.

Very, very good teaser there, Charlotte! <Laughter> What advice would you give to fans looking for a way to escape by going to one of these Summer School shows?

I think our hope is really to create an experience of a community where people feel welcome, they feel free to be themselves, feel celebrated in their differences, and all of these things that so often people <say that they> can’t feel in their normal lives. Unfortunately, not everybody has a really safe space or a safe community where they can fully express themselves, and that is always my goal. To create an environment where everybody can be welcome as themselves and as like the truest form of themselves. And I know that the other artists on the bill feel the same exact way, so my hope is that everyone can just come as they are, meet friends, meet other people in their cities that feel the same way, like the same music, and hopefully just continue those relationships and build a community of wonderful people.

That’s incredible, and I hope people get there early, because it’s a killer lineup from start to finish.

So many incredible people. I really hope that they all show up and have such a wonderful time enjoying so much of that music, because I know that I will be every single night, so I’m really excited.

That’s awesome. The last question I have for you is where have you been finding most of your inspiration over these past few years that you’ve been able to put directly into your own art?

I think so much of my inspiration honestly comes from live shows, and just being able to witness people experience music at my own shows, as well as shows that I am just genuinely a fan of. And I think when I experience things again, in real time, and in real physical settings, it gives me these ideas, and it makes me feel more creative. What I want to create in the world is the experience that I want to create for other people, sonically. And I think there’s so many incredible artists right now that I’m such a fan of…Taylor <Acorn>, The Beauty School, and Rain City Drive, and all these incredible people on the tour that I listen to their music constantly, and I’m so inspired by people making music that is just so unapologetically theirs. And so I think live shows are always a way that I try to get back into feeling creative and going to shows and being able to just be a fan and an audience member. I can’t wait to do that all summer!

That’s awesome, and I know most people tend to just associate you as the “guest feature” on The Maine/Taking Back Sunday’s big single called “Loved You A Little”, but you truly are your own artist now, and I think you’ve outgrown that “shadow”, so to speak.

Honestly, I’ll love <that song> forever. Such an honor. I would be happy and honored to be known as that person. I am so grateful to be aligned with <The Maine> and to be able to sing that song with them all over the world has been one of my favorite experiences of my entire career, and they’re great. They’re the nicest people ever, really. That <song> has brought me so much joy and so many new relationships and friendships. So yeah, if “Loved You a Little” is written on my headstone, I’ll die happily.

That’s so great, Charlotte! And I’ll be at the Fillmore Silver Spring for my local Summer School stop, too.

That’s gonna be amazing. I can’t wait to see you!

Likewise! Have a great rest of your day.

Arrows in Action

Thanks for your time, and it’s great to reconnect with each of you! Since we last spoke, Arrows In Action have played a multitude of concerts, had some great songs get played on radio, and released a killer debut album called Built To Last, which I still love. Now, you’ve released an equally thrilling first part of your new record called I think I’ve been Here Before. So how would you describe this latest run of music?

Victor Viramontes-Pattison (Vocals/Guitar): The first half of this record is very bright and sunny. As we were writing the record, we kind of liked how <the two sides> kind of shaped into two halves, in a way, and we just thought this would be a really cool way to give fans more music, more frequently. And it’s kind of cool, the way that it works in the first half of the year being like spring into summer. And then as we get into the other side, with the first side being day, second side being night, it’ll get darker, and “Cheekbones” is on that side as well, too.

That’s cool. So how would you describe the touring that’s been going on in between these two records?

Matthew Fowler (Guitar): Oh, man, there’s been so much. I mean, after the Built To Last tour, that was sort of our first ever full US headliner, and that was just a dream come true. How crazy that was! I mean, we had Huddy out with us, Back On Revenge with us, and then The Finished Ticket. We did another lap around the US and cities we hadn’t been to before last summer. And then we also, we got to open for Marianas Trench.

Oh, wow! That must’ve been insane.

Victor Viramontes-Pattison (Vocals/Guitar): And we did that right after we put out the Built To Last record too, so we did that tour, and we got to go to the UK with The Summer Set which was super special. Our first time over there.

Matthew Fowler (Guitar): We also did a festival and a London headliner, and now we’re back over here for the third time in a lot of these places…but first time ever through Europe. So we just finished playing in Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Berlin, over in Czech, and a festival called Rock For People. And then all the way back over for Download, which has been, again, just a total dream come true, playing in front of probably the biggest crowds we’ve ever played in front of at those festivals. And then the headliners have just been absolutely surreal, being in places that we have never been before, so far from home, and having everyone just go crazy every night. Especially for the new songs, we’ve been noticing that the songs on this upcoming record have been the biggest reactions each night. And that’s really encouraging and fun for us.

That’s awesome. And it sounds like maybe some of the same people are coming back to these venues that you’ve played before?

Jesse Frimmel (Drums): For sure. I don’t know if we could call it a split, but yeah, we’ll ask if you saw us with The Summer Set, and it’s like, yeah, maybe 50 <percent> each night. About half the room saw us then, and they came back to see us now, and the other half hadn’t seen us yet, and they’re seeing us for the first time. So it’s really, really cool.

That’s great to hear! One of the new singles, “Cheekbones,” seems to be doing particularly well on streaming, which is great for you guys. How much freedom does your band feel in choosing the singles from your albums?

Victor Viramontes-Pattison (Vocals/Guitar): Total freedom. And we’re all pretty aligned on what those singles end up being. I think, even as we’re writing them…it’s funny because when the record was done, we heard “Cheekbones,” and we were like, “Yeah, this is absolutely a single.” We were all pretty locked in on those.

Jesse Frimmel (Drums): Yeah, I mean, this is our first release with Nettwerk <Music Group>…but yeah, we had full control of that.

They probably didn’t even try to dissuade you… <Laughter>

Jesse Frimmel (Drums): Maybe? <Laughter> Maybe they’re like, “Oh, perfect. They picked the ones <we wanted>” and they just didn’t have to say anything. As far as how it all goes down, we were happy and got what we wanted.

And now that you have more music in your repertoire, do you factor streaming numbers into your setlist creation process?

Victor Viramontes-Pattison (Vocals/Guitar): With this run, particularly, I feel like it’s kind of funny how many of our older songs we’re making sure we play…because so many people in Paris and Amsterdam haven’t gotten to see <the older> songs played. So it’s been really cool to finally be able to play some of those songs for them. But then also have a good balance of all these new ones.

Jesse Frimmel (Drums): I mean, we’re only four years into <our> touring career? But streaming numbers are definitely something we look at. But as we play live more and more, you’ll see what songs, like “High”, which isn’t really high up in our streaming but always really goes off live. We’ve kind of made it a bit of a staple on the setlist, even if it’s not really top streamer. So I think, as we keep rotating in new stuff, that’ll influence live a little more than streaming, though. But you’ve gotta at least play the Top Five, right?

<Laughter> Someone yells, “Play the hits!” <Laughter> How does it feel to be included in this Summer School tour with Taylor Aorn, who I just chatted with, and Charlotte Sands, who I’ll be chatting with next week.

Matthew Fowler (Guitar): Really great. I mean, when we saw it obviously we knew about last summer’s <fest> pretty far in advance, because that was all friends as well. And we were just perfectly aligned to miss the Nashville show, I remember. So we had a bit of FOMO from all of our friends hanging out in summer camp. And then, this time, to go out with another batch of people…we don’t know everybody on the bill, but we know a lot of people in a lot of these bands/camps, and they’re all already friends of ours. So we’re just really looking forward to a fun summer.

Taylor mentioned that you guys used to be her backing band. Is that true?

Jesse Frimmel (Drums): <Laughter> That’s a very fun way to say that. But yes, on a legitimate tour, we were opening, and then Taylor was after us, and then This Wildlife was the headliner. So we would play our set, and then we’d come back out as her band, yeah, and her and her producer, Andrew. I think that was her first tour? Super cool to get to share that with her, of course, having put out “Uncomfortably Numb” together, and just to get to the history there is really fun.

Yeah, was it weird when…did people kind of get confused when you came back out on stage…again?

Matthew Fowler (Guitar): It definitely confused people, because we did not change clothes. <Laughter> We would mention it though! We started saying it in a couple shows, but it was especially funny because we would play our set and we would have “Uncomfortably Numb” in the set. And “Uncomfortably Numb” was the most recent single, but no one knew it yet, right? It didn’t blow up overnight or anything. So we would play it, I think, the third to last or second to last. And so Taylor would come up during our show too. So already she’s been out during our set, and then we had to say, “We’re gonna leave, and we’re gonna come back with her again. But it’s different this time!” And so it was a pretty funny scenario for This Wildlife, and we’re all still good friends with everyone because they had two openers with the same setup, and no change over…

Victor Viramontes-Pattison (Vocals/Guitar): Yeah, we shared a van for this whole thing, so we got really close to Taylor and Andrew through all that too.

I’m sure! So yeah, and I guess the next part about the Summer School rapidly approaching, I saw some of the promo videos with you in a school setting and stuff. Did any of you ever have to attend summer school in the past?

Jesse Frimmel (Drums): No, we were pretty good students.

Taylor <Acorn> did…<Laughter> and I think it maybe brought back some “memories.” So, you’ll have to razz her about that when this article goes live.

<Laughter>

So I understand you’re on tour in the UK currently, but I have to also ask about the end of the year festival, the Warped Tour in November in Orlando. What are you most excited about experiencing when you go to the Warped Tour?

Jesse Frimmel (Drums): Yeah, we’re all incredibly excited. I think that’s a thing that…this band’s been around long enough and we’ve all been in bands long enough to have wanted to have been on Warped Tour back when it was properly going, and then it died out in 2018. So I’ve kind of felt like, oh well…So to get to be a part of this kind of revival, and I think they’re gonna do a full tour, some day…

Yeah, they’ve already announced a new DC date for next year.

Jesse Frimmel (Drums): I actually last went to Warped in Orlando in 2018, so to get to go play that stage at the last place that I saw it is really exciting.

Matthew Fowler(Guitar): It’s funny, because it’s like a dream we didn’t know we could have. Like we would have been thinking about it if we knew it was even going to happen. And then we found out about the offer, and were blown away.

I know that COVID obviously derailed a lot of touring and stuff like that. So there was also that uncertainty too, right?

Matthew Fowler (Guitar): Yeah, that was a funny time. I mean, we had what would have been our first tour booked, and then that got canceled. And then we hunkered down and streamed on TikTok every week, and so many wonderful people that we still see it at real shows now. So we made the most of that <time>. But we saw a lot of friends lose a lot of opportunities. So yeah, it was tough.

Yeah, I bet. So how would you describe the direction that’s gonna be found on the Side B of I Think I’ve Been Here Before?

Victor Viramontes-Pattison (Vocals/Guitar): Some adjectives that <come to mind> are sexy, spooky…

Jesse Frimmel (Drums): Darker, sexier, and sad.

Is that the reason why there’s kind of “two sides to the coin”? Side A and Side B?

Jesse Frimmel (Drums): I mean, Side A is kind of fun and a little happy. Just like brighter sounds all around and then I’d say it takes a pretty…not drastic turn, but a noted change once you get to “Deja Vu”…

Victor Viramontes-Pattison (Vocals/Guitar): We kind of talked about “Deja Vu” being the song that kind of like, the sun starts setting, and it’s where the sun starts going down into the nighttime, and then “Empty Canvas” is just starting to get into the evening.

So where’d you guys do most of your writing for the new record?

Victor Viramontes-Pattison (Vocals/Guitar): I mean, we wrote this everywhere.We just kind of started technically, in Nashville, December of ‘24…Yes, time is weird. December 2024 in Nashville. And then to California, at Lake Arrowhead, and worked for about a week or two on the rest of the new songs. And kind of by that, we had the “bones” for most of it, and then a lot of it was just kind of tightening up the bolts, making decisions on what song kind of ended up on what side of the record, and kind of making it feel cohesive. Because even though we felt really good about everything, we wanted to use some of the same sounds on different songs to kind of tie them together. And I feel like we did a really good job of that while still having two distinct sides.

Matthew Fowler (Guitar): Something funny about the first side too is a lot of those songs were during inclement, snowy weather. Yeah, both in Nashville and when we were out in California, we had a narrow miss with a snow storm that was coming in.

Victor Viramontes-Pattison (Vocals/Guitar): Yeah, we wrote all the darker songs too when it was kind of nicer out. Yeah, that’s a bit reverse.

That’s interesting because it kind of gives you that Summer-y vibes, even when the weather is shitty out. <Laughter>

Matthew Fowler (Guitar): We were manifesting!

So can fans expect a vinyl version of the full record?

Jesse Frimmel (Drums): We’re actually selling it now on our tour in the UK. We will have it with us at Summer School, and I think it will also be on our merch store soon.

Excellent. I’m planning to be at the Fillmore Silver Spring date!

Jesse Frimmel (Drums): Hell yeah! I mean, I can’t wait to play at so many cool venues that we haven’t gotten to play before.

The last question I have for you is how soon do you think it’ll be before fans can even expect even more new music from Arrows In Action?

Matthew Fowler (Guitar): We’re writing whenever we can. I mean, we’re writing when the inspiration strikes and when we have the time to spend together. We are touring more than we’ve ever toured in our entire career this year. So, we’ll start writing as soon as possible, but Side B is going to be rolling out pretty soon. We were already starting to tease the next single, if that’s any indication…

Love it! I can’t wait to get a hold of the vinyl so I can start spinning it. Stay safe on the road and enjoy all the cities that you’re gonna check out, too, overseas.

Arrows In Action: Thanks, Adam. Great seeing you again, too!

Likewise!

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