The Strike

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Recently I was able to schedule a Zoom call with indie pop band, The Strike, to discuss their new album called A Dream Through Open Eyes. In this interview, the band discussed their big opportunity of opening for The Fray, provided some insight into their songwriting process, as well as previewed their single called “The Getaway” featuring Mitchell Tenpenny out today.

All right. So thank you guys so much for your time this evening. Let’s talk about the new record, A Dream Through Open Eyes. Where did that title come from, and what does it mean to you guys today?

Chris: Yeah, surprisingly, I don’t think that we’ve been asked that question yet! It’s a lyric from one of the songs on the album. The song’s called “Just Like Paradise,” and it’s a simple sentiment. It’s just basically saying, a lot of times you hope for these things, and everybody’s chasing after something or pursuing something. And it’s kind of a reminder to live in the moment, every second is an opportunity, and every moment alive is beautiful and it’s kind of like a dream that you’ve already achieved.

That’s great, I mean, it’s a great way of encapsulating the record. I’ve already spun the record a couple times. Let’s talk about some of the key tracks on it. One of the ones that I kept coming back to is a one called “The Getaway.” Can you describe what went into the songwriting process for this one?

Chris: Yeah, that song is sort of dedicated to your “partner in crime,” that person who’s sort of like your “sidekick,” and does everything <with you> And kind of going back to the overarching arcing theme of the album, every day is sort of an adventure. Every single day is beautiful in its own way. And it’s even more beautiful when you have somebody there who goes through it with you, and you can kind of be teammates. So yeah, that song has been probably the most successful one from the album, and we actually have another version of it coming out this Friday, with a country singer named Mitchell Tenpenny. He did a feature vocal on it. So we’re pretty excited!

And how’d you get paired up with Mitchell? Mostly for my own curiosity…

Chris: He is a fan of the band, and we were going through Nashville, he DM’d us, and wanted to come to the show and we were like, “of course!” And so he came out to the show, we got to know him, and he’s always just been really supportive, and we wanted to do a version of <”The Getaway”> with a featured vocal. And he came to mind, because he’s been so supportive. And so we DM’d him and asked him if he’d be interested. And he was like, “Of course!”

That’s so awesome. So let’s talk about some other artists that you maybe brought into your sound or are influenced by? What was your music upbringing like, Jay?

Jay: Well, my upbringing, I mean…it’s all over the place. Just from being a teenager, I used to be into everything from Emo to hardcore. I played in a hardcore band in high school. But, yeah, as I’ve gotten older, my taste kind of changed a little bit. But the past few years, some artists that I personally really like are Sam Fender, The War On Drugs, and we all like The 1975, and Joan. We have a remix coming out with the band called Great Good Fine OK, where we have an “alternate” version. They’re kind of in the same space <as us>. We like them. So, yeah, it’s kind of a mix. We all have our different musical backgrounds that, as we come together, we’ve kind of formed a sound.

Yeah, Great Good Fine OK are one of the bands we’ve done premieres for, and they’re really good. What about you, David?

David: I would say in addition to the modern stuff, the band definitely pulls from some older influences as well. There’s a definite 80’s sort of twist to our music, and I think that comes from loving bands like Toto and Genesis/Phil Collins, Journey, Foreigner, you know, all those classic 80’s rock bands that we definitely tap into a lot and always try to bring it into 2025, make it modern, but still give people that sense of nostalgia that they feel when they listen to that music.

Chris: Yeah, I agree with everything that’s been said. Obviously, the three of us have similar tastes in music. As a vocalist, I’m always drawn to music with high tenor vocals, because that’s kind of like my style of singing. So obviously I love Steve Perry and Lou Grant. And then I’m really into John Wait, from The Babies and Bad English, and all that stuff. A lot of those power vocalists from the 80s. It’s kind of what I go for as a vocalist, myself.

That’s nice, and you’ve definitely got a lot of the 80s flair on this record. I put a vinyl record on after I listened to you guys from a band called, The Midnight, if you’re familiar with them? But it’s similar to the type of vibe of indie pop that you hear from bands like Smallpools. And obviously you guys are starting to come onto the scene too, which is really cool as well!

Jay: We love all those bands. We’ve done writing sessions with Michael Kamerman from Smallpools, too!

Smallpools are great, and they come through DC quite a bit. Anyways, how would you describe your guys’ on-stage “personas”?

Chris: You have to, I mean as the front guy…everyone’s watching you the whole time. So there’s a lot more bravado in my personality. And then in my day to day, I’m pretty chill and laid back. But on stage I definitely like to try to tap into something bigger, someone with more brashness, more ego…

Or confidence? How would you describe David, Chris?

Chris: <Laughter> David’s the cool, calm, collected member of the band. He’s smooth, easy, and kind of a mystery.

<Laughter> Now David, I’ll let you describe Jay…

David: The frontman that never was, Jay. Jay likes attention in a great way, because it makes him really fun to watch and he’s stuck behind the drums. He’s in the back behind the <kit>, but he makes his presence known, musically. And I mean, the drummer is sort of like the foundation of the band, musically, and sort of determines what direction the band is going to go in so many ways. He does a great job of “driving the ship,” and we’re grateful for it.

Do you agree with that sentiment, Jay? You’re the glue, as they say! <Laughter>

Jay: Yep!

So, the new album has got a really cool vibe to it throughout. “The Getaway” and “American Dream” are all incredible songs. But there was one on there, in the middle section of the LP, called Kids of the Last Days. Can you walk me through your guys’ songwriting process as a three-piece for that one?

Chris: Yeah, from a lyrical standpoint, I mean, it’s probably one of the deeper songs on the album. There are a lot of different themes going on there. I’m a millennial kid, so I remember being of formative years right around the turn of the millennium, and I legitimately believed that the world was going to end…Because that was the thing that was going on <at that time>. I was probably, at the time, 13 or 14, and just kind of facing that existential dread, you know what I mean? But then obviously everything was fine <after the year 2000>, it was totally overblown and everything like that. But I think that instilled in me a desire to sort of… that was the first time in my life that I wanted to seize the day and make sure that I made every minute count of the time that I have. And that <concept> as a 14 year old, I never had that thought before that I better maximize my time, because when you’re 14, you <think> you’re going to live forever. There’s no sense of urgency, but that’s kind of what that song is about.

Jay: Chris was productivity maxing before it was cool. <Laughter>

Chris: I’ll just say really quickly, when we made that one, together, we had an AirBnb for a weekend in San Diego, where Chris lives. And I vividly remember that. And it just depends on what demos we have. I feel like we had some demos that were mid-tempo, and for whatever reason, we’re like, “let’s make this more urgent, or kind of quicker,” And so we kind of created some sonic loops, an ambient kind of loop thing, and then came up with these chords that are a little bit more minor sounding…and so musically, I think we were kind of drawn to it <because> it had a different vibe than the others. It was a little bit darker sounding at first, like it had a really fast tempo. So that’s kind of how that one started, at least. And it kind of built from the very start, from day one, from making the first few songs.

David: I was just gonna say that songs for us start in a variety of different ways. Sometimes Chris will start with a voice memo, just on his piano, or a melody idea. Sometimes Jay or I will start a music track on our own and then bring it to the band, and then the final <way> is sometimes all three of us get together and write as a group, which is honestly probably my favorite way of doing it. But that was just one of the examples of a song that came about with the three of us in the room together.

So you mentioned you’re from the West Coast…Where did the album artwork idea come from for A Dream Through Open Eyes?

David: I think the aesthetic of the band, musically, and visually sort of is kind of a reference, or we’re tipping our hat to, like the SoCal sort of vibes, esthetics. Like, I kind of think palm trees sunsets, like good driving music, like music that you’re like, cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway listening to and like, I think we wanted an album cover and it sort of matched that vibe and encapsulated what we feel like the music is. And what about what a lot of people have told us the music kind of feels like to them as well. Yeah, so when we saw that artwork, we just thought it was like, that was it like? That was what we were going for, musically and visually.

That’s awesome. I mean, I probably will end up getting the vinyl for A Dream Through Open Eyes. Yeah, so look out for a purchase from me soon. <Laughter> So can you explain what it was like to work with such a legendary producer as John Fields?

Jay: Yeah, we were drawn to John for a variety of reasons, including, yes, a legendary kind of resume and stuff. There’s one track that kind of we built a list of songs that we all liked, every now and then, just kind of like, “hey, what do you guys listen to?” One song was from Ben Rector, called “It would be you”, that he put out during COVID. They just had a really fun kind of 80s throwback vibe, but also funky, and it kind of reminded us that John Fields would be awesome to work with. So we went to his studio, and he’s based in Minneapolis, and we just did basically two weeks straight, every day, super long days, from 10am till 10p, or later. And he’s a madman. He worked so fast. And he would go home and we spent these long days, and he was editing this stuff and then sending us a bounce-back <email> at 1am, knowing that we’re coming back in the next morning to keep going. But he just has so much knowledge and skill when it comes to engineering the drums, recording the vocals, and helping put the mixes together. It was just super fun to work with him, and he’s just been doing it for so long. So it was so crazy to see how, how fast he works, and also he has his stuff so dialed in. It was a really cool experience working with John. And he’s an awesome guy, and a really fun guy to hang out with, too.

Can you think of a moment on this record where he possibly “enhanced” your sound, or took the songwriting in an interesting direction?

Chris: I think that he really elevated the vocal production. It was, in my opinion, noticeably improved. And that guy’s worked with a lot of heavy hitters, and has a lot of experience. And I’ve put vocals on a lot of songs, but I feel like the ones he produced were a cut above.

Yeah, they all sound great from my perspective, for sure. So I understand you guys are gonna be touring with The Fray. That’s obviously a big opportunity for your band at big venues. What did you guys do for this particular tour preparation?

David: Yeah, when you have 40 minutes to “present yourself” to people that have never heard of you before, it’s an interesting challenge. And at this point in time, we have three albums of music to choose from, so it’s like, “What songs do we feel like best represent the band?” Even within the band, and the different tempos, how can we represent The Strike in the best way in this amount of time and play as much of our music as we can? But then also maybe throw in a song that is a cover that people are familiar with, that they can latch on to, and go like, “Even though I haven’t heard these other songs, I know this one, I can sing along with that!” and then we creatively sort of tie that in and connect it to our music so that things flow really well. And so people just feel like, at the end of the 40 minutes, they’d say, “I didn’t know who <The Strike> were before, but now I’m a fan. And I definitely want to come back and see their full show. Now I’m gonna listen to them, and I’m gonna tell my friends about them.” That’s the goal.

Can you give any hints as to what covers you guys are mulling over for this tour?

David: Well, it’s definitely the 80s, I’ll say that. But they’ll definitely enjoy it.

That’s great. What are your expectations with this big opportunity to open for The Fray, and also what are your goals,not only for this tour, but also moving forward with The Strike?

Chris: Man, that’s a good, good question. I don’t know if we have any concrete goals. We should. We definitely should have some concrete goals that we discuss as a band, but really the goal is to just grow, any way you can. The collaboration that we’re doing with Mitchell Tenpenny will allow us to maybe tap into some of his audience, and some of his audience will hopefully be curious about our band, and eventually become a fan. We’re trying to “convert” some of those people to the cause. And then we’re just trying to build momentum. Always have new things in the works. The goal at the end of the tour is to start to dig in again on some new music. So with all of these irons in the fire, momentum builds and builds, and the band just continues to grow and grow. And you step up to bigger rooms and maybe get some movie placements, TV placements that are a little bigger, and it just snowballs from there. So that’s the strategy, and those are the goals.

David: There is one concrete goal, though. There’s a goal of 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify. It’ll be a big day, because Chris Crabb will be receiving his first tattoo! <Laughter>

Chris: Nobody in the band has a tattoo. It’s kind of like this running joke…My wife said that if the band hits a million monthly listeners on Spotify, I have to get a tattoo <that says “The Strike”>.

That’s impressive!

Jay: Another goal is for us not to have to do our other jobs <anymore>. We do The Strike pretty heavily, but a lot of us work for other artists, tour with other artists, or do other side jobs and stuff. So obviously, the goal is to be 100% The Strike for the future.

Can you think of a favorite touring memory from your guys career?

Jay: I’ve got one…Well, we had our own headline tour, and we booked it tight. We were doing four shows with a long drive on the day off to get to the next one to do four or five in a row. And so, for whatever reason, I just really remember this tour, because we had a day off before, or had two days off in Buffalo, New York…and it was like the first time after tons of shows. And we were so dead that we finally had these few days off, and we just spent it going to Niagara Falls. We went and got wings at multiple wing spots. We did everything you could do around Buffalo. And it was a super fun time hanging with the guys and by being tourists for a day, and having a day off in between a bunch of shows. That tour…just the memories of that tour in general, being one of our first kinds of “bigger” headlining tours on our own. And seeing how many people came out…we were just surprised every night. We didn’t really know what to expect, and we just met so many great people. We sold out a lot of the shows. That was a great memory for me.

That’s so awesome. Thanks for sharing!

Chris: Last summer was pretty magical, because, like Jay said, we didn’t know what to expect. We kind of just booked the tour on the faith that people would show up. And we rolled into Columbus, Ohio, where I don’t think I have ever been before and thinking that nobody was going to come to the show. And it was sold out, with 500 people. I was like, “Oh my gosh. This is crazy.” Yeah, and we opened for Journey a couple months back, too.

Wow!

Chris: They were amazing.

So, if you were to convince somebody to come to one of these concerts with The Fray, what would be your best pitch for somebody to check out a show?

Jay: I think The Strike’s music is upbeat, feel good, danceable, and that’s kind of what we strive to make. We want to make music for a big party. We want people to be able to let loose, to forget about their jobs, come out on the weekend, and have a good time. We’ve got a saxophone, we’ve got guitar solos. Chris is an amazing vocalist and front-man, so I definitely know that from our point of view, we’re going to be bringing a lot of energy, and it’s always a super fun, high-energy show. And then we did one show with The Fray, already actually, in Vegas, and they sounded amazing. They’re awesome. We kind of grew up with their music, so I think with <this> pairing, it’s going to be an amazing show and should be a great time.

Chris: To piggyback on that…The Fray are doing their 20th anniversary of their massive hit, “How To Save A Life”, and I totally look up to those guys. I mean, they’ve been able to stay relevant for 20 years, which in this business is unbelievable. They’ve been able to do that because of their timeless songwriting. And I was struck, at the Vegas show, just how many songs they had that I knew. Obviously they have that big one, “Over My Head (Cable Car)”. The whole set, I was like, I know this one, I know this one, I know that one…and it’s just a testament to their amazing songwriting. And honestly, that’s what we hope to emulate. Songs that can last 20 years and beyond. So it’s going to be a night that anyone can appreciate for great music.

The last question I have is, how do you measure success?

David: For me, it all comes down to people. Talking to people, one on one is what solidifies the reason why you do this, and on our headlining shows, we do some VIP events. We hang with fans, and we do some acoustic songs. It’s a really fun experience, because we get to hear stories from fans about how the music has impacted their lives in very personal and meaningful ways. And when you’re out on the road, it can be really exhausting, and the travel is really grueling. And sometimes you’re like, “Man, why? Why do we keep doing this? It’s just not worth it….”But then you have those moments with people, and then you’re reminded, “oh, this is why!” And that feeling of knowing that you’ve made a difference in someone’s life is 100% enough motivation to keep pushing through and pushing on. So to me, that’s the biggest thing. It’s just like the impact that music can have in people’s lives.

That was a really good answer. Well done, David!

Chris: I mean, it’s tricky in this business to measure success. As far as I’m concerned, the band has already been incredibly successful. We’ve gone all over the world. We’ve done unbelievable things. We were talking about this in the van, actually, just this last weekend, where we went and did a show in Graham, Texas. Which is a small town like two hours outside of Dallas. And music just takes you to the wildest places. And we played the stage that was set up right in front of this old movie theater, and they have a few stoplights in the town. And the whole town comes out. And it was like a scene from a movie! And I was just thinking to myself, “Man, in what other line of work would I be able to be a part of this amazing thing and get to have these experiences?” And so I already feel like the band’s been incredibly successful just in where it’s taken me, and the memories that I have from doing it. I know that sounds like a little cheesy, but I actually do feel that way,

That’s great!

Jay: I’ll just echo all that and say it’s easy in the business to <just> look at the numbers. Same with your social media, your streaming…It’s easy to be like, “how come this <post> didn’t get that many likes for this song?” And then, like David said, when you read the DMs from people…one fan wrote a letter, a two-page letter that we read at the start of our other tour, and I was just so moved. And it was just all about how much our music meant to them, and how the music helped them through a super difficult time in their life, and they kind of opened up about all that. And so on the one hand, you can get lost in the numbers game…but then when you realize the importance of the music and what that music actually means to you, and to someone that’s connected with it, that really is kind of the success. So it’s really important to keep that in perspective, and I think we just have to remember to do music for the reasons that you got into it. Which, for me and for us when we’re young, was just an amazing outlet where you felt good and you were being creative and connecting with the community of people that all enjoyed similar music. And you’re just having a good time, and it’s something that is a little bit magical. So just remembering the effect that it has with people, and connecting with people and bringing people together, I think that alone is successful.

That’s great. You guys each had very good answers for that question. I’m glad you didn’t say you were in it for the money! Laughter>

The Strike: But, especially the money! <Laughter>

I appreciate your guys’ time, and I know you’ll do a great job opening for The Fray. Stay healthy and safe on the road!

The Strike: Thanks, Adam!

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