All Time Low
Interview with guitarist/lead vocalist Alex Gaskarth
Elyse with Alex
S&S: Word on the street is that your new album, "So Wrong, It's
Right," is going to blow up when it is released in September. Do you think
that you will still stay as grounded as you are and keep interacting with
fans as much as you do now if All Time Low becomes huge?
Alex: (Unfortunately, my tape recorder cut out during Alex's
answer! So, I only caught the last bit after he spoke about how important
ATL's fans are to the band.) We will always be the band that thinks
of any way we can to keep close with our fans. So, hopefully, we'll always
be able to maintain that.
S&S: What is your favorite song off the new album and why?
Alex: My favorite song is "Stay Awake." We played it a couple
of times on the acoustic tour. It's a conversation between Peter and Wendy
from Peter Pan. As I was writing it, I noticed that it relates really heavily
to a conversation I would have with my self, like the sensible side and
my more childish side. Obviously, I think that's what the Peter Pan story
was about. It all correlates to the human psyche, which is why I like that
story so much. Yeah, it's my favorite song for sure.
S&S: You have some UK dates with Plain White Ts coming up right
after Warped. Will it be your first time going overseas?
Alex: It is. We're really stoked. It's going to be amazing. I
was actually born in the UK. I moved to America when I was 7. My whole family
lives there. So, it's finally a chance for me to be like, "Check out
what I do."
S&S: How do you feel when people only concentrate on your looks
and not your music?
Alex: I think that is a reality with any band. There needs to be
a face for the music. It is kind of a bummer to think that people would
like us more for our looks than our music. Obviously, we are doing this
for the music, not to be pretty. I don't hold grudges against anybody
if you listen to us and support us for whatever reason; that's awesome.
I welcome it, but I would definitely hope that most people like us for the
music.
S&S: How many identical hats have you been given since you lost
yours a while back?
Alex: I was never given the one that I actually lost, but I have
been given a ton of hats. I have all of them in a closet in my room. It's
insane how many I have. My parents laugh at me, because all I have in my
closets are hoodies, fitteds and Nikes. People give me a hard time.
S&S: What is the craziest thing you've ever done, either on or
off stage?
Alex: We're all kind of crazy. We do a lot of weird things. A few
of the cooler things we've done recently on stage are we tell people to
take off their clothes. It's really fun and intimate. [We tell them] to
throw their clothes up in the air at the same time, and it looks really
cool. Then, everyone's naked, so it's pretty sweet. Off stage, I don't
know. We're very strange people. Most people would just think we're
huge dorks.
S&S: Do you guys pull pranks on each other and if so, which has
been the best so far?
Alex: All the time. We have a recurring prank because we're on
a bus now. There is this joke of what annoying thing could you leave in
somebody's bunk, so when they open their bunk, they're like, "What
the hell?" So, we've left things from dirty laundry to a huge bike tire.
It's not even that funny when you talk about it, but if you could imagine
somebody going to their bunk randomly and opening it, and there's a bike
tire in there. It's the full wheel with all the spokes and everything.
S&S: What is the most creative gift you have ever received from
a fan? Do you wear jewelry, clothing, etc. that is sent to you?
Alex: Yeah, all the time. We get Life Savers a lot. We get a lot
of cookies, which is always cool. I am completely overloaded on Milanos
now from that video. Everybody felt bad that Ryan stole my Milanos. So,
it's become a trend, and we have so many Milanos. I cannot eat another
Milano.
S&S: When are dates going to be posted for your fall tour with Boys
Like Girls?
Alex: I think they went up on Absolutepunk. If it's not up yet,
it will be up very soon. It's all confirmed and everything.
S&S: You guys started All Time Low while you were still in high
school and gained a respectable fan base from touring. What advice do you
have for young bands trying to do the same and get signed?
Alex: Network. Make as many friends as you can, because they will
teach you and help you. Tour. If it sucks, you're probably doing the right
thing. If you're crammed in a car, and you're sitting on your equipment
because you can't afford to buy a van, you'ree on the right track. Everybody
has to do it. It's that kind of determination that pushes you over the
edge. So, do it and have fun!