Having A Blast with Kyle Devlin

In this episode, I interview my good friend, Mr. Toby McAllister from the band Sparks The Rescue. Sparks The Rescue was signed to Fearless Records and they released two albums with the label, as well as additional EPs independently.

We go through the history of the band, getting signed, and everything that happens when we get a little bit older. We discuss the dynamic of the band now and how it's more about friends getting together and having fun.

We talk about life with Covid, what Toby is up to now, and we discuss some of his early influences and favorite bands.

Sparks the Rescue is an American rock band from Maine. They formed when members of three high school bands Pozer, Short of April and Two Girls Later converged. Their debut EP Stumbling Skyward was released independently in 2005 with McAllister and O'Connell sharing main vocal duties. The band released the Hey, Mr. Allure EP in 2006, which saw the addition of lead vocalist Alex Roy. 

On February 6, 2007, Sparks the Rescue released their junior EP The Secrets We Can't Keep after signing to Double Blind Music. This release saw the departure of their keyboardist. STR officially released their debut full-length album Eyes to the Sun on May 5, 2009 on Fearless Records (the album was previously released October 7, 2008 on Double Blind Music). The album was produced by Jonathan Wyman of Halo Studios in Westbrook, Maine.

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In today's episode, I highlight 11 (originally said 10 in the episode and did 11 on accident) newer pop punk bands that I love and I think everyone should check out. 

The bands listed are: 

1. Stand Atlantic 

2. Eternal Boy 

3. Seaway 

4. The Way Way Back 

5. Odd Robot 

6. We Were Sharks 

7. FigureItOut 

8. Bearings 

9. Lights Over Bridgeport 

10. Meet Me @ The Altar 

11. Grayscale 

All great bands. They all deserve to get more love. They all could blow up and become a massive mainstream band at any moment. I'll probably do more of these in the future, be sure to let me know if you enjoy this episode! Thanks for Listening!

I made a playlist of all the bands as well! Newer Pop Punk Bands to Check Out Playlist

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I'm incredibly excited about today's episode. I had the privilege to interview one of my favorite producers/artists, Mr. Aaron Sprinkle.

Aaron is a singer, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He's done dozens of records that have been put out by Tooth & Nail Records (Anberlin, The Almost, Emery, Ivoryline, Dead Poetic, Copeland, MxPx, Hyland, etc.) as well as other classic albums (Acceptance, Every Avenue, New Found Glory,  Pedro The Lion, Story of the Year, etc.) The list really does go on and on.

Aaron shared some of his experiences making some of these records. He talks about the early days of Tooth & Nail and how he became acquainted with them as one of their most prolific producers. We talk about making the record "Phantoms" by Acceptance and how unique that time period was. We discuss the song-writing and creative prowess associated with the band Anberlin, and we even talk about social media.

Aaron plans to release a new solo record in the near future, and we talk about how the landscape of the music industry has changed and how this will affect the new release.

It was an honor being able to speak with Aaron, he really is one of my favorite producers and has been for two decades now. I've spent countless hours listening to his solo work as well as all of the bands he's worked with over the years. I really hope you enjoy this conversation as we peak behind the hood of what it's like to be a producer behind the scenes as well as in the spotlight. Enjoy!

Aaron Sprinkle Discography

Aaron Sprinkle on Spotify

Fair on Spotify

Poor Old Lu on Spotify

Rose Blossom Punch on Spotify

Tooth & Nail Spotify Playlist

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In this episode, I discuss Blink-182's fifth full length, the "Untitled" album. This album proved to be a turning point for the band in their lives and in their career. It was a lot of fun revisiting this classic, and it certainly holds up and stands the test of time. 

Blink-182, also known as Untitled, is the self-titled fifth studio album by the American rock band Blink-182, released on November 18, 2003 by Geffen Records. Following their ascent to stardom and success of their prior two releases, the trio was compelled to take a break and subsequently participated in various side projects (Box Car Racer and Transplants). When they regrouped, they felt inspired to approach song structure and arrangements differently on their next effort together.

Recorded from January to October 2003 with producer Jerry Finn, the album has been described as darker and more mature than the band's earlier work. It also marked a musical departure from their previous efforts, infusing experimental elements, inspired by lifestyle changes (the band members all became fathers before the album was released) and side projects, into their usual pop-punk sound. Its songs are sonically expansive and downcast, leading critics to view it as a more elaborate, mature side of the band. The songwriting is more personal in nature and explores darker territory, touching upon the realities of adulthood and unexpected hardships. In addition, its recording process was long and often unconventional.

Fans were generally split regarding the band's "new" direction, but the album proved successful, selling 2.2 million copies in the United States. It received positive reviews, with critics welcoming its change in tone. Lead singles "Feeling This" and "I Miss You" received the most radio airplay out of the four singles released, and peaked high on Billboard charts. The worldwide touring schedule, which saw the band travel to Japan and Australia, also found the three performing for troops stationed in the Middle East. The album was the band's last recording with longtime producer Jerry Finn and their final original material before a four-year-long hiatus. It is also their longest studio album to date, clocking in at 49 minutes.

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Today, I'm joined by my good friend Ben Wendt from the band The Way Way Back.

We discuss the major label debut "So Long Astoria" from legendary pop punk band The Ataris.

We start by discussing the history of The Ataris and their complicated trajectory. We talk about their earlier albums and how they influenced us and the scene as a whole. We mention their earlier albums and EPs, like "Blue Skies, Broken Hearts... Next 12 Exits", "Look Forward to Failure", "End is Forever", and "Anywhere But Here". But we really dive deep on So Long.

We shift gears a bit towards the end to discuss Ben and his band The Way Way Back's brand new EP "Baggage or You're Never Going to Leave it All Behind". We discuss their process as well as recording with Kyle Ward.

This is one of my favorite episodes that I've been able to do with this podcast and I think people will really enjoy it.

It's been a lot of fun revisiting So Long Astoria in all of it's glory. It still holds up. The Ataris continue to be one of the most influential pop punk and second wave emo bands to this day.

So Long, Astoria is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Ataris, released on March 4, 2003. The album's title song alludes to the 1985 film The Goonies, which is set in Astoria, Oregon.

Early in the writing process for the record, Roe found a book that gave him the theme for the album. The book, which was Go Now by Richard Hell, contained a chapter "where he had a quote that said memories are better than life ... I wanted this record to portray, that life is only as good as the memories we make." Roe said the group "focus[ed] on writing good songs [and] straightforward rock songs". Musically, the album's sound has been described as pop punk, pop rock, punk rock and rock, drawing comparison to Blink-182, Green Day, Good Charlotte, New Found Glory

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Today's episode is Part Two of my conversation with Todd Anderson of The Dear Misses. 

Todd and I discuss the seminal third album "The Artist in the Ambulance" by Thrice. Thrice signed with a major label in 2002 after the unexpected success of their second album "The Illusion of Safety". The album garnered the band critical and fan praise. 

We talk about the themes of the record, as well as how the record has stood the test of time. We talk about how Thrice chose to go a different direction from many of their contemporaries at the time. 

The lyrics and themes of the record tackle heavy subjects like third world oppression, seeking knowledge and truth, political theatrics, and the information age. We had a great time chatting about this important album, and how it helped to shape and define a genre. Enjoy!

The Artist in the Ambulance is the third studio album by American rock band Thrice. It was released on July 22, 2003, through Island Records, marking their first release on a major label. They released their second studio album The Illusion of Safety in March 2002; by July of that year, they were writing material for their next album. 

Recording sessions were held at Salad Days Studios in Beltsville, Maryland, Bearsville Studios in Bearsville, New York and Phase Studios in College Park, Maryland with producer Brian McTernan. The Artist in the Ambulance is an melodic hardcore and post-hardcore album that has been compared to the world of Blindside.

Preceded by a tours of the United States and Europe (the latter as part of the Deconstruction Tour), "All That's Left" was released as the lead single from The Artist in the Ambulance. Thrice appeared briefly on Warped Tour, before "Under a Killing Moon" was released on a split 7" vinyl single with a track by Thursday. They appeared at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in the United Kingdom, before embarking on a European tour supporting co-headliners Rancid and Alkaline Trio.

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In this episode, I speak with my good friend Todd Anderson. 

Todd is the front man for a great band called The Dear Misses. Todd and I have been friends for a few years, but we met over a decade ago when our bands played together in Lawrence Kansas. 

Todd and I have a ton of common when it comes to music and I always really enjoy talking to him about bands we both grew up on. In this episode, we talk about how we initially got into playing music. 

We talk about how we connected with bands like Green Day, Metallica, Nirvana, and MXPX. It's a fun listen for anyone who grew up in the scene. 

We reminisce on going to The Warped Tour for the first time and how that changed our lens on what music could be, forever. We also talk about the structure and pillars of being in a band and how to best make that work. Enjoy! 

This is the first part of a two part episode. On the next episode, Todd and I do a deep dive on the album "The Artist in the Ambulance" by Thrice. Stay tuned!

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In this episode, I speak with Bryan Czap, the former guitarist in The Dangerous Summer. 

He is now working on his new musical project Violette with his partner Chelsea. 

He's also working his way into becoming a prolific producer. 

We talk about being a person on a mission and seeing goals and projects come to fruition. We also talk about his transition from The Dangerous Summer into producing and writing songs for Violette.  

There's a lot to take away from this episode. It's a story about the different seasons of being a musician. Bryan also talks about the benefits of having a "producer-like" person in a musical project. Enjoy!

The Dangerous Summer is an American rock band from Ellicott City, Maryland, United States. The band's name is taken from the book of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. The band has stated influences from Third Eye Blind, Bright Eyes, U2, Phil Collins, Explosions in the Sky, Jimmy Eat World, and Andrew McMahon. Over the years the band has sold over 60,000 albums and over 300,000 singles.

The band formed in Ellicott City, Maryland, United States in the summer of 2006 to write their first EP, There Is No Such Thing as Science, which drew the attention of Hopeless Records and other labels in 2007. They signed with Hopeless Records within eight months (in April 2007) of starting the band during their senior year of high school. They then re-released their debut EP under a new name, If You Could Only Keep Me Alive, with new songs included.

In April 2009, the band played The Bamboozle.

The band's debut studio album, Reach for the Sun, was released on May 5, 2009, and reached number 42 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.

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In this episode, I have the opportunity to sit down with The Sweller's drummer Jonathan "Jono" Diener. 

Jonathan is also the front man for his most recent musical project Baggage. 

He's also in the musical projects Braided Veins and No Trigger. 

Jonathan has recently been working to promote his new coffee company Rootless Coffee out of Flint Michigan where he lives. Jonathan and I talk about marketing, creativity, and identity, and how they are all interconnected when it comes to pursuing new projects. 

Whether it be playing in bands, starting companies, or writing blogs and articles, Jono does a great job at juggling a lot of plates and producing a lot of really cool things. It was a pleasure to talk with him, and I think anyone with a passion for creativity and art will take something away from our conversation. Enjoy!

The Swellers were an American punk band from Flint, Michigan. Their music is influenced by melodic punk rock bands as well as alternative and indie rock from the 1990s.

It was announced April 22, 2011, through Alternative Press that the new album titled Good For Me would be released on June 14, where one of the new tracks called "Best I Ever Had" could be streamed.

In April 2012 they announced their departure from the Fueled by Ramen label. They would release a 7" (Vehicle City Blues) on Side One Dummy Records.

On October 16, The Swellers self-released an EP entitled Running Out Of Places To Go. It is composed of five songs that the band recorded and produced independently.

The Swellers signed to No Sleep Records in May 2013 and announced in August 2013 that they would be releasing their 4th full length, The Light Under Closed Doors, on October 29.

On April 15, 2014, The Swellers announced via Facebook their release of "B-sides and Rarities."

On June 24, 2014 they announced via Facebook and Twitter that they are breaking up and booking farewell shows.

In February and March 2015, the band performed at Soundwave festival in Australia. On May 1, 2015, they played their last show at Groezrock.

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In this episode, I tell the story of how I managed to get my band Gametime on the Vans Warped Tour in 2002 and the lessons I learned from it.

The Vans Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States (including three or four stops in Canada) annually each summer from its initial start in 1995. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and was the longest-running touring music festival to date in North America. Vans toured Australia in 1998-2002 and again in 2013. Following the first Warped Tour, the skateboard shoe manufacturer Vans became the main sponsor of the tour, when it became known as "The Vans Warped Tour". Although Vans continued as main sponsor and lent its name to the festival, other sponsors also participated, with stages or other aspects of the festival being named after them on occasion.

Warped Tour was conceived by Kevin Lyman as an electric alternative rock festival, but later began focusing on punk rock music. Although it was known primarily as a punk rock festival, it included acts of diverse genres over the years.

Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman said that the 2018 Vans Warped Tour would be the final, full cross-country run. On 18 December 2018, Lyman revealed details for the tour's 25th anniversary, with only three events in 2019.

In November 2019, rumors spread that Chris Fronzak planned to bring back the Warped Tour after Lyman's retirement. On 4 October 2020, Fronzak confirmed his intent to be involved in the return of Warped Tour, however, "for legal reasons it (could not) come back for "three years or so."

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