FOUR YEAR STRONG

Dan O'Connor talks as they were busy driving to a show in Dallas to discuss the band's humble origins, signing to Decaydance and their upcoming inaugural British shows

Thanks to their storming debut album Rise or Die Trying - a winning fusion of sunny pop-punk melodies and crunching hardcore, Four Year Strong are a band on many people's lips right now. But having formed in school way back in 2001 it's been a long journey for the Worcester, Massachusetts-based five-piece to get here. Having originally released Rise or Die Trying (Click HERE for our review) last year in the US through I Surrender Records, the band were recently snapped up by Pete Wentz's Decaydance label, home to big hitters such as Panic At The Disco, Gym Class Heroes and, of course, Fall Out Boy. Set to hit the UK in May for the first time to play both Give It A Name and the festival's "introduces" tour, Dan Jones managed to catch up with vocalist/guitarist Dan O'Connor as they were busy driving to a show in Dallas to discuss the band's humble origins, signing to Decaydance and their upcoming inaugural British shows...

How's the current tour with Bayside and The Startling Line going? Did you know the any of the other bands beforehand?

It's going great, the best part about this tour is we knew both The Startling Line and Bayside beforehand which is one reason why this tour rules. We are all great friends and have a ton of fun.

You've been going for some time now, but you're a fairly new name over here in the UK, how did you guys first get together? I understand some of you knew each other from school days?

Yeah, myself, Alan and Jake all met when we were in high school / middle school. We all live really close by each other which made things very easy. We didn't meet Joe or Josh until after high school, which is when we really started to take things more seriously.

Who did you listen to growing up? Is there anyone you're particularly into right now?

Through high school I listened to a lot on Boston bands like the Hope Conspiracy, Converge, Blood for Blood etc as well as, later on in high school, bands like Saves The Day, NFG, Lifetime etc. That's really where our influence came from. When we write songs they just come out that way. Right now I'm really into bands like Have Heart, I Am The Avalanche and Shipwreck.

The band are from Massachusetts, a state that seems to produce so many internationally renowned bands, why do you think the area has such a successful scene?

I would say because the kids are so committed to the scene. Whether it be starting a band, throwing shows, or going to shows, the kids fully submerge themselves and it becomes their life. They love it so much they won't let it die out, and it fuels the bands to be better and put in more effort.

Are you excited to hit the UK for Give It A Name? Is it a festival you know much about?

I am extremely psyched to go there. We've never been overseas and it's something we have wanted to do for a long time. I didn't know much about the festival before we were asked to play it, but after hearing about it and learning about it, it sounds amazing. There are so many amazing bands playing, and it gives bands that have not played in the UK before a place to really try and gain fans.

Your you're also taking part in the Give It A Name introduces tour afterwards, a tour usual throws up some star names of the future like Paramore. Do you take that as a good omen?

I don't know if it really is an omen, I mean we are definitely honoured to be up for the tour. There are so many bands that could have had that spot on the tour and the fact that we're up for it is amazing.

Ok, so we're speaking in the lead up to the UK release of Rise Or Die Trying, are you happy with the reception it has been getting in the US?

I'm very happy with the way things have been going in the US. We definitely didn't have the highest of expectations putting this record out, not because we thought it was bad but we just didn't have any delusions about how hard it is to do well in music and the probability was low that we would go anywhere. We just wanted to play music and have a ton of fun doing it. I'm so psyched that the rest of the world will be able to get our record now, and that we will get to play for them.

Four Year Strong – 'Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die'

You recently signed to Decaydance in the US, how did that deal come about?

Basically they heard the record and liked it and approached I Surrender and us about doing a deal with them. Pete from Decaydance and Rob from I Surrender are good friends, and we knew Pete from playing a show with Fall Out Boy and also through our management company. It just sounded like a great idea to everyone because if we could have friends and people we trust running things for our band that's what we really care about.

Decaydance's success rate must give you high hopes for the future?

I mean we definitely know they do great things, that's why we were excited to work with them, but at the same time we do not like to get ourselves too pumped up because things can change in a flash. So I mean we will continue to work our asses off trying to get the band to the next level, we will never sit back and hope someone else does it for us. But having the help from such a hard working label is definitely going to be awesome.

I've read that you get a mixed crowd at your shows, a lot of punk kids and a lot of hardcore kids, do you see yourselves fitting in either scene or sitting in both?

I don't know [laughs]. I think that's really what we are trying to avoid, putting ourselves in one place. We want to continue to appeal to as many different tastes as possible but I think that means never settling on a sound, every time it seems like we are settling in one area we try to do something uncharacteristic of that. We just don't like to sit still.

You seem to attract a few Set Your Goals comparisons. Are you tired of hearing their name or do you understand it?

No, we know those guys and they're great dudes. I think with a lot of the bands coming out now, you are getting a lot of people who grew up in similar scenes, listening to similar music. The great thing is seeing how people from different places translate it in their own way.

Are there any highlights that stand out in your career so far?

Just being at the point we are at now, having kids singing along and going crazy at the shows; it's overwhelming. Playing at home is always amazing, I would say one of my favourite moments is putting almost 1,700 kids in the venue we grew up seeing huge bands at. That was definitely a huge highlight.

What would you say has been your craziest touring experience?

I always find it hard to answer this question because so much happens on tour it's hard to pick out one solid moment. Everyday something crazy happens. You meet people you never thought you'd meet, you do things you never thought you'd do, you see things you never thought you'd see. It's a fun way to live but a hard way to live.

You made a free version of the album available to download. Why did you decide to do that? Are you fearful fans might just pick up the free version?

We just wanted to do something crazy and I mean you can find it for free anyway online, we might as well make sure kids are hearing a good version of it.

Are you looking forwards to the Warped Tour this summer? It's supposed to be gruelling for the bands involved.

I am, I've heard that too and I'm expecting it, but it's an experience that I can't wait to have. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time so I'm stoked.

What are the band's plans for the rest of the year?

Basically we're trying to get overseas as much as possible, playing Warped Tour and writing and hopefully recording a new record in the winter.

What do you still hope to achieve with Four Year Strong? Have you any long term aspirations or goals in place?

We just want to keep touring and playing music for as many people as we can.

Four Year Strong's debut album Rise or Die Trying is out in Europe on April 28th through Hassle Records.

The Band will also be on this year's GIAN Introducing tour with Meg & Dia, Mayday Parade and The Color Fred. Dates are:

May 12 CARDIFF IFOR BACH
May 13 MANCHESTER ACADEMY 3
May 14 LIVERPOOL BARFLY
May 15 GLASGOW KING TUTS
May 16 NEWCASTLE ACADEMY 2
May 18 SHEFFIELD LEADMILL
May 19 BIRMINGHAM ACADEMY 2
May 20 OXFORD ZODIAC
May 21 PORTSMOUTH WEDGEWOOD ROOMS
May 22 LONDON ISLINGTON ACADEMY

by Dan Jones

Further links

Four Year Strong on Myspace

MySpace page of pop-punkers Four Year Strong