Forward of the return of the UK’s annual scene celebration, we chat to a few of the largest names on the Slam Dunk Pageant lineup that might be bringing their unbelievable stay exhibits to Hatfield and Leeds.
A DAY TO REMEMBER
RS: Congratulations on the brand new album – it should really feel fairly particular to see the nice fan response to it and to the shock means it was launched.
JEREMY MCKINNON: Man, I gotta inform you, all of us on the again finish have simply been speaking about it. You realize, whenever you put a plan like that collectively, it all the time feels somewhat nerve wracking since you by no means know if individuals will simply watch for the best way they normally digest music or no matter. However placing it out that means had so many unintended constructive penalties that had been so cool and refreshing, from the mother and pop shops feeling taken care of after which simply seeing the entire very private, emotional moments lots of people had going out and getting a report once more and with the ability to solely hearken to it that means. Anyone tagged me on this publish that’ll all the time stay with me truthfully, simply due to how distinctive it was. They introduced out their outdated CD participant they used to go to highschool on the bus with. That they had this insane sense of nostalgia simply from that alone. Simply going to their mother and father home, getting this out of their storage and utilizing it has made them really feel so comfortable on a deep stage. You by no means plan for stuff like that. We simply needed to do one thing distinctive and enjoyable that felt completely different in as we speak’s age to get individuals’s consideration. Additionally, I like that individuals needed to sit down and truly hearken to the tracklisting too, in as we speak’s age. So many individuals had been listening to it as a full album, versus selecting it aside slowly over time. We put plenty of time into the tracklisting on this report and I feel the stream, personally, is actually cool. It takes you on this journey. There’s highs and lows, all kinds of various genres, all throughout the rock world. Simply the truth that individuals needed to sit down and hearken to it as a report and truly really feel the vitality and push and pull from the completely different selections we made alongside the best way, the surprises we put in numerous spots, it was cool to see that as properly.
RS: Was there any specific monitor or any specific second that was key to unlocking what you needed to do that time?
JEREMY: I personally would say it was the album title. That unlocked a lot, after which bringing it to the group and us discussing it, the professionals and cons of what we wish to do. Instantly, in that speak, our supervisor had this concept of breaking it up into two volumes. That means you get the concise tracklisting over right here that’s as motion packed as you need it to be, however you may also do this over right here at quantity two, after which hopefully proceed the cycle of content material popping out far more than what we’ve finished prior to now. That’s the aim, not less than. So for me, it was actually that album title, and it encompassed every part personally that I needed this cycle to be about. It’s simply alleged to be enjoyable. I used to be asking the query within the studio plenty of what makes us uniquely A Day to Keep in mind? What can we do this no one else can do? One of many major issues that involves thoughts is enjoyable. It you take a look at all people on this style, and once more this isn’t a diss on anyone, all of the bands which can be common proper now are tremendous gifted, wonderful musicians, however there isn’t anyone that represents that enjoyable aspect of issues like all of us grew up listening to, Blink-182, Much less Than Jake, Weezer. I grew up going to exhibits the place that was the vibe. So it’s, for my part, one of many issues that makes us stand out and we actually embrace that.
NEIL WESTFALL: I feel the opposite factor is the truth that we will have ‘Silence’ and ‘All My Buddies’ on the identical album. It’s the craziest fucking mixture of issues, and so they all can exist. What I feel makes us uniquely A Day To Keep in mind is that it’s noone can go and play with Gojira after which play with Blink 182 after which play with Good Charlotte after which play with fucking Lana Del Rey. We performed a pageant final 12 months with Lana Del Rey, she performed proper after us. I’m like, ‘What the fuck is occurring?’ And our heaviest songs went fucking nuts. There have been individuals on the seaside crowd browsing and it was essentially the most insane vibe. No one else may fucking do that shit. That’s the great thing about it. To have the ability to add 12 songs that may push all of these instructions even additional is an unbelievable feat. 23 years in, that’s fucking all you might hope for.
ELECTRIC CALLBOY
RS: Coming again to the UK as considered one of Slam Dunk’s headline acts has bought to be a fairly wonderful milestone for you.
KEVIN: It feels unbelievable each time we take into consideration these information. To be sincere, regardless of how arduous we work for one thing and regardless of how good the sensation that we now have about our personal work and creations or music on the whole, it by no means feels utterly proper that we’re standing there on prime of those lineups, as a result of I all the time really feel like we’re simply doing music. We did Slam Dunk a few years in the past and now we’re right here. Arduous work all the time pays off, nevertheless it’s nonetheless unbelievable for us, particularly within the UK the place we weren’t that profitable as a result of we all know you’ve got so many good bands for yourselves. I all the time examine the UK to Berlin in some methods, as a result of Berlin are somewhat bit spoiled for alternative so you must be particular to make it there or to carry the individuals out to your exhibits.
NICO SALLACH: It’s one factor to play huge exhibits in Germany the place we’re from, nevertheless it’s one other factor to have the option as a band to journey all world wide, taking part in exhibits of the identical dimension. That phrase ‘headlining’ a pageant is simply utterly out of my thoughts. I’m gonna notice it proper after the present or weeks after, however not proper now. I feel we really feel tremendous fortunate and tremendous grateful.
RS: Your most up-to-date single was ‘Elevator Operator’, already an enormous fan favorite. How did that one come collectively?
NICO: Nicely, in terms of writing new songs, it’s all the time the identical factor. You need to be artistic, and typically you’ll be able to drive it, however typically not. Lots of issues that we’re doing come from pure inspiration. And the inspiration for ‘Elevator Operator’ was truly an actual story. We met a man in Detroit and this man was truly working the elevator and had his personal playlist that was taking part in the entire complete day in that elevator. We simply requested this man, ‘Hey, dude, what’s your job? What are you doing?’ and he stated, simply tremendous, tremendous severe, ‘The elevator operator’. And I don’t know why, however we simply knew that we needed to write a tune about this.
KEVIN: ‘Elevator Operator’ as a phrase virtually has a melody to it. Whenever you’re in a songwriting temper, every part could be an inspiration. In the event you’re a automobile vendor, you stroll by life and vehicles are putting for you. You will have a watch on vehicles. So we now have a watch on life, I’d say, as a result of every part can work as an inspiration, and we had been very comfortable to have that. And naturally, like in plenty of tales, there may be an origin and it will get larger and greater the extra you speak about it. In the long run, we had that elevator operator glowing and shining. It was fairly enjoyable, and we love to try this. Once we introduced that concept to the studio, it got here collectively fairly quick. So typically we now have to actually work on songs, however this went so quick.
NECK DEEP
RS: What was your private relationship with Slam Dunk earlier than the band began taking part in at it? Did you attend or play an element in it within the early years?
BEN BARLOW: I didn’t go to any Slam Dunks earlier than Neck Deep. However I’ve been in Neck Deep since I used to be 17, so I’m certain if I wasn’t with the band, I’d have ended up going sooner or later. I used to be all the time a bit too broke, to be sincere. However the best way I all the time considered it was that it felt like our model of Warped Tour. It felt like the one factor that served our factor, particularly pop-punk. I feel again to the UK pop-punk bands that got here earlier than us, like Save Your Breath and Paige, and even You Me At Six, and could be like, ‘In order that’s the type of factor that they’re taking part in, and it appears to go down properly for them’. The UK didn’t have a lot of the scene past Slam Dunk, actually. It’s fairly disparate in terms of pop-punk. There are issues on the market for the heavier scenes, however there isn’t a lot handed this for pop-punk. So, rising up as a pop-punk child, with my first expertise I used to be simply stoked to be there. Not solely taking part in it however with the ability to see different bands and be amongst all of it, actually. I met some individuals at that first Slam Dunk that we now have gone on to work very carefully with. Our guitar tech and our screens man performed that 12 months with their outdated band, and so they requested me to be in considered one of their music movies. It was necessary in that means the place we weren’t simply seeing a few of our favorite bands however we had been connecting with individuals. I used to be all the time enamoured by it, and it was simply by probability my first expertise was taking part in it. And we needed to struggle our means on, not every part has been handed to us. We had our followers behind us and championing us to get in there, nevertheless it’s been particular since then. For the UK, I really feel prefer it’s one thing that plenty of bands really feel the identical means about.
RS: You had a second with The Marvel Years again in 2022 whenever you joined them for the top of ‘All My Buddies Are In Bar Bands’ at Hatfield alongside members of Trash Boat, Bears In Bushes, Magnificence College and extra. It was an actual neighborhood second, to say the least. That should have felt fairly wonderful…
BEN: Completely. And it’s as a result of we had been all followers at that second. They had been taking part in ‘The Upsides’ in full, and all people was up for doing it; it was simply wonderful. I used to be simply that 17-year-old model of me once more, simply buzzing. I nonetheless discover a lot pleasure in these issues. I nonetheless discover pleasure and privilege to go and watch bands like The Marvel Years in that type of means. I feel The Marvel Years embody that friendship component of pop-punk. They all the time wish to get their associates concerned and push and promote different bands as a result of it’s constructed into their DNA. It’s the place they’ve come from and what they’ve all the time been part of. And for me to hop round on stage with them, it makes that 17-year-old model of me really feel like I’m part of the Philly scene within the late 00s. I’ve bought to stay that by Slam Dunk, after which followers are additionally attending to stay that.
NEW FOUND GLORY
RS: How are you feeling about the place New Discovered Glory is at in 2025?
JORDAN PUNDIK: It feels actually good. We’re a band that has by no means been the kind to cease. It’s all the time been go go go. I really feel like we now have found out a pleasant stability now, although, with the ability to have an actual dwelling life in addition to touring over the previous couple of years. That’s been useful. However waiting for this 12 months and with the ability to come again to all these nations, together with the UK, that we now have been to in so lengthy, it’s began to stack up a bit. Like now I’m dwelling for 3 days at a time earlier than we head someplace new. It’s very fascinating to see all of that on the calendar once more, particularly after navigating COVID and Chad’s well being. However saying that, I’m simply actually excited to be doing it once more.
CHAD GILBERT: We’ve all the time been simply New Discovered Glory since day one. We by no means truthfully anticipated to have a profession, and to at the present time, we nonetheless don’t count on that. Due to that, every part is enjoyable, and every part we get to do is a present. It’s why we now have been in a position to transition to the place we’re in now. We’ve impressed individuals to play in bands, and bands have grown to have careers behind us, inspiring them to select up guitars. Now, I’m in a position to encourage people who find themselves going by problems with well being or anxiousness. These are issues that I’m dwelling, it’s my day-after-day, however it is usually very New Discovered Glory. It’s simply in a unique subject.
RS: And the way does it really feel to have that feeling to be part of Slam Dunk once more, a pageant you’ve got an extended relationship with?
JORDAN: Slam Dunk is a pageant constructed across the love of music, particularly the love we really feel for hardcore, punk and pop-punk. It’s the UK model of Warped Tour however on a grand scale. I can bear in mind taking part in our first Slam Dunk in 2010, and it was a comparatively good dimension, nevertheless it wasn’t like Studying and Leeds. And Studying and Leeds is all the time nice, however there’s one thing so right down to earth about what Slam Dunk is. It’s enormous, nevertheless it nonetheless appears like a neighborhood. Although bands like Fall Out Boy and different huge acts play, it nonetheless appears like everyone seems to be there as one. I really like being part of that, particularly in a spot removed from the place we’re from. Figuring out we will go to a spot just like the UK and really feel that neighborhood is superior. I adore it, and I hope it continues.
CHAD: This fashion of music hasn’t all the time been as huge as it’s. It fluctuates. It goes up and down. And a spot like Slam Dunk retains it a staple. It brings this neighborhood collectively that isn’t all the time spoken for within the mainstream. That’s particularly proper within the States. You will have bands making music that’s actually common on the radio, and none of it’s from our style. So, these festivals show the significance of this style. And with New Discovered Glory being a staple band inside that, it’s cool to indicate followers that there’s a dwelling for this. Listed below are individuals like me who make me really feel like I can decide up a guitar and play music. Some individuals on the market must really feel that means as a lot as I do. I hope we function a mirror to the gang, the place they’ll assume, ‘I’m Chad, I’m Ian, I’m Jordan, I’m Cyrus. I’m identical to them’.
Slam Dunk Pageant takes place on Could 24 and 25 in Hatfield and Leeds. Get your tickets right here.
