“Hey kid you’ve got a lot of potential but I think it’s time to move up,” are the first words you hear on The Party Scene (Emerald Moon Records), the debut full length from pop punk powerhouse ALL TIME LOW. When it comes to this band no statement could ring anymore true. As Absolutepunk.net says, “ALL TIME LOW has the potential to be the next Cartel or The Academy Is….Say hello to your new favorite pop punk band.”
Hailing from the suburbs of Baltimore, MD the group made up of singer/guitarist Alex Gaskarth, guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson simply set out to make music people appreciated and what they found was something truly special. With unforgettable melodies, explosive guitar hooks, and relentlessly driving rhythms the message in their music is loud and clear, “We’re here and we’re here to stay”.
At the ripe old ages of seventeen and still in high school the band has already recorded their debut EP and their first full length The Party Scene was released in August. Their relentless DIY attitude and work ethic has made the record a near permanent fixture in the Smartpunk Top 20 sales list without the aid of a national distributor. “This is our life,” Alex says. “There is nothing else we see ourselves doing and we’re willing to do anything and everything to get where we want to be.” That means daily four hour practices and weekends spent driving across the country playing for anyone who will listen.
“We love recording but being a good live band is what we’ve really worked so hard on,” Jack explains. “We’ve had the chance to play with a lot of amazing bands and we’ve learned so many things that we’ve been able to incorporate into our show.” ALL TIME LOW plays to packed houses at Maryland’s biggest venues such as The Recher Theatre and The Ottobar, and traveled all over the country in the summer of 2005. They’ve shared the stage with national headliners such as Motion City Soundtrack, Acceptance, The Early November, The Receiving End of Sirens, The Academy Is…, Plain White T’s, Spitalfied, and many more.
With so many accomplishments at such a young age the natural reaction is to be content with what you’ve achieved, but not with this group. “Put up or Shut Up, We’re not wasting time again,” comes roaring out of Alex’s mouth on the song Breakout, Breakout. It’s a defiant statement. It’s a statement of confidence, desire, and singlemindedness that’s guaranteed to take ALL TIME LOW as high as they want to go.
