- 2023-03-20
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MUSIC
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All Time Low Releases New Album “Tell Me I'm Alive”
American rock band All Time Low, consisting of Alex Gaskarth (vocals/rhythm guitar), Jack Barakat (lead guitar), Rian Dawson (drums) and Zack Merrick (bass), released their ninth studio album “Tell Me I'm Alive” on March 17, 2023 via Fueled By Ramen.
It is their first album in three yeas since the 2020 album “Wake Up, Sunshine”.
The album comprises 13-track, featuring guest appearance from Teddy Swims. Produced by Alex Gaskarth, Andrew Goldstein, Zakk Cervini, and Dan Book.
When the band made the previous album in 2020, they wrote around 30 songs during the COVID-19 pandemic global lockdown, over the course of two years. Some of the songs became tracks on this album.
The band frontman Alex Gaskarth said of the album, “'Tell Me I'm Alive' is an exploration of loneliness, isolation, and coping with the pitfalls of a world that feels like it's out to get you after collectively going through several very tumultuous years kicked off by the pandemic.”- He continued, “It is not a 'pandemic record,' per se, but written on the heels of such a life-changing event, its themes are certainly focused through and informed by that lens; Some songs echo defiance and a desire to escape, others are reflective and remorseful over lost time and longing for deeper connections and deeper meaning. We wanted to instill a hopeful tone, but ultimately this album is about dealing with hopelessness and surviving.”
He added, “We hope our fans find comfort in the understanding that even at our lowest points, there can be forward motion, growth, the strength to let go of what no longer serves us, and ultimately a message of resilience.” -
Alex Gaskarth explained about some tracks for the album.
“Tell Me I'm Alive”
“We wrote TMIA immediately after writing Sleepwalking… It was one of those 'okay, the pressure's off' moments towards the end of the creative process. We felt like we had our first single and came into the session like the last day of school; no stress, no need to deliver anything specific.
Jack and I had plans to go see Paul McCartney that night so naturally I'd been listening to Sgt. Pepper's all week…
Theatre. Concept. A bit of cheek coupled perfectly with weight and consequence.
Its sensibilities were bleeding into our creative process for the day and suddenly I was picturing this fumbling, stumbling mess, a caricature of a person hell bent on burning down everything around them for the laughs and the memories. (We've all been there at one time or another.) Andrew, almost ironically, played some plucky piano chords and the narrative just started spilling out of my mouth.
I think we must've mapped the melodic structure in one or two passes and the skeleton of the song was shaping up quickly. The unspoken rule was 'don't think twice'. We didn't force the creative choices too much and we let the process kind of steer itself. I think we'd gotten as far as the second chorus when someone said, 'where does it go from here?' For fear of getting stuck and tapping out, the only clear choice was 'to the basement' and suddenly our plucky little anthem had a punk beat and some tempo… as violently contradictory as that felt, it also seemed to work nicely. 'Don't think twice.'
We buttoned up the lyrics, took a step back, and then listened to it the entire way to the show. Jack and I looked at each other and, with some level of pleasant surprise, one of us asked, 'did we just write track 1?'”
“Modern Love”
“'Modern Love's a beautiful disaster' are the words of a desperate, love-sick soul and the main character of our newest song 'Modern Love,' who is obsessed with the quest for connection in a world that'll often break your heart. The visual piece that accompanies the single and continues the through-line started with 'Sleepwalking' was co-directed by myself and our good friend Lupe Bustos.”
“Sleepwalking”
“'Sleepwalking' is a reflection on time spent away from whatever it is that makes you feel alive, on time lost to the weight of dragging feet and drifting thoughts. As we were working on this song, we considered our place in a changing world– We realized just how affected we were as individuals by time spent away from our most familiar life-lines, and how grateful we are now to come together with those people, places and things… our friends, families, touring, shows, art and the energy and perspective that comes with real, raw connection. Our time spent away from our most beloved dreams felt like being on cruise-control, going through the motions in a trance. We are so grateful to be here now, sharing this song, this sentiment, this energy, and most of all this band with you. Thank you for being here and for being with us as we continue this journey together.”
Photo by Ashley Osborn - source : Apple Music
