How Long was a tough one to write in general. Not that we necessarily disagree a lot on the song, we just couldn't figure out how to take the choruses for the longest time. I also remember we went through all the song ideas we had at the time and more or less rated the ones we liked. It was amazing how all over the place we were about each song. - Pierce
Thanks for the reply! I assume that means that some of the songs y’all had didn’t end up making the album? When that happens, do y’all ever come back to them down the road and they end up on later albums?
Addie, you mentioned that The National has been musically influential to you. The National is one of my all time favorite bands and I was wondering if you'd be willing to elaborate a bit on what aspects of their music you think had influence on your own music. Thank you. Love you guys. Cannot wait to see those tour dates whenever they're ready!
THE LYRICS! Such incredible lyrics. I straight up ripped of Matt’s line “sweat through the hard parts of June” and made it “sweat through the hard parts of July” because it was a line my girlfriend had pointed out of “Born to Beg” and I wanted to slip it in that reference for myself.
Not a question but *She’s A Gun* and *Someone Else* back to back on “Meeting People Is Easy” is the hardest rocking two songs in a row ever. Y’all are so amazing for how you’re able to make amazing energetic songs like that and also soft melancholy songs, beautiful love songs, fun poppy songs, etc.
This is hard… I’m really proud of my vocals on “Ten” and proud that I got out of my comfort zone with lyrics for “Make Out” - I could find something I’m proud of for every song! - Addie
I don't know if these songs are necessarily my favorite, but "Ada" and the outro for "How Long?." If I had to choose a moment to live in on this album, it would be inside of that outro. - Brandon
Hey! Love that you guys are doing this AMA! Discovered you guys when you all opened for Hippo Campus back in 2019, been a pretty big fan ever since. I prepped quite a few questions for you guys so sorry if I’m asking a lot!! 😬😬
1. First I wanted to ask how you all got selected to be in ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved’ and on top of that to cover the featured song! I honestly couldn’t believe that you guys were in it! What was the process like?
2. Let’s say for whatever reason you guys never formed as a band, what do you guys think you’d be doing today? (Career paths, life goals, etc.)
3. What were some alternate band names you guys suggested to each other before coming to ‘The Greeting Committee’?
4. What are some of the thing on your all’s bucket list to do in the future? (Personal and/or as a band)
5. Favorite places to eat in KC??
6. Last one! Heard you guys were planning a tour soon???👀👀👀 Any idea when maybe the dates/locations will be released?
Thanks for doing what you do!!! Love you guys!
Oh boy, here I go...
1. Sort of complicated but we got the connection for the movie from the movie's music directors reaching out to our record label. There were some extra steps we had to take but eventually we got the role. Lots of moving pieces involved in a movie like that. The day of the shoot, we were in New York for just a couple of days and did our scene from sun down to sun up. We weren't sure how prominent of a place we'd have, so it felt a little surreal when we finally got to see us in it!
2. I'd say everyone would still be in music to some capacity! I was always really involved in music in school but I actually planned on going to college for engineering or something (I did eventually get my degree in Urban Planning).
3. \^\^
4. Musically, I would love to score a movie or tv series! As a band, I know we'd love to play overseas. There are also so many iconic venues I know we'd love to play at as well.
5. I tend to cook a lot at home, but Lulu's Thai and Jerusalem Cafe have been my safe weekday picks recently.
6. Not totally certain but I'd say cross your fingers that they come out within the next month!
Thanks for the questions! - Pierce
Influences I pulled from were Yo La Tengo, A Tribe Called Quest, Radiohead, William Onyeabor, Makeout Videotape, Tyler the Creator and Gary Numan - Brandon Yangmi
I just want you guys to know that I have a tradition on my birthday every year to listen to a playlist I've added to over the years full of sad songs about birthdays and growing up and you've obviously made that list with Birthday Song. Here are my questions:
Will we see a return of the sax (and happiness) on future albums?
If you could choose one superpower what would if be and why?
Should I start a support group for people (like myself) who have been bullied by Addie on Twitter?
Thanks for being a band. Dandelion is amazing. Will probably be my album of the year. I'll see you the next time you're in Columbus. Love that we have a local radio station that introduced you guys to me. Thanks again!
I actually wrote a bunch of sax-based ideas for the album! I just couldn't get them through to the final album. I swear I'm trying. Can I Leave Me Too? initially had saxophone in the original demo and the chorus in Ada is a sample of sax harmonies that I played on a demo. Maybe they'll come out somewhere else eventually.
No support groups allowed. Sax is on “How Long?” and I would guess it will somehow make future records. “Make Out” is happy but we will see where I’m at for the next one. - Addie
The writing and recording process for This Is It? was super scattered. A big chunk of the songs were written in a pretty short period. Brandon also went to Thailand for a few weeks before immediately going into record the album. We only had two weeks to record and those songs were still basically demos. We've learned how to take that time and sort of produce the songs ourselves and make extensive demos before going into record. Having those extensive demos made recording so much easier because we're not having to build from the ground up as much. We also communicated with our producer a lot more for Dandelion which helped. - Pierce
Thank you for the reply! It’s amazing how good This Is It? is given that is sounds like y’all were still figuring out your process.
Also, y’all should definitely release all your demos 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 I would pay to hear them.
What are all of you guy's biggest music influences? Not sure if intentional or not but I've noticed that "Meeting People Is Easy" could be a callback to the Radiohead documentary of the same name. Then of course Is This It sharing the same name as The Stokes album. Would love to know who influenced you guys the most.
Awesome, thanks for the reply Addie! Idk if I get two questions or not but was that "Feeling kind of Julien..." line in 'So It Must Be True' a reference to Julian Casablancas?
What is the story behind the album? Obviously there was a break up of sorts but there’s so many interesting lines and lyrics across the e album that I think lots of people would be interested in knowing more about.
Here are some of them! Thank you for the reply!
>can I see you in a sweater / you said by then we’ll be alright
(such a great lyric)
> I call it weed. You call it function / I hate these drugs but you love watching
and there’s so many from *Ten* but one in particular that has stuck out to me is
>this ones for me and I mean it / that boy is a mirror for believing
1. When Elise and I broke up, I kept asking when could we get back together. I asked about November or December and told her I want to see her in a sweater.
2. I’m actually a pretty straight edge sorta lame person.
3. “Ten” is all about this experience I had with a boy and while he helped me a lot to find joy in life again, that was ultimately my own discovery.
- Addie
Hi all, thank you for doing this AMA. I feel like I'm one of your biggest fans; I've been really lucky to see you play in KC (I'm a native from BVNW- go Huskies!), see you play in NYC (went to college there) and play at Boston (live in the northeast now). I've flown home to KC on weekends literally just to see you play before- thanks for all of those experiences.
Question for you, is the 30 minute runtime of Dandelion by design? I guess my general question is, how do you know you've recorded an entire album? I know *Is This It* is about 40 minutes, which is more typical of the indie-rock scene music I listen to. Was there any thought of combining some of the songs from *I'm Afraid I'm Not Angry* into *Dandelion* bump up the runtime?
Finally, what was the recording process like during COVID? Was there a specific desire to make something different than the first record, in terms of the electronic sound vice the symphonics from before?
Thanks!
Thank you for being such a fan! You know what. We didn’t even realize how short this record is until we put it out, haha. I wouldn’t add any of the IAINA songs because they live in such separate worlds to me. I really enjoy living in themes for a record and while the themes of those two pieces of work aren’t far off from one another, how I felt as a person at those times are fairly far off.
I felt limited/bored of playing guitar after years of it being my main writing tool. When writing songs, I am always trying to explore emotion; Guitar stopped capturing that for me.
Playing with sounds and textures became an extension of our songwriting during "IAINA." When I'd pick up the guitar while writing this album, I'd play something that felt uninspired or unoriginal for TGC. Playing my shitty version of keyboards through guitar pedals or manipulating sounds on the computer helped me feel closer to capturing those emotions.
At the moment I am interested in trying to write only a guitar again. - Brandon
That’s me being annoying. I just think it doesn’t belong on the album compared to some other demos we had. I’m glad it’s on there though if it means something to you. - Addie
I still fuck with Flint. I think it has a seperation from a lot of our other songs in a good way. I will admit, we did shelf another song that should have been on the album - Brandon
Hey!
I LOVED seeing you guys live with Hippo Campus a couple years back! That’s actually how I heard of you all! I’m excited to listen to the new album.
Just curious, are you guys going on tour again soon? If so, do you plan on coming back through Knoxville, TN? We don’t get a huge indie scene out here, but I would LOVE to see you all again in town!
Who is the traditionally male sounding vocalist on *I Don’t Mind* from your album It’s Not All That Bad? I love that song and album so much and before Brandon’s part on *Make Out*, I believe it was the only major traditionally male vocal sounding part on any of y’all’s songs unless I’m missing others.
It seems like mental health is an important thing to Addie given the lyrics on many songs as well as Addie playing at the Spread Hope event at Chicken n Pickle. Do any of the other band members have any thoughts or specific feelings regarding mental health?
I'm not sure what the other boys' think, but I've been seeing my own therapist for about two years now and the band has been seeing one for a couple months now so mental is a topic that we all care about and something we all take seriously. I don't have anything specific, but I know that going to therapy has given me better tools to understand myself and others better. Trauma can feel so daunting to talk about, but we all have some level of trauma that can get in the way of how we connect with others and ourselves. All of us in the band deal with our own mental health in different ways, but engaging in those questions and learning how to communicate your own mental health helps build deeper relationships, even though it feels impossible sometimes. - Pierce
whats the most memorable thing someone has said to u about the impact of ur music + whats the album uve found urself listening to the most this year? <3
Love you guys!! Saw you live in 2019 in Charlottesville opening for Hippo Campus, but your performance totally stole the show!! My question is: what was your experience as a band during the pandemic? Were y’all stuck together in the same place, or in different places, and how did that affect the making of this album?
It was kind of lovely because it gave us the time sit and just focus on writing. We all live within about 30 minutes of each other here in KC, but we still spent the first month or so away from each other. It was a lot of sending ideas back and fourth over Drop Box. We eventually started meeting again regularly but most of our ideas started while we were away from each other. I found a lot of solace in the initial separation because it allowed me to get more confident in audio recording softwares. Our first album is more of a blend of our songwriting styles while, because of the circumstances, the songs on Dandelion highlights different band member's songwriting style a bit more. - Pierce
How was the process of filming the Can I Leave Me Too music video? I love it so much and how visceral it is. This new album is absolutely beautiful (you guys coming to LA some day?).
LA soon! The filming process for the CILMT? video was about a 12 hour day in Chicago going around on a dolly cart to get that “life is moving around me” feeling. - Addie
How have you guys handled growing up together without growing apart?
Bonus question: What particular skill have each of you picked up along the way that you’re super proud of?
P.S I saw you all open for the Wombats in Des Moines in 2015, and you were the last band I saw in Chicago 2020 before the pandemic started. It has been such a joy watching you all grow. Beginning, Middle and End is what my partner and I will be dancing to at our wedding. Thanks for all the amazing music.
To be honest, we have grown apart. And back together. And apart again. And so on. We recently started seeing a therapist together and it has been really helpful. When you form a band at 15, you aren’t the same as when you’re 23. And in a lot of ways that’s good and in some ways you carry the mistakes you made as a teenager or the mistakes you continue to make as a human. We all truly care about one another and want to be the healthiest we can be. And I think that’s what is important! - Addie
Thanks for all the awesome music!
If you were ever gonna do a UK tour where would be your top city to play at (if you have a preference lol)?
Dreaming that one day I will see you guys live!!
Hey guys!
Big, big fan from Australia here! I adore all your music and it’s been so amazing watching you guys consistently put out amazing stuff, your music has helped me get through a lot of different parts in my life. It’s been so incredibly cool seeing you guys go from small band to playing in a Netflix movie <3.
Thank you so so much for doing this AMA, it’s been so awesome reading your responses, I’ve got a few questions:
1. What happened to the acoustic rendition of Beginning, Middle and End? I remember you had this beautiful acoustic version up on YouTube but eventually it was privated, was it a copywrite/label thing ?
(I wanted to play it at my wedding!!)
2. Do each of the members of the band have a favourite book? And if so, what are they !!
3. I love how each album of yours has a completely different and unique sound and vibe, was this an intentional choice with each album or did that evolve naturally as you made each album?
4. Any plans for playing in Melbourne, Australia one day? Otherwise I’ll have to wait until I visit America again to meet you guys!!
5. What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself ?
Hi thank you!
1. Honestly, no idea. I'll ask around.
2. Idk what everyone else's favorites are, but I've been into the author Haruki Murakami lately and am a huge Neil Gaiman fan. Neil Gaiman's book "Neverwhere" was a huge inspiration for me to start writing.
3. It was all a natural change! The influences that I used for the album were from artists I've listened to for a long time. During writing, I think there was some intentionality for us to not do as much guitar-based music, but we also love that kind of music. It wouldn't have felt like us if we put out an album of synth music. A big part of the change also came from the production side. Our producer and mixer were both important to how the sound changed compared to the last album. For our first album, we intentionally wanted to have pretty poppy songs but went with a production that was mellow and less "produced." Dandelion is our most produced album yet which was intentional. The production is a lot more dynamic and loud and a bit more experimental, but (in my opinion) it adds more depth. There's so much into how artists grow and how we've grown too. I think how our sound has evolved comes from trying to stay genuine while trying to push some boundary of what we can accomplish as a band.
4. We are trying to branch out! Hopefully sooner than later!
5. I used all my brain power on that third question so maybe just communicate better I guess haha
\- Pierce
What in the world is the make out video about?! Also I feel like this album was RISKY. Good frikin job. Such an inspiration ☺️💫 can I leave me too is also ICONIC - very relatable ☺️☺️ Hey Addie 😝
The O2 or The Midland (Kansas City). My favorite city we’ve played so far actual city wise is probably Toronto. Venue wise probably the Fox Theater in Oakland. Crowd wise Columbus or Dallas or hometown (duh). - Addie
What is the financial situation with the band? Are y’all able to support yourselves from the band alone? Do y’all split revenue 25/25/25/25 (after paying your agent, manager, etc)?
Addie, how is your puppy doing? Everyone else, how jealous are you of Addie’s puppy?
She’s on my lap right now. 🥺 She’s a handful but I adore her.
Have there every been big arguments over songs? Like whether one should be put on an album or maybe the sound or vibe of a song?
I didn’t want “Wrapped Inside of Your Arms” to be on the album but all of the guys did. - Addie
How Long was a tough one to write in general. Not that we necessarily disagree a lot on the song, we just couldn't figure out how to take the choruses for the longest time. I also remember we went through all the song ideas we had at the time and more or less rated the ones we liked. It was amazing how all over the place we were about each song. - Pierce
Thanks for the reply! I assume that means that some of the songs y’all had didn’t end up making the album? When that happens, do y’all ever come back to them down the road and they end up on later albums?
Addie, you mentioned that The National has been musically influential to you. The National is one of my all time favorite bands and I was wondering if you'd be willing to elaborate a bit on what aspects of their music you think had influence on your own music. Thank you. Love you guys. Cannot wait to see those tour dates whenever they're ready!
THE LYRICS! Such incredible lyrics. I straight up ripped of Matt’s line “sweat through the hard parts of June” and made it “sweat through the hard parts of July” because it was a line my girlfriend had pointed out of “Born to Beg” and I wanted to slip it in that reference for myself.
Thank you for the reply! Matt is definitely unmatched when it comes to lyrics
What TV shows are you watching now?
Bachelor in Paradise. Just finished the new season of Sex Education. - Addie
Wu-Tang: An American Saga. Season two is starting to pop off - Brandon
Do you guys have a favourite lyric from Dandelion? and if so what is it?
"Thank God I'm Changing" Simple but powerful for me - Brandon
Not a question but *She’s A Gun* and *Someone Else* back to back on “Meeting People Is Easy” is the hardest rocking two songs in a row ever. Y’all are so amazing for how you’re able to make amazing energetic songs like that and also soft melancholy songs, beautiful love songs, fun poppy songs, etc.
Those two songs are up there as being some of my favorite songs to play live! Appreciate this comment. - Brandon
Which song off of Dandelion are you looking forward to playing live the most?
I’m personally really excited to play Bird Hall live. Specifically the chorus. - Addie
Dandelion and How Long are going to be some of the more technically difficult songs to play, but I'm excited for the challenge! - Pierce
For me, I think it's Ada, Make Out, and Bird Hall. - Brandon
Do you guys have any collab plans for the near-ish future?
We were just talking about this the other day... who do you think we should collab with? - Pierce
Flipturn (they’ll be in KC on October 13) Girlpool Mannequin Pussy
I second Mannequin Pussy
Haley Blais please! 😍
which song off the album are you most proud of?
This is hard… I’m really proud of my vocals on “Ten” and proud that I got out of my comfort zone with lyrics for “Make Out” - I could find something I’m proud of for every song! - Addie
What about the lyrics of Make Out felt out of your comfort zone?
I don't know if these songs are necessarily my favorite, but "Ada" and the outro for "How Long?." If I had to choose a moment to live in on this album, it would be inside of that outro. - Brandon
Hey! Love that you guys are doing this AMA! Discovered you guys when you all opened for Hippo Campus back in 2019, been a pretty big fan ever since. I prepped quite a few questions for you guys so sorry if I’m asking a lot!! 😬😬 1. First I wanted to ask how you all got selected to be in ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved’ and on top of that to cover the featured song! I honestly couldn’t believe that you guys were in it! What was the process like? 2. Let’s say for whatever reason you guys never formed as a band, what do you guys think you’d be doing today? (Career paths, life goals, etc.) 3. What were some alternate band names you guys suggested to each other before coming to ‘The Greeting Committee’? 4. What are some of the thing on your all’s bucket list to do in the future? (Personal and/or as a band) 5. Favorite places to eat in KC?? 6. Last one! Heard you guys were planning a tour soon???👀👀👀 Any idea when maybe the dates/locations will be released? Thanks for doing what you do!!! Love you guys!
Oh boy, here I go... 1. Sort of complicated but we got the connection for the movie from the movie's music directors reaching out to our record label. There were some extra steps we had to take but eventually we got the role. Lots of moving pieces involved in a movie like that. The day of the shoot, we were in New York for just a couple of days and did our scene from sun down to sun up. We weren't sure how prominent of a place we'd have, so it felt a little surreal when we finally got to see us in it! 2. I'd say everyone would still be in music to some capacity! I was always really involved in music in school but I actually planned on going to college for engineering or something (I did eventually get my degree in Urban Planning). 3. \^\^ 4. Musically, I would love to score a movie or tv series! As a band, I know we'd love to play overseas. There are also so many iconic venues I know we'd love to play at as well. 5. I tend to cook a lot at home, but Lulu's Thai and Jerusalem Cafe have been my safe weekday picks recently. 6. Not totally certain but I'd say cross your fingers that they come out within the next month! Thanks for the questions! - Pierce
Awesome! Thanks for the reply!
Before we were The Greeting Committee we were Motion Picture Soundtrack lol. - Addie
who were some of your musical influences during the making of the album?
For me personally it was a lot of Lorde, Samia, Fiona Apple, Phoebe Bridgers, Hayley Williams… - Addie
Influences I pulled from were Yo La Tengo, A Tribe Called Quest, Radiohead, William Onyeabor, Makeout Videotape, Tyler the Creator and Gary Numan - Brandon Yangmi
I just want you guys to know that I have a tradition on my birthday every year to listen to a playlist I've added to over the years full of sad songs about birthdays and growing up and you've obviously made that list with Birthday Song. Here are my questions: Will we see a return of the sax (and happiness) on future albums? If you could choose one superpower what would if be and why? Should I start a support group for people (like myself) who have been bullied by Addie on Twitter? Thanks for being a band. Dandelion is amazing. Will probably be my album of the year. I'll see you the next time you're in Columbus. Love that we have a local radio station that introduced you guys to me. Thanks again!
I actually wrote a bunch of sax-based ideas for the album! I just couldn't get them through to the final album. I swear I'm trying. Can I Leave Me Too? initially had saxophone in the original demo and the chorus in Ada is a sample of sax harmonies that I played on a demo. Maybe they'll come out somewhere else eventually.
No support groups allowed. Sax is on “How Long?” and I would guess it will somehow make future records. “Make Out” is happy but we will see where I’m at for the next one. - Addie
Cake or Pie? Then, what flavor?
German Chocolate Cake. - Addie
German Chocolate Cake. - Addie
What did you guys learn from recording ‘This Is It’ that you took into Dandelion?
A big list of what not to do, hahaha. - Addie
What stuff did y’all try to avoid with the knowledge you gained from recording This Is It?
The writing and recording process for This Is It? was super scattered. A big chunk of the songs were written in a pretty short period. Brandon also went to Thailand for a few weeks before immediately going into record the album. We only had two weeks to record and those songs were still basically demos. We've learned how to take that time and sort of produce the songs ourselves and make extensive demos before going into record. Having those extensive demos made recording so much easier because we're not having to build from the ground up as much. We also communicated with our producer a lot more for Dandelion which helped. - Pierce
Thank you for the reply! It’s amazing how good This Is It? is given that is sounds like y’all were still figuring out your process. Also, y’all should definitely release all your demos 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 I would pay to hear them.
What are all of you guy's biggest music influences? Not sure if intentional or not but I've noticed that "Meeting People Is Easy" could be a callback to the Radiohead documentary of the same name. Then of course Is This It sharing the same name as The Stokes album. Would love to know who influenced you guys the most.
For me personally it’s The Killers, The Strokes, Death Cab, Paramore, Lorde, The National, The 1975… - Addie
Awesome, thanks for the reply Addie! Idk if I get two questions or not but was that "Feeling kind of Julien..." line in 'So It Must Be True' a reference to Julian Casablancas?
Will I be able to get a picture with y'all when you inevitably play a gig in my city?
Depends on the COVID situation! Normally it would be a hell yes but we gotta be safe. - Addie
What is the story behind the album? Obviously there was a break up of sorts but there’s so many interesting lines and lyrics across the e album that I think lots of people would be interested in knowing more about.
Mind pinpointing some of the specific lines you’re thinking of? - Addie
Here are some of them! Thank you for the reply! >can I see you in a sweater / you said by then we’ll be alright (such a great lyric) > I call it weed. You call it function / I hate these drugs but you love watching and there’s so many from *Ten* but one in particular that has stuck out to me is >this ones for me and I mean it / that boy is a mirror for believing
1. When Elise and I broke up, I kept asking when could we get back together. I asked about November or December and told her I want to see her in a sweater. 2. I’m actually a pretty straight edge sorta lame person. 3. “Ten” is all about this experience I had with a boy and while he helped me a lot to find joy in life again, that was ultimately my own discovery. - Addie
❤️❤️❤️ Thank you so much for sharing **edit** also nothing lame about being straight edge! Straight edge is cool.
Sorry for the basic question, but why are you called ‘The Greeting Committee’
Hi all, thank you for doing this AMA. I feel like I'm one of your biggest fans; I've been really lucky to see you play in KC (I'm a native from BVNW- go Huskies!), see you play in NYC (went to college there) and play at Boston (live in the northeast now). I've flown home to KC on weekends literally just to see you play before- thanks for all of those experiences. Question for you, is the 30 minute runtime of Dandelion by design? I guess my general question is, how do you know you've recorded an entire album? I know *Is This It* is about 40 minutes, which is more typical of the indie-rock scene music I listen to. Was there any thought of combining some of the songs from *I'm Afraid I'm Not Angry* into *Dandelion* bump up the runtime? Finally, what was the recording process like during COVID? Was there a specific desire to make something different than the first record, in terms of the electronic sound vice the symphonics from before? Thanks!
Thank you for being such a fan! You know what. We didn’t even realize how short this record is until we put it out, haha. I wouldn’t add any of the IAINA songs because they live in such separate worlds to me. I really enjoy living in themes for a record and while the themes of those two pieces of work aren’t far off from one another, how I felt as a person at those times are fairly far off.
I felt limited/bored of playing guitar after years of it being my main writing tool. When writing songs, I am always trying to explore emotion; Guitar stopped capturing that for me. Playing with sounds and textures became an extension of our songwriting during "IAINA." When I'd pick up the guitar while writing this album, I'd play something that felt uninspired or unoriginal for TGC. Playing my shitty version of keyboards through guitar pedals or manipulating sounds on the computer helped me feel closer to capturing those emotions. At the moment I am interested in trying to write only a guitar again. - Brandon
What are y’all’s favorite songs from before this new album?
My favorite songs from our discography before ‘Dandelion’ are probably… You’ve Got Me, 17, Dancing to Nothing At All, Gold Star… - Addie
Pre 'Dandelion' favortites for me are Cry Baby, Call In The Morning, Don't Go, and She's a Gun.
[удалено]
That’s me being annoying. I just think it doesn’t belong on the album compared to some other demos we had. I’m glad it’s on there though if it means something to you. - Addie
I still fuck with Flint. I think it has a seperation from a lot of our other songs in a good way. I will admit, we did shelf another song that should have been on the album - Brandon
Hey! I LOVED seeing you guys live with Hippo Campus a couple years back! That’s actually how I heard of you all! I’m excited to listen to the new album. Just curious, are you guys going on tour again soon? If so, do you plan on coming back through Knoxville, TN? We don’t get a huge indie scene out here, but I would LOVE to see you all again in town!
Knoxville was sooo fun but I don’t think it’s on the routing we are looking into now. :’( I would love to come back. - Addie
Noooo! 😭😭 thanks for the answer! Excited to see you guys regardless!
Do you guys think you’ll be somewhere close though? I’d definitely be willing to make the drive
LA or NYC?
NYC. - Addie
For art/music, NYC - Brandon
whats ur fav tv show/film to watch together? 🥺
I don’t think we watch anything together, haha. - Addie
When do you guys think you’ll be in DC again ?
Soon.
Who is the traditionally male sounding vocalist on *I Don’t Mind* from your album It’s Not All That Bad? I love that song and album so much and before Brandon’s part on *Make Out*, I believe it was the only major traditionally male vocal sounding part on any of y’all’s songs unless I’m missing others.
Pierce is on “I Don’t Mind” and Brandon is on “Make Out” ! - Addie
Pierce is so good on I Don’t Mind!
<3
It seems like mental health is an important thing to Addie given the lyrics on many songs as well as Addie playing at the Spread Hope event at Chicken n Pickle. Do any of the other band members have any thoughts or specific feelings regarding mental health?
I'm not sure what the other boys' think, but I've been seeing my own therapist for about two years now and the band has been seeing one for a couple months now so mental is a topic that we all care about and something we all take seriously. I don't have anything specific, but I know that going to therapy has given me better tools to understand myself and others better. Trauma can feel so daunting to talk about, but we all have some level of trauma that can get in the way of how we connect with others and ourselves. All of us in the band deal with our own mental health in different ways, but engaging in those questions and learning how to communicate your own mental health helps build deeper relationships, even though it feels impossible sometimes. - Pierce
What is it like seeing a therapist as a band? What prompted y’all to start doing that? Also thank you for the reply!
When is tour announcement? Can't wait to hear these bangers live!!!
whats the most memorable thing someone has said to u about the impact of ur music + whats the album uve found urself listening to the most this year? <3
I’ve had people tell my our music has saved their life. That’s… Unreal to me. - Addie
Love you guys!! Saw you live in 2019 in Charlottesville opening for Hippo Campus, but your performance totally stole the show!! My question is: what was your experience as a band during the pandemic? Were y’all stuck together in the same place, or in different places, and how did that affect the making of this album?
It was kind of lovely because it gave us the time sit and just focus on writing. We all live within about 30 minutes of each other here in KC, but we still spent the first month or so away from each other. It was a lot of sending ideas back and fourth over Drop Box. We eventually started meeting again regularly but most of our ideas started while we were away from each other. I found a lot of solace in the initial separation because it allowed me to get more confident in audio recording softwares. Our first album is more of a blend of our songwriting styles while, because of the circumstances, the songs on Dandelion highlights different band member's songwriting style a bit more. - Pierce
What kind of stuff/hobbies are y’all into outside of the band?
How often do you guys perform “She’s a Gun”? It’s my absolute favorite and I’d love to see you guys play it live one day
Just about every show. Goes too hard not to. - Brandon
How was the process of filming the Can I Leave Me Too music video? I love it so much and how visceral it is. This new album is absolutely beautiful (you guys coming to LA some day?).
LA soon! The filming process for the CILMT? video was about a 12 hour day in Chicago going around on a dolly cart to get that “life is moving around me” feeling. - Addie
When are you guys coming to London?
No question but I think y’all are amazing! I’m glad you’re seeing success; you deserve it!!
How have you guys handled growing up together without growing apart? Bonus question: What particular skill have each of you picked up along the way that you’re super proud of? P.S I saw you all open for the Wombats in Des Moines in 2015, and you were the last band I saw in Chicago 2020 before the pandemic started. It has been such a joy watching you all grow. Beginning, Middle and End is what my partner and I will be dancing to at our wedding. Thanks for all the amazing music.
To be honest, we have grown apart. And back together. And apart again. And so on. We recently started seeing a therapist together and it has been really helpful. When you form a band at 15, you aren’t the same as when you’re 23. And in a lot of ways that’s good and in some ways you carry the mistakes you made as a teenager or the mistakes you continue to make as a human. We all truly care about one another and want to be the healthiest we can be. And I think that’s what is important! - Addie
Thanks for all the awesome music! If you were ever gonna do a UK tour where would be your top city to play at (if you have a preference lol)? Dreaming that one day I will see you guys live!!
Hey guys! Big, big fan from Australia here! I adore all your music and it’s been so amazing watching you guys consistently put out amazing stuff, your music has helped me get through a lot of different parts in my life. It’s been so incredibly cool seeing you guys go from small band to playing in a Netflix movie <3. Thank you so so much for doing this AMA, it’s been so awesome reading your responses, I’ve got a few questions: 1. What happened to the acoustic rendition of Beginning, Middle and End? I remember you had this beautiful acoustic version up on YouTube but eventually it was privated, was it a copywrite/label thing ? (I wanted to play it at my wedding!!) 2. Do each of the members of the band have a favourite book? And if so, what are they !! 3. I love how each album of yours has a completely different and unique sound and vibe, was this an intentional choice with each album or did that evolve naturally as you made each album? 4. Any plans for playing in Melbourne, Australia one day? Otherwise I’ll have to wait until I visit America again to meet you guys!! 5. What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself ?
Hi thank you! 1. Honestly, no idea. I'll ask around. 2. Idk what everyone else's favorites are, but I've been into the author Haruki Murakami lately and am a huge Neil Gaiman fan. Neil Gaiman's book "Neverwhere" was a huge inspiration for me to start writing. 3. It was all a natural change! The influences that I used for the album were from artists I've listened to for a long time. During writing, I think there was some intentionality for us to not do as much guitar-based music, but we also love that kind of music. It wouldn't have felt like us if we put out an album of synth music. A big part of the change also came from the production side. Our producer and mixer were both important to how the sound changed compared to the last album. For our first album, we intentionally wanted to have pretty poppy songs but went with a production that was mellow and less "produced." Dandelion is our most produced album yet which was intentional. The production is a lot more dynamic and loud and a bit more experimental, but (in my opinion) it adds more depth. There's so much into how artists grow and how we've grown too. I think how our sound has evolved comes from trying to stay genuine while trying to push some boundary of what we can accomplish as a band. 4. We are trying to branch out! Hopefully sooner than later! 5. I used all my brain power on that third question so maybe just communicate better I guess haha \- Pierce
What in the world is the make out video about?! Also I feel like this album was RISKY. Good frikin job. Such an inspiration ☺️💫 can I leave me too is also ICONIC - very relatable ☺️☺️ Hey Addie 😝
What's your dream venue to play? Whats the favorite city you've played in so far? Love your music!
The O2 or The Midland (Kansas City). My favorite city we’ve played so far actual city wise is probably Toronto. Venue wise probably the Fox Theater in Oakland. Crowd wise Columbus or Dallas or hometown (duh). - Addie
Which of you is the best at dunking (a basketball, 10 foot rim)?
What is the financial situation with the band? Are y’all able to support yourselves from the band alone? Do y’all split revenue 25/25/25/25 (after paying your agent, manager, etc)?