DELUXE EDITION - Includes 3 Bonus Tracks
Since forming in the Baltimore suburbs in 2003, All Time Low
have become one of the biggest pop-punk bands to emerge on the
scene, building a grassroots following of die-hard fans with very
little radio airplay and a touring ethic that would rival
road-weary vets like Green Day. Their profile is only going to
rise with the release of their stellar Inter debut Dirty
Work - a 12 track mix of hard-charging anthems and sugar-
rockers that are poised to dominate house parties and joyrides
this summer. As singer-guitarist Alex karth promises, "I feel
like dancing tonight - I'm gonna party like it's my civil right!"
The album is one of rock's most anticipated of the year, with
Alternative Press hailing All Time Low on the cover of their
"Most Anticipated Music of 2011" issue.
"In a lot of ways, this is the perfect summer record," says
drummer Rian Dawson of the band's fourth album. "The songs are
really loud and will get you to roll the windows down. It's just
a fun record all around."
For Dirty Work, All Time Low - featuring karth, Dawson, lead
guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist Zack Merrick - teamed up with
some of rock's most in-demand producers and studio aces,
including Mike Green (Paramore, Boys Like Girls) and Butch Walker
(Pink, Dashboard Confessional). The result is their most
confident collection of songs yet, including the blistering
"Time-Bomb" and "Guts," which features a guest spot from Maja
Ivarsson of the Swedish indie-rock group the Sounds.
All Time Low also roped in the master of the pop-rock anthem -
Weezer's Rivers Cuomo - to co-write "I Feel Like Dancing," which
karth penned with Cuomo at his Southern California home. "I
just threw it out there that we wanted to work with him as a
in the dark," says the 23-year-old. "But he was really into the
idea and it was such a rad experience. I went to his house,
chilled on the floor, and we talked about our favorite bands. I
think we knocked that song out in an hour."
Despite the good-times vibe of Dirty Work, All Time Low spent a
grueling two years making the album - in between brief breaks
from their non-stop touring schedule (which has included top
slots at Warped Tour in 2007, Bamboozle in 2010, and festival
billings with their heroes Blink-182). The majority of the
sessions were completed with Green in Los Angeles, but the
freewheeling schedule only boosted the band's songwriting
spirits. "We hate to stop touring," says karth. "Rather than
locking ourselves in the studio, we're always hopping around and
changing environments. It helps refresh everybody and breathes
new life into our songs."
All Time Low's influences are far more diverse than their peers
and you can hear their love of classic punk and rock all over
Dirty Work. "Just the Way I'm Not" is the band's homage to Def
Leppard classic stadium rockers - they even sampled the British
group's drum sound on the track - while cuts like "Do You Want Me
(Dead)" find karth channeling icons like the Clash at their
catchiest. "They played a vital role in a few songs on the
album," he says. "I really admired how they broke all the rules -
they helped me realize that you can change up your sound and you
don't have to be afraid of holding yourself back."
karth's most surprising lyrical influence, however, came from
Ella Fitzgerald's "It's Only a Paper Moon" on the track "Under A
Paper Moon" - a testament to All Time Low's broad musical tastes
and proof of how far karth has grown as a lyricist. "It's one
of my favorite songs," he says. "We get lumped into this category
of bands that grew up on Blink-182, but this song really puts us
beyond that category of pop-punk."
All Time Low have come a long way since forming in Baltimore, MD
as teenagers playing Blink covers in high-school. Before they'd
even graduated, they released two raucous mission statements --
the 2004 EP The Three Words to Remember in Dealing With the End
and the 2005 full-length The Party Scene - and went on to sign
with indie stalwart Hopeless Records in 2006. But it was their
2007 release So Wrong, It's Right that cracked everything wide
open. All Time Low's third record, 2009's Nothing Personal, fared
even better, debuting at Number Four on the Billboard chart and
earning them positive reviews from outlets as far-reaching as
Alternative Press and The Washington Post.
Despite their success, All Time Low have kept their egos in check
- even their road crew include pals who've toured with the band
from their early days playing tiny Maryland clubs like the Recher
Theater. "Sure, we could've hired Axl Rose's sound guy, but then
you're just stuck on the road with this stranger," says Dawson.
"When you surround yourself with friends, it's so much more fun
and keeps you from turning into some kind of rock star douche
bag."
Still, All Time Low find time for plenty of backstage debauchery
- such as a recent gig in New Jersey, where their tour bus
erupted into a full-on party. "There were all these people I've
never seen before," Dawson recalls with a laugh. "The stereo was
cranked up really loud, it smelled like something was
burning...but that's part of why being in a band is so much fun.
When you're surrounded by your friends, it's like you're on a
permanent vacation."
