Pop-Mosh Pioneers – A Day To Remember

• 2nd Aug 2008

Hailing from Ocala, American quintet A Day To Remember are racking up thousands of fans worldwide due to their genre hopping, catchy music. Splicing both pop punk and hardcore genres, the band achieve a sound made by no other, and set themselves aside from any other band on the music scene at the moment. Lead vocalist, Jeremy, speaks openly to Glasswerk about the history of the band, and what the future holds.

Jeremy himself has been writing music since he was 12, and was influenced heavily by bands such as Blink 182, Pennywise and New Found Glory, which explains the pop punk roots so evident throughout their songs.

The choice to splice genres, was not a conscious one, it was just something which evolved. They play music that they love, and nothing more. They produce what comes naturally to them. Jeremy declared “The two things we’re playing aren’t groundbreaking, but people sure as hell weren’t putting the two together like that when we started. Screamo bands play heavy parts all the time, but people don’t put mosh and pop together. The only band that I had heard before our CD came out that was even close to what we were trying to do was Beloved… and they are way different than us.”

However, when the band started and were coming up with ideas for a name, they used someone more for their brain than actual musical abilities – and like any good user, disposed of him when they had got what they needed. Jeremy jokes: “Haha. The name came from this kid that use to play rhythm guitar for us originally. He was a terrible guitar player, but he had this cool band name we liked, so, we let him in for a few months, kept the name, and kicked him to the curb. Don’t think were terrible… he was really awful.”

In terms of the songs that the band writes, they stem from every day life, and experiences that Jeremy and the guys go through. It gives the songs more meaning and emphasis, and makes them easier for the crowd to relate to. Jeremy speaks passionately about the song writing process and makes sure each song is perfected to his highest standards before even considering bringing it to the bands attention.

So what shows stick in Jeremy’s memory? “The best gig that we have played would hands down be Augusta, Georgia. Those kids are nutty for our band, and we love them dearly. The most fun playing for me personally would have to be, The Knitting Factory in Los Angeles. That show was amazing. It was our first time there, and kids lost there minds, it was totally outta control.”

Although A Day To Remember play at break-neck speeds, smacking you in the face with such riot-inducing riffs and tonsil-tearing roars, they are far from a one-trick pony. This is most evident with the acoustic slow-burner ‘You Had Me At Hello’ but as Jeremy explains, the personal song was just too good not to be heard. “Well that song actually isn’t an A Day To Remember song. I actually did that as a birthday present for my girlfriend, and our label at the time (Indianola) heard it, and told us it was too marketable not to use. We didn’t want to, but whatever.”

With a storming ‘beefed-up’ version of Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ under their collective studded belts, who knows what A Day To Remember could come up with next. But one thing is for certain, it won’t be predictable and will most probably fucking rule.

‘For Those Who Have Heart’ is out now on Victory Records