You have been on late night TV a few times this year. Does this new level of public attention bring a new level of pressure for songwriting with it?
Salim: I wouldn’t say it adds pressure because in the grand scheme of things, nobody cared in terms of the mainstream or the masses. You only really have that pressure when you are selling millions of records or you are a legitimate hyped band. We managed to navigate the system and got ourselves in those positions. Mainly it was more of a triumphant thing as opposed to something that we needed to continue to live up to this hype because at the time and still at this point, we still don’t have a radio single or anything that would put that pressure for our band dynamic to need to change in terms of how we write music to appease fans. We kind have been able to navigate all these different lanes organically with the acoustic sets and DJ sets where we play the music that we have and from stick up kids to American love, the music had evolved. So, I think, the associations that we have had in terms of you know from touring with rock bands, or from Warped Tour and doing stuff with Allen Stone and touring with Travie McCoy and stuff of that magnitude, it doesn’t put pressure on us because we do not have a lane. In theory, if we were specifically pop band and that was something we wanted to do something else, then I guess then the pressure would build. I think our biggest pressure is ourselves to put out another record that will elevate us to the next level and to not just be in this purgatory of mediocrity for lack of a better term.
Graham: I think we always put the pressure and fire under our own asses to write better songs and to write better music. That is always where the motivation comes from.
Your new single, “Better Days,” is an anthem of positivity. What can you tell about the change up from your other lyrical content?
Graham: In general, we want to continue to progress and grow and for the songwriting to get better and better. This is a theme where we might have not touched on as much. For example, the song back down, which is kind of a positive pick yourself up message. I think American Love was an album that is about love, lust, and relationships and it didn’t have many songs dealing with the subject matter that “Better Days” does. We have a lot we can write about, this is just one lane that we went down.
What can you tell me about working with Envy On The Coast alumn Ryan Hunter on this single?
Graham: He’s awesome. Working with him is just a natural experience. He’s great to work with and is a super talented kid. I’m sure he is going to continue to do a lot of amazing music.
Salim: He really is. He is actually is going to be here later on tonight.
Can we expect to see him pop up on a future record?
Salim: I would love that.
Graham: That would be awesome.
American Love was your last full record. The central theme of this record was the spectrum of relationships, affection, and love. With the single “Better Days,” can we see your anticipated record following that theme of positivity?
Salim: I think generally the new music it is just more universal and accessible to most people, because American Love it was spoken in the tense of man to woman, just because we are all dudes, and that is just the experiences we have had. The content for the next record is more just broader and mature for lack of a better term and some of it is in the literal sense is kind of grimy but in a clever way. If you listen to R Kelly’s music, he just says literally what he wants to do, and a lot of people don’t do that, but there are clever ways and metaphors where we are saying, ‘man, I’m trying to get this chick’s ass!’ or whatever it may be! There are just clever ways to go about it and I think the content on the newer record will be more universal to everyone, as opposed to just being right there.
The album art is consistent with those older themes. Would those change as well?
Graham: The ass theme probably won’t return. It was a part of American Love experience and it was awesome and we loved it and we definitely caught some flack for it, but it was all in good fun in our mind and it just went with the music and I think we will probably continue in a different direction in the future art form.
Bad Rabbits Interview: Photographed by Heather Glock
