Florida pop punk band YELLOWCARD were the name on everyone’s lips in the early noughties when they burst onto the scene with their major-label platinum debut Ocean Avenue. SEAN FRAZER caught up with vocalist RYAN KEY to talk about their latest record Southern Air, and the highs and lows of the past decade.
I’ve had a listen to the new record Southern Air. Would it be fair to say you guys have brought back that youthful Yellowcard sound? The album seems to recapture the hooks of Ocean Avenue.
Yeah, it’s really amazing, it feels like it’s happening all over again for us. I think there is sort of a rejuvenated feeling and sound throughout the new record, spurred by taking a couple of years off and then coming back and having such an amazing year last year with our returning record, When You’re Done Thinking, Say Yes. We feel fresh. We knew what kind of record we wanted to write and we feel like we knew what kind of record the fans wanted to hear. We were trying to balance writing a record for them and, at the same time, writing the right record for us. We started tracking in January and were ready to record by March. So it roughly took about eight weeks to write and a further five weeks to record. I still can’t believe that we wrote the record in just eight weeks – it’s insane. We really dug deep and pulled it together. I believe these are the best songs that we’ve ever written.
There are some guest vocals that appear on the record, in particular Alex from All Time Low. I believe you guys have become quite close over the years?
Yeah it was really cool to record with him. We got the chance to tour with them last year and we are also label mates as both our bands are tied to Hopeless Records. But All Time Low were really important for Yellowcard last year – they helped us get our feet back on the ground and they really encouraged us along the way. So it was great when Alex came in to sing a couple of lines with us.
Apart from his remarkable repertoire, what is it about Neal Avron that keeps you guys calling him back to produce your records?
I think it’s the level of trust that we have in him. He has become a very important part of what we do. He’s going to tell me if I’m singing and playing guitar like an arsehole. He’s very honest and critical, in a good way, and he’s really good at making you feel like you’re doing a great job. We have a really great relationship with him and he’s a lot of fun to record with.
What can you tell me about the track ‘Ten’? The lyrics appear to stem from quite a personal life experience?
I obviously had to think about whether I was going to put that song on the record or not, because I knew that I was going to get asked about it [laughs]. It was a tough song to write – one that I’ve been trying to write for a long time. It is extremely personal, but I feel that there are a lot of people in the world that will be able to relate to that song. It’s really meant for the listener to interpret however they want to.
A couple of years ago you boys took a break from the band. What was the reason for the hiatus?
There were so many things happening at the time. Our relationships with each other were starting to [fray] and on top of that, all the people that we loved at [our former label], Capitol Records, had either left or had been let go by the company. These were the people that helped us from the beginning, the people that were around when we released Ocean Avenue. We had just put out Paper Walls and we were so proud of that record – we thought that it was such a return to form for the band but… it kind of went nowhere for us which was really frustrating. It felt like everything was crashing down. We were just exhausted and all of the pressure had taken its toll. It was either take a break or end the band. In the long run, I’m glad that we decided to just take a break.
What got you guys back together?
It was just the timing – it felt right. There were a couple of offers from festivals around the world, I hate to say that it was financially motivating – that definitely wasn’t the reason. But knowing that there were still offers for the band, and an opportunity to make a living playing music, [made it] really worth giving the band a second shot. We didn’t end up playing those shows, but it was enough to get us back in the same room together.
YELLOWCARD perform at Fat As Butter festival, Saturday September 22, 2012.