Recently we had the opportunity to talk to The After Party's guitarist Andy Bell. Last April, the band released their self-titled EP and this winter you can catch them on the 'All The Way' tour. Andy spilled to us about the band's latest EP, their upcoming tour with Allstar Weekend, and what fans can expect next from these guys! Check it out below:
PopCityLife: How did you guys form as a band and come up with the name "The After Party"?
Andy Bell: The four of us went to high school together, and have been playing in various bands together since we were 14. Going into my senior year of high school, we decided to take our music careers a little more seriously, and wanted to come up with a new name and new songs. We wrote our first EP, and came up with the name The After Party.
PCL: For those of our readers who have never heard your music before, how would you describe your sound? What sets you apart from the other bands in the music scene today?
Andy: Our sound is quite a bit different from what a lot of other bands have been doing recently. We basically mix the current dance/pop sound with a boyband vocal style, something I haven't heard many other bands do.
PCL: This past April, you released your self-titled EP. What was that process like? What's your favorite song off of it?
Andy: Putting together our last EP was a ton of fun! I feel like the last EP really shows how we had grown as writers from our first EP, and we put a lot more thought into what we were doing. I would have to say my favorite song is probably Can't Stop or Secret Lover, those songs turned out really well.
PCL: How was making this sophomore EP different than your debut EP "All The Wrong Places" back in 2009? As far as the music goes, do you see a difference or growth between the two EPs?
PCL: How was making this sophomore EP different than your debut EP "All The Wrong Places" back in 2009? As far as the music goes, do you see a difference or growth between the two EPs?
Andy: "All The Wrong Places" was very raw compared to our last release. The production was pretty limited, and we didn't put that much thought into what we were doing. We just wrote six songs and recorded them. For our last EP we wrote over 20 songs, and took the ones we felt were the strongest. We put a lot more thought into the overall direction of the entire EP, including song content and the sound we wanted to create. We definitely matured a lot from our first release.
PCL: Do you have a favorite song to perform live? What's your favorite part of touring?
Andy: I pretty much love playing all of our songs live. Just being on stage in front of our fans is one of the coolest experiences ever. Its incredible how 4 guys can entertain a room of hundreds of people. I love it.
PCL: Describe what a typical day out on tour is like.
Andy: I pretty much love playing all of our songs live. Just being on stage in front of our fans is one of the coolest experiences ever. Its incredible how 4 guys can entertain a room of hundreds of people. I love it.
PCL: Describe what a typical day out on tour is like.
Andy: Normally we will drive all night after a show and get in to the next city around 5 or 6 in the morning. Then we will sleep until about 12 or 1, wake up, get ready, and load in at the venue at 3 pm. We hang around there until the show starts, and then go out and talk to fans and such. After we play, we pack everything up, hang around the venue until 11 or midnight, and hit the road! Being on tour is a ton of fun, but there is not a lot of down time.
PCL: Do you have any funny or crazy stories from being on tour that you can share with us?
Andy: Haha we have a ton of funny stories, but most of them wouldn't be funny unless you were there. For example, we were driving on the highway and a leaf fell off a tree and got caught on our antenna. I don't know why, but we thought it was the best thing ever and talked about it for days. Being in a van for 8 hours a day does crazy things to your mind!
PCL: Beginning later this week, you guys will hit the road with Allstar Weekend. What can fans expect?
Andy: I don't want to say too much, but we have some pretty good tricks up our sleeve! Everyday I'm shufflin.
PCL: How have the fans been treating you? Any crazy or funny fan encounters?
Andy: Our fans are awesome, and we've done a ton of fun things with them! They've taken us to Disneyland, water parks, you name it. We are so blessed to have such an incredible level of support!
PCL: Do you have any advice for bands just starting out that are trying to make it in this business?
Andy: Oh man, I've got a ton of advice! One thing we've learned the hard way is if it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true. There are so many scam artists out there trying to make a quick buck off of small bands, and if you get caught up in that its an easy way to end your career before it even starts.
PCL: Recently you've posted the music video for your latest single "California", which we love! What was it like making the video?
Andy: The video was basically footage compiled from a couple different tours during the summer of 2011. Our camera guy Albert Gonzalez edited it all and put it together for us, and I think it turned out awesome!
PCL: After this tour with Allstar Weekend, what's on the horizon for you guys? Any new projects coming up that fans can look forward to?
PCL: How have the fans been treating you? Any crazy or funny fan encounters?
Andy: Our fans are awesome, and we've done a ton of fun things with them! They've taken us to Disneyland, water parks, you name it. We are so blessed to have such an incredible level of support!
PCL: Do you have any advice for bands just starting out that are trying to make it in this business?
Andy: Oh man, I've got a ton of advice! One thing we've learned the hard way is if it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true. There are so many scam artists out there trying to make a quick buck off of small bands, and if you get caught up in that its an easy way to end your career before it even starts.
PCL: Recently you've posted the music video for your latest single "California", which we love! What was it like making the video?
Andy: The video was basically footage compiled from a couple different tours during the summer of 2011. Our camera guy Albert Gonzalez edited it all and put it together for us, and I think it turned out awesome!
PCL: After this tour with Allstar Weekend, what's on the horizon for you guys? Any new projects coming up that fans can look forward to?
Andy: We will be in and out of the studio work on some new songs, and plan to release some material this spring! We also have a couple other tours in the works, so get excited for that! 2012 is going to be a big year for The After Party.
PCL: Is there anything else you want to tell your fans?
Andy: We will be holding a VIP After After Party on select dates of the All The Way tour! Fans can find more info and purchase tickets at taptickets.bigcartel.com.
Interview by Stephanie Coffey
Photo: Martin Cram
I want to thank The After Party, especially Andy Bell for taking the time to answer some questions for me. To find out when they're coming to a town near you this winter, take a look at the full list of tour dates here! Also, make sure to check out the music video for their latest single "California" below and if you haven't already, follow The After Party on Twitter here!
