Forever The Sickest Kids / Ashland High / Paradise Fears / At Long Last

Doors 5:30 PM | Show 6:30

Forever the Sickest Kids’ forthcoming self-titled sophomore album almost happened by chance. The Texas fivesome, who have toured with bands like All Time Low, Good Charlotte, Boys Like Girls, Third Eye Blind, 3OH!3, released their much-loved debut Underdog Alma Mater in April of 2008, following its success in November of 2009 with the release of their mini-LP, The Weekend: Friday. While in the studio with producer David Bendeth in early 2010, the band realized that the songs were just too good for another mini-LP.

So over the course of the year, between touring in the States and overseas, FTSK wrote and demoed more new material, hoping to balance the five songs they initially recorded with six more. The tracks were recorded throughout the year in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Dallas with several producers — Shep Goodman, Aaron Accetta, Mark Jackson and Ian Scott. Plus, this time the members of FTSK took the reins on some of the production duties as well. Taking their time to perfect the tracks and allow a year’s worth of experience to sink into them really benefited the overall album.

“Every member of the band brings a certain level of creativity and we’re so versatile with the things we can do with our music that when you sit down with a different producer they’re going to pull those different elements out of you that maybe another producer wasn’t able to tap into,” Jonathan says. “So you’re getting songs that have different elements to show fans that you’re not pigeonholed.”

“We were able to write a whole lot of songs and look back on them when they were done and pick what we thought was the best,” Marc adds. “The writing process really brought it together on this album and I think the five of us are really fired up to get it to all our fans this year.”

The final album, Forever the Sickest Kids, is eleven songs of the band’s signature pop-rock style, spanning a broad range of tones from upbeat dance numbers to pensive ballads. “Life of the Party,” which Marc calls “that feel good party track that every CD needs,” is boisterous and propulsive, driven by popping electro beats and a sing-along rock chorus. “Keep On Bringing Me Down” was one of the first songs written for the album, a true collaborative effort that pairs a raucous melody with a sense of relatable storytelling in the lyrics, something the group hopes to convey throughout the disc. “Forever Girl,” an emotive, acoustic track, showcases the group’s introspective side. Overall, the disc is a collection of good time songs that should truly connect to their listener.

The fans are another aspect of FTSK’s goals for 2011. The group, who are known for having very close, approachable relationships with their fans, hopes to reconnect with an audience who’s been missing them for over a year now. Plans for behind-the-scenes videos, special in-store performances and interactive elements are already in motion.

“We’ve been a band for three-plus years, but we haven’t changed who we are or what we want to do with this band,” Kyle says. “We’re developing and progressing musically but our roots are always going to stay the same. We just want to have a good time and we want fans to have a good time and be able to relate to us. We’ll never lose the love we have for anyone who likes our music.”