Low to High
by Victoria Wasylak
Photography by Kyle Sipple
Pop-punk is in the midst of a full-fledged renaissance, and The New Low will be the first to point it out. Jamming out to the new Blink-182 album—one that so many people thought would never come—while trekking from stop to stop on Warped Tour is proof enough, but their debut album Continuance remains the true testament to the genre’s resurgence.
The 10-track album unleashes the hyper rage and thou-shalt-persevere themed lyricism traditionally found in scene tunes, although there are much harsher musical elements underneath the frenetic melodies. “My Own Way” carves out its own space on the album as a heavy-hitter metal track, and “Continuance” has its own elements of screamo. Yet “Start Over” proves to be a gentle juxtaposition to the title track, acoustic and electric guitar licks paired in pacific harmony.
Bassist Fletcher Howell chatted with the Buzz about their time at Warped Tour and the reception of Continuance.
What are your feelings about playing Warped Tour? Have any of you been before and what were your experiences like?
Fletcher Howell: We've all been going to Warped Tour since we were old enough to go. This tour definitely got us into punk music. It's amazing to finally be a part of it.
Which bands are you most excited to share the Warped Tour bill with?
FH: Literally all of them. Such an insane lineup this year.
Which song from Continuance are you most excited to share?
FH: Right now, we're pretty excited about “Not Afraid.” It’s the most fun to play live.
You just debuted the video for “My Own Way.” How long did it take for you to shoot the video, and how did you pick the setting?
FH: It took a couple hours. We knew we wanted to make that video really scaled back and raw. So, our rehearsal space in Phoenix was an easy choice.
On a scale of one (low) to 10 (high), how nervous are you about the release of Continuance and why?
FH: Probably about a seven. We've put so much into this debut record and have waited for so long. It's scary to actually think it's gonna be out there now. It's been really well received. We're stoked people are loving it.
What’s your desert island band (aka, the one band you wish you could listen to over and over again if you were stuck on a deserted island)?
FH: Right now, Blink 182. We listen to them a lot on this tour.