IN THE STUDIO WITH ... RIOT! IN THE BOULEVARD



Capitol Studios is located in Los Angeles, California and these famous recording studios are currently playing host to teenage rock band, Riot! In The Boulevard as they prepare to take on the daunting task of recording their sophomore album. Following up their self-titled debut album that was released in the summer of 2011, the band have gone on to become one of the most promising acts in the music industry, picking up the Best Band award at the previous two Chaos Awards. They’ve spent the majority of the past few months working on new material for their 2012 album and now the time has come for the band to head into the recording studio to work on bringing those words to life.

The pressure on this young band's shoulders is quite something, as we’ve seen in history that a highly successful debut album doesn’t necessarily mean a long and successful career, many falter under the pressure, under the magnitude and the weight of not only making the second record but outdoing their previous efforts. However, when you look at each member of the band as they talk about their music and their future in the music industry you can’t help but be convinced by them, they’re aware of what they’re capable of and with the red haired singer/songwriter at the helm of this band, it seems like there is only really one likely destination for this band to go towards.

Album Title: Cradle To The Grave
Recorded At: Capitol Studios, Los Angeles, California
Producers: Giovanni Rose, Riot! In The Boulevard, Danny Allen
Release Date: February 2012
Song Titles: Twilight Of My Youth/ A Million Miles Can’t Break Us/ My Revenge Is Your Death/ My Echo, My Shadow, You And Me/ The Rules Of Love And The Games You Play/ The Cradle To The Grave

While at just 18 years old it seems like the world is at the feet of these Las Vegas natives, it’s more than just a group of musicians thrown together in order to make a record label a lot of money, it’s a group of close friends embarking on a journey together, combining their own individual talents in the hope of creating timeless music, they’re extremely honest on what they are, never claiming to be excessive rock stars, the phrase ‘sex, drugs and rock and roll’ just does not seem to apply to this band, in fact they go out of their way in order to avoid that lifestyle, as lead guitarist Justin Mullen says, “We’ve seen some of our favourite musicians go down that excessive route and become a silhouette of what they once were, it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve slept with groupies, it doesn’t matter how many crazy tales of drug binge’s you have, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been arrested more than once, it doesn’t matter if you almost killed yourself due to alcohol poison, I don’t care about any of that and never will, the only thing that matters is the music you create. It’s sad to see musicians that we once admired embarrass themselves so publicly, We’ve never and will never claim to be that type of Rockstar, for us, it’s about the music we make, that is all that matters both now and in the future and the moment that changes is the moment this band dies.”

They’re not trying to become a particular image, they’re completely themselves, they work hard at their craft and make sure that what they’re known for is the music they create, the trappings of fame can take so many young bands out of the industry in an instant but spend one hour with this band and you’ll realize that they plan on being around for a very long time, they are as they so bluntly put it, “Working on their own revolution.”

Q: At just 18 years old, you guys are already working on your second record, Do you ever worry that you’ll burn out?
Justin: Umm, no not really. I mean we’ve got so many places that we want to go with our music and I don’t know if people are aware of this but there was like another eleven songs that didn’t make it onto our debut album, It may have been a little naïve of us but once we decided on our track list for the debut album we just threw the unused songs in the trash.

Amy: Yeah that was a dumb decision in hindsight, But you know there’s so much to write about certainly from my point of view, I don’t see me losing inspiration or anything like that certainly not for a while, when I’m 25 years old or something then I’ll maybe worry a little about burning out, but the truth is that I want this band to be around for as long as I’m living, you know? I don’t wanna be in my mid to late 20’s and be announcing my retirement or slowly drifting off into obscurity.

Q: People said that there was a lot of pressure on the band in the build-up to your debut album, did you ever feel the pressure when you were working on your debut?
Jason: Well, I honestly never paid any attention to what people were saying and once we first got into the studio to record that album, it was like … Our own world, we spent so much time inside the studio that we basically forgot that there was a big world outside of the building and that helps a lot I think.

Adam: From the outside looking in on the band, it was like, I dunno I just couldn’t really understand how the guys were being so calm about it because it seemed like the band’s name was everywhere, so for me personally I saw the attention that was on them but once I go inside the studio with them I realized that they weren’t feeling the pressure at all.

Q: And if you thought that the pressure was on during the recording of your debut album, recording the follow-up looks likely to bring even more pressure, how do you plan on dealing with it?
Amy: I think we’ll all just get on with it, we’ve got some great songs to work on and while we’re recording we’re gonna be writing more and more, but I’m extremely confident that this new album will easily outdo the previous one and I think we’ve grown a lot since we recorded our debut album. The fact is that we don’t really feel the pressure, what we’ve achieved so far is incredible and our plan is to become one of the great bands, we’re not in this for a couple of years and just fade away, but pressure isn’t something I’m feeling right now, I’m incredibly confident about this new material.

Justin: People are always gonna look at what you did last time and question how you’re gonna improve and as musicians if you’re not asking yourself that too then you’ll probably end up just creating a so-so record, when we started talking about the next record the main question that came up was, How do we top the last record? And you know, we don’t wanna give too much away but even at such an early stage in the recording process we’re all like super confident that this new album will quite easily beat our previous one, the lyrics, the music just everything about it seems to be a whole lot better but I guess we won’t find out until we release it.

Nathan: We’ve all listened back at our debut album and although we’re all proud of it and I think it’s a really great record we all saw things that we could improve on, in the moment when it was completed we thought, ‘Holy crap, we’ve just set the bar ridiculously high for ourselves’ but after a couple of months, we listened back at it and we’ve seen the weaknesses in it and so we can take things from that and improve on it.

Q: And how much different would the new album sound, in comparison to your debut?
Jason: It’s definitely much more advanced instrumentally, I think on the debut there was a lot of starry-eyed love songs on there, which is cool and all but when you’ve got those kind of songs you’ve got to put the right music to it, so a lot of it was a little softer, a lot of acoustic and acapella stuff too but on this one it’s more of a rock record, there’s a mix of everything but there’s a lot more guitar oriented stuff.

Amy: Yeah, I think those choruses aren’t quite as dominant as on the previous record, it’s more about the stories within the lyrics and you know, I think we’re still discovering who we really are as a band, there was a more commercial pop element on the first record which is cool, I have no problem with pop music but I think we’re all mostly influenced by rock groups and we’re still finding our feet a little and trying to discover what kind of band that we really are, so yeah like Jason said, this record does have a slightly heavier sound, we definitely made better use of our instruments on this, but there are some tender moments on the record too and I think it’s good to have a mix, but we’re really excited about this record and I certainly think that it will be a much better interpretation of who we are as a band.

Q: And your releasing this album under the same label, Nomad Records! What are your thoughts on that label, they don’t gain huge attention do they?
Justin: No they don’t get so much attention, certainly compared to other labels but I think they’re the label that took a chance on a group of 17 year olds and it paid off not only for the label but also for us, they’ve pretty great for us, definitely.

Amy: Yeah, we owe a lot to Nomad Records! And after we released our debut record I think they were pretty happy with what we had created. We’ve got a four album deal at Nomad Records, so we’ve still got another two albums to release after our next one, the fact is though, Nomad Records may not get so much attention but there’s no label I’d rather be at, I think the guys that are running the label are some of the most genuine guys around, they’re always there for us whenever we need them but they also give us space to just get on with things, they trust our instincts and they back us up 100%. So before people start asking, ‘Oh do you think you’ve outgrown Nomad Records?’ I will tell you right now, I will sign a contract at that label for life if I could, there’s no other label that I’d rather be part of and I love this label, there’s no ego’s, even though the label is run by musicians, there’s no ego’s in charge of the label and yeah it’s a kinda small and unassuming record label but we love it for that.

Q: It’s nice to see that kind of commitment, a lot of young bands eventually move onto bigger more recognized labels, doesn’t seem like you’re gonna do that, what do you guys think about the attention that Amy gets that perhaps you guys don’t get?
Justin: For me, it’s not a problem. She’s lead singer and she’s a great songwriter. The fact is that what some people don’t see is the collaborative effort that we make on everything, no one person makes the decisions in this band, it is very much like a democracy but yeah sure, in the media it’s easy to say ‘Oh Amy’s the star of the band’ And to be honest, it’s not an issue.

Jason: Yeah, it’s the same for all of us I think. I mean the person up front holding the microphone is always gonna get more attention than the guys standing behind her. It doesn’t bother us.

Adam: I think from the outside looking in, it may seem like Amy’s band and I guess some would think that way, but the reality is that each of the members in the band have played a big part on getting where they are right now.

Nathan: I’d rather that people didn’t pay attention to me, it’s less pressure for me.

Q: You’ve all known each other for a long time now, does that closeness that you have sometimes create difficulties within the band?
Justin: I don’t think so, I mean I think that because we’ve been so close for a long time now, I think it helps us. I think we can all look at each other and know if they’re feeling alright and there comes a lot of times when we’re not feeling alright, there’s been a lot of moments, particularly on tour where we’ve had our own little emotional battle’s but because we know each other so well, we can take one look at each other and know if they need a little chat or know if they need to be cheered up or something.

Amy: Yeah, well Justin for me has been like a rock this year. I’ve had a few low moments, I mean I’ve dealt with some loneliness while on tour, it happens to everyone I think where I just wanted to be back home, it’s the long travelling that makes things tricky but we’re young and we’re getting used to it, but definitely having my best friends on tour with me and around me for so much of my life, it helps a lot, it’s the thing that stops me from going insane, well it stops me from going completely insane, because we all have dark days but it’s having the right kind of people around you that helps you to get past it.

Q: Okay, and with album number two in the works and a promising future ahead, do you ever consider other routes, for example with Ryan Ross Hernandez going solo from PANIC! And Nadia Berry from GirlSpice releasing a solo album, do you ever consider that?
Amy: It’s an interesting thing I think, there’s always been occasional questions about me maybe going solo in the future and I’ve never said that I wouldn’t ever go solo. It’s definitely something that interests me but it would have to be at the right time for me. For me personally though, this band comes first and I’d much rather get to record with these guys and tour with these guys, the thought of recording and touring as a solo artist isn’t something I like, but at some stage in my life I’d like to try it out, but I can tell you right now that if I did ever pursue a solo career it wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. For at least the next five years I want to focus on working with the band and then after that, who knows?

Q: And what are your current opinions on the modern day music scene, your five young musicians, who are
your current favourite’s and what do you think of the music scene right now?
Jason: I think it’s alright, it’s not amazing by any stretch of the imagination but there’s some decent bands out there doing some pretty good things, I mean for me personally I’m always gonna be looking back at older music because that’s my preference, you know? Bands like Zeppelin, The Ramones, there’s nothing like that around right now but you gotta move with the times right?

Justin: I think Sammy Griffin, Aaron Marks and Misery Loves Company are the brightest young musicians around right now, they’ve all got an incredible future ahead of them and it’s gonna be tough for other acts to compete with those guys, but yeah the industry is always in a transitional kinda state and I think there’ll always be some great young musicians coming through, maybe we won’t ever see the days of the likes of Springsteen, Dylan, Neil Young and Simon & Garfunkel but they’ve all kinda had their time and created the pathway for the likes of these young songwriter’s coming through.

Amy: I think it’s a great time to be part of this music world that we’re in right now, You know, it’s definitely about the younger musicians right now and that bodes so well for the future because you’ve got so many like teenage musicians or musicians in their early 20’s already not only making music but making great music, I mean for example look at the likes of Glamazon and Lily, they’re both young and they’re at the top of their game right now, it’s freaking terrifying to think that they’re already as great as they are at a young age and they’re only gonna get better. And then there’s the likes of Aaron Marks, Sammy Griffin, Katie Coyle, Misery Loves Company, Chloe, Izzy Merjos and Abie Lena all having this huge kind of success already at such a young age. It forces everybody to just work as hard as they can to improve with every new release. And that’s not even thinking about the likes of Ryan Ross Hernandez, Infinite, Troy Mascenon, Nadia Berry, Hannah Beth, Alicia Lena and PANIC!. In my opinion this is one of the most thriving periods that the music industry has been in for a real long time and it’s exciting again.

Q: Okay and one final question, when do you expect to release your sophomore album?
Justin: Hopefully if all goes according to plan then it should be available in February 2012.

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Track Breakdown’s



During the interview, Q Magazine was given an exclusive preview of four songs that are set to feature on Riot! In The Boulevard’s sophomore album and we can bring you our exclusive breakdown on the those songs here before anyone else.

Twilight Of My Youth
This is the archetypal Riot! In The Boulevard track, it could have easily fit into the band’s debut album in the summer, it’s comparable to ‘All The Stars And Boulevard’ from their debut. It’s could easily be considered as a teenage anthem and will no doubt appeal to this young band’s demographic. At just under four minutes long it’s perhaps a little too easy to say that this could be a likely single but with its lyrical theme’s it seems like it could be almost too tempting to release this as a single. It’s a very strong track and will certainly be enough to please their fanbase, whether it reaches the heights as other songs from the album remains to be seen but it’s overall a pretty strong track.

My Echo, My Shadow, You And Me
Out of the four song’s that we’ve been given the opportunity to preview, this was by far the most surprising effort. It’s storyteller like vocals from Amy Meyer and the lyrics show a different side to Amy’s songwriting, channelling the influence of songwriters like of Leonard Cohen, this is in my opinion Riot! In The Boulevards crowning moment so far, it’s a dark and regretful sounding track which uses the music beautifully to create a haunted feel to it, it’s different from anything we’ve really come to grow familiar with from this young band and at just under five minutes in length it’s worthy of every second of your time.

The Cradle To The Grave
The title track from the album is a fiery pop-rock track which tells of a rebellious young girl that people just can’t seem to resist, it continues to show Amy’s growth as a songwriter and in my opinion the songs we’ve heard from the new album will push her into that storyteller category. It’s catchy and will definitely have you singing these words back at her, it very much follows on from the songs that featured on their debut album, alongside the likes of Mona Lisa Smile and Sweet Little Fantasy’s, it’s certainly enough to keep the fans happy and even perhaps create some new fans, another strong track.

My Revenge Is Your Death
Amy teased fans before the recording process of the album claiming that this record could be a little darker, perhaps this is what she was referring to, it’s about a less than perfect relationship and the protagonist of the song claiming that she will take joy from watching her former lover in distress claiming that her revenge for the guy breaking her heart would be seeing his death. A small part of the song’s lyrics were previewed on the band’s website and the title says it all, at over five minutes in length it’s one of the longest song’s on the album but it show’s a different side to the band, perhaps a view into their future music. Another track that is sure to be a hit with their teenage fanbase.