Artist: Juneau
Album: Everywhere We've Ever Been
Genre: Pop-punk, emo, alt-rock
Label: Songs To Love and Die By
Length: 54:00
Released: June 2014
Recorded: January to March 2014 - Wade Studios, Ocala, FL
Lyrics: Kellin Falconer, Dallas Conners
Music: Kellin Falconer
Production: Juneau, Stefanie Knight, Andrew Wade


Background

Everywhere We've Ever Been is the debut album from Chicago pop-punk quintet Juneau. It is released eight years after the formation of the band in their home city, and comes at a time they are celebrating the sixth anniversary of the release of their debut EP in 2008. The band may have been around for a number of years, but it has been 2014 that has really seen them become something of note. Starting off the year as unknowns outside of their home state of Illinois, Juneau decided to drop their day jobs and concentrate fully on music, released a radio single for the first time in February's Silence, and made quite an impact along the way, becoming one of the hottest properties in the alternative music scene ahead of summer 2014. Following the success of the single, the band has had success on two distinct fronts: While Juneau would go on to sign with Songs to Love and Die By, the label owned and run by Riot! In the Boulevard lead singer Amy Meyer, lead guitarist and vocalist Kellin Falconer has also scored a duo of hit singles, signing to Studio 60 Records as a solo artist and touring the world with EDM hero Pixie Love. With momentum behind them on two fronts, the band will release their debut album early in May 2014, before they head out on Warped Tour in support of the record. Despite their placing in a genre that has perhaps sometimes been seen as perpetuating comedy above quality, Juneau have shown that they have intent, passion and skill to chase the stars and be a real power in alternative scenes for years to come.

The album was written and recorded in the months following the release of Silence, their debut single, and saw Juneau retire to The Wade Studio in Ocala, Florida, to work with acclaimed producer Andrew Wade, who helped to form the early sounds of the likes of A Day To Remember, Blink 182 and Sum 41. Music was penned in its entirety by Kellin Falconer, with lead singer Dallas Conners teaming up with the guitarist to dream up the lyrics that really show off Juneau and set them apart from anyone else in the mainstream at the moment. In total, the two would write more than 25 songs for the album, before deciding on the 14 that they felt would make the perfect debut album.

Everywhere We've Ever Been is an album that is steeped in emotion, a reality that has led to many critics and fans alike branding the band as emo-punk. Their lyrics address a wide range of themes and ideas, but most centre around the idea of growing up, leaving home and generally dealing with teenage life - themes that they have often been heralded for thanks to the connection they give Juneau to their scores of fans, which is the factor that sets them aside from anyone else in the industry today. The album draws from the influence of pop-emo bands such as Real Friends, who often draw the thematic side of their songs from their experiences as teenagers and the friendships and relationships formed throughout these years.

The record's title, Everywhere We've Ever Been, originates from the thematic pattern that the songs take on. Named by Kellin Falconer, the guitarist said that it was a nostalgic title that he felt would act as a good ring for the tracklist as a whole. Most of Juneau's songs are about looking back to a time gone by, and commenting on days they once lived, so this commentary is well reflected through a title that oozes the same idea of a journey from adolescence to adulthood, a quest that we all must ride. In terms of the sort of themes it addresses, the album is one that will resonate with anyone and everyone who grew up, particularly in the 1990s and 2000s, drawing on aspects of popular culture, fashion and other important aspects to the teenagers of yesteryear. The personal experience of the band, and the fact the two main songwriters lived this part of their life as best friends lends an authenticity to the music that is hard to find from most artists.

However, the main intention of Juneau is to promote fun and happy memories. The band decided long ago to adopt a sort of over-the-shoulder reflective approach to music that they themselves could relate to, something that adds to the more genuine and honest feeling that they bring to the table. Kellin and Dallas said that their goal in their writing of the album was to give people that misty eyed smile as they look back on what is one of the best and most exciting, yet sad and trying periods of their life. Emotions are never really as strong in our lives as they are during our teenage years, and Everywhere We've Ever Been draws on the sort of experiences that everyone can cast their mind back to and remember, regardless of the feelings it may bring back.

Everywhere We've Ever Been is a light and airy flavour, and it is best enjoyed with fish dishes, barbecued food and the open air on a long warm summer night.

Disclaimer: If product gets into the ears, apply immediate mosh until heavily satisfied.

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An album 20 years in the making

Although Juneau are relative newcomers to the mainstream - their latest single Silence was the first track to ever make it to national radio - the band have been building towards the release of a debut album for nearly a full decade. Formed in early 2006 in their home city by Kellin Falconer and childhood friend Dallas Conners, two teenagers who had dreamed their whole lives of making a name for themselves and emulating their heroes. However, Juneau's history reaches back even further than that. The two founding members met when they were each just 5 years old in 1992, through a kids' club their parents took them to, growing up on the same neighbourhood in Chicago, and have been virtually inseparable ever since. So close is their friendship that they room together, and have done for the past five years. It's a friendship and a closeness that shines through in how tight, personal and genuine their music is.

This album is the culmination of almost 20 years of hard work for the pair, who started learning instruments when they were in the second grade - Dallas has since dropped his original passion of drums to take up the lead mic. Although the pair have only been able to find the funding to work on a debut album in 2014, thanks to their signing with Amy Meyer and her record label, it is something that they have been working on spiritually since the mid-90s. Experiencing life together, from their formative years, through school and teenage years and into the big bad world, the two have drawn from everything they have gone through together to form something that is among the most genuine forms of music you will ever be treated to. Few bands can bring something as long-lasting, emotional and developed to the table as Juneau do.

Compared to most bands that are releasing debut albums, Juneau are literally veterans. They have released 5 EPs since they first formed, and have played hundreds of shows around their home state while working part time "real jobs" all at the same time. It is testament to their dedication and talent that even after years of near misses and knock backs, Juneau still stands strong in their attempts to break into a career that allows them the chance to do something that they love, and to chase that dream of being professional musicians, artists spreading their message to the world. Various labels going under, executives dropping the band and deals falling through at the last moment would have floored the majority of acts, but Juneau have come back stronger time and time again.

And now in 2014, two full decades since the founding members first laid tentative eyes on each other and spoke for the first time, Juneau's life and music experience comes together to culminate in a debut album steeped in history, friendship, hard work and dedication. And this is only the beginning of surely many big things to come for a band that is laced with hunger, talent, desire and a drive to push themselves to the very limits of possibilities.

5 reasons to love Everywhere We've Ever Been



- It's purely about the music

There's no over-producing, ghost writing or record label meddling with the debut Juneau album. Amy Meyer entrusted Juneau thanks to the pop-punk buzz that surrounded the first radio single from the band and set them out on their own to simply get on with creating a record that was all about them and no one else, which leaves an immensely honest, true and raw album that is exactly as the band wanted it to be.

And there's no gimmicks! No concept, no over-arching theme, no restrictive plot from start to finish - just a collection of 14 of the finest pop-punk tracks you could hope to hear in the 21st century. The band plays to its strengths and emotions and simply weaves these through every song naturally rather than trying to force something that would falsely "set them apart" from others, which ironically gives them a more authentically unique sound.

- Things can only get better!

Let's be honest, the only reason anyone outside Illinois is considering getting their hands on Everywhere We've Ever Been is because they heard and fell in love with the infectiously summery tones of the unseasonal single Silence, released earlier this year. Well according to the band, everything that's on this album is EVEN BETTER than what we've heard before. Given the quality of their last single, that can only bode well!

Singer and frontman Dallas Conners recently took to Twitter to introduce the album, stating categorically that he feels Silence, despite its success and its quality, is actually the weakest track on the album. He said every other song on the record was written post Silence, and the success they enjoyed gave them an all new impetus and drive to improve themselves and push boundaries to let people see what they could really do. With 13 songs promising to be better than the one that started it all, can you even afford not to own this album?

- Summer's on the horizon!

Warped Tour, American Pie, skate parks and Tony Hawk. What are the common denominators? The answer is simple - pop-punk and summer. Never has a genre been more suited to a season of the year than pop-punk and the warmer months - synonymous with Dickies shorts, slip on Vans and just hanging out with your friends while listening to Blink 182 and Green Day. We've all been there.

Juneau's debut record will land just in time for being played in open-top vehicles across the world this summer, brightening your days and bringing a little bit of sunshine into your life just when you need it most. Stick those morbid songs on the shelf for a couple of months - it's just about time to feel happy and bouncy!

- Remember your teenage years

Who doesn't love nostalgia? Juneau may range in age from 21 to 27, but the band stick thematically to the concept of pop-punk incredibly well. If you were a fan of the likes of Blink 182, The Offspring and Green Day back in the day, then this is more than certainly the sort of album that will have you smiling thoughtfully with a nostalgic tear in your eye. While Juneau are distinctively Juneau and no one else, the band's excellent execution of the genre will cast your mind back to 1999 in ways you never imagined.

Pop-punk is a genre that never died, but did mature, but for many it was a style that never needed to grow up. Too many tried to bring politics and adult issues into a genre that was built around camaraderie, friends and teenage life. Juneau bring the genre back to its roots with a real bang, reintroducing the heart-felt anthems and occasional jibe that you fell in love with back when Jason Biggs was still a nervous twitching virgin mess and not a journalist husband of a posh drug mule. And they do it all with a modern twist on the music that makes it feel fresher than a Monday morning in Alaska and more mature than the sort of jokey atmosphere that it may have brought to the table in its hey-day.

If you should happen to try to skateboard in your late 20s, Juneau and Songs to Love and Die By accept no responsibility for ollie related incidents. However, purchasing Vans, Dickies, snapbacks and wallet chains may be a side effect of listening to this record. You're welcome, fashion!

- It'll mend your broken heart and make you smile all in one go!

Let's be honest, did you ever feel like a band quite "got you" like Taking Back Sunday did back before Adam Lazarra was fat and hairy? Good news - Juneau are not fat (despite all the pizza they consume) and are only hairy in all the right places! Singing about ending broken hearts and getting over that tattooed girl who ran away with that one guy who had a better car and more sporting prowess has never been more fantastically executed, and you will feel like you have a warm arm around you as you get over the heartbreak.

But guess what? You'll smile too! When have you ever felt as good as when listening to Blink 182's seminal effort Take Off Your Pants and Jacket? "Never," I hear you yell. Wrong! June 2014 is the answer. Juneau console, entertain and bring a tear to the eye all in one, and they do it with a light-hearted and fantastic sound that will make you smile and cry like a baby all at the same time. Because pop-punk is back, and it's done right once more.

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Acknowledgements



Dallas Conners (Lead vocals)

Honestly, I think this is the point where I can finally relax. Getting to this point over the last few months has been the most enjoyable, sick, crazy and hectic period of my life. It's been an exciting and nervy time in the writing, recording process, but we pulled through. Attacking this with a much much bigger audience in mind was difficult at times - I think all five of us have had moments during this process where we've been afraid that it wouldn't be good enough, that we couldn't do it - but the important thing is we pulled each other through, we stuck together like the band of brothers we are and we came out the other side ready to go. Oh are we doing the thanking thing? I want to thank my family for being supportive, my friends for accepting that I am a flaky bastard when it comes to getting music out there, my band for giving me the long leash that they do and putting up with me. But most of all to Kellin, my buddy and best friend. You are the brains and the driving force behind this, and none of us would be here if it weren't for your genius. Keep chasing that dream, man. This is just the start for us.



Kellin Falconer (Guitars and lead vocals)

For me, this is a culmination of a lot of years' worth of hard work, and at the same time, just another massive milestone in a year when everything has just absolutely amazingly blown up for us. Back in December, we were all contemplating quitting our day jobs and going hell for leather on this music....career, I suppose. Fast forward just five months and here we are releasing an album following us getting a song in the charts, being able to play in England, which was like a dream come true, and for me personally, getting the chance to go on a massive tour. It's been a crazy race following years and years of slow build. I'm insanely glad we've got to this point in our career, though. This is, and I'm not even being big headed here, this is just reward for so much hard work we've put in over the last decade. I think it's the best work we've ever done, and the love and passion that we felt in the creation, I hope, comes out in the final product. P.S. I want to thank everyone who has made this happen -Amy Meyer, anyone in Chicago who ever gave us somewhere to stay or play, our friends and family, bands we've hit the road with, the other four guys in my band who have allowed me to realise my dream, and anyone who has ever connected with a Juneau tune and felt a moment of brotherhood with us. It sounds like a cliche, but we wouldn't be here without you. And finally, to Dallas - more family to me than anyone in the world. We did it, man. Dreams 20 years in the making, and now we're here. Time to make the most of it, brother.



Josh Isaakson (Guitars):

When I first started playing guitar all those years ago, my dream was to escape Chicago, for no other reason than I wanted to see some of the world. It might have taken until I reached 27 to realise that dream, but I feel we're finally there. I was listening to Spotify playlists of pop-punk the other night, and it struck me that we're about to hit that genre hard. When I joined this band, I had no idea that any of the shit we've done this year would ever come true, but it has and it's an amazing situation for us to be in now. The music we've created as a unit is my very favourite that we've ever done, and now I'm just anxious to get it out there and hear what people think. We move forward with no fear because people believe in us, people know what we can do, and this is only the first sentence, never mind the first chapter, of our book. We will succeed, because we are Juneau and we have each other. Who do I thank? Kellin, Dallas, Ryan and Jordan. Without you four, this never could have happened. Love.



Ryan Oberst (Bass):

Allow me to be the awkward one who doesn't really know what to say in situations like this. Can I just say I wake up every day in life with the biggest smile on my face knowing I'm doing a job I love and getting paid to take part in my hobby. It's sensational. Creating this music with my 4 best friends in the world has been one of the best experiences of my life, and I look forward to where this will take us in the future. Thank you to anyone who has ever had even the tiniest positive impact on my life. Keep it up. I love you.



Jordan Peters (Drums):

I was the last one in this band....so I feel a bit bad taking any credit for the length of the journey.....the guys have worked hard for a lot of years, though, and I'm incredibly proud to be a part of this. Honestly, I don't think we could have done much better, and the quality of the tracks made me bring my A-game with my hitting things hard skillz. I'm eager to hear what people think of what we've done, but I'm a bit nervous as well. It's so exciting. I want to thank my mom and dad, my brother Kyle and anyone who has ever given this band as much as a second thought. Honestly, the support we get from you humbles us every single day. To anyone I've ever shared a stage with, you have been amazing, and to the four other guys that make up Juneau, thank you for letting me be a part of your story. It's amazing every day.

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Tracklisting

1. No Hope, No Heart!
2. Whino
3. Pounding Sidewalks
4. Let Me Be
5. Silence
6. Born To Ride
7. Stronger//Younger
8. Pulling Teeth
9. Where I Need To Be
10. These Lonely Years
11. Daydreaming
12. Free Wheeling
13. Where I Came From

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Personnel

Dallas Conners - Lead vocals, lyrics, post-production
Kellin Falconer - Lead vocals, guitars, lyrics, composition, post-production, pre-production
Josh Isaakson - Rhythm guitars
Ryan Oberst - Bass
Jordan Peters - Drums
Andrew Wade - Pre-production, post-production, mixing, engineering
Stefanie Knight - Pre-production, post-production, mixing, engineering
Alex Kean - Artwork

ii. Whino (3:11)



i. No Hope, No Heart!
ii. Whino
iii. Stacked Deck
iv. Let Me Be
v. Silence
vi. Born To Ride
vii. Stronger//Younger
viii. Pulling Teeth
ix. Where I Need To Be
x. These Lonely Years
xi. Daydreaming
xii. Free Whweeling
xiii. Pounding Sidewalks
xiv. Where I Came From

The album continues with the second track, Whino, which is the first real taste on this record of what Juneau really deliver as their bread and butter. Much different in style and sound to the intro, Whino is a real pop-punk anthem that welcomes in a new generation of the genre while still holding dear the thematic patterns and stylings that brought joy to the hearts of teenagers everywhere for so long. The song tackles typical teenage issues surrounding dealing with crazy and cheating partners, and talks about the trials and tribulations that come with handling a burgeoning relationship while growing up. It begins with a chirpy sort of standard pop-punk riff, reasonably slow and airy with a gentle drum beat accompanying it. The intro quickly gives way to a fast-pace change that brings the track up to a speed it maintains for the majority of the song. Throughout the opening verse, the drums play a quick 1,2 beat behind some quick - almost galloping guitar riffs, alongside the occasional little lick and flourish from lead guitarist Kellin Falconer. Throughout the verses, Dallas Conners' vocals are less desperate and strained than in the opening track, adopting a much more upbeat tone, despite the less-than-happy theme of the track. The fast pace of the verse gives way momentarily for a Blink-182 inspired instrumental section, which then flows into a punchy foot-tapping, nod along pre-chorus, with Kellin Falconer's clean and slick vocals delivering the staccato vocals over the guitars, which mirror his style. The chorus is then preceded by another quick instrumental flourish which just screams pop-punk, leading into a shortened chorus, wherein the two vocalists' styles complement each other wonderfully, for what is definitely a big singalong chorus for the summer. It's more light and sunny in sound than even the section that came before it, again in an amusing contrast to the thematic shape of the track itself. This leads into a second verse which differs from the first in that it has a slower pace, with the guitar work backing it being a little bit more complex in the first half, before it returns to the same pace of the first half towards the end. The song concludes with two longer versions of the chorus from before, which are split by a unique yet somehow familiar sounding breakdown that really could define the genre. The track is a punchy, charismatic and confident tale of coming of age with a variety of pace changes and interchanges that really leave it sounding fresh and new.

"This is autobiographical, in some ways," Dallas Conners laughs while talking of the track. "The majority of this record is stuff that we've been through in our teenage years, and this one was kinda an amalgamation of things Kellin and I have both been through. To be honest, I don't think it's all that difficult to decipher. It's about psycho exes. It's kind of all mixed in there with this girl I dated when I was like 16 (yeah...before I came out) who was an absolute crazy chick. She was an alcoholic - at 16, yeah - used to moan and moan at me and throw shit and try to ban me from everything. The title of the song, Whino is, obviously a play on the word wino, which refers to her. And then a girl Kellin dated a few years later, who it turned out was sleeping with so many guys - she would leave Kellin and then just go off and screw all night and then come home. I mean, it's funny now, and we can poke fun through this song, but at the time he wasn't laughing. I guess being fucked over in that way is an important part of growing up, though, and that's a theme we tried to lace throughout the record - loosely speaking. Why do I like this track? I think it's just purely what Juneau is. While No Hope, No Heart starts to album with quite a fun little bump, I think this is the first time you really get to hear what we can do on this record. It's fun, it's punchy, it's loud and you can dance to it. When I first heard Kellin's demo, I wasn't sold on it purely because I didn't think the upbeat tune really went with the theme, but it grew on me - Kellin was right when he said you have to look back fondly on moments even like these, because they form part of who you are, no matter how awful they were at the time, and it's for sure just a sick pop-punk song. I mean, you should be able to hear influences running through this from the likes of New Found Glory, Blink, Green Day, you know all those bands who are the reason why we're here today. The breakdowns in particular throughout it are so Blink-influenced, which is amazing for me to hear, because Blink are the single biggest reason we're here. I think Kellin said that on the last track, but you know, it's a relevant point to what we're doing," he laughs. "Right, well let me introduce this song. This is Whino!"

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Sounds like:

Bold = Kellin
Italics = Dallas
Bold itallics = Both

We'll stay awake
I'll wait for her to show me the door
The heat in here is gone too soon
She sees how I'm breathing
Says fuck you, I'm leaving...
Dreams of castration closing in
I don't even know whose life this is
But stay awake 'til I go home
Cos the walk of shame is boring on my own

And then she'll put me in a trance
It's a dream I've woken in before
Her feeble wrists have worn so thin
But she's learned to control me before

Please don't laugh, watched her gloat
Ate the words, that she spoke
But your dark place is nothing compared to this scene
Take it back, I revoke,
Stayed inside, never woke
And she tossed me a rope, I could chase the serene

(instrumental)

There's no hope,
She's a joke,
She's addicted to whine
On a path to stress she's a waste of my time
Looking for somewhere to shelter from the storm

Some day I will walk all alone to shake it off
Drink away my thoughts as I crumble in the back
But she'll only think of me, in her eyes I'll see
Just another blank reflection staring back at me
Now that he's gone, I guess she'll come home again
It's 4am now she's here in my bed
Clearing thoughts from her head
No chance to dream as my thoughts turn to dread
Presents encrusted, with diamonds, I trusted
But I've been turned over and left here disgusted
She'll toss and she'll turn
I guess I'll never learn
And pray that tomorrow she won't leave me and do it again

There's no hope,
She's a joke,
She's addicted to whine
On a path to stress she's a waste of my time
Looking for somewhere to shelter from the storm

She's on the run next year,
I heard she lost her mind,
He talks her down almost every night she cries,
I held her hand as I walked her to her dorm

(long instrumental)

There's no hope,
She's a joke,
She's addicted to whine
On a path to stress she's a waste of my time
Looking for somewhere to shelter from the storm

She's on the run next year,
I heard she lost her mind,
He talks her down almost every night she cries,
I held her hand as I walked her to her dorm

iv. Let me Be (3:37)



i. No Hope, No Heart!
ii. Whino
iii. Pounding Sidewalks
iv. Let Me Be
v. Silence
vi. Born To Ride
vii. Stronger//Younger
viii. Pulling Teeth
ix. Where I Need To Be
x. These Lonely Years
xi. Daydreaming
xii. Free Wheeling
xiii. Where I Came From

Kellin says: "This track I like, because it's the one where Dallas really gets the chance to show off his vocals for the first time on the record. A lot of the time, I feel like I'm kinda interfering in his job because I sing a hell of a lot, but in this song I just do the chorus and he really gets to shine, which is a bit nice for the guy." (laughs) "Again, this is a change in sound. It's inherently pop-punk, and no one can get away from that, but it still manages to be different enough from the other songs on the record to this point. We kinda wanted to be able to be that band who doesn't just find a rut and then ride it to the end of the earth. We want people to be challenged by our tour around the genre. Maybe some people will say we're spreading ourselves too thin, but for me it's all pop punk, so it's all good. This track is lively and catchy and fun for me. I mean, I say it's fun, but this track still has a hint of our "emo" lyrics laced through it. It's a track about being alone and acting out because you feel that no one would understand. I like the blowjob imagery in the chorus, personally. It still makes me chuckle a little every time I sing it. It seriously took about 85 takes for me to get through the whole track of that chorus without laughing. I'm a bit immature like that. But it's a great song, in my opinion. It's not my favourite on the record, but it's definitely a solid effort as far as I'm concerned, and I like it."

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Sounds like:

Bold = Kellin
Italics = Dallas
Bold itallics = Both

So keep these thoughts trapped inside of your head
The ones you never wanted no one to hear
It's better if you stand straight up and face your fear
You weathered the last storm of the night
Please let me walk you away from the light

Footsteps, lonely
She creeps ever slowly
A path she wanted no one to follow
Tears, she's crying
Her lips stitched from lying
This truth she never wanted to swallow

(Swallow)

Lipstick, so sweet
Venom, stop my heartbeat
She knew she was right from the start
Moving, closer
In a flash, she's a poser
This dream was a knife to my heart

(A knife to my heart)

Let's start back where we started
Who you trying to please?
You got no sense of judgement
When you're down on your knees
Is the start of where our story should end?
You wanted the key
But you got no one to spend
Just stop saying sorry
And let me be

What do you do when these tears start to well?
When you discovered that these paper walls fell
This is what will come to be
Another disaster's wake that she'll never see
It's never easy to prove, but I wasted my life on you

Let's start back where we started
Who you trying to please?
You got no sense of judgement
When you're down on your knees
Is the start of where our story should end?
You wanted the key
But you got nowhere to be
Just stop saying sorry
And let me be

I'm elevated to your greatest mistake
But I bet I wasn't the first one
We just got it all in one take
Before you'd pack your bags and run
No highlight reel, no need for a recap
I could show you what it's like to be alone
Baring myself for a nightcap
It's all on me to wait by the phone

Let's start back where we started
Who you trying to please?
You got no sense of judgement
When you're down on your knees
Is the start of where our story should end?
You wanted the key
But you got nowhere to be
Just stop saying sorry
And let me be

vi. Born To Ride (3:26)



i. No Hope, No Heart!
ii. Whino
iii. Pounding Sidewalks
iv. Let Me Be
v. Silence
vi. Born To Ride
vii. Stronger//Younger
viii. Pulling Teeth
ix. Where I Need To Be
x. These Lonely Years
xi. Daydreaming
xii. Free Whweeling
xiii. Where I Came From

Kellin says: "Well it seems like I've landed on my feet here. From what was all of our least favourite song on the album to this, my favourite song that we have written in our whole life. Everything that we always wanted to be sort of came together when we wrote this, and it just feels so....alive. Some songs are just songs, but - and I don't think I'm big headed when I say this - when I hear this, it still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Thematically, it's pretty much in line with what we always go for. Love, loss, and dealing with crazy people. I think Dallas really hit the trump card with this one though. Of all the songs he's written for us, this is the one that I think has the best, most interesting and probably the cleverest lyrics. It's just all great and I love that big singalong chorus. Seriously, I can't praise this song enough. Musically, again, I feel like this is my best work. The song has a cool little guitar picked intro, a big bouncy opening riff and then, for a pop-punk song, a really chunky and fast verse, which just makes me wanna get up and cheer....and I wrote it! The pre-chorus thing is my favourite part though. I really love the transition from the fast chords of the verse into that more melodic part that I sing - the key change and the slight drop in pace is just sick. If you ever see us play this live, then you'll see the smile on my face at that part. Honestly, I love it. And the chorus, of course, as I said, is just massive. We went out on Warped and played this track for the first time. By like week 2 of the tour, kids that were coming to the shows had seen the videos from other cities and they were already singing the words back to us, which was just the most humbling thing I've ever experienced in my life. Speaking of that, live is actually where this song really really comes alive. Because of the bouncy nature and the pace and the happy tone, this is what we opened with all the way through Warped Tour, and it went down such a treat. When we'd come out and play those first few notes, the whole place would just go insane. It was off the damn wall. Sorry, I mean I'm rambling now, but I could go on about this track forever. I really really love it, and I can categorically say that this is the best Juneau track in existence. If I ever write another song even close to this good, I'll be able to die a happy happy man.

---

Sounds like:

Bold = Kellin
Italics = Dallas
Bold itallics = Both

Born to ride, you thought I was a strong one
Destined to fall and you made me the last one
Underrated I'm the mask for your fake
But now I'm all on my own
Six feet under, bet you never thought I'd stay
Another morning breaks to start my day
I'm forced to hold tight while I'm on this rise

And shaking that ass never changed me
Baring yourself for a blank check
I won't be blamed
A tale from the past never fazed me
Another mistake like a train wreck
She can't be tamed

So honey we're born on scene
This is all about you, not me
I can see it's not meant to be
And I'm done being quizzical
So honey we're riding free
Chasing after a bride to be
And I'll hope for a chance to see
It was nothing but physical
Yeah, nothing but physical

Waking up makes me feel like I'm gone again
Rolling over just to dream but the dream was dead
Understated I'm the king to your crown
When you're all on your own
We're born to ride, and you decide
To fight or fly and where we hide
And now I feel I'm learning to disguise my mind
And I feel like I'll be fine

And shaking that ass never changed me
Baring yourself for a blank check
I won't be blamed
A tale from the past never fazed me
Another mistake like a train wreck
She can't be tamed

So honey we're born on scene
This is all about you, not me
I can see it's not meant to be
And I'm done being quizzical
So honey we're riding free
Chasing after a bride to be
And I'll hope for a chance to see
It was nothing but physical
Yeah, nothing but physical

And when you want to be free
I won't be the one to steal you the key
Cos this is broken you see
Stand in the rain to wash your dark inventions
They're tearing my skin
Find a way to ride but let me in

So honey we're born on scene
This is all about you, not me
I can see it's not meant to be
And I'm done being quizzical

So honey we're born on scene
This is all about you, not me
I can see it's not meant to be
And I'm done being quizzical
So honey we're riding free
Chasing after a bride to be
And I'll hope for a chance to see
It was nothing but physical
Yeah, nothing but physical

viii. Pulling Teeth (2:59)



i. No Hope, No Heart!
ii. Whino
iii. Pounding Sidewalks
iv. Let Me Be
v. Silence
vi. Born To Ride
vii. Stronger//Younger
viii. Pulling Teeth
ix. Where I Need To Be
x. These Lonely Years
xi. Daydreaming
xii. Free Whweeling
xiii. Where I Came From

Kellin says: "I actually wanna pass this one over. Can I do that? It'll kinda break the whole back and forth with me and Dallas, but hey. Let's go with it. Josh Effin Isaakson, ladies and gentlemen."

Josh says: "What is up? Screeeeam for me Donington! Excuse me, this is one of those real rare chances I get to be like the voice of the band rather than the six-stringed lackey you see hanging around the other side of the stage from Kellin," he laughs. "Ok, I'm calm, I'm good. But yeah, the reason that Kellin is letting me front and center for this song is because this is the song that I love best from the whole record. It's more...raw? Is that the right word? I like that about it. It has that little cool intro bit, and then from thereon in it's just like there's no pissing around. Sub-three minutes, fast chords, bouncy lyrics and catchy as hell pop-punk threads. It's really quite hard to fault it, even if I do say so myself. This is a song that Kellin wrote as probably one of the middle ones in the process. He was really in his groove at this point, and he was bringing tune after tune to the table that was just winner after winner. And I think you can hear it in Pulling Teeth. It's just all about the swagger, I think. We used to be quite a cautious band. What I mean is we knew what we did, and we did it, but we did it without any flare or fireworks. For me, this, along with the two songs that come before it on the record, is just all about the swagger. You know, the riffs are fast and huge, the lyrics are more geared towards negativity, which I think gives it a punchy angry feel that really brings out the punk vibe in us, and the chorus is just breathless. I think this is what Juneau is when you factor in all of the confidence that we've probably earned over the years of being independent and working our ass off. It's almost a statement. Like we're stood atop the stage, knowing we're good enough to finally be there, and it's our time to prove it. There's an element of showing of in the track, probably, but I think it works well. You can't do pop-punk without having a bit of an ego, and we're showcasing that in Losing Teeth. It's why I love to play it. Of all of our songs, this is the one that really opens up the pits and stuff at shows. We played it at Warped in Chicago and had an actual circle pit, which made me laugh. I fucked up the tune from laughing so much, as it goes. But yeah, as I say, no nonsense, big riffs, fast pace and a catchy as hell chorus. This is my jam, as I believe people say."

---

Sounds like:

Bold = Kellin
Italics = Dallas
Bold itallics = Both

She's stressed, I'm black and blue in pain
Some guy's learning her address
Can't seem to contemplate what he'll find
A shadow lurking on her mind
She's always cruel to me, a scratch
Or was I buried deep beneath her breast?
I never knew I was the one
Now I'll rise from runner up to be best

Spent all day hoping, for this sensation
But I'm not open, I dread, I doubt it
One more night crying, over presentation
Will I always run when you shout loudest?
And it's strange now, how you're spreading lies
And the people how they're looking at me
Yeah it's funny how you look at me

(instrumental)

Like pulling teeth
You're now my enemy
The gift you gave to me
Oh where's the remedy?
I long for that old game we played
Get fucked, get high and get fucked again
But now you just want nothing from me
I've never changed and you want to be free

Spent all day hoping, for this sensation
But I'm not open, I dread, I doubt it
One more night crying, over presentation
Will I always run when you shout loudest?
And it's strange now, how you're spreading lies
And the people how they're looking at me
Yeah it's funny how you look at me

Spent all day hoping, for this sensation
But I'm not open, I dread, I doubt it
One more night crying, over presentation
Will I always run when you shout loudest?
And it's strange now, how you're spreading lies
And the people how they're looking at me
Yeah it's funny how you look at me

I don't need this
I've lost resistance
I don't need this
It's no existence
I don't need this
Not your insistence
No I don't need this
I've no existence

Like pulling teeth
You're now my enemy
The gift you gave to me
Oh where's the remedy?

So fuck it all and pass the joint,
I'm looking past the best of me
You fucked it all from the last kiss
I'd shoot for love, but how I missed
I'd never been played
But now I've been laid
Down and I'm not playing safe
I still find it funny how you look at me.

x. These Lonely Years (2:44)



i. No Hope, No Heart!
ii. Whino
iii. Pounding Sidewalks
iv. Let Me Be
v. Silence
vi. Born To Ride
vii. Stronger//Younger
viii. Pulling Teeth
ix. Where I Need To Be
x. These Lonely Years
xi. Daydreaming
xii. Free Wheeling
xiii. Where I Came From

Kellin says: "These...Lonely...Years. This is honestly as emo as it can possibly get for us. I was quite apprehensive of this track at first, to be brutally honest. Not the track itself, which I am pleased with, but more with it being on this record as opposed to standing alone. It's a continuation of what Dallas was saying about us making a move towards the more emotional side of our influences and exploring much darker themes and tones in both our lyrics and tone. This is in the same vein as Where I Need to Be on that front, but at the same time, it's a massive change in pace. All of the songs so far have been heavily guitar led, and unmistakably pop-punk, bit this one is really out of left field. It's a ballad, essentially, and literally nothing but two voices and a single finger-picked guitar. That's the reason I was so worried about including it initially. I mean there are zero riffs, zero chords, no drums. Nothing but me and Dallas singing and me playing a few picked notes. It's really really stripped back for us, and I kinda worried about the sort of reaction it would get and how it would fit in with the record. As it happens, though, I think it fits in really really well where it sits. It's so dark and emotional that, coming after the last track, it really does work. I think it shows people that we're not just one-trick ponies as well. Often, pop-punk bands get sort of shoe-horned into this ridiculous thought that all they can do is play three chords and be cheery and happy. But songs like this show we can slow it down, go dark and emotional and look at things from a different point of view. My favourite part of the song has to be the way our voices sound. We tried to go for more of a strained vocal sound that would really bring out the sort of emotional feeling that we were going for, and I think it sounds fantastic. The vocals just sound so raw and absolutely full of emotion, sadness and heartache. I love it. Thematically, you can sort of tell that I wrote this one as well. As with the last track, the lyrics are a lot darker than the early stuff on the album. This is a song that is about real loss. Not like the loss of a relationship, but losing someone who was close to you, for real. It's more sung from the point of view of having a loved one die, but the emotions that I layered into this song, and all of the feelings relate to when I was just a little kid and my grandma passed away. I went on a real rollercoaster of emotion. I was angry at her for leaving me, I was angry at "God" for taking her away and I was intensely sad. Of course, I missed her so much as well, and this is a song about how when you miss someone who's no longer with us, every little thing reminds you of them and you can never get them out of your mind. It's a real sad and emotional track for me, and I really hope it comes across well. This is a song that sounds so removed from most of what we do as a pop-punk band, but it's personal, emotional and I think it really does us justice as a band. I hope people can relate to its message and draw something from the track as well."

---

Sounds like:

Bold = Kellin
Italics = Dallas
Bold itallics = Both

You used to bring me to my feet like you were magic
Now each day I just sit here and feel so lost alone
You became the force that made me feel so tragic
Like night and day from how we were when I'd come home
I still dream about you every night
I close my eyes and go back to the tomb within my mind

I won't give up on you
And it still hurts me when I'm all alone
I won't hurry
We'll reunite one day without skin and bone

It's long gone time when I should hate you for those lies
Some years have passed since those promises became our own fiction
I wish I had the power to keep you awake each time you close your eyes
But like a lost memory, all I dream for is that sense of friction
Your cigarette packet still sits motionless
And your dog brings grief that's heavy on my chest

I won't give up on you
And it still hurts me when I'm all alone
I won't hurry
We'll reunite one day without skin and bone

It's been a long year
It's been lonely with these tears
It's been a long year
I'm still alone with all my fears

I still dream about you every time
I close my eyes and go back to the tomb within my mind

I won't give up on you
And it still hurts me when I'm all alone
I won't hurry
W'll reunite one day without skin and bone