Charlotte Sands
Arrows In Action
Rain City Drive
C N T E N T S
YOUR SOPHOMORE CLASS - 7
ARROWS IN ACTION – 8
On stage and off, the band opens up about songwriting evolution and desire to build a lasting community with fans.
BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT – 12
Proving why they’re one of the most captivating bands in altrock today, they’re bringing punk rock back to the main stage.
IF NOT FOR ME – 16
Wanting to build up their community person by person, they aren’t looking at social media followers or streams.
SUMMER SCHOOL – 20
Born from the ethos of Warped Tour, Summer School is shaping the future of alternative music.
HUDDY – 24
The former TikTok icon turns the page and embraces a cinematic punk-rock persona.
CHARLOTTE SANDS – 26
“Brat rock summer” has found its queen in Sands and she’s redefining empowerment through music.
RAIN CITY DRIVE – 30
Rebranding gave the band the freedom to build forward, one intentional step at a time.
TAYLOR ACORN – 34
Building her own lane in music, Acorn discusses why vulnerability and authenticity is the cornerstone of her success.
DESIGN + EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Victoria Goodwin
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Avery Heeringa
ASSISTANT DESIGNER
Bethany Bluhm
Ashlyn Siples
FIND US
melodicmag.com @melodicmag
COVER PHOTOS
Brendan McGlathery
Dillon Jordan
Doltyn Snedden
Kiara Vaziri
Manny Zepeda
Paige Margulies
Rachel Dwyer
AUG 2025 ISSUE 016
CONTRIBUTORS
Amber Bintliff, Avery Heeringa, Brendan McGlathery, Dillon Jordan, Doltyn Snedden, Ellie White, Justice Petersen, Kiara Vaziri, Manny Zepeda, Paige Margulies, Rachel Dwyer, Reagan Denning, Tanner Carney, Victoria Goodwin
THANK YOU
Massive ‘thank you’ goes out to Peter Quinn for believing in us enough to bring this issue to life and for all the hard work put in behind the scenes.
More heart felt thank yous to all of the artists and crew who took time out of their busy schedule to coordinate interviews and donate their time to us: Taylor Acorn, Rain City Drive, Charlotte Sands, If Not For Me, BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT, Arrows in Action, Huddy, Thriller Records, Fearless Records, Muses PR, KMGMT, Jones Works, Nettwerk Music Group, Tallulah PR
Tobin, Eric (Hopeless Records)
Lyman, Kevin (Vans Warped Tour)
Taylor Acorn
Kaminsky, Michael (KMGMT)
Cody Frain If Not For Me
Bardo Novotny BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT
Zac Allen If Not For Me
Jesse Frimmel Arrows in Action
Weston Richmond Rain City Drive
Brent “Beepus” Burdett BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT
Patrick “Patty” Glover If Not For Me
Charlotte Sands
Hayden Calhoun If Not For Me
Chase Hudson Huddy
Felipe Sanchez Rain City Drive
Colton Flurry BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT
Cole Hutzler BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT
Colin Vieira Rain City Drive
Matthew Fowler Arrows in Action
Matthew McAndrew Rain City Drive
Victor Viramontes-Pattison Arrows in Action
open up about splitting their sophomore album, finding community on the road and why this might just be their biggest year yet
Indie-pop-rock trio Arrows in Action is gearing up to continue the busiest year of their career thus far. The band has become a rising force in the alternative scene since their formation in 2017. Victor Viramontes-Pattison (vocals and guitar), Matthew Fowler (guitar) and Jesse Frimmel (drums) have set themselves apart by combining alternative rock with pop influences and authentic lyricism that connect audiences worldwide, both onstage and off.
Following their critically acclaimed debut album, Built To Last, Arrows in Action have captivated audiences with their charming stage presence, sincere lyrics and infectiously music that makes you want to dance. Now on the cusp of releasing the second half of their sophomore album, I Think I’ve Been Here Before, they find themselves reminiscing on their journey together so far as they dive headfirst into this new era.
I Think I’ve Been Here Before touches upon the trick of nostalgia and the deep-rooted emotions
associated with it. Even the album’s artwork, which features a lighthouse, is a direct callout to the record’s thematic expression. “The idea of the album cover being a lighthouse is that it’s something that you either return to for something good or it’s something that is trying to keep you from something bad,” Viramontes-Pattison explains. “So it’s kind of talking about both of those sides of nostalgia and familiarity being a double-edged sword. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad.”
The band’s decision to split I Think I’ve Been Here Before into two came naturally as the making of the record progressed. “There were definitely two distinct sounds on this,” Fowler says. “When we were looking at the track listing and sort of weaving in and out of the two vibes over and over again, it felt a little funny and we realized that if we just let them live as their own pieces, it made a lot more sense.”
Side A explores a more lighthearted, hopeful, and bright perspective, while Side B navigates the
Article: Amber Bintliff
Photos: Rachel Dwyer
darker, sexier, and sadder point of view. “Empty Canvas,” the lead single from Side B, gave fans a taste of how different each side of the record sounds ahead of its full release in September. The song’s passionately honest lyrics and groovy saxophone riffs explore feelings of attraction, longing, and desperation that were not seen on Side A.
Splitting I Think I’ve Been Here Before into two halves allowed Arrows in Action to have the opportunity to give fans more new music more often. This approach also allowed the band to have a little more fun sharing this new era and to give each song its time in the spotlight. “Instead of them all living in the same house, they live in a duplex,” Viramontes-Pattison jokes.
This era also marks the first time Arrows in Action have released music with support from a record label. Spending their entire career up until this point as an independent band, the band has experienced the doors that have opened since signing to Nettwerk Music Group, earlier this year. “It’s been really cool to have a lot more people to kind of bounce ideas off of and also offer suggestions that we might not think of or even have considered,” Viramontes-Pattison says. “They’ve been a huge help in getting more done and delivering more to our fans, because that’s always been the most important part. We wanna be able to give them more in a more efficient and effective way.”
The community surrounding Arrows in Action has grown tremendously over the years. From back home in their native Florida to Europe, the band has continuously grabbed the attention of audiences all over. Recently embarking on their first headline run in the United Kingdom and Europe, the support they’ve received from their fans and the community they’ve built around their music has allowed them to feel like they’re one big family no matter where they are in the world. “They have a different accent, but they would be best friends with someone I know that likes us in Florida,” Fowler expresses, sharing his surprise and comfort in knowing how similar their fans are across the globe. Frimmel adds, “It’s awesome looking out at the people like, ‘Oh this totally feels like this could just be back home!’”
The group is currently back in the classroom for the second-ever idobi Radio Summer School Tour, which was brought to life by Vans Warped Tour creator Kevin Lyman, Hopeless Records’ Eric Tobin and KMGMT’s Michael Kaminsky in 2024. The trio is spending the summer as part of the tour’s sophomore class with the scene’s most vibrant upand-coming artists, including Taylor Acorn, Rain City Drive, Charlotte Sands, If Not For Me, BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT, Arrows in Action and Huddy.
The band shares their excitement to be on tour alongside friends, new and old. They gush about how thrilled they are to be sharing the stage with
Acorn, who features on “Uncomfortably Numb,” one of the band’s favorite tracks from their 2021 EP Be More. It’s a special feeling to be able to tour alongside acts you’re excited to watch perform live every night and build a connection with. “It’s just already shaping up to be this summer camp vibe of people that we get along with really well,” Fowler shares.
Touring festivals, like Summer School, have become a staple for their ability to foster fan connection, create a sense of belonging amongst artists and uplift rising acts on a large scale. Growing up attending the iconic Vans Warped Tour and seeing artists they’ve looked up to, Arrows in Action were more than thrilled to be a part of this year’s lineup in Long Beach, CA alongside their Summer School classmates. “I screamed,” Viramontes-Pattison admits. “It was the loudest scream I’ve ever scrumpt.”
and eliminates feelings of isolation or competition. “It helps all of us kind of grow even more by having that sense of community with the other artists,” Frimmel says. “Without that, you can feel a little bit like you’re on an island, so helping these bands, including us, come together and make all these connections is really nice.”
“ I think leaving feeling like [fans] were a part of it is the most awesome thing for us to see. “
With touring festivals making a splash in the scene once again, the horizon for discovering new artists has never been more accessible and vibrant. Arrows in Action are hopeful about the prospective fans in the crowd all summer long, simply hoping that they’ll enjoy the music they perform and the show they’ve put together. “We’re gonna play the songs as best as we can, and we hope you like them,” Frimmel says. “But if you don’t, hey, maybe you just like what we did in between the songs and all the shenanigans that happened otherwise!”
The memories created at touring festivals often last a lifetime. From seeing an all-time favorite band to making new friends with the same taste in music, touring festivals are an outlet for fans to engage with their favorite artists and each other in a positive light. “We know so many people who have made all of their friend groups at shows,” Viramontes-Pattinson says. “There were a lot of bands that I didn’t think other people liked that I loved and that I made so many friends through going to those shows and Warped Tour.”
The group views inspiring the next generation of artists and allowing them to have visible representation as a significant part of playing these festivals. Fowler explains, “If you see someone in the rise of their career right there in front of you, even on the smaller stage, I think that helps people go, ‘Oh maybe I can do this!’” The wide range of artists from different backgrounds is part of the reason why touring festivals, like Warped Tour and Summer School, can become so successful. They can give a sense of hope that one day those in the crowd watching the bands could be up on that same stage in the future, just like Arrows in Action dreamed when they first started the band.
The connections created between artists by being a part of these massive lineups are another important aspect that fosters a sense of belonging
Fowler adds to this sentiment, and says that the band hopes that people can have a good time during their set, whether they’re the biggest Arrows in Action fan in that city or have never once heard of their name. “We’re there to give you some positive escapism. Just some fucking laughs and some sing-alongs,” he says.
The band agrees that they want the crowds to feel like they played a key part in the show, with crowd participation being one of their favorite parts of live shows. Fowler says, “I think leaving feeling like they were a part of it is the most awesome thing for us to see. At the very least, leaving feeling like for however long our show was that they got to just enjoy themselves and be in the moment for that amount of time.”
The excitement that Arrows in Action feel for this new chapter radiates off them. With a new album on the way, Summer School shenanigans on full display and some other mystery plans that have yet to be announced, the trio is eager to see how this year takes their career to the next level. Fowler gushes, “It’s the most music, it’s the most touring, it’s just the most everything! We’re all very excited.”
is dragging punk rock back into the spotlight
Article: Reagan Denning
Photos: Tanner Carney
If you’re feeling like punk rock has lost its edge or has become a nostalgic relic of the 2000s, you’re not alone. Enter: BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT, who is here to prove that the scene is far from dead and that there is still room on the stage for gritty guitars, Doc Martens and real rebellion. The Los Angeles-based rock band — made up of Cole Hutzler (vocals), Bardo Novotny (guitar), Brent “Beepus” Burdett (bass) and Colton Flurry (drums) — are on a mission to bring the punk spirit back into the mainstream with their upcoming record WHERE DID ALL THE BUTTERFLIES GO ?
After signing with Verswire in 2020, BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT quickly earned respect from the music community with their first EP Boys Do Cry, released the following year. The band has since played major festivals across the world, including Lollapalooza and Warped Tour, giving them a platform to become one of the most noticeable rising acts in the scene. Now, BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT is ready to bring punk rock back to the
forefront of the music scene.
BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT allows their authenticity to shine through in their music, which is what makes their presence so impactful in the punk, emo and rock scenes. Their sound is constantly evolving, but one thing always remains true, their art is a reflection of where they are at in life. “The shift in sound is actually just that we have more life experience,” Beepus explains. “Who we are as humans is translating into our sound as a whole. I think the rawness, the realness, the authenticity of the tones… we’re past trying to be polished. We just really want to throw our authentic selves out there in all forms.”
While BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT has built their sound off of the iconic bands that came before them like blink-182, Fall Out Boy and Green Day, they’ve also been inspired by a new wave of artists like Lola Young, jxdn, and 2hollis to incorporate modern production techniques that challenge traditional boundaries.
During their time in the studio, the band integrated amps and pedals to create a more unique sound tailored to one of their live shows. “After the year we did [on tour] with jxdn and blink-182, we realized we wanted to make records that captured the same energy as the live show,” Hutzler adds. “We would often get ‘I’ve heard the records, but wow the live show is crazy.’ We wanted to get that same response out of people hearing the records as they do from the show.”
Their commitment to bringing the live show energy to the studio is what gives their latest singles “FEVER” and “SEX APPEAL” their edge. Starting as an early standout for the band, “FEVER” represents where the band is now. “I think I can speak for all of us that ‘FEVER’ does feel like what we are living right now,” Beepus says.
“ Something about the alternative scene in general is that even though it’s aggressive... If someone falls everyone picks them up. “
BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT are known for creating an atmosphere for themselves and the community when they perform. From the second they hit the stage, they command the audience, building an environment where everyone’s free
to be themselves. They encourage fans to mosh, crowd surf and scream their hearts out while always looking out for each other. This type of energy is what tours like Warped Tour and idobi Radio’s Summer School Tour were originally built on. “I will shoutout something about the alternative scene in general, even though it’s aggressive, if someone falls, everyone picks them up. You could have a bloody nose or get knocked out, but everyone is gonna turn around and make sure you are okay. I just think that’s the coolest part of the rock scene,” Beepus says.
That same urgency and electricity came to life when BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT hit the stage at this year’s Warped Tour in Washington D.C., a festival that’s long been synonymous with the raw energy they strive to capture in the studio. Warped Tour was the heart of the punk, emo, rock and hardcore scenes from the late ‘90s into the early 2010s, before ultimately calling it quits in 2018. This year, to celebrate its 30th anniversary, the tour returned with stops in Washington D.C.,
Long Beach and an upcoming Orlando date in November.
Hutzler says that the experience of playing Warped Tour was one of the coolest festivals he’s ever done. “It feels like a rebirth,” he says. “It’s also kinda funky because we’ve been a band for five or six years now and this is the first time in that whole span of us being a band where I feel like there is an audience beyond our reach that is equally excited about the alternative sound and energy.”
“It felt like a European festival,” Beepus adds. “The way the fans engaged, they were actually rowdy. I didn’t see a lot of phones. I saw a lot of people crowd surfing.” Crowd surfing and moshing are core rituals in the alternative scene and for an artist, seeing a crowd willingly participate in these staple rituals signal that the crowd is not just listening, but they are feeling the energy the artist is putting out. “Much to the point of seeing all these people crowd surfing, we haven’t really had many shows in the U.S. where people just volunteer to do that,” Hutzler says. “That wasn’t me being commanding on stage… people were just going for it.”
For BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT, it’s all about the spirit that made alternative-rock special in the first place. “In a lot of ways for us, what we miss from rock in particular is just the excitement… We are at a point in the world where there is so much tearing people apart. Everything has become so divisive and we just want to be able to create something that brings people together,” Hutzler shares. “Whatever walk of life you come from, we just want it to bring people together and celebrate this life that we have that is so short and obsolete at times. Why not make the most of it?”
With mainstream music often feeling manufactured, made just for clicks and streams, BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT is aiming to keep the genre alive and thriving. “We are all very
different human beings and have different tastes, but something that has made BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT, BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT is that we find our middle ground,” Beepus says. “We are like a venn diagram and whatever lands in the middle is BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT.”
“ We just want it to bring people together and celebrate this life that we have that is so short and obsolete at times. ”
Stating that there is “no pressure to conform,” Hutzler goes on to share that BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT feels freer than ever to chase what they’re feeling when making music and not conform. “That was actually the polar opposite of what we were trying to do on [our upcoming album].” They have created a sound that is uniquely their own while still honoring those that came before them. “We write so many different songs… what we want to write, is what comes out,” Beepus says. “This album is where we are at with that.”
Looking ahead, BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT has a busy rest of 2025. After playing idobi’s Summer School, the band will head out on a short run of dates supporting blink-182 and will later head overseas for their Live in the U.K. & Europe tour this fall.
BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT isn’t afraid to be loud, messy or unapologetically real. The group is not trying to fit into a box, but are rather tearing the box apart and setting it on fire. “We are us,” Beepus says bluntly. “That’s the easiest way to stay true to our identity.”
is building a community, not chasing clout
In an era where success is often measured by streaming stats and Instagram followers, Pennsylvania’s rising alt-metal band If Not For Me is rewriting the rules that they want to follow. For them, it’s not about how many people are in the room, it’s about how many stick around. “We can go play a huge room somewhere, and if the crowd isn’t hype, it doesn’t feel like we did that much,” says frontman Patrick Glover. “But if we play a tiny packed room and the crowd’s just climbing over each other and singing every word, that’s way more of a success than playing a huge room to people that might not seem like they care about your band.”
Since the band’s first release in 2018, If Not For Me — made up of Glover (vocals), Hayden Calhoun (guitar), Zac Allen (bass) and Cody Frain (drums) — has been building a name for themselves with their blend of metalcore, post-hardcore and accessible alt-pop. Their 2022 full-length LP Eulogy proved to be a breakthrough moment for the band, securing them a rising spot to their label inVogue’s big sister, Thriller Records. With blistering singles like “Blameless” and “Demons,” the record threaded heavy riffs with emotional lyricism, helping the band carve out a distinct place in the modern alternative scene.
Article: Victoria Goodwin Photos: Brendan McGlathery
Since signing with Thriller Records, If Not For Me has only accelerated. “Thriller taught us how to use social media a lot better than we were using it before, specifically TikTok and Instagram Reels,” Glover says. “That was a huge learning curve for us… and it helped us tremendously.” Their most recent album Everything You Wanted landed at No. 6 on Billboard’s Current Hard Rock Albums chart, and featured the standout single “Feel Me Now” which surpassed 13 million streams.
Coinciding with their debut release via Thriller in 2024, the band embarked on their first headlining tour, but not before first supporting label mates and fellow metalcore artist, Catch Your Breath. Following these two tours, If Not For Me traveled to Europe for the first time as a band to support progressive metalcore artist, Make Them Suffer. These experiences have built the band’s confidence and their fanbase.
European shows like Poland and the Czech Republic, those crowds were bonkers,” Glover says. “But the further west we went, it was less like that. And then the U.K. kind of just stands there. Doesn’t mean they don’t like you, they just kind of do that.”
“ I would rather build a relationship with the fans, than just have them sit there and watch my band and then we don’t interact ever again. “
“When we return to different markets, there’s all these people like, ‘Yeah, I saw you there and I couldn’t miss you,’ which is just so sick. I’m excited to do another tour and see the growth continue,” Glover says.
Their most recent tour, which ended in May, took them through Germany, Eastern Europe, and the U.K. “Germany shows were crazy… the Eastern
The tour marked a major milestone for a band that’s long dreamed of connecting with fans around the world. “It was definitely a big learning curve for us,” Glover says. “There’s so much about European and U.K. touring that’s just different from how it operates in America, which we knew going in, but we didn’t really know the extent of it. It was a bit of a culture shock. But just getting to meet all these people from the other side of the world that care about the band… it meant the absolute world to us. It was honestly like a life-changing experience.”
As if one milestone weren’t enough, If Not For Me also took the stage at Warped Tour’s 30th Anniversary show in Long Beach on July 26, a full-circle moment for Glover who has been a fan of the festival for as long as he can remember. “Little kid me is freaking out about it. It’s a childhood dream of mine… it’s very surreal,” he says. Though the band has shows scheduled
before and after, Glover admits he wishes he could simply attend Warped Tour as a fan. “Part of me wishes we didn’t have shows the day before and after… so I could just live Warped Tour again.”
Recently kicking off in Detroit, If Not For Me has headed out on the second year of idobi’s Summer School Tour, a genre-blurring traveling festival with a lineup that includes Charlotte Sands, Taylor Acorn, Rain City Drive, Beauty School Dropout, Arrows in Action and Huddy.
“It’s so cool to be a part of it this time,” Glover shares on being a part of this year’s tour. “I think it’s one of those things where there’s something for everybody on it. Last year’s lineup was more poppunk, which I love, but this year there’s us, a metal band, plus pop acts, rock bands, solo artists… I think people are gonna vibe with a lot of styles they normally wouldn’t go out and see.”
Unlike standard support tours, Summer School offers bands exposure to new fans across genres. It also gives fans an opportunity to find bands in the same wheelhouse that they may not have necessarily discovered on their own. “It gives us the opportunity to discover these new bands that we might not have necessarily heard either,” he says. “Beauty School Dropout, I had heard of them before the tour, but I had never listened to them. And then I checked them out and I was like, ‘man, this band’s frickin’ sick.’”
Even as their profile grows, the band stays grounded in their values. While many acts lean into VIP packages to monetize fan access, If Not For Me has deliberately held back. “I didn’t really want to do VIP stuff until we’ve done enough full U.S. tours to the point where I feel like I’m giving people chances to meet us without having to pay for that,”
Glover says. “I want to build a relationship with those people while we’re still in a spot where we can do it. I’m just a guy.”
Whether they’re sharing laughs at the merch table or talking music on the sidewalk after loadout, the band’s mission remains the same: make music that resonates, and meet every listener who connects with it. “I would rather build a relationship with the fans, than just have them sit there and watch my band and then we don’t interact ever again,” Glover says.
With new singles expected by the end of the year and a constantly evolving sound, If Not For Me is poised for an even bigger leap with their new music, this time through a collaboration with producer and songwriter, Jon Eberhard. “These last three songs we wrote with Jon from I Prevail, and he’s just such a good production and riff writer I wanted to push that further and do things I’ve never done vocally before,” Glover shares on his experience with Eberhard. “There’s some hiphoppy parts, some ‘yelly’ singing, weird scream tones… I feel like this album is going to be much more well-rounded in the balance between heavy and poppy.”
The band’s approach to genre isn’t rigid, either, pulling influences and blending genres with whatever feels most right. “We try to put all our influences in… pop, metal, punk, dark trap, and just write songs that we like,” Glover shares. “If it comes out super heavy, that’s cool. If it comes out super pop-y, that’s cool too. We just want a song that we like.”
At the heart of everything If Not For Me does is authenticity. As Glover sums it up perfectly, “I feel like a lot of the authenticity comes from like what you’re actually saying. Have you lived what you’re saying? The emotion behind a song is more important than what genre it is. If people have an emotional connection to it, they’ll listen — even if
Launched by industry veterans Michael Kaminsky (KMGMT), Eric Tobin (Hopeless Records) and Kevin Lyman (Vans Warped Tour), idobi Radio’s Summer School Tour has returned for its much-anticipated sophomore year, spotlighting a lineup that reads like a fast-track to main stage success. Featuring Charlotte Sands, Taylor Acorn, Rain City Drive, If Not For Me, BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT, Arrows in Action and special guest Huddy, the tour is taking stages across the U.S., as well as class field trip to the Long Beach, California date of the Warped Tour. Presented by idobi Radio and backed by Hot Topic, this year’s run barrels through nearly twenty cities with one clear mission: to develop the next generation of headliners while building something bigger than a tour.
From the very beginning, Summer School was designed with a sense of community in mind. “Music scenes develop when there’s an active community and culture built to support them,” Kaminsky says. That purpose echoes throughout the tour’s DNA with rotating set times and affordable tickets capped at around $35. In a post-pandemic music industry flooded with VIP tiers and $100+ GA tickets, Summer School is making the case that touring can still be affordable for everyone. The goal is to prove that a $35 show with heart can outlast a $300 arena experience, and that growth, community and raw talent
idobi Radio’s sophomore year of Summer School is the true definition of an incubator for the future of alt-rock
can still be the draw. It’s a model that prioritizes discovery and sustainability at a time when the music industry is increasingly favoring algorithms over artist development.
“Touring for so many years, I feel like a lot of the time the energy isn’t put into the experience of the artists,” says Sands. “But [doing so] creates a better environment for the fans as well… this tour is 100% created with the hope that everyone will have a good time, everyone will benefit, everyone will enjoy themselves, and I’m really lucky to get to be a part of it.”
While traveling tours have long served as the lifeblood of alternative music, bringing bands directly to fans while creating mobile communities that define entire subcultures traces back to the punk, DIY circuits of the ‘80s and early ‘90s. However, Warped Tour was (debatably) the tour that mainstreamed the concept. After launching in 1995, Warped Tour became a cultural phenomenon, offering hundreds of bands a touring platform and fans a summer tradition before temporarily calling it quits in 2018. Because of the success and ethos of Warped Tour, other tours such as Alternative Press Tour, Bamboozle Roadshow, and more recently, Sad Summer Festival, followed with the same ethos of community and discovery that defined Lyman’s legendary traveling fest.
Photos: Kiara
Vaziri
“I remember when I would go to Warped Tour back in the day, the whole premise was to be able to find new bands, find new music that you like and connect with music on a new level,” says Acorn. “So for me, it’s cool that [Lyman is] keeping bands that are established enough, but still probably new to a lot of people in the scene… It’s allowing artists like us to be able to have a leveraged platform, but still be like, ‘Hey, we’re really cool, come see us.’”
Summer School steps into that lineage with purpose, reviving the core elements of those foundational tours while updating them for a modern audience and allowing each fan to discover another artist within their wheelhouse. In an era of algorithmic discovery and digital fanbases, there’s something radically personal about a band sweating it out in a city they’ve never played, meeting fans at the merch table and earning their stripes on the road. “I think it’s one of those things where there’s something for everybody on it,” says If Not For Me’s Patty Glover. “Last year’s lineup was more pop-punk… but this year there’s us, a metal band, plus pop acts, rock bands, solo artists… I think people are gonna vibe with a lot of styles they normally wouldn’t go out and see.”
During its inaugural 2024 run, Summer School quickly stood out as one of the brightest new tours in the country showcasing rising artists such as Stand Atlantic, Magnolia Park, The Home Team, Scene Queen, Honey Revenge and LETDOWN. The Los Angeles Times hailed it as “channeling the pop-punk spirit of Warped Tour,” and for good reason.
This year, the tour also included a field trip of sorts where all seven Summer School acts performed at the freshly relaunched Vans Warped Tour in Long Beach, CA, on July 26. While some bands like Rain City Drive and BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT performed at the first stop in Washington D.C. in June, the chance to take the stage at Warped felt especially meaningful. “I missed out on Warped Tour when I was younger. I never went or played,” says Matt McAndrew, lead singer of Rain City Drive. “It felt super positive, like a summer camp vibe or traveling circus kind of thing.”
Hot Topic, a brand that has long defined alternative culture and sponsor of the tour, saw the vision right away. “Hot Topic has always been about celebrating music, self-expression, and community — and this tour captures all of that,” says Andrea Lewis, VP of Brand Marketing for Hot Topic. “Partnering with Summer School allows us to support the next generation of artists and fans who are shaping the future of alternative culture, and we’re proud to be part of something that creates such an unforgettable experience.”
As tour co-founder Eric Tobin puts it, “Summer School’s purpose is to support the current and future alternative-music culture. It’s about championing visionary and boundary-pushing artists to be the Main Stage festival headliners of tomorrow.” His partner Kevin Lyman adds, “Everyone in the industry says we need artist development, but few go out on a limb to create paths for their own acts — let alone for others as well.”
Summer School isn’t looking to fill a void in touring, but instead is aiming to fill it with more of a sense of community. “If you see someone in the rise of their career right there in front of you, even on the smaller stage, I think that helps people go, ‘oh maybe I can do this!’” says Matthew Fowler, Arrows in Action’s guitarist. “It helps all of us kind of grow even more by having that sense of community with the other artists. Without that, you can feel a little bit like you’re on an island.”
With VIP fatigue, inflated ticket prices, and a glut of one-size-fits-all lineups, it offers something different: a return to community, discovery, and the thrill of catching lightning before it strikes. “I will shout out something about the alternative scene in general,” says BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT’s Beepus. “Even though it’s aggressive, if someone falls, everyone picks them up. You could have a bloody nose or get knocked out, but everyone is gonna turn around and make sure you are okay.”
“I think [Summer School is] one of those things where there’s something for everybody.”
-Patty Glover, If Not For Me
HUDDY SPECIAL GUEST:
is coming in swinging
By now, an expanding crop of pandemic-era influencers who used to call TikTok home have settled into the music industry. The faces that used to fill the Hype House’s walls now occupy the rosters of major labels and indie imprints. One of the breakout artists of this influencers-turnedmusicians class is alternative punk-rocker Huddy. Fresh off of filming the upcoming How to Lose A Popularity Contest for Tubi and releasing his latest single “Vendetta,” the up-and-comer is returning to the road as the special guest idobi Radio’s Summer School Tour.
Article: Avery Heeringa
Photo: Manny Zepeda
First gaining an audience online for videos of him lip-syncing and dancing, not to mention popularizing the “e-boy” aesthetic, the singer, born Chase Hudson, has spent the last half-decade building on the success he cultivated since the prepandemic days. After co-founding the Hype House and riding the wave of his pandemic-era TikTok success, he released his first LP Teenage Heartbreak in 2021, which featured songs like “21st Century Vampire” which has amassed over 27 million streams on Spotify. He’s landed roles in projects like Machine Gun Kelly’s 2021 film Downfalls High opposite Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney, maintains a following of over 30 million fans on TikTok, and has been consistently performing live for the last few years.
videos, and trying to do that all in a short span of time knowing that we had to go and film a movie.”
Hudson says that in recent months he’s spent “just as much” time in the recording studio as he has with acting coaches and preparing for filming. He remains tight-lipped about when his sophomore record may arrive and what it may entail, and rather offers some concise insight. “I would say this album is deeply personal,” he says. “It’s emotional, it’s angry, but it’s fun and it’s found a trademark Huddy sound that I had been trying to find throughout the years.”
“ I have a great understanding of what it’s like to tour and what I want to do on stage. “
But now, his sights are set on delivering the best show possible on the Summer School tour as he readies his next album. “I felt like a little bit of a lost puppy in the start,” Hudson tells Melodic Magazine over the phone from Cleveland just a few days into the tour. “I was just kind of figuring things out and dipping my toes into different waters, and now I have a great understanding of what it’s like to tour and what I want to do on stage.”
Coming hot off of wrapping the Tubi project and a tumultuous couple of travel days, Hudson has been thrust back into touring life at full force with little time to spare. “We went straight from filming the movie into the tour — no rehearsal and no sound check either,” he says. “We’ve been just winging it, and already, out the gate, have been swinging and having some great shows. We just fell right back into the tour life which we’ve become so familiar with now.”
With the slot of “special guest” on the tour, Hudson gets the crowd warmed up each night before the other six acts rotate their set times city to city. (“It’s fun because it demands that people show up to the concert on time.”) The consistency has offered a reprieve from the whirlwind of his recent few months and process of finalizing his next record. “I want to take away some good memories, great shows, to be able to pass down some stories,” he says. “A tour like this is something that is not usual. I usually don’t see seven acts touring together.”
“I’ve been working on an album for the last couple of years,” he says. “So we were working on getting that album across the finish line and putting all the promotional rollout for it together, all the music
His latest single “Vendetta” is a confident, amped-up rager that sounds straight out of the aughts, and delivers the punch of lines like “Now I’m on my vendetta / No, I’ve never felt better / I’ma feel it forever, my vendetta against you / My vendetta against you.” If the single is anything like the rest of the project, his second album is sure to make a splash in the punk-rock scene.
The pressure to make an impact with one’s debut album is undoubtedly intense. But oftentimes, the demand to follow it up with an even better body of work can mount to new peaks. But four years after his debut LP arrived and with a stacked calendar for the rest of the year — including a slot at Warped Tour in Long Beach and Orlando later this year — Hudson seems prepared for it all. “[It] really excites me to be able to feel the energy of what [Warped Tour] was like and really embrace the community that is coming together for this festival,” he says.
Put simply: “I’m ready for a sophomore album, sophomore year of artistry, and I’m coming swinging.”
Article: Justice Petersen
Photos: Dillon Jordan
“Brat rock summer” is officially upon us, and Charlotte Sands is providing the ultimate soundtrack. The pop-punk singer-songwriter has wholeheartedly embodied this concept, and resonates with both those in the mosh pit and under neon club lights.
Alover of music through and through, Sands has been writing songs since she was nine years old. She made her professional debut in 2018 with her inaugural single “Phantom Pain,” but it wasn’t until two years later that Sands achieved viral success after she released her song “Dress.” Written about conservative political commentator Candace Owens’ criticism of Harry Styles’ wearing a dress on the cover of Vogue, the snarky and romantic single graced Sands with viral TikTok fame.
“Dress” proceeded to reach #1 on the Mediabase independent chart and #37 on the Billboard Top 40, and Sands’ success in the pop-rock scene didn’t stop there. In the years since, she has released numerous EPs, shared the stage with the likes of My Chemical Romance and 5 Seconds of Summer and has collaborated with Sleeping With Sirens and MisterWives. Last year, she released her debut full-length studio album, can we start over?, and embarked on a massive headlining tour in support of the album.
Remaining a fully independent artist through it all, she’s obtained a devoted fanbase through her music and live shows. “We’re so used to the social media aspect,” Sands says. “When I was able to play those shows and see real people show up, real people that I’ve interacted with online and built these relationships with…It gave me back so much inspiration and so much of a reminder of why I love doing this.”
the headliners for this year’s Summer School Tour. Ahead of the tour, Sands released “HUSH,” her first musical release of the year. Originally intending for the song to go to a pop artist, Sands knew it had to be hers once live drums and electric guitars were added to the mix.
S”The whole thing behind the ‘brat rock summer’ is I want [artists] to be able to go on tour this summer and just think so much about the experience that the audience is having, and really focus on how to make their experience and their money well spent and make sure that they can leave the show feeling lighter than when they walked in.”
Now, after taking a break following her extensive tour last year, Sands is back on the road as one of
ymbolizing a new musical era for Sands, one that she describes as having a completely amplified energy and persona, Sands admits that she’s actively exploring beyond the boundaries of rock music. “Whatever can be the loudest songs, they’re so exciting to me because I love performing them,” she says. “But I think I just wanted to be able to find ways to include my other influences and the things that people are just really enjoying right now.”
Sands says that in recent years, she’s felt the music industry has become increasingly accepting of artists experimenting with their sound. Taking advantage of this, Sands now maintains the rebellion and grit that is signature to heavier music while incorporating elements of an upbeat, pop-infused sonic identity. “In the past, you had to really stay in the box of the genre you are in,” she explains.
“I’ve realized that people don’t really care as much about genre as they care about investing in the artist and the storyline of the artist. I just decided to fully dive into that…in the sense of making whatever I want that I think people will like and that I like, and not worrying too much about the rules or restrictions of genre.”
The result of Sands’ unapologetic and thrilling musical experimentation can be thought of as “brat rock summer.” Similar to how the pop music landscape has been fueled by trailblazers like Chappel Roan or Sabrina Carpenter, the rock world is also feeding off of music’s love of camp. While alternative music is known for conveying a certain heaviness, both compositionally and lyrically, Sands says she is experimenting with more fun and lighthearted influences to coincide with her poetic songwriting.
“I’m excited that I’m finding this balance of being able to make the songs that can be really emotional and can have more depth and can be more personal, but then also being able to write stuff where I’m not thinking too much about the message,” she says. “I’m more so thinking about how people are going to feel listening to it, and the escapism of music in general.”
She’s got a clear idea for what she envisions this season to be. “The whole thing behind the ‘brat rock summer’ is I want people to be able to go on tour this summer and just think so much about the experience that the audience is having, and really focus on how to make their experience and their money well spent and make sure that they can leave the show feeling lighter than when they walked in.”
Created by Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman, Summer School is meant to keep the initial spirit of touring festivals like Warped Tour alive and highlight emerging emo, pop and rock artists. Summer School has been making its way across the U.S. throughout the summer, and all of
the artists on the roster took a mid-tour pit-stop to perform at the Long Beach date of Warped Tour in July.
As her first trek on the road since her headlining tour last year, Sands is excited to bring her music to the live space once again. “My favorite thing is to be traveling with my crew, my band and my friends, and being able to meet new people every day and have these shared experiences,” she says. “It is the biggest thing in my life that pours back into me. I love that energy.”
Touring alongside alternative music’s greatest rising stars, such as Rain City Drive and BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT, Sands is perhaps most eager to be hitting the road with one of her closest friends. “I’m so excited to get to spend time with [fellow Summer School headliner] Taylor Acorn, because she’s one of my best friends, and I just think she’s the most wonderful, talented, incredible human,” Sands says. “We’re sharing a bus, and I’m so excited because we’re very much like grandmas. I wish I was more rock ‘n’ roll and staying up until four in the morning doing all these crazy things, but both of us are very similar in the sense where we get onto our bus and we do a face mask and we knit and we decompress.”
Making its big comeback this year, Warped Tour has long been loved for its sense of community both among fans and the artists on the lineup. Lyman created Summer School in 2024, with the hopes that this idea of a close-knit touring lineup would stay strong. (And really, what screams friendship among musicians more than knitting on a tour bus together?)
“ this tour is 100% created with the hope that everyone will have a good time... ”
Similar to its famed predecessor, Sands says Summer School is a great addition to the music industry for its heavy emphasis on affordability for fans, respect to the artists and benefits all who are responsible for putting on the tour. “Touring for so many years, I feel like a lot of the time the energy isn’t put into the experience of the artists,” she says. “But [doing so] creates a better environment for the fans as well when people are actually enjoying the environment of being on tour, because the shows are better, everyone has more energy, the excitement is better…And this tour is 100% created with the hope that everyone will have a good time, everyone will benefit, everyone will enjoy themselves, and I’m really lucky to get to be a part of it.”
One of Sands’ biggest goals is to provide a safe space for her own fans, both through her lyrical content and during live shows. While performing, Sands urges listeners to take care of one another as they take part in the scene that brings them together, and she ensures that her songs are as cathartic as they are inclusive. “We’re all part of a community and we’re all in a space together, which means we all have something in common, no matter what you look like or who you love,” Sands
says. “We’re all in the same room at the same time, which obviously means we have some thread of similarity…I try to write songs that people feel represented in, that they can also feel celebrated in and that they can also feel like they can dance and be excited and celebrate who they are instead of always focusing on the differences of people.”
Growing up, Sands fell in love with music when it made her feel seen. Throughout her professional career, Sands has wanted to make her fans feel the same way her favorite music has made her feel. “When I started writing music and listening to music, I just remember feeling like I was finally able to find this way to communicate, even in situations where I didn’t really feel comfortable doing that normally,” she recalls. “The whole reason I even still do this to this day is because I see people so often in the crowd, and I talk to them and they talk about how they’ve felt that isolation and they’ve felt that loneliness…and I can just fully relate to those feelings.”
“ …and I’m really lucky to get to be a part of it. ”
themselvesreintroduce to the world as they enter a new era
Article: Victoria Goodwin
Photos: Paige Margulies
From rebranding to climbing higher than ever before, Rain City Drive is a band in motion, not running from their past, but rising above it. With their new single “Ride or Die” hitting streaming, another tour on the books and plans for a steady flow of new music, they’re forging ahead with intention, one tour, one song and one real connection at a time.
Rain City Drive first formed under the name Slaves in early 2014, fronted by former lead singer Jonny Craig and joined by former drummer Zack Baker. The current lineup — consisting of frontman Matt McAndrew, guitarists Felipe Sanchez and Weston Richmond and bassist Colin Vieira — came together in early 2019 when McAndrew joined for a European tour, stepping in to replace Craig.
Fittingly, that first tour brought the band face-toface for the first time in Manchester, England (a city nicknamed the “rain city” for its famously gloomy skies), marking a moment of serendipity that inspired their future name.
In 2020, the band announced that their final release under the name Slaves would be To Better Days, an album that McAndrew led vocally. In late 2021, the band officially changed their name to Rain City Drive, a decision that, like several artists in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, was motivated by the recognition of their poor
choice of name. Shortly thereafter, the group dropped their first single, “Cutting It Close,” and announced their signing to Thriller Records, on which they would release their first album, aptly titled Rain City Drive, under their new moniker. This announcement marked a fresh chapter in both identity and sound and was a reminder, as the band put it, “to keep looking up even when there’s a cloud overhead.”
Since then, the band has gone on to release a deluxe edition of their self-titled 2023 debut and sophomore record Things Are Different Now last year. Amassing over 150 million streams worldwide and more than 1.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the band has garnered global recognition. On top of the streams and listeners, multiple songs of theirs have landed on Sirius XM’s Octane Big Uns Weekly Countdown, including their single “Cutting It Close” at number five, “Wish You The Best” at nine and “Medicate Me” featuring Rory Rodriguez of Dayseeker at #10.
“Ride or Die,” their first new single since Things Are Different Now, officially dropped July 10, a day before the start of their current Summer School Tour. It’s a gritty, harmony-drenched love song with unexpected influences. “It’s about being really dedicated to somebody. You’re their ride-or-die, here for them no matter what,” McAndrew says of the track. The song’s accompanying music video channels Mad Max chaos and adrenaline. “A lot of times these videos feel like an obligatory thing, but this came together really well,” he adds.
The first proper tour for Rain City Drive didn’t happen until 2022, when the band hit the road supporting Memphis May Fire. Even with years of experience behind them, the name change meant winning over new listeners, reshaping their legacy and proving themselves all over again. “A lot of these bands have been touring for a decade plus, and the first Rain City [Drive] tour was 2022,” McAndrew says. “It’s kind of crazy.” But momentum has been building ever since.
Since their tour with Memphis May Fire, the band has also shared stages with some of rock’s most influential acts while supporting the likes of Dayseeker and Dance Gavin Dance, and have toured alongside Set It Off, Oxymorrons, From Ashes to New and Our Last Night. Not to mention their notable appearances at major festivals worldwide, including North America’s largest rock festival, Welcome to Rockville, Louder Than Life and Warped Tour revival in Washington D.C. and Long Beach.
For Rain City Drive, the opportunity to reintroduce themselves on their own terms has influenced not only how they approach touring, but how they connect with their audience. “In terms of planning the setlist, there’s no lulls, it’s all our biggest and best songs,” McAndrew explains. “We’re debuting our new song [‘Ride or Die’] on this tour, which will be fun. It’s always interesting to see how new songs play live.”
“ It’s exciting to see the progression of the band touring and playing sets to fans who are there to see us. “
Fresh off of a stacked appearance at Warped Tour’s comeback in Washington, D.C., where they played one of the day’s early but heavilyattended sets, McAndrew says that Warped Tour was something he never got to experience. “I missed out on Warped Tour when I was younger, I never went or played. So this was my introduction, and I thought it was great,” he says. “Everyone was really excited about the return. It felt super positive, like a summer camp vibe or traveling circus kind of thing. It was well-run, and everybody was happy to be there.”
That same communal energy pulses through the Summer School Tour, a multi-artist traveling festival presented by idobi Radio, where Rain City Drive
shares top billing alongside Charlotte Sands and Taylor Acorn and joined by other acts such as If Not For Me, BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT, Arrows in Action and Huddy. The rotating co-headliner format allows for flexibility and fun. “We’ve done so many short tours pulling up in vans that were just smoking while other bands had big buses,” McAndrew says of his previous touring experience. “It’s exciting to see the progression of the band touring and playing sets to fans who are there to see us.”
On top of sharing the stage with Sands and Acorn, McAndrew is especially excited to share the stage with BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT, a band he’s known for years. “They’re a really stylish band,” he says. “I’m excited to see what they’re gonna wear, honestly.”
Earlier this year, Rain City Drive announced the departure of longtime drummer Zack Baker, who stepped away to pursue a full-time studio career. His exit marked the first lineup change since McAndrew joined the group. “We’ll miss sharing the stage with such an amazing drummer,” the band shared in a statement posted to Instagram
earlier this year. “But we’re looking forward to collaborating with him in the future.”
After the process of a rebrand and lineup changes, McAndrew is honest that it’s not been easy. The band had to rebuild from the ground up, trading recognition for the rare chance to do it right. But as their crowds grew louder and their songs hit harder, Rain City Drive carved out something completely their own. “In terms of Rain City Drive, we started over. We started from zero,” McAndrew says. Changing the group’s name meant claiming a clean slate, especially with McAndrew now at the helm.
With a new single hot off the press, Rain City Drive shows no signs of slowing down. Once Summer School wraps in mid-August, the band plans to dive into writing mode. “I want to do [another] single, then full-on album mode,” McAndrew reveals, hinting at continued artistic growth. “Every album is just a snapshot,” he reflects. “You hope people like it. It depends on the mood you’re in, what headspace you’re in, what you’re listening to and what you’re feeling.”
of pop-punk alive
Photos: Ellie White, Kiara Vaziri
Article: Justice Petersen
Initially making her introduction into the music scene in 2016 as a country star, Nashville-based musician Taylor Acorn has since evolved into a rising pop-punk star. Known for her unique approach to the emo genre, Acorn combines poignant, down-toearth lyricism with a high-energy, unrelenting sonic landscape.
After releasing a number of singles and her 2017 country EP Put It in a Song, she started releasing emotive acoustic covers of popular emo songs like “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” by Panic! At The Disco in 2020. The following year, Acorn released Stay Emo, Pt. 1 (Acoustic), an acoustic EP consisting entirely of covers from defining artists like Mayday Parade, Paramore and My Chemical Romance.
In the years since then, Acorn has continued to carve out her own lane within the pop-punk scene, performing alongside some of the genre’s most impactful names, including Bowling for Soup, The Home Team and The Used. Last year, she toured extensively, selling out both her Australian and U.S. headline tours, supporting Dashboard Confessional and Boys Like Girls on their respective fall tours in addition to festival appearances at Lollapalooza, Let’s Go Festival and more.
Last year also saw the release of Acorn’s debut full-length album Survival In Motion. A lyrically diverse and passionate body of work, the album solidifies her place in rock music and defines her as one of the most unique up-and-comers in the alternative scene.
Now, the “Uncomfortably Numb” singer celebrates the release of her new single “Goodbye, Good Riddance,” as well as her signing with Fearless Records after being an independent artist for the last nine years. Her first new release since dropping the deluxe version of Survival In Motion earlier this year, “Goodbye, Good Riddance” is an anthemic and enticing introduction to Acorn’s new era.
gritty and explosive track about putting yourself first. “Over the years, I think I’ve realized I have put too much energy and time into situations [or] relationships that have only hindered my personal and emotional growth, and I am an extremely loyal person to a fault (I’m a Virgo, can you tell?), but letting go of negativity and bad energy is so important,” she says.
Acorn’s new single and partnership with Fearless Records arrive on the first day of the Summer School Tour, where Acorn holds a main headlining spot. Touring alongside some of emo rock’s most prominent rising acts, Acorn is looking forward to hitting the road with familiar faces, including previous collaborators Arrows In Action and close friend Charlotte Sands.
“I did a collab with [Arrows In Action] back a few years ago, and we’ve been buddies ever since,” she says. “So it feels like I’m getting together with all of my friends and just having a great time. I’m mostly just stoked about that. It feels like it’s just going to be a big family reunion. It’s going to be really fun.”
For this tour, Acorn and Sands will be sharing a tour bus, and the two are looking forward to taking part in the exciting, hardcore life of rock stars on the road. (Which, to them, involves lots of crafts and face masks together.) “I mean, for starters, she’s just the best,” Acorn says of Sands. “There are, thankfully, more women coming up in this scene, but to have somebody like her…is really great. She’s just so kind, and in this world that we’re in right now, to have a friend like that is just really important.”
“ I think that there are a lot of people who want to feel seen and might not feel that way in their everyday lives. “
N“ I definitely feel like this time around I wasn’t afraid to experiment with different sounds and ideas,” Acorn says of the single’s songwriting process. “I just felt really confident and excited going into the writing too, which I usually am, but I had so much time to really dream up how I wanted things to sound and come to life. It all still feels like me though, which I think is always the goal.”
Written through the lens of somebody learning to let go of another, “Goodbye, Good Riddance” is a
ow in its sophomore year, Summer School is the creation of Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman, who started the tour to keep Warped Tour’s unique sense of kinship and community alive while promoting new alternative artists. “I remember when I would go to Warped Tour back in the day, the whole premise was to be able to find new bands, find new music that you like and connect with music on a new level,” Acorn says. “So for me, it’s cool that [Lyman is] keeping bands that are established enough, but still probably new to a lot of people in the scene, especially people who have been in the Warped Tour scene for years and years and years.”
An avid Warped Tour attendee when it was still a major touring festival, Acorn says there was something special about being able to catch the sets of so many of her favorite bands at one time.
“I’m excited for the fans to be able to get a taste of every single band and artist on the bill,” she says. “I think that’s what was so cool about Warped Tour, at least in my opinion. It’s just cool that we’re still able to continue that newness, but be able to have a better platform to be able to do that.”
Ahead of Summer School, Acorn released the deluxe version of her debut LP. Featuring five additional tracks, including a collaboration with Sands and a re-recorded version of “Greener” featuring Mitchell Tenpenny, Acorn knew that once she finished writing Survival In Motion, she didn’t want the story to end just yet. “When you put out music, it’s so weird,” she says. “Because you spend all of this time writing it, crafting it, making sure it’s perfect, and once you’re done, it’s like, ‘What now?’”
In the throes of a heavy touring schedule during Survival In Motion’s release, putting together a deluxe version of the record has allowed Acorn to put her final thoughts on the album’s overarching story. “There are a couple of things that happened right before I had left for my very first headline tour that, when I was writing Survival In Motion, I wasn’t fully able to collect my thoughts enough to be able to write about it at that time,” she says. “As soon as I got back from the Dashboard Confessional tour, I had time to sit with myself and realize I wrote this whole album about how I was feeling [and] everything was on this amazing trajectory and I was getting better as far as my mental health [goes].”
Once she was no longer on the road, Acorn was able to write “Hell Of A Show” and “Burning House,” two deeply personal tracks that round out the album. She looks back on these songs as some of her favorites off the record, alongside another that she calls an unexpected personal highlight. “When
I wrote ‘Greener,’ I hated it,” she admits. “I’m not going to lie. I wrote it, and I was like, ‘This song is literally so bad.’” However, after working through the song with the help of producer Dan Swank, Acorn now looks upon the final product as a strong source of inspiration. “There’s a part of that song that I’m just very drawn to and I have been drawn to since we finished it,” she says.
Acorn says that some of these new tracks serve as a good segue into what her next musical era might have in store. “I will say that I think ‘Burning House’ has taken its place [as another favorite],” she says. “I wrote it several years ago and didn’t know what was going to happen with it, but it’s always been one that’s kind of been in the back of my mind.”
Her debut record was a hard-hitting, anthemic, pop-punk collection of songs that explores deeply personal concepts like mental health and relationships. Acorn says the experience of writing and sharing the album allowed her to find faith in herself as an artist. “This feels like the best music I’ve ever written,” she says. “And now I have to try to top that. I think that by putting my mind and so much effort into it and really thinking about, not just the lyrics or the melodies, but also production, I’ve found a huge confidence that I didn’t think I had before… For a long time I felt like I wasn’t good, and I felt like maybe I can’t do this, but the truth of the matter is, I can. If you put your mind and your heart to something, you can achieve anything.”
Acorn has made a bold name for herself in the poprock landscape for the way she fearlessly tackles themes surrounding mental health. Through her melodic and ferocious artistry, she carries an unwavering authenticity throughout her music. “I feel like we as millennials, we’re kind of raised that talking about mental health was more or less a
burden than it was actually a normal thing to do,” Acorn says. “It’s so cool that it’s becoming so normalized…The artists that I’m the most drawn to are the artists that are honest, and I’ve always admired that. Even though some of the things that I’ve gone through may be a little awkward [to hear] for some people, there are so many people that are out there that are feeling the same exact way.”
In recent years, there has been a strong emo revival, and this renaissance has been further instilled through festivals like Emo Nite, When We Were Young Fest, Summer School and this year’s return of Vans Warped Tour. While alternative music is known for its impactful and meaningful lyrics, as well as its deeply devoted fanbase, it’s evident that no alternative subgenre carries such a strong sense of devotion and community like the emo scene. “I think a lot of it is because we like to talk about the things that make people feel uncomfortable,” Acorn says. “For me, especially when I was in high school, there are a lot of things that you’re having to deal with, whether it’s friendships, death, mental health.” After discovering bands who were tackling these themes, such as Mayday Parade, All Time Low, Neck Deep and The Story So Far, she felt seen.
“I think that there are a lot of people who want to feel seen and might not feel that way in their everyday lives,” she says. “To listen to a song by a band that makes you feel like you are not alone brings everybody down on a human level, and I think people really appreciate that. That’s why the scene continues to stay alive because so many people, especially nowadays, are starting to feel that way again.”
