Metro Station interview done by Mike De Man. Questions answered by Mason Musso.
Metro Station is a pop rock band that’s been working their way up the charts for nearly ten years, with a small break in the middle. The more I delve into the past of the band, the more interesting I find the roots. How exactly did Metro Station come together?
Metro station was formed by myself and Trace Cyrus when we were 16. Our family’s got us to meet and the next day, Trace came over to my house and we wrote our first song that day. We hit it off immediately.
“Seventeen Forever” which was released through MySpace back in the day, seems to have brought the band many places. Even to this day, it’s considered a fan favorite to many of your screaming fangirls. Were you actually seventeen when you wrote that song?
Yes. Trace and I were both 17.
Once 2007 rolled around, Metro Station seemed to have stricken gold. A signing by Columbia Records as well as the release of your self titled debut really put you guys out there. What was running through your minds as all of those steps were being set into place?
Trace and I had both just turned 18 and were extremely excited about the signing. We jumped in a 15 passenger ford van and hit the road.
Out of all your singles that came off of the self titled, which one stands out to you the most?
Shake it stands out to me the most. It’s amazing how a song can start out as nothing and end up going triple platinum in multiple countries and then influence a whole generation. I even hear songs on the radio playing right now that are influenced by the power of that song.
How much different, in your eyes, was this release than “The Questions We Ask At Night EP” when that was released just about a year earlier?
It was a major difference. We released that ep without any label and did it all by ourselves it was an amazing time and I’m super proud of the questions we ask at night.
About a year later, “Shake It” became recognized as a single and jumped so high on the charts that it was landing radio slots across the nation and plays all over everyone’s computer. When was it that you really noticed the success of this single?
When I saw that the entire world was listening to a little song we didn’t really think was our best is when it hit me. Crazy what a simple hook and catchy melodies can do. The song is about sex. People love sex.
Following the single was not only one of the coolest tours ever, but a spot on a really rad soundtrack. Before we talk about the tour though, I wanted to ask how it felt being a part of Tim Burton’s version of Alice In Wonderland. Did that make you feel any type of way?
Being on the Alice in wonderland soundtrack was a dream come true for us. Tim Burton is one of my favorite directors of all time.
Now, to go on about this tour. In 2009, you guys headed out on the road with Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, Cobra Starship, and Hey Monday, which seems to be one of the greatest tours of emo, scene, and punk music ever. What was your greatest memory of that tour?
Can’t think of one memory. That tour was fun. But I would say touring with Trace’s sister Miley was not only bigger and better but was my favorite tour ever.
Soon after, it was clear that there needed to be a pause in Metro Station for a while, which led to your four year hiatus. What buried the hatchet and made the band resurface once again in 2014?
I called Trace and met up with him at a German beer spot. We hadn’t talked to each other in almost 5 years. We hashed it all out and started making music together again immediately after that.
Upon your return, you guys set out on a tour with not only The Ready Set, but with The Downtown Fiction and Against the Current. How did it feel to be back on the road again as Metro Station after four years?
It felt incredible. That tour was so awesome! All those bands are family now.
Fast forward to now, you guys are on Vans Warped Tour all summer this year, which started about a week ago! What feelings and emotions are going through your mind as you’re embarking on one of the most vicarious and downright amazing tours of the summer?
We are so excited to have the opportunity to tour with all these amazing bands on warped tour. Kevin Lyman is the freaking man and we are stoked to be apart of the best traveling festival ever!
So one final question I wanted to hit you guys with before we wrap this up. Given the history of Metro Station being here, there and everywhere, what do you have to say to the fans who have stayed with you from the beginning and those who are just now arriving with the hopeful release of new music this year or next?
We want to thank all our fans for the love we have been receiving on our comeback. They are the reason we are able to do what we love everyday. Pick up our new 18 track mixtape savior on June 30th.
