It’s obvious from the song that you guys are taking a few bold steps in a different direction. What inspired that?
I think one of the big things as we were working on the record was just pushing ourselves forward. When we put out Don't Panic we hit the reset button on the band, and we started looking at Don't Panic as if it was our first record out of the gate as a more realized version of All Time Low. Then Future Hearts, and that felt like we started pushing the envelope forward and trying to expand the sound and grow. “Dirty Laundry” is a continuation of that. It's taking the idea from the last album and continuing to push it forward and explore new things.
Future Hearts was written from a perspective of us talking about our youth, and all the things that got us to where we were then. So it was written from the perspective of if we were a lot younger and all these stories about wanting to grow up and get out of Baltimore and chase after our dreams. With [“Dirty Laundry”], we're writing it from the other perspective. We're taking more of a nostalgic approach.
One of the things with that we wanted to explore some darker tones, and I think "Dirty Laundry" got to try out some different moods and different feelings. about the guilty conscience and the mistakes that you've made and coming to terms with those and wearing them as badges. It was a really fun concept to explore and it really became one of the cornerstones of the album. We wrote it right in the middle of writing the whole record and it shaped the rest of the album. I think there's a lot of reflection on this record. I think the songs speak to that. It continues to go down that road, for sure.
We always like to keep things hopeful, and that's become kind of a staple in All Time Low—having a positive take records. But I think we definitely go a little bit darker than we ever have, lyrically and content-wise, which is fun because it can be therapeutic. It was tying some of those stories .

Was this a track you wrote during touring or were you able to take some time off?
We finally did take some real time to ourselves to reflect on everything and to figure out how we wanted to make this record and what we wanted to write about. We didn't have any deadlines, we didn't have any due dates to turn anything in. I feel like that goes a really long way in the creative process. It can be helpful sometimes to have the deadlines and things because you don't linger, but at the same time we had plenty of time to do a lot of reflecting and soul-searching. We went up to Big Bear and Palm Springs , and stayed on ranches and locked ourselves away for weeks at a time. Basically all we did was eat, sleep and breathe music. That was really fun because we haven't done anything like that in a really long time. So that alone was really constructive and helpful for shaping the record that we ended up with. "Dirty Laundry" kinda came in the middle of that—it was actually while we were at the ranch in Palm Springs, and we were working on four songs that day at the same time. We took a departure and the first thing that happened was the opening riff for the song. We laid that in and trapped it real quick and it became this really neat soundbed and built on it from there. There was a lot of indirect ’80s influence on this album, and we had a lot of fun with analog keyboards.

Obviously the whole band contributes and writes together, but you're known for being the key lyricist. If this is going in a little bit of a darker direction, is there anything you do to get in the zone creatively and think in that mode?
For the most part, I think it tends to come naturally for me. That's just where I was. Not to say that I was in a dark place per se, but I was reflecting more on my demons this time around, and that's something that I don't speak to often. And I think it made for a really cool writing experience and the record really shows that. Sometimes getting that stuff off your chest, however you do it, goes a long way.

You’ve also made the big move over to Fueled By Ramen. How did that come about?
It's pretty crazy, actually, because the first label we ever showcased for was Fueled By Ramen when they were down in Florida, so signing with them now was 10 or 11 years in the making. What we're really grateful is they're such a good family. We've always loved Fueled By Ramen, we've always been fans of the bands on the label. After our last record, we were unsigned and we needed a new label. It was the perfect opportunity to partner up with a team that we had been fans of for a really long time. They really let us be who we want to be. There was no one there trying to shape us or guide us or direct us where to go from here. It's kind of like, “Look, you guys already know what you’re doing. Let us help you, let us facilitate that.” To me, that's a sign of a great partnership.

So what’s next for you guys?
From where we are now, it's exciting because we've been flying under the radar for a little while, and I don't even necessarily know that people are expecting new music. People know that something's bubbling, but I actually think people are gonna be really shocked when they realize that there's a single and a video and a new label! It's exciting times, I'm pumped. So I'm really excited to fire back out. I'm really looking forward to it.

Here we are. Ten years since our first official full-length debut, (nearly 14 years since we formed this band,) and we're lucky enough to be sharing another chapter in the tale of All Time Low with the world. We couldn't be more grateful than we are right now.

I hope you can forgive us, because we've been keeping secrets.

Since the beginning of last year, we have officially been signed to Fueled By Ramen records, the very first label we ever showcased for during our senior year of high school. It didn't work out back then, and that's ok (we probably blew it), but FBR has always felt like a second musical family to us through everything. From Hopeless Records, to Interscope, and back to Hopeless, we've come up listening to the bands on the FBR roster, working together on outside projects, watching with pride and admiration, looking forward to the moment when timing and purpose would align, affording us the chance to come in under their wing. So, here we are; a year spent in secret on a new label, writing songs and brainstorming for what comes next. I'm happy to say that we can finally deliver.

Dirty Laundry is a proud moment for me personally, a song written in the company of friends, torn apart and stitched back together several times over like all the best relationships... It's about leaving the past where it belongs, and loving the people around you for not only their light, but their darkness too.
We shot the video with that in mind; inspired by a dream about the ups and downs that make us who we are, sometimes worn and tired, but better for it... alive and inspired. You can check out the song and watch the video at alltimelow.com . Our good friend Pat Tracy, who directed the 'Missing You' video helped us bring it to life, and we couldn't be happier about where the story will go from here. Pay close attention. :)

I hope you all love the song as much as I do. We're ecstatic about everything we have lined up this year, and can't wait to add this one to the set list as we get back out on the road. See you soon!

xo,

Alex

ps. Sending all our love and gratitude to the Hopeless Records family, without whom we wouldn't be in this position now. Thank you for supporting us and breaking down wall after wall with us as we navigated this wild ride together. You guys have been incredible to work with over the years. Good people go far, which is why you all continue to crush it day in and day out. Thank you.