All Time Low Biography

All Time Low is an American pop punk band from Baltimore, Maryland, formed in 2003. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Alex Gaskarth, guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson. The name All Time Low is taken from lyrics in the song “Head on Collision” by New Found Glory.

Forming whilst in high school, All Time Low started out covering pop punk bands such as Green Day and Blink-182. They signed their first record deal with Emerald Moon Records in 2004 and released their first EP, titled The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End. Their first studio album was released in 2005, titled The Party Scene. Before graduating high school in 2006, All Time Low signed a record deal with Hopeless Records. They then re-recorded songs from their debut album and included two new songs for their EP Put Up or Shut Up. The EP entered both the Top Independent Albums and Top Heatseekers charts, illustrating their growing popularity.

In 2007, All Time Low released So Wrong, It’s Right, which entered the Billboard 200 at number 62. The album’s second single, “Dear Maria, Count Me In”, became their first song to enter a major chart, peaking at number 86 on the Pop 100. They found exposure from featuring on the likes of MTV and TRL and the band was eventually selected as Alternative Press magazine’s Band of the Year 2008. While writing for a third album, they worked on a collaboration with Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus and selected an array of producers including Matt Squire, Butch Walker, David Bendeth and the team of S*A*M & Sluggo. Nothing Personal was released in July 2009, debuting at number four on the Billboard 200. The album’s first two singles, “Weightless” and “Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t)”, entered Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles and Hot 100 charts.

History

Formation and Emerald Moon Records (2003-2005)
All Time Low on the AP Tour, at the House of Blues in Chicago, 2008
The guitarist Jack Barakat initially invited Alex Gaskarth to form a band playing Blink-182 songs in eighth grade, along with their original drummer. Barakat told Alternative Press that they were not friends at the time (in 2003), since Gaskarth had just transferred from a private school and that Gaskarth had “hated” Blink-182 because he was the “Bob Marley and Incubus kind of kid.” Eventually Barakat persuaded Gaskarth to listen to the band’s live album, The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!), and they started the band covering Blink-182 songs.

At the end of their ninth grade, after a years worth of every day pestering by Barakat, drummer Rian Dawson was convinced to jam with the band. The band were playing “Roller Coaster” by Blink-182, and the old drummer couldn’t do it. So Dawson capably took over and they kicked the other drummer out of the band. A month later, the band asked around in need of a bassist. Zack Merrick showed up at practice with a skateboard. Barakat later explained their reaction as something like, “Fuck yeah, he plays with his fingers. He’s in.” Then at the end of the practice session, Merrick did some skateboarding tricks – including a triple kickflip and the band’s decision was reaffirmed. At the end of their ninth grade, All Time Low’s current lineup was formed. They drew a heavy influence from Blink-182 and Green Day early on, and started out covering their songs as well as New Found Glory’s, before they eventually started touring. They played many shows with other local bands such as Dropout Year, Adelphi, and Boy Crazy.

The band signed their first record deal in 2004 with Emerald Moon Records; this was followed by their first release, the EP The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End. The following year, they released their debut studio album The Party Scene, also on Emerald Moon.

Hopeless Records, So Wrong, It’s Right, and mainstream exposure (2006-2008)
All Time Low has said that the band started getting serious in their senior year of high school, when they signed to Hopeless Records on Valentine’s Day 2006, right before graduating. Hopeless then sent the band on a busy tour schedule, and released the EP Put Up or Shut Up later that year. The EP became the band’s first record to reach the charts, peaking at number 20 on the US Top Independent Albums chart and number 12 on the Top Heatseekers chart. Put Up or Shut Up contained newly recorded versions of songs from their previous studio album, The Party Scene, along with two new tracks. After extensive touring and promoting to support Put Up or Shut Up the band began recording their second full-length studio album.

In 2007 they released their second album So Wrong, It’s Right, which became their most commercially successful, peaking at number 62 on the Billboard 200 and number 6 on the Top Independent Albums chart. The second single from the album, “Dear Maria, Count Me In”, which was written about a stripper from their hometown, became their first single to reach the charts, peaking at number 86 on the Pop 100.

Following the release of So Wrong, It’s Right, All Time Low quickly gained popularity, eventually making their TRL debut on 12 February 2008. They were also been featured on MTV’s Discover and Download, Music Choice’s Fresh Crops, and were been added to both MTV’s Big Ten and MTV Hits playlists. On 7 March 2008, the band made their live television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and then performed live at the mtvU Woodie Awards. In December 2008, All Time Low was announced as Alternative Press magazine’s Band of the Year 2008 and was on the cover of the magazine’s January issue.

Nothing Personal (2009-present)
Guitarist Jack Barakat, November 2008
In between tours, they began writing for their next album and revealed in an interview that they had co-written a song with Blink-182 bassist, Mark Hoppus. The band came into contact with Hoppus after exchanging emails when a video of drummer Rian Dawson getting a Blink-182 tattoo was posted online. It was later revealed that the song would not feature on the band’s record, with Gaskarth stating, “It just didn’t fit the vibe of the record,” but, “It will definitely come out at some time.”

Although still in the writing process, All Time Low went into the studio to begin recording the album in January 2009. The record was released on July 7, 2009 and titled Nothing Personal. The band finished recording in February, with it being produced by Matt Squire, Butch Walker, David Bendeth, the team of S*A*M & Sluggo and a song by R&B artist The-Dream.

The first song from Nothing Personal released to the public was “Weightless”, which was made available online at AbsolutePunk.net on March 24, 2009. The single was then released for paid download in the iTunes Store on April 7, 2009. A music video for the single was created, with it debuting on MTV, MTV2, mtvU and HITS the day before the album’s release, on 6 July 2009.

Prior to its official release, the entire album was made available for streaming download on June 30, 2009 through MTV’s The Leak. Billboard magazine predicted that Nothing Personal looked “like it could” enter the top ten of the Billboard 200 in its debut week, saying that it may start with anywhere between 60,000-75,000 sales. Nothing Personal debuted at number four and sold 63,000 copies, becoming the group’s best sales week and highest charting album. A previously unreleased song “Toxic Valentine” will feature of the soundtrack of 2009 dark comedyfilm Jennifer’s Body. It is thought to also be a UK only bonus track for Nothing Personal.

Tours

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In the summer of 2007, All Time Low played the Vans Warped Tour on the Smartpunk Stage. They made their live debut in the UK in late 2007 supporting Plain White T’s.

In early 2008 the band completed their first headlining tour, the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour with opening acts Every Avenue, Mayday Parade, and Just Surrender. At one point during the tour, on the way to a show in Michigan, the band was caught in snowstorm. The driver lost control of their van and did two complete 360’s on the highway, with the trailer jack-knifing and leaving the van perpendicular to the median on the highway. Fortunately, all vehicles behind the group were going slow enough to stop in time.

From March 2008 to May 2008, they co-headlined the AP Tour 2008 with The Rocket Summer; supported by acts such as The Matches, Sonny Moore, and Forever the Sickest Kids. In May 2008 they played at the Give It a Name Festival. Also in May 2008, they co-headlined a UK tour with Cobra Starship. In July 2008, the band headlined the Shortest Tour Ever with supporting acts Hit the Lights, Valencia, and There for Tomorrow. From mid-July to mid-August they played the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. They ended 2008 with their headlining tour, the Compromising of Integrity, Morality & Principles in Exchange for Money Tour with Mayday Parade, The Maine, and Every Avenue.

They played Fall Out Boy’s Believers Never Die Part Deux Tour in spring 2009, with Metro Station, Cobra Starship, and Hey Monday. All Time Low also announced tours in both Australia and Japan in June 2009 with Set Your Goals. The band is also currently doing a ten date tour with We the Kings, Cartel and Days Difference. They are scheduled to headline Warped Tour 2009 from July 19 until the end of the tour, and then play at Voodoo Experience 2009, which will be headlined by Eminem, Kiss and The Flaming Lips. All Time Low have recently announced a new European tour due to take place in Autumn/Fall, with support from The Audition and The Friday Night Boys.

All Time Low also announced The Glamour Kills Tour with We The Kings, Hey Monday, and The Friday Night Boys. Which starts fall 2009, and will run throughout December 2009.

All Time Low were announced for the Australian Music Festival ‘Soundwave 2010’

Band members

Alex Gaskarth – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2003-present)
Jack Barakat – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003-present)
Zack Merrick – bass, backing vocals (2003-present)
Rian Dawson – drums, percussion (2003-present)
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