Ten years back or so, it was nearly impossible to get away from the pop-punk craze. Just a half-decade later, it was just as hard to find it.
Then came along bands like The Wonder Years, The Swellers, Handguns and Forever Came Calling, and a revival was born.
Weve been touring for three years, and its crazy to think how different it is, Forever Came Calling singer/guitarist Joe Candelaria said. The first tour we did with Handguns back in 2010, there was no one at any of the shows, really. The last one we just completed, there was so much energy and anticipation and people. Its wild to see how much its grown in two years time.
Its encouraging to Candelaria, who wouldnt and couldnt grow out of his first passion, and really didnt intend on doing so: Pop punk lives again.
Its cool to see this resurgence of a scene I grew up with, he said. I cant say how much it means to see kids getting into that stuff again. Theres still a want for it. If you make people remember what they loved about it in the first place, there always ready to open there ears to it again.
Thats the sentiment Forever Came Calling had going into its debut album, Contender: wanting to find or force a way to make a living doing what the members loved, be it in vogue or not.
It was the idea of coming from a small town, a place where almost everyone did something. Thats everyones story, like, the kid who was really good at football, got drunk and crashed his car, and ruined his whole career. I got tired of that mentality, Candelaria said. You have to decide that you dont want to waste your life at the bar, that you want to make something for yourself. Thats our mission statement. We want to do something with this.
The band has worked its tail off to do just that, both on the road and while recording Contender.
We walked away knowing we gave it everything we had. Thats all you can do, Candelaria said. We had this attitude in the studio that we were going to do something until it was the best we could possibly make it.
The positive response has emboldened the group, which heads into 2013 with a sense of confidence and reassurance swagger, even.
Its like all blinders off, Candelaria said. Im not afraid to say exactly what I think about things. People will relate or wont, but it doesnt matter. I feel really good in what were doing now.