After the success of their release of their single "Noone Does Homecoming Like Us" All Systems Go release their new explosive and melodic single, "The Lowdown."
Having good friends is crucial in all aspects of life. In their recent singles, "No One Does Homecoming Like Us" and "The Lowdown", All Systems Go has highlighted the importance of having the right people in your life, especially when facing challenges. Using unique social and emotional contexts within their first two singles, All Systems Go has demonstrated commitment to supporting their friends, loved ones, and listeners during difficult times. Their new single, "The Lowdown" displays the importance of remembering that while we may try to be there for those we care about, they also need to put in effort to help themselves.
We’re all on our own journeys. We should all cheer each other on the best we can, but at the end of the day, we are all responsible for our own decisions.
Produced by Gary Cioni (Hot Mulligan, Crime in Stereo) and mastered by Mike Kalajian (New Found Glory, Senses Fail) this time around, "The Lowdown" is a new dynamic and exciting listening experience filled with agitated lyricism dripping with captivating incendiary riffs and an arsenal of danceable poppy melodicism. While this is only the second single they have released, these pop-punk newcomers are rapidly gaining recognition and making a name for themselves. "The Lowdown," their second single, is no exception. Packed with energetic riffs and catchy hooks, the track showcases the band's signature sound and highlights their potential for success in the music industry. From the opening chords to the final chorus, "The Lowdown" is a thrilling ride that leaves listeners wanting more.
A while back, you guys wrote a nostalgically-tinged song called “No One Does Homecoming Like Us”. Your latest single, “The Lowdown”, explores themes of self-destructive friends and the harsh truths that come with them. I’ve noticed a common theme of friendship in your recent releases, but each song seems to explore that in a unique social and emotional context. Can we talk about this further?
Matt: In the past few years I’ve learned that the company you keep is very important, especially as you’re moving through life and facing some of its challenges. I like that you connected “Homecoming” with “The Lowdown” because they share this exact sentiment but look at it from two opposing angles. I wrote “Homecoming” from a place of feeling like I was falling behind in life, whereas my friends all seemed way better off where they were. Some of my friends and my bandmates have put up with me talking with them about this and I appreciate the hell out of them for encouraging me to pursue higher goals and live my best life. “The Lowdown” was written from a place of wanting to look after friends who are struggling, and realizing you can only do so much for them but it’s useless if they are unable to help themselves first. This song and theme are based on a few different people in my life but it’s important to me that all of my friends are living their best life, and if they’re struggling they’re at least doing what they need to do to take care of themselves.
Joe: We write about what we know and think is relatable. We are all in our mid to late twenties, and as we go through our adventures of life we write about things that we see around us.
How was this recording process instrumentally different from “No One Does Homecoming Like Us?”; I know that was an educational process for you guys working with Man Overboard’s Nik Bruzzese, and it took this in an evolved direction for you guys. You can feel a lot of these improvements in your new track. You guys worked with producer Gary Cioni this time around, who has worked with great bands such as Hot Mulligan. What was this experience like this time around?
Matt: Instrumentally there was a lot of emphasis on marrying the drums with the rhythm guitar. I had to re-track part of a scratch track for Joe to play along to and Gary told me to sing while strumming and “whatever pattern you’re naturally strumming while singing is how the song is supposed to go.” All of a sudden you hear particular strums have a kick drum behind them and the groove comes out. I never really thought about this before because I usually write guitars and vocals separately. Still, it makes sense why a lot of artists write with just singing and strumming an acoustic guitar.
Joe: Working with Gary was a great experience. The first time working with someone new is always an adjustment, especially for me since I’m always the first to record my parts. Even so, I learned quickly how great Gary is at what he does. He guided me in putting together a dynamic and exciting drum part that complimented the other parts and served the song well. His attention to detail is incredible, and he kept it light and fun throughout the process. We had a great weekend putting together this great single and getting to know Gary… and his dog Bernie.
How do you feel you have from this experience being that you have worked with two great producers on these last two singles?
Matt: We’ve learned a lot of different things about songwriting from both Nik and Gary. I feel like over time our band has gotten better at carrying these lessons forward with us each time we return to writing and demo-ing new music.
Joe: We are so lucky that we’ve gotten to work with two world-class producers. Nik and Gary both have their own style of doing things, but both are talented and dedicated to getting the best results possible in the studio. They both taught me a lot about laying down solid drum parts.
What message do you want your listeners to take away from your recent singles? Although they have different aesthetics, they maintain the poppy and infectious punk-rock elements that make you guys stand out while still lyrically extending that we learn something about ourselves from our experiences from others.
Matt: From “The Lowdown”, you can lead a horse to water but can’t make it drink.
Joe: We’re all on our own journeys. We should all cheer each other on the best we can, but at the end of the day, we are all responsible for our own decisions.
What’s next for you guys?
Matt: Musically, we have a few “side-quests” that we’re looking to complete in the next few months, and then we’ll get to figuring out our next record. Our band’s first show back in a while will be at Bonk’s Bar in Philly on November 11th. This will be a charity show for the Movember Foundation which supports men’s mental health and suicide prevention.
Joe: Ever since our friend and talented bass player Dean passed suddenly, it’s been rough for all of us. We are happy that we are taking steps towards a return to performing. We want to honor Dean’s memory and his contributions to ASG while continuing our own stories as members of this amazing project.