VANS WARPED TOUR: We The Kings Lead Singer Travis Clark

In an interview on “The Ralphie Radio Show”, We The Kings front man Travis Clark revealed that Demi Lovato may be performing “We’ll Be a Dream” while on tour opening for the Jonas Brothers. But would Nick, Kevin, or Joe be filling in for Travis?

“I mean… whatever!” Clark responded to my thought, clearly amused by it. “I’m entertained by the idea so it’d be funny to see it actually go down.”

The lead singer also let us in on plans to have Demi join We The Kings on a couple more dates of the Vans Warped Tour – Clark mentioned Atlanta and Chicago as two possible opportunities. While on Warped, the band has either deferred to the crowd for Lovato’s parts or invited Hey Monday’s Cassadee Pope on stage to fill in.

We The Kings first hopped on Warped Tour back in 2008, when “Check Yes Juliet” landed the boys from Bradenton, Florida on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and radio stations across the globe. Now three singles, two years, and one album later – much has changed for the band – but Clark believes the biggest difference is within the band members’ personal lives.
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“If we wanted to, for example, cut through the park to go to catering or something like that, we would get mauled, we would never make it. Where in 2008, we could walk around anywhere we wanted, go see any band we wanted, and now it’s just a little harder to get around,” he admitted. “It’s super flattering, and we want to go out and say ‘hi’ to everybody. But, we never want to be the band that takes away from other people’s sets.”

Clark explained the last part as if it’s an unwritten rule of the Warped Tour handbook – you never attempt to upstage another band, especially one that may fall within the same lane of music as your band. How far do We The Kings go to ensure this doesn’t happen? Clark said that his tour manager will specifically schedule the band’s tent signings at times that do not conflict with similar artists on stage, so that the mutual fans won’t have to miss a show for an autograph.

AAR, Sum 41, WTK, Hey Monday, The Cab highlight Vans Warped Tour 2010 Lineup

Check dates here.
Full lineup here.

Of course, some of the highlights...
- The Cab
- Hey Monday
- Sum 41
- We The Kings

And headlining...

THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS!

EXCLUSIVE: We The Kings Release "Smile Kid", Live Like Rock Stars

We The Kings found out first hand that there are many benefits to rock stardom. Apparently one of those is that if you’re in the band, you’re never stuck with the bill… even if you ruin bed sheets in a New York hotel for three consecutive nights.

“It was crazy, we kept waking up and there were smiley faces everywhere,” explained front man Travis Clark – who referred to the new tattoos that each band member got – the smiley face that graces the cover of WTK’s latest LP, Smile Kid. The ink was fresh, and the boys from Bradenton, Florida found themselves in the Big Apple promoting the new album. Even Clark became a little skeptical of how the situation would play out with the hotel.
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“I was just like, ‘Dude, they’re not gonna give us any more sheets,’ because we’ve literally ruined every one of them,” admitted the lead singer. “We probably ruined four beds (worth of sheets)… three nights in a row.”

But according to Clark – the mishap didn’t cost the band a dime. He admitted that usually a check or tab is the one thing WTK does not have to worry about.

We The Kings chatted with The Ralphie Radio Show before year’s end – the band’s fourth appearance on The RRS this year, leading all other artists. Chris Daughtry placed second with three guest spots.

EXCLUSIVE: We The Kings Finish CD - Due Out In December

Better late than never for We The Kings – who finished recording the new LP, Smile Kid about two weeks after expected.

Last time I chatted with WTK front man Travis Clark, the band was on the eve of releasing “Heaven Can Wait” to radio stations across the country. With The Ralphie Radio Show receiving the track a day early, I asked Travis when we could expect an LP. He originally noted that the band hoped to finish work on it before October. I reconnected with him and guitarist Hunter Thomsen on Tuesday, October 13.
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Check out the performance here.

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“Last night I finished the last vocal for it,” said Clark. “So it was a little delayed, but it was worth it, because it’s perfect now.”

Clark is also relieved the band finished recording it before embarking on its current tour with All Time Low, Hey Monday, and The Friday Night Boys. We The Kings will release the sophomore LP on December 8.

97 BHT: High School Hookup 2.0 Starring We The Kings!

After almost a half a million text messages to BHTtxt, Meyers High School won 97 BHT's High School Hookup V2.0, scoring a free concert from We The Kings. Travis & Hunter played an acoustic set in the school's auditorium for the student body. Thanks to S-Curve Records & 97 BHT!

HIGH SCHOOL HOOKUP 2.0 STARRING WE THE KINGS!

• TEXT “KINGS” TO 6-2-5-8-2 FOR THE CHANCE TO HAVE WE THE KINGS PLAY IN YOUR HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM OR AUDITORIUM ON
TUESDAY, 10/13/09

• TEXT AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT FOR A BETTER CHANCE TO WIN

• STANDARD TEXT MESSAGING RATES APPLY

• LISTEN TO THE RALPHIE RADIO SHOW WEEKNIGHTS AFTER SONG #4 ON THE TOP 8 @ TO FIND OUT THAT DAY’S TOP 4 HIGH SCHOOLS WITH THE MOST TEXTS. RALPHIE ANNOUNCES THE WINNING SCHOOL ON 10/9/09.
• POWERED BY S-CURVE RECORDS AND 97 BHT

EXCLUSIVE: All Time Low's Alex Gaskarth Talks Tours, Twitter, The VMA's

By even his own account, he stretched the truth, but that didn’t stop All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth from describing the band’s upcoming fall tour as a “spectacle on wheels.”

“A little bit like Cirque du Soleil, minus leotards, plus alcohol and tattoos,” described Gaskarth of The Glamour Kills Tour. “And still maybe a few backflips, I dunno.”

The lead singer eventually toned down the hyperbole, but point taken – the upcoming trek, which includes supporting acts We The Kings, Hey Monday, and The Friday Night Boys - will be a sight to behold. The tour is comprised of 41 dates, kicking off in Hartford, CT, moving west, and the ending back east in Philadelphia.

Not too shabby for a band that just a mere two years ago, played the Smartpunk Stage at Vans Warped Tour. Since that time, All Time Low has opened for Fall Out Boy, toured Europe, and landed a sweet record deal that affords them a healthy amount of radio promotion. The band itself built up quite a following in the process. You know you’re big when someone starts a Twitter account on behalf of… your hair.
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“I’ve been made aware of it. It’s not anyone that I know,” revealed Gaskarth of the Twitter account, whose username is conveniently enough, “gaskarthsHair.” “Yunno, more power to ‘em. If they want to speak on behalf of my hair, they’re entitled to.”

Among the other perks of the fame: invites to award shows. Alex and crew were at the MTV VMA’s, and the front man thought Lady GaGa’s performance was “phenomenal.”

“They did a good job of sort of adapting that already-strange video in to an even stranger and harder to understand stage performance,” said Gaskarth. But she has the most phenomenal live voice. I give that girl props.”

Not so phenomenal: the antics of a one KanYe West. Alex likened his first reaction to that of everyone else’s inside Radio City Music Hall.

“Everyone gasped, everyone rolled their eyes, everybody sighed, and everybody forgot about it.”

But unfortunately for West, Alex is incorrect on one point – as no one has forgotten it.

EXCLUSIVE: Hey Monday's Cassadee Pope on "How You Love Me Now" & Splurging on Tour

Working with big name songwriters and producers can have both pros and cons. This came to light in the recent feud between Kelly Clarkson and her record label over releasing the track, “Already Gone” to radio stations. Clarkson felt the song sounded too similar to Beyonce’s “Halo.” OneRepublic front man Ryan Tedder wrote and produced both.

Butch Walker is behind many tracks from quite a few big name artists – from Avril Lavigne to Simple Plan, Katy Perry to Pink. Walker’s latest production is the song, “How You Love Me Now.” It’s a single from Hold On Tight, the debut LP of Hey Monday, a pop-rock group fronted by Cassadee Pope. The lead singer insists she wasn’t worried about the final collaboration with Walker sounding too similar to his other pieces of work.

“That’s always a risk,” admitted Pope. “But if you stay true to what your sound is and everything, and if it clicks with that other person, it’s usually just what you want.”

Pope called in to The Ralphie Radio Show on Tuesday to chat about a plethora of topics – including the new single, which Cassadee describes as “prideful.”

“It’s just about getting your heart broken and then that person wanting you back, but they also have someone else on the side,” Pope explained. “And you just kinda tell them that that’s not gonna happen.”
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Hey Monday’s debut LP also spawned the track, “Homecoming” which Pete Wentz featured on his CitizensFOB mix-tape last fall. The pop rockers are signed to Wentz’s Decaydence label. The association with the Fall Out Boy bassist carries many perks – Hey Monday supported Fall Out Boy on the band’s “Believer’s Never Die Tour Part Deux” last spring. Pope and Wentz also cameo together in Degrassi: The Next Generation TV Movie. In case you’re wondering, the lead singer did not meet actor and Young Money emcee Aubrey “Drake” Graham – he does not appear in the film.

Currently Hey Monday is playing a set of acoustic shows at Hot Topic stores across the country. Pope admitted, the idea to shop before or after performing at the malls is tempting.

“I kinda splurged the first few days, but I’m being good now,” said Pope. “I kinda had an episode in Forever 21. I bought a lot of shirts and, I think I bought a skirt too. I packed light for this tour because I knew I’d be shopping.”

This fall, Hey Monday will tour to support We The Kings and All Time Low.

EXCLUSIVE: We The Kings Set The Trend For Pop-Rockers

You could credit Lil Wayne as the first artist of this era to release music with no short term monetary goal in mind. Sure he caught a lot of grief over his marketing style from Universal Motown, but the scheme worked off: Tha Carter III sold more copies than any other LP in 2008.

Now it seems Weezy’s plan is transcending the hip-hop realm. Take We The Kings for example. According to lead singer Travis Clark, the pop-rock quartet has been writing and recording demos for about a year and a half. Now, with the assistance of S-Curve Records, WTK is headed back to radio with a new single, “Heaven Can Wait.”

Apparently Heaven isn’t the only thing that can wait. The song emerges with not even an iTunes sale date, let alone an album to promote. But, that didn’t stop Clark from calling up The Ralphie Radio Show on Wednesday evening to talk about the track and the thought process behind its release. 97 BHT became the third radio station in the country to play the track.

“I feel like there’s an A.D.D. generation that’s growing tired of music,” Clark said. “I’m part of that A.D.D. generation, where it’s just, we have all of these songs, let’s make a record and let’s do it.”
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Ralphie & WTK in Allentown, Early 2009.
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There’s no timeline to create the sophomore LP in place – but the front man predicts that recording will finish in September.

“This is literally so new that it’s like, we’re pretty much recording the rest of it now,” revealed Clark – who gave his label this track along with other demos the band recorded. Both WTK and the label felt strongly about the single – both the song itself and the direction in which it’d take the band. S-Curve put We The Kings in a studio, mastered the track, and will now promote it to radio stations across the country.

“No one’s ever heard it. It’s crazy,” said Clark. “We’ve been playing it live for, yunno, four or five shows, and then you guys are literally the third station in the entire country to play it.”

The song fits the catchy melodies that WTK fans are familiar with - but the new sound is infused with less strings and more keyboard and electronic effects.

We The Kings will spend September finishing the new record before heading out on a fall trek with All Time Low and Hey Monday.

FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS w/ Ralphie!

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Forever The Sickest Kids chat with Ralphie on their tour bus in Allentown about the incident regarding Philadelphia Police and upcoming projects.

Read Ralphie's report on the Philadelphia incident here.
Check out Ralphie's 2008 FTSK Warped Tour interview here.

Band and crew members of We The Kings and Forever The Sickest Kids were involved in an alleged altercation with the Philadelphia Police Department on Sunday night, following the Bamboozle Road Show at The Theater of the Living Arts. According to Twitter updates from both band's camps, three people were taken in to custody, some beaten with nightsticks by police who were "abusing their power." However, a spokesperson for the PPD denied the incident on The Ralphie Radio Show.

What is agreed on by all parties involved is that police were called to the venue after the conclusion of the show to prevent any disorderly conduct from concert-goers. Furthermore, Philly enforces a curfew for people under the age of 18, so authorities arrived at the venue to ensure that teens complied with the law.

The similarities in the stories end there. According to an officer in the PPD's Public Affairs Office, the involvement of the patrollers ended there. However, Twitter updates by We The Kings front man Travis Clark and Forever The Sickest Kids guitarist Caleb Turman, along with a disturbing online video, paint a drastically different picture.

"Philadelphia cops just beat us up for nothing!" typed Clark on his Twitter account at approximately 8:13 PM. He updated ten minutes later, "Chris V is bleeding from his head, every cop is completely abusing their power!! This is so messed up!"

"Chris V" handles merchandise for WTK. In a video posted to MySpace by production company Artist Approach, Chris is shown face down on the ground, surrounded by police officers. The video ends with a still photograph of the “merch guy” looking up, his upper face covered in blood.

Forever The Sickest Kids' Turman also "tweeted" during and immediately after the alleged incident, attempting to update fans and build a case against the officers.

"Everyone tweet about the #phillycops and how they wrongfully assaulted us!" wrote the guitarist. "Philly cops just assaulted ftsk and we the kings!"

According to the aforementioned MySpace video, Turman and WTK Road Manager Trevor Fair were the original reasons why police entered the venue. Text in the video states that after cops arrived to clear the crowd, an officer wrote a parking ticket for a trailer belonging to the band Mercy Mercedes. Turman went outside to see what the commotion was about, and a cop immediately withdrew his baton and ordered him back in the building. Fair then followed, only to be forced back inside as well. After Fair repeatedly and unsuccessfully attempted to open the door, officers entered the venue to arrest him for disorderly conduct. As police dragged Fair out of the venue, "Chris V" can be heard yelling, "Are you kidding me?! F*** you bro, f*** you. What's your f***ing badge number?" to an officer. Police then attacked the merch handler to subdue him.

WTK lead man Clark updated his Twitter on Monday, assuring fans that all parties involved were okay and out of jail, and that there'd be no interruptions in commitments. Some of the bands on tour attended Monday night's Phillies game to relax.

None of the three bands involved have released any formal statement – and Philadelphia Police continue to deny such an incident even occurred.

EXCLUSIVE: We The Kings/Forever The Sickest Kids/Philly Police Incident

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Philadelphia Police deny the existance of an altercation, but band and crew members tell a drastically different story via Twitter. MP3 includes EXCLUSIVE AUDIO from Philadelphia Police Department

Band and crew members of We The Kings and Forever The Sickest Kids were involved in an alleged altercation with the Philadelphia Police Department on Sunday night, following the Bamboozle Road Show at The Theater of the Living Arts. According to Twitter updates from both band's camps, three people were taken in to custody, some beaten with nightsticks by police who were "abusing their power." However, a spokesperson for the PPD denied any incident.

What is agreed on by all parties involved is that police were called to the venue after the conclusion of the show to prevent any disorderly conduct from concert-goers. Furthermore, Philly enforces a curfew for people under the age of 18, so authorities arrived at the venue to ensure that teens complied with the law.

The similarities in the stories end there. According to an officer in the PPD's Public Affairs Office, the involvement of the patrollers ended there. However, Twitter updates by We The Kings front man Travis Clark and Forever The Sickest Kids guitarist Caleb Turman, along with a disturbing online video, paint a drastically different picture.

"Philadelphia cops just beat us up for nothing!" typed Clark on his Twitter account at approximately 8:13 PM. He updated ten minutes later, "Chris V is bleeding from his head, every cop is completely abusing their power!! This is so messed up!"

"Chris V" handles merchandise for WTK. In a video posted to MySpace by production company Artist Approach, Chris is shown face down on the ground, surrounded by police officers. The video ends with a still photograph of the “merch guy” looking up, his upper face covered in blood.

Forever The Sickest Kids' Turman also "tweeted" during and immediately after the alleged incident, attempting to update fans and build a case against the officers.

"Everyone tweet about the #phillycops and how they wrongfully assaulted us!" wrote the guitarist. "Philly cops just assaulted ftsk and we the kings!"

According to the aforementioned MySpace video, Turman and WTK Road Manager Trevor Fair were the original reasons why police entered the venue. Text in the video states that after cops arrived to clear the crowd, an officer wrote a parking ticket for a trailer belonging to the band Mercy Mercedes. Turman went outside to see what the commotion was about, and a cop immediately withdrew his baton and ordered him back in the building. Fair then followed, only to be forced back inside as well. After Fair repeatedly and unsuccessfully attempted to open the door, officers entered the venue to arrest him for disorderly conduct. As police dragged Fair out of the venue, "Chris V" can be heard yelling, "Are you kidding me?! F*** you bro, f*** you. What's your f***ing badge number?" to an officer. Police then attacked the merch handler to subdue him.

WTK lead man Clark updated his Twitter on Monday, assuring fans that all parties involved were okay and out of jail, and that there'd be no interruptions in commitments. Some of the bands on tour attended Monday night's Phillies game to relax.

None of the three bands involved have released any formal statement – and Philadelphia Police continue to deny such an incident even occurred.

RALPHIE REPORT: Chris Brown Speaks, Life Imitates Art, We The Kings

The following will appear in The Weekender, which hits newsstands this Wednesday.
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Chris Brown waited a week to speak out regarding his alleged attack on Rihanna. The R&B crooner filled his two-paragraph statement with remorse, but left out the assumed victim’s name.

“Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired. I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person," said Brown, who also debunked reports that he commented on the incident to a Facebook page or any other blog.

No word from Rihanna, although her father, Ronald Fenty, did speak with the media – confirming that Brown hit his daughter and affirming that she’ll be okay, despite brusing.“At some point, she will speak out. I hope she will stand up for women all over the world,” Fenty told People Magazine.Meanwhile, the spectacle surrounding the incident continues to grow as Los Angeles authorities gather evidence and decide what exactly Brown will be prosecuted for. As of press time, only the original charge of suspicion of making felony criminal threats stood.

Another interesting twist of life possibly imitating art emerged this week, when a track sung by Mario Barrett and allegedly featuring Rihanna hit the net. “Emergency Room” details the actions that led to a woman finding out her man’s cheating ways, and her response.
“You gon’ be in the emergency room… I’m fighting with myself, I can’t hurt you even though you hurt me,” sings the woman on the hook – who sounds eerily similar to RiRi.

At least according to Mario and the author of the track, it is not Rihanna singing. Priscilla Renea wrote “Emergency Room”, with Rihanna and Akon in mind. Mario heard the song, snagged it and re-recorded the verses, leaving the part-to-be-sung-by-Rihanna on the hook. Both Barrett and Renea insist that the Barbatos-born singer hasn’t even been presented with the song, let alone graced it with her vocals.

“The record was far from done,” Barrett wrote in a statement to Vibe. “I’m still proud of the record but want to make sure that the truth is out there.”

IT’S NOT ALL SUNSHINE FOR WE THE KINGS

If you recall the last time I spoke with We The Kings, there was no sunshine – rather a hail storm on Montage Mountain during Warped Tour.

The conditions during our interview last week inside The Crocodile Rock Café in Allentown were a bit more favorable, sans the leaky ceiling. Nonetheless, the boys from Bradenton, Florida spilled about their not-so-rock star Super Bowl experience.“We were actually flying during the Super Bowl, it was kinda miserable,” bassist Hunter Thomsen told me. The conflict forced the group to forgo tickets to the big game, played an hour from their house. Plus, the guys missed their favorite show, The Office. I held off any, “Boom, Roasted,” lines – because it’s no fun being in the dark on those things.

That’s what she said.
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EXCLUSIVE: We The Kings

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We The Kings took time from "The Secret Valentine Tour" at The Crocodile Rock Cafe in Allentown to talk with Ralphie about the song, Twitter, and missing The Super Bowl in their home town.

Or, Watch The Interview Below!

RALPHIE REWIND: Allentown.

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Ralphie finally hit up Center City Allentown... he didn't leave all that impressed.

Catch Ralphie's chat with We The Kings later this week!

we the kings interview...

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We The Kings provided Ralphie Aversa with shelter from the rain, water, towels, and an interview about their recent success!