Dose of Adolescence

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A couple weeks back, I was able to schedule a Zoom call with Jimmy and Timmy Brown of Dose of Adolescence to discuss what went into the writing and recording process of their new album, Zircon Ave. The band has toured extensively with bands like Anberlin, Dirty Heads, Switchfoot, and more, and this latest record is their first full-length album in nearly a decade. Zircon Ave hits music platforms this Friday, but you can pre-save the album here.

So first of all, thank you so much for your time today! You guys just released a great single called “Get Back Up.” Can you walk me through the process of that writing and recording process?

Jimmy: So that one was definitely unique. We hadn’t recorded music or written music for a number of years. We had moved from California to Tennessee. It was actually the coolest process. Our producer, from California, had to be out here for something that he was doing with another project. So it just so happened that we could all connect and work on the song here in Nashville. And we basically wrote the song in Nashville, and then we did this, I think it was that in the beginning of December, and then we flew out to California in January and actually recorded the track. So it was really cool the way it came together.

And who was the producer for the record?

Jimmy/Timmy: He was in a band called The Hippos. His name is Ariel Rechtshaid.

Yeah, I’m not familiar, but I’ll check them out!

Jimmy: Yeah, he has some stuff to do with The Sounds of Animals Fighting stuff, and he’s been around for a long time.

That’s cool. Can you tell me where the inspiration came from for naming the album Zircon Ave? And the record comes out on November 15th, too, I believe…

Jimmy: Zircon Avenue is actually the street that we grew up on. Oh, nice. And I used a line in one of our songs called “Lean Back.” The line is 7563, Zircon Ave. And after I used the line in the song, it really just made sense to me to name the record that.

Did you want to do anything as far as the sentimental part of going back home, or the themes that you kind of brought into this record? I heard the advance, so I’m kind of seeing how I can best interpret it…

Timmy: Yeah, I would say it’s definitely sentimental. One thing for sure. I mean, that’s where our band started. We started in that living room of that house, and our dad was, like, very supportive over the 20 year span, and we were trying to do it. He always would do anything he could to help us out. So definitely sentimental for sure. And I guess we just wanted to pay tribute to it, yeah.

Jimmy: And I think the fact that it is this record, is something that we really didn’t think that we would do, you know, after taking so much time away from music. So I think it was just, yeah, I mean, to just piggyback off of what my brother said. I think it was just a lot of songs about our life, and a part, I don’t want to say, a part of our life that we’re closing the door on, but just like you kind of like, step away from that, that part of your life, and you can just see it all you learn from everything that happened in that season.

That’s cool. Kind of a nice way of revisiting that record when I listen to it again, and it sounded great to my ears when I heard it again this morning. So great work on the album!

Jimmy: Thank you very much, Adam!

Sure, no problem. I have some questions about your overall writing process. You have a lot of mixture of styles like pop-punk, hip hop and other other types of genres that you kind of blend into it. So what was your music upbringing like for both of you growing up?

Jimmy: I would say it was really all over the place, honestly, because our dad was in his 40s when both of us were born, and we were raised by our dad. So our dad was listening to stuff like Eric Clapton and things like that. And for me…I don’t want anything to do with that. So I kind of just bounced around a lot with my musical interests and tastes like the first thing. Probably I shouldn’t have had this record, but the first record that I ever got was a cassette called Straight Out Of Compton by NWA. And I got that at eight years old. When my dad realized what I was listening to, obviously he took it away, and then a second cassette that I got was Licensed to Ill by Beastie Boys. So that’s like, where my musical interest kind of started, and then it kind of grew into I would say in my later teens, early 20s, it’s more of like pop-punk, and rock music, but my musical interest has kind of been all over the place.

Timmy: I mean, kind of similar, but different a little bit. But the tape I ever bought was House of Pain. And then I mean, our dad would always just kind of let us, whenever we were riding with him, he would typically let us pick a radio station, and we would just bounce back and forth through stuff. When I was really little, I was really into Hair Metal, like Guns and Roses and Metallica. But then when I got into middle school, I got a lot into hip hop. I loved Biggie and Tupac. Those were like, my two favorites at that time. And I listened to Bone Thugs N’ Harmony a lot. And then when I turned 13, my brother showed me this CD by Blink-182. It was Dude Ranch. And I just heard Sublime’s self-titled, and I heard Green Day’s Dookie. And I was…intrigued. But then when I heard Dude Ranch, I was like, whoa! What is this? It’s amazing!

That’s awesome. You guys had pretty good music taste at such an early age! I think when I was eight years old, I was listening to Raffi and maybe a cassette of The Monkees! <Laughter> But when I got my own income, from allowance and stuff like that, I gravitated to bands like you said, Blink, Third Eye Blind, and stuff like that. I think Third Eye Blind’s self-titled was the first album I bought with my own money. It’s always interesting to see how everybody’s music background is. But anyways, what is it like being in a band with your brother, first of all, and what lessons have you learned from your combined writing process over time?

Timmy: I mean, I think it’s been amazing, just because one thing we know, we both have each other’s back no matter what, even if we want to kill each other…we don’t get there anymore. But when we were younger, we did, yeah. It’s had its ups and downs, but I feel like it’s always been a plus, because we know where we see it going. We know each other’s lives the best that anyone else could know another person’s life, and we’re just always down to have each other’s back and just keep going.

Jimmy: Yeah, I think it’s been, for me, the biggest lesson and blessing in life. Being in a band with your brother, you know, it really makes it forces you to figure out how to work together, which is amazing.

I come from a family of brothers too, so I have two brothers, but I can’t imagine being in a band with them. <Laughter> I played in a cover band back in the day when I was a vocalist, but can’t imagine doing anything like that, besides maybe Guitar Hero with them or something like that. <Laughter>

Jimmy: I mean, in the early years, we were breaking it up and fighting at every show.

Timmy: So, Steve Madigan used to call us The Punk Rock Gallager brothers.

That’s funny! So I understand you guys have shared stages with bands like A Day To Remember, Anberlin, Switchfoot, and many more. How would you describe your live performances? And are there any lessons you’ve kind of picked up from sharing bills with some of these other bands as well?

Timmy: I think our live show for us has always been just like…leave it up there. No matter how many people are in front of you, people come to see a show, pour your heart out on stage, have fun, go crazy.

Jimmy: Yeah, and I mean, ultimately, that’s why you do it. Playing is fun, but it also can be a lot of the 30 to 45 minutes that you get to be in front of people. That’s the entire reason why you do it. It’s when it gets really fun. So yeah, like my brother said, we’ve always really tried to put on a really good live show, giving it everything that we have. And I think from playing with other bands like that. You just really get a bird’s eye view, to watch people at a different level than you, and you get to learn from them. Which I think is the most amazing thing is being able to just sit back silently and learn, because you ultimately want to grow to that.

Timmy: Yeah, I think one thing we learned too, from just touring back in the day and watching other bands. It’s just, if people don’t really know who you are yet, just come out full of energy. Hit them with like, five, six songs, and don’t take your foot off the gas. Just keep it going.

That’s awesome. Can you describe a little bit about any memorable touring stories or things like that over the years that kind of stuck with you…either good or bad?

Jimmy: I think for me, I don’t know if there’s like, a specific story that stands out, but I think the first thing that comes to my mind the feeling of the very first time that we kind of put together our own DIY tour when we were super young, and never had left our state, and we went from going to California all the way to New York. I think the feeling was it really just gives you this sense of like, if you’re willing to go, you can take on the world. Yeah, and that, I think for me, is being a thing that probably has had me addicted to this my entire life and as a band.

How do you measure success in your band?

Timmy: When we originally started, our main goal was to play The Glass House in Pomona, California, and to get on The Warped Tour. That was a success for us back then. And we got to do it. We, we never really set out with this to like, want to become rich, I guess what we’ve always kind of been like. I think, honestly, for me, success is when someone can tell me that, like our song, it has reached them in a way, and helped them through something.

Jimmy: I think for me, it’s the same, but then also double-sided, because I originally started writing music and it was my way to share things that I couldn’t actually process with anyone else. So there’s a part of it for me where I get to process things that I wouldn’t normally share, necessarily, in a conversation. So it’s almost like therapeutic for me, in one way, because I’m a storyteller and I have like, I have things to share about, and then what my brother said, when people are touched by it, or you give people hope, or you’re able to help someone, we were talking to someone the other day, and we were talking about how we wrote something about, we wrote a song about something completely different, but what it meant to someone else was just not even The same thing, but they were able to find hope and inspiration in it. And I think that’s success. I mean, I’d love to make some money. I won’t lie to you. I’d love to make some money. We would love to survive.

And what type of support have you gotten from your label for the upcoming release? Can you describe the relationship you have with your label?

Jimmy: Yeah, I was gonna say, I think our relationship with our label is amazing. It started with Brian <Welch>, who is a friend of mine, and my brother and I hadn’t been playing music, so we were just friends. I never even talked to him about music. So just to give you a little inside view of how the relationship even started, just to kind of explain how amazing it is when my brother and I really felt called back to music after our dad passed away, because that’s the reason we took a hiatus. We took full time care of our dad, and after he passed away, my brother and I really felt like, “Hey, this is something that we’re supposed to still be doing.” My initial conversation with Brian started out with, “hey, I need some advice. Can we hang out and talk? Can I just pick your brain and give me some advice?” And all I asked was, “What would you do in this situation?” And it turned in quickly to like, “Hey, let’s go meet with my manager that manages his band, Love and Death. We went to meet with his manager, and immediately after he asked me, let’s go meet with my manager, he said, “we’re about to start a small label. Would you want to put out a record?” And I’m like, Are you kidding? Yeah, I want to put on a record! What kind of a question is that? It literally started with me asking for advice, and we weren’t even in the position to record yet, to write, to play like and it started like that, and they’ve been nothing but supportive. It was epic.

Timmy: Yeah, they’re just great people.

And did you feel any pressure with the new signing or things like that, with either speeding up your writing process, or getting the songs ready?

Jimmy: I don’t think so at all. I don’t think I really felt any pressure at all.

Timmy: I mean, the only thing they even asked for was beneficial, because that’s how we got back up. Dave, Brian’s partner with the label, his manager, was just like, hey, can we get something? It kind of goes a little bit more back towards your roots, yeah. So we went into writing, “Get Back Up”, saying all right, let’s kind of make this one a little more like we used to be, and I feel like the song turned out amazing.

Yeah, it does sound great. Every band has a story to tell with their music. What do you hope people will take away from listening to the new record when it comes out this November?

Jimmy: I think the first thing that comes to my mind is that there are a lot of things in life that weigh us down or tear us down, that really aren’t that serious. Life is better than a lot of us think, and that there’s hope. And that life is really, really a beautiful gift.

Timmy: Yeah, I would have to agree, and I kind of piggyback off that a little bit, my hope is that people can hear it, have hope and also realize that circumstances don’t determine our outcome in life.

Jimmy: Hey, that’s what I was trying to say! <Laughter>

Do you guys have any personal favorites from the overall record? A song or two that really stuck with you, or are really proud of?

Timmy: I think for me it might have to be, it’s probably a toss up between “God Complex” and “Get Back Up.” They’re just both fun to play live, and I’m still like a punk dude at heart, but I also love hip hop. But yeah, they’re more like punk for me.

Jimmy: I would probably lean the other way, towards things that are more of a hip hop-forward song. I really, really love our song, “Lean Back.” There are some lyrics in there that are super personal and put me in a very vulnerable space. And at first I went back and forth. I’m like, I don’t know if I even want to say that…but I love the song. I love the way it turned out. I love how it goes from like the swaggy rap versus to just an in your face simple chorus. So I think “Lean Back” might be my favorite song.

That’s awesome. And it’s good that you have different tastes a little bit too. That kind of shows the dynamic that you guys have as songwriters, too. So what are your guys’ touring plans as the record is about to come out?

Jimmy: So right now, we are really just focused on working the record and kind of just getting us into a space to be ready to tour. Just getting our numbers where they need to be. With that hiatus, I don’t want to say we fell off a little bit, but you kind of lose interest. Everyone wants everything now and current and in the moment. So we’re kind of just re-engaging our fan base, working the record, and then we’re going to start touring next year.

That’s awesome. Any last words for your fans or reasons to either check out Zircon Ave when it comes out November 15th?

Jimmy: Yeah, I think it doesn’t matter what genre of music you listen to. There is something on this record for you. Whether you’re into rock, hip hop, rap, there’s something for you, and it’s inspiring and hopeful. And we’re just grateful that people are willing to take the time to listen to something that we created.

That’s great. I wish you guys nothing but the best, and hopefully if you come through the DC area, I’ll be able to check out a show!

Jimmy/Timmy: Amazing. Thanks, Adam, we appreciate it!

Take care!

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