Skyward Story

Skyward Story channel a classic pop-punk sound into their latest release, “Trading Secrets.” Cutesy lyrics mix with synths and minor chords to create an earworm to get stuck in your head. The song comes ahead of Skyward Story’s tour with Rookie Of The Year, with tickets available now. - Alternative Press

Baltimore-based Pop-Rock Trio Skyward Story is getting ready to release their new album, Reborn, on January 18, 2019. The release will be the beginning of a new era for the Skyward Story, as they have recently added a new member and changed their group name.

Fans have already gotten a taste of what Reborn will sound like with the group’s hit single, “Hey”, which will be part of the new album. Skyward Story also just debuted “Trading Secrets” and will be releasing a music video for it very soon.

CelebMix had the opportunity to interview Skyward Story about their new single and upcoming album. Read our interview with them below.

Congratulations on the premiere of your new single, “Trading Secrets.” Can you tell us about the message of the song?

Trading Secrets is about your lover, whoever you may be. This person is too good to be true and they just blow your mind. The line “Any night without you is like a year without the summer” really sums it up!



The music video will release sometime in December. What can you tell us about it?

We did the video with Jessica Garcia from Springwood Productions and they did a great job with putting the song onto the screen.

How does it convey the message of the song?

There are a lot of secrets in the video, which definitely fits with the theme of “Trading Secrets.” You’ll have to see for yourself on the 14th!

Your writing has caught the attention of Matt Squire, who has also worked with big-name artists such as One Direction, Ariana Grande, and Good Charlotte. How has it been working with him?

Matt is great, he gave our songs so much more life and energy and he was very laid-back about the whole process. It was nice working with him because he made it all fun.

You’ve been working together on your new album, “Reborn”. What is the significance of the album title? Is it based on the name change from 3PM to Skyward Story?

In a way, yes but it alludes more to the fact that we have a new singer who you have heard on all of our current singles, and to the shift of our musical style.



What does this era of Skyward Story mean to you?

This is the start of something big. We’re ready to share this album with the world and we can’t wait for you all to hear it!

What is the meaning behind the album cover?

The album artwork represents our journey in making this record. The bleeding heart is us, and all the time and effort over the last many years we’ve put into what has become “Reborn”.

How has your sound evolved over the years? What will your new album sound like?

We have gradually moved from the pop-punk roots that the band was founded on to a more fun pop-rock sound that we think everyone will enjoy.

You will be heading on tour with Rookie of The Year this month What can we expect from your shows?

You can expect some really good music from a bunch of awesome artists! It’s going to be a very fun time and we hope everyone in the northeast can make it out.

Since the new year is approaching, do you have any goals you would like to accomplish in 2019?

Our goal for the rest of 2019 is to see as many of our fans as we can on this tour. With the release of Trading Secrets, we hope that we can satisfy them until the release of the album in January.

What else would you like to say to our CelebMix readers?

Since you made it all the way here, thank you so much for reading this. Check us out on all platforms @SkywardStory. Make sure to pre-order “Reborn” or pre-save the album on Spotify! - Celebmix

Hi guys, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?

-We’ve been doing great! There has been a lot of positive response to our new single “Hey!” and we’ve been very busy spreading it as far as we can.

Can you talk to us more about your latest single “Hey!”?

-”Hey!” is the perfect first single for Skyward Story. It’s the best song to introduce people to our new sound, especially for those who have been following us for awhile. We love the upbeat positive vibe it gives off because that’s how we want to represent ourselves as well. If you’re not having fun, why do it?

Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?

-We noticed one day that all the songs we had written up to that point had all been love songs. We got to joking about the idea of writing a song that is pointing that out, and we started really liking the thought. Eventually, that idea turned into “Hey!”

How was the recording and writing process?

-Getting to work with Matt Squire was such an amazing experience. The entire time we were there everyone in the room was having a good time, and we have always found that the music is best created in a happy environment. We were deep in the writing process for over a year and a half, which is the longest we’ve ever worked on a project. From this extensive effort combined with Matt we were really able to step our writing up to the next level and we’re proud of the result. “Hey!” is the introduction to that result and there is much more to come!

What was it like to work with Matt Squire and how did that relationship develop?

-We were connected to Matt after a random meeting at a gig believe it or not. We got to talking to this random guy at the bar who just so happened to know Matt and sent him our discography! He liked what we had going so we met up and discussed ourselves and our future and we clicked right away. Matt opened our eyes in a lot of ways in regards to writing and it shows in the new album. We all were able to come up with such amazing material and the ideas would just flow. We can’t say enough good things about the making of our new music, we’ll never forget it.

How much did he influence the songs on this upcoming album?

-What Matt does best is let a band be themselves. Matt served as the little bug in our ear to steer us in the right direction but let us be creative. He’s known for making bands break-out albums and we feel like his process is the reason; he knows how to bring out the best in his artist and we’re so grateful for having him on board.

Has the band’s name recent change have affected the band’s sound as well?
-Our recent name change is more of a by-product of us changing our sound. We had already made the transition from pop-punk to pop-rock before we changed the name. What role does Baltimore play in your music?

What role does Baltimore play in your music?

-Baltimore is where we got our start. It is the amazing music scene we have here gave us the confidence to put ourselves out there and let people know who we are.

How’s your new album coming along?
-We are still putting on the finishing touches. - VENTS Magazine

Get your emotions ready, kids, because this new band will be taking you back to your emotional years of listening to Stereo Skyline, One Direction, and 5SOS. The Baltimore based trio, Skyward Story, have recently dropped their new single “Trading Secrets”, which has been a huge hit so far! We talk to the band about their music!

How did the band start?
Brandon and Scott met through Scott’s older brother who introduced the two. They had the same love for music so they decided to start a band. Then later, they found me through twitter after finding one of my singing videos through a repost. Then I moved to Baltimore to join the band, and here we are! -Aaron

How did you come up with the name, “Skyward Story”?
It originated from the line “shooting for the stars…” from the song “Guts” by All Time Low. As a band we’re always working as hard as we can each day and we wanted our name to reflect that. -Scott

What inspires you when you write music?
I’d say that our love for music in itself is a big reason why we write so often. -Aaron

Who is an inspiration of yours?
We’re inspired by bands such as 5SOS, Panic!, and The 1975. -Brandon

What makes your upcoming releases different from your past music?
We just released our new album “Reborn” and the reception has been great. We took a lot of time promoting it before it dropped by following other band’s tours and pushed presales of the album.
-Aaron

Who is someone you guys wish to tour with one day?
We think that we would be a good opening slot for 5SOS or Walk the Moon! -Scott

Where in the world would you want to tour? (Absolute goal destination)
We honestly really want to tour in Europe! -Brandon

If you were trapped on an island, what are three things you would want to have with you? (phone cannot be one of them)
A water filtration unit, seeds, and soil! -Aaron

If you could describe your music in one word using a food, what would it be and why?
Our music is like a crunchwarp supreme, because even if you don’t like us, at least we’re not the worst thing on the menu.
-Scott

What advice would you give your 13 year old self?
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there in order to be seen. -Brandon

Keep track of new releases from the band, and definitely give their new song, “Trading Secrets”, a listen! - Black on the Canvas

Skyward Story are a Baltimore-based pop rock trio who were formally known as 3PM. Now the group are back with a new name, new member, and new single. Their latest track is titled ‘Hey‘ and was produced by renowned producer Matt Squire who has worked with One Direction, Panic At The Disco and many more.

Here we speak to the boys about the song, name change, tour news and lots more.

Growing up who were your musical influences?

Brandon and Scott shared a love for almost every pop punk which made them start the band together. Aaron grew up listening to everything from hardcore to rap, and the combination of these influences is probably the biggest factor behind our unique sound.

Why did you guys decide to change your name?

Last October we finalised the lineup of the band when Aaron joined as the lead vocalist. This took our music, style, image, etc. a new direction and we felt it was time for a change. The name Skyward Story has a meaning close to our hearts because we work so hard to mould our lives around the band, therefore we feel if you put your mind to it, you can write your own story and the sky is the limit.

How has the group dynamic changed since adding a new member?

We have always been a three-piece and that’s one of our favourite parts of this bands. The three of us get along so well and are the best of friends. Our minds work as one and because of that we can so easily make decisions, write music together, and just have a great time while on the road.

What is the inspiration behind your new single?

While in the studio writing our forthcoming album we realised a bunch of our demos were love songs, so then we thought, “why not make fun of ourselves?” The line “stupid little love songs” refers to our own songs, and it sits on top of upbeat instrumentation that represents how we feel about being in a band and getting to write and play music every day.

You have worked with Matt Squire on this new record, what was it like working with him?

Matt is such a good friend of ours and we have amazing chemistry when in the studio together. We broke out of our comfort zone for this record because we decided it was time to create that distinct sound. He shared the same vision for this band and our music, so we had very few roadblocks when writing music. It was incredible how well the writing flowed and we could not be prouder of this album.

How would you describe your sound?

A goal of ours this time around in the studio was to create something new, something that people haven’t heard before, and something that when people hear our music they’ll instantly think “this MUST be Skyward Story.” Taking inspirations from all around the music world including pop, pop punk, and our individual favourite bands we feel we created a Skyward Story sound that we’re so proud of. It’s fun, will put a smile on your ace, and make you want to sing along to every word.

Can fans expect a tour from you this year?

Absolutely. We have some things in the works right now that we can’t share quite yet, but we plan to hit the road as Skyward Story for the first time very soon.

If you could collaborate with any artist who would you choose?

That’s a really tough question because there are so many bands that have had a huge impact on us. If we HAD to choose one, we would love to tour or write music with All Time Low. Being Baltimore natives with very similar musical inspirations and aspirations, we feel that we would collab great together.

What do you hope to achieve in the next ten years?

Not only do we want this band to change our lives, but we want to change the lives of others. We want our music to have in impact so strong that our current fans will still love us ten years from now, and love the songs we release then just as much as the ones we release now. If they can relate to our music and we can help people get out of a dark place then we’ve done our job. We’re fans of bands that have deeply impacted multiple generations, and becoming one of those bands is our dream accomplishment.

Make sure you keep up to date with all of Skyward Story’s latest news by following them on Twitter @SkywardStory.

What did you think of our exclusive interview with Skyward Story? Let us know your thoughts over on Twitter @CelebMix. - Celebmix

Q) How would you describe your sound?

Brandon: We’re really proud of how our sound has developed. This new music has a very pop rock sound and would feel at home on the radio, but you can definitely tell where we’ve come from. Our pop punk background is still evident in the instrumentation and some melody as well.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

Scott: We all grew up loving pop punk bands like blink 182 and Green Day, and heavier rock and metal like Avenged Sevenfold and Breaking Benjamin. While writing this new music we spent a lot of time listening to the radio and combined inspiration from there into our roots to create this new sound.



Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Hey!”

Aaron: “Hey!” is a song that we wrote after noticing that all of the new songs we had come up with thus far were all love songs. We got to joking about it and making fun of ourselves as we often do and our “stupid little love songs” became a thing. We ran with the idea and now you can hear the result in “Hey!”



Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

Aaron: I think our fans connect with the 3rd person aspect of us talking about the “stupid little love songs” that have been written by us in the past. I think our fans like how we’ve pointed that out about our past music. Also, broadly speaking the song is about addressing ourselves with a sense of humor and not taking ourselves to seriously which is a message that we love and fully believe.



Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

Brandon: Our song-writing process is very organic. One of us will bring something to the table for all of us to dig into, whether it’s a chord progression, riff or simply a lyric and we’ll all feel it out and build onto it together. Everything we do is together and we feel like that’s one of the reasons our music stands out.



Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

Scott: We have our hands in fully every step of the way. No matter what instrumentation (or vocals) are being done, we’re all right there, listening, coaching and giving suggestions. Again, our music turns out the way it does because we all are involved and care and have a passion for creating it.



Q) Is there an EP or album coming in the near future?

Aaron: We don’t want to give anything away, but MAYBE. [wink]



Q) What can fans expect from a live Skyward Story performance?

Brandon: A good time! Fun is contagious, you’ll never see us enjoying ourselves more than when we’re on stage and you’ll feel that from the audience. We try to involve everyone and give them an experience that they’ll never forget!



Q) What do you hope listeners take away from your music?

Aaron: I hope that listeners will be happy and uplifted after listening to our songs. We write our music from a positive standpoint that hopefully our fans will appreciate.



Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

Scott: Social media is very important for us because we don’t get to see our fans on a daily basis. Outlets like Twitter and Instagram give us the opportunity to talk with fans all over the country and it helps them keep up with us and what we are doing from day to day.



Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

Brandon: It can’t be said enough but THANK YOU. Thank you to everyone who supports us in what we do. From a simple follow to buying our merch to coming to our show. We love what we do so much and we want to be able to do it for the rest of our lives. Everyone who supports the band in any way gives us life and the words “thank you” will never be enough. We’ll give back to you with our music, with our performances and with the family and community we build together! - StarryMag

Baltimore-based pop rock trio, Skyward Story, announce the premiere of “Hey!,” via POPCRUSH. Formerly known as 3PM, the newly formed group is ready to jump into the music scene full force with their catchy, high energy songs. PopCrush raves; “with a new name, a new vocalist and a new sound, the sky’s the limit for Skyward Story.” “Hey!” is the first single off their forthcoming album, which was recorded with multi-platinum producer, Matt Squire (One Direction, Panic! At The Disco, Ariana Grande). “It’s a positive song that pokes fun at ourselves for always writing “stupid little love songs” and reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously,” the group tells PopCrush.

As 3PM came to a close, Brandon Millman (drummer) and Scott Montgomery (guitarist) turned to Twitter to add a new vocalist, finding Aaron O’Connor (lead vocals), thus ushering in the new era of Skyward Story. Aaron was the final missing piece, and exactly what was needed to catapult Skyward Story into a brand new direction. The three bonded over an aesthetic and sound with influences ranging from All Time Low, 5 Seconds Of Summer, and Panic! at the Disco, inspiring them to discover their unique sound and true identity as Skyward Story.

With many looking to see what they would do next, the band spent countless hours working on taking their music to the next level and emerged with a style all their own. Skyward Story’s social following continues to grow day by day, adding to the upward trajectory that they already have under their belt. The group had previously developed a large, dedicated following through tireless grassroots efforts, selling over 25,000 copies of their last album Slow Me Down. During their time on the Warped Tour, Slow Me Down peaked on the Billboard charts at #27 Top Rock Albums, #2 Heatseekers, #18 Alternative and #19 Independent. Stay tuned for new music and show announcements leading up to the release of their album later this fall, as Skyward Story prepares to take the pop rock world by storm.

For More Information on Skyward Story: - Highwire Daze

Every week at PopCrush, we’re putting the spotlight on one up-and-coming act you need to know about. Why? So you can get on board early before everyone else and their mother jumps on the bandwagon…and so you can be that one friend in the group who’s always like, “Um, actually, I prefer their earlier work.”

With a new name, a new vocalist and a new sound, the sky’s the limit for Skyward Story.

After the pop-rock trio — formerly known as 3PM — made the decision to change their name, the newly reinvigorated troupe is now charging ahead with a brand new beat.

“Hey” is the group’s Matt Squire-produced (One Direction, Panic! At The Disco) lead single from their forthcoming album due out later this fall. And hey, what better way to say hello again to the world than a simple “Hey”?

“We’re excited to release ‘Hey’ as our first single. It’s a positive song that pokes fun at ourselves for always writing ‘stupid little love songs’ and reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously,” the group tells PopCrush.

“While we were writing the album we had the realization that every song written up to that point was a love song. We joked around a little and then found ourselves drawn to the idea and we ran with it. Just one listen and you’ll have ‘Hey’ stuck in your head. Welcome to Skyward Story!”

The group’s last studio album, 2015’s Slow Me Down, debuted in the Top 30 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart. - PopCrush

What does it actually take to be successful in the music industry?

I interviewed 3PM, who are learning the answer to that question first-hand, to find out. Hailing out of Baltimore, Maryland, the savvy pop-punk trio is composed of Scott Montgomery on guitar, Aaron O’Connor on vocals, and Brandon Millman on drums; and they are a total force of nature. Combining rebellious undertones and head-banging tunes with their passionate exteriors, it’s no surprise that their social media bio includes: “the band you want to take home to your parents.” 3PM has racked up quite a following thanks to years of promoting themselves; they have 22.1k on twitter and 12.3k on instagram to show for it. They also earned themselves a spot as the catering band on Warped Tour back in 2015, which is a pretty impressive thing to put on a resume.

I first met 3PM in November of 2015 at All Time Low’s Back to the Future Hearts Tour in Highland Heights, KY, where they handed me a free bracelet that read their band website’s URL and convinced me to buy their CD. I was immediately impressed with their charisma and persistency, and also that they were so similar in age to myself. I was even more impressed to find that their music was really good. Following up a year later, I ran into them in Atlanta at Sleeping With Sirens’ End The Madness Tour, and was really surprised to see them much farther south from where I saw them last. (I bought their CD again; they’re really persistent). Later on the drive home, I checked their twitter to find out that they have been following entire tours for years promoting 3PM’s music. Talk about determination! Thoroughly intrigued at this point, I actively started keeping up with posts and YouTube videos. When I found out they were going on their very first tour, I bought tickets immediately.

Interested, both as a fan and a musician myself, I caught up with them on the #OMGTour to find out just how they were doing it all.

The second I walked in the door at Rocketown in Nashville, I was informed that 3PM’s bus had broken down, but they had rented a car and were going to be there soon. I was already aware of how, the day before, a rock had smashed through a window in the bus. Despite all of this trouble they were still doing everything they could to make it there; which they eventually did, to everyone’s relief. The set was short because Aaron was sick and losing his voice, but they still put on an incredible show. The energy in the room was high despite the crowd being small and it was extremely evident that the stage is where they belong. After the show, they worked the merch table, selling t-shirts, signing posters, and taking pictures with people. After most everyone had left, I was able to sit down and have my interview with 3PM.



This is what we talked about:

K: How did you guys meet?

Aaron: Social media!

Brandon: Well, I knew Scott’s older brother and like six years ago we started a little band, and five years later we found Aaron on twitter.

Aaron: Then I moved, I was in college at the time. I dropped out of college and I moved to Baltimore to be in a band! Best decision I ever made.

K: How did you convince your parents to let you follow bands for weeks at a time?

Brandon: It starts slow, it wasn’t just suddenly at age 18: “see you mom, I’m going to rent a car and drive to California..”

Aaron: That’s what I did.

Brandon: Well you did, but we had a little something different going here. We would start in the area, so if a band came to Baltimore we would drive down to the show. And we didn’t even promote very well at first, we brought flyers and would hand them out to people. Then you start getting a little more brave and introducing yourself and really trying to push your music, Then that becomes, oh well let’s go to somewhere in Pittsburg, let’s go to somewhere in New York, and then somewhere in Ohio, and then, well let’s just follow a whole tour! And thats how it kind of came to be.

K: What are some experiences you have had? Are there any favorite memories?

Scott: This tour has been great so far, we’ve had a couple vehicle troubles; but other than that it’s been really cool to, as we’ve done a lot of the promoting that we’ve got so many fans that we can actually play cool shows for them. And them coming out and supporting us has been really awesome. Getting to travel has been awesome too. When we were the catering band on Warped Tour, it was two months in the summer, around the entire country. So yeah there’s been a lot of cool things.

K: Do you guys ever want to do Warped Tour again?

Scott: Absolutely, yes! It’s a great place for bands to get their start.

I’m calling you out Kevin Lyman, let’s get these boys back on Warped Tour.

K: I saw in your bio that you guys are working with Matt Squire (He has produced, engineered, or written tracks for artists such as: One Direction, Good Charlette, All Time Low, Panic! at the Disco, 3OH!3, Taking Back Sunday, and Boys Like Girls), so what’s the process behind that? How did you meet him?

Scott: We played this small little showcase in New York City we actually weren’t sure if we were going to make it to, and we ended up getting there and playing a show, and we met one of his A&R people and they just talked to us, they really dug our sound. And after that we started working because absolutely we wanted to do an album together. So we just wrote like crazy, I think we were at like 30 songs before we got into the studio, and then we picked the best and perfected them. He knows what he’s doing. He’s put out some really good albums and bands have really got their start with him, and we’re really excited to be able to do that too.

K: What are some hopes or goals for the band’s future?

Scott: To just keep doing this.

Aaron: To really just be able to support ourselves. At some point there’s really a turning point between a hobby and a career, and so to make it a career you really have to work hard at it. And that’s what we’ve been doing. It’s why we follow all the tours.

K: What advice would you give to a young band about surviving in the music industry?

Scott: Just keep your head up, because there’s always going to be haters and people telling you you’ll never be able to make money, Which it might be true, but if you don’t try you’ll never know, and it’s always better to do something fun so just keep with it, keep writing your music and getting your name out there in person…

Aaron: Social media!

Scott: Social media too, but you know get your name out in person, like with other bands, other fans, and other promoters.

Brandon: It’s like how we’re doing this interview because we met you at an All Time Low show.

K: Do you have a date or a time range of when to be expecting new music?

Aaron: We have an area…

Scott: We’re looking to release a new single in about a month or so.

K: You knew this one was coming. Will you ever tell anyone what 3PM stands for?

Aaron: Nooooo…

Brandon: You have to legally join the band for us to tell you that.

Scott: But now that you want to know so badly we definitely won’t tell you!

Aaron: Ambiguity is our…

Scott: It’s our middle name.

Aaron: See if our band were an ice cream sundae, not saying what 3PM means is like the cherry on top. Like it’s there, and it’s the first thing you go for when you meet us, but you don’t actually get to eat it.



I think 3PM are a great example of not only how tough it can be to pursue music as a career, but also how rewarding it can be. Keep an eye out for them, they just might be the next biggest thing.

You can check out their music on YouTube here and Spotify here, or buy it on iTunes here.

You can check out their website here.

Twitter: @3PM_music

Instagram: @3pmofficialmusic



Featured Image Credit: Liz Peterson

Twitter/Instagram: @lizdeepdown - Affinity Magazine

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

Aaron O’Connor – Vocals

Scott Montgomery – Guitar

Brandon Millman – Drums

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to 3PM? How long has the band been around?

Brandon: Actually, none of us had been part of a band before 3PM. We started out as rookies five years ago and have been learning how the industry works one day at a time.

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

Aaron: 3PM is a secret acronym and we don’t tell anyone, but you’re welcome to guess!

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

Scott: We write all of our music together because that way everyone can pitch in, and having three different opinions/musical strengths can make for a stronger song. Most of our songs stem from life experiences or themes that we relate to on a personal level.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

Aaron: Honestly, we’ve been listening to a lot of different bands and styles of music for inspiration and trying not to sound like anyone in particular. The last thing we want is for someone to say “You sound like X band.” Instead, we want the listener to hear our music and think “oh this is definitely 3PM!”

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

Scott: We all have our inspirations for sure. Brandon and I have always been huge fans of the pop punk scene, especially blink-182. We covered lots of their songs in our day.

Aaron: I grew up listening to lots of hard rock music, my favorite band of all time being Breaking Benjamin.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …

Aaron: Yeah we slap each other in the face a lot to get pumped up. If you look closely in our live photos, our cheeks are often red.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

Brandon: Being the catering band on Warped Tour 2015 was an incredible experience. It was our first time traveling the entire country for months at a time. The trip was not always easy, but it was certainly rewarding as we sold 8,500 albums over the course of the tour and made countless new friends and memories along the way.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

Scott: We’d love to tour with bands that share the same love for music we have, and are stylistically similar. Touring with All Time Low or 5 Seconds of Summer would be amazing, and I think we’d be a great fit.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Aaron: Every once in a while, we’ll yell out the meaning of 3PM, but only when nobody is around to hear. - Kill The Music

Presenting to you today an interview with Baltimore based pop-rockers 3PM. You may remember the guys from the interview I did with them back in 2015 at Warped Tour where the guys were the official catering band for that year's tour, providing food for all the bands working on the main stage that year. The band have a new lead singer in tow, Aaron O'Connor and the guys were nice enough to sit down for a chat to talk about how they found Aaron, how he fits into the current mold of the band, their experiences recording together, and their hopes for the future. Plus, we talk about that YouTube vid where Aaron introduced himself, and looked mighty fine appearing in the nude! Here is the transcript from our chat:

What have you guys been up to since the last time we spoke at Warped back in 2015?
A whole lot has happened since we last spoke. We have a new singer, we’re finishing up production on our new album that we did with Matt Squire, and we announced our OMG Tour in March.

Let's talk about the newest addition to the group: your new lead singer Aaron, how did you stumble upon him?
It was such a stroke of luck! We were searching for a new singer on every social media platform from every state. We were getting ambitious and searched #singer on Twitter and found a cover video of Aaron’s that someone shared. If we had searched 5 minutes earlier or later, we would’ve never found him.

Aaron, what was behind the idea of you appearing naked in a YouTube video, was that entirely your idea? A lot of people really loved seeing that!
That idea was a group effort. We got the idea while brainstorming for an interesting way to announce me as the newest edition. The “naked” idea came up as a joke at first, but then we all decided that it might be funny. We just like to have fun!

Has the overall sound of the group changed since Aaron came onboard or is everything pretty much the same?
Yes, the sound has definitely changed. We’ve always primarily been a pop-punk band but we were looking to do something different. When we created this new album with Matt Squire, who’s been very successful in the pop industry (producing albums for P!ATD, Ariana Grande, One Direction, etc.), we decided to shift our focus to pop-rock.

Give us a sense of how you guys normally operate when it comes to writing songs together, is it truly a collaborative effort?
It’s absolutely a collaborative effort. We’re all very strong creatives. One of us will bring a concept to the table and we will all come up with more elements to add to the song until it is complete.

You guys have been doing a ton of Facebook Live videos recently doing covers that fans seem to be enjoying it also, how did this idea come about?
We wanted a way to reach out to our fans more personally (other than promoting at shows. We decided that we could talk to our fans from home by doing live videos where they can ask us questions and talk to us about anything.

Give us a sense of what the music scene is like in Baltimore and what up and coming bands you've been digging?
Baltimore has a very active music scene and it’s only been getting stronger for the past few years. We’ve been really digging Others May Fall, The Great Heights Band, and The Stifled and we will also be playing with those bands at the Baltimore Soundstage on March 17th.

What is your top pick for favorite food around the Baltimore area and the best spot for crab cakes?
The Rusty Scupper is in the inner harbor and is known for amazing seafood in Maryland. Our top pick for favorite food would have to be Paper Moon.

What's on tap for the rest of the year, any shows planned around Boston sometime soon?
Well we actually have our tour coming up in March, called OMG We’re On Tour. As of right now we don’t have any shows for Boston planned, but sometime hopefully in the future.

Lastly, how much have you guys bonded with Aaron since he joined and does this chemistry really feel special?
We’ve literally been together 24 hours a day for the past 4 months, so we’ve bonded quite a bit. There’s nothing more special in bonding than chasing a dream together.

Thanks once again to Scott. Aaron, and Brandon for being so gracious in doing this interview! When I was told about these guys via e-mail a couple of years ago that they were going to be at Warped Tour, I knew that they had something special instilled within them, and I'm so glad that they are out there chasing their dreams and bonding together as musicians and as best friends as well. For more on 3PM, 'Like' them on Facebook at this spot here and follow their travels over on Twitter via this locale here. - Music Box Pete

When waiting on line for a Troye Sivan concert, I was confused by the sound of a guitar coming from the rear of the line. As the sound moved closer to the front, I was able to see three blond guys passing out bracelets. One had a sign which had their social media, one had a guitar, and one had the bracelets. When they stopped in front of me, they played one of their songs from their album and I instantly fell in love. I bought their album, grabbed a bracelet, and declared myself a fan. Aaron, Brandon, and Scott keep things cool and create an individual sound that needs to be heard by the world. Through keeping in touch with Scott, I was able to score an interview with the entire band— they are 3PM.


Tell me who you are with this three-hitter: Age, Zodiac Sign, and Favorite Color?

Aaron: I’m 19, an Aquarius, and my favorite color is wine red. Not red, but wine red.

Scott: I just turned 19, I’m a Capricorn thanks to my Christmas Day birthday, and my favorite color is pretty much any kind of blue.

Brandon: I’m the band dad at 25! I’m proudly a Sagittarius and my favorite color is just red. Not as specific as Aaron’s.

Now let's get serious- Do you guys come from musical families?

Aaron: I’m sure there is someone in my family who might be able to sing a little bit but I’m certainly the only one to ever do something with my voice. In my immediate family, my brother and mom sing a little bit.

Brandon: My situation is funny because my parents don’t play any music, but my oldest brother is a very talented guitarist and my twin brother has an incredible voice. Neither of them got into music but we always talked about making a badass brother band.

Scott: My brother and I have very similar musical tastes and have always bonded over it. He plays the saxophone and makes electronic music. So in my family, him and I are the only musical ones.

Are you guys fans of vinyl? Would you ever put your music on it?

Scott: To be honest, I’ve never listened to vinyl…I know that’s kind of upsetting but it’s just before my time!

Brandon: There is definitely a resurgence in vinyl music and it seems like everyone is either doing a deluxe edition vinyl, a super colorful pressing, a live album, etc., so maybe we’ll do something like that with our next album.

Are you guys single? (The fans need to know, of course).

Aaron: Some of us might be. But we aren't going to say who…

I found you guys at the NYC stop on Troye’s tour- have you been following him to all his stops?

Aaron: We’ve been following a few of his shows over the past month to promote to everybody in line. We’ve found this to be the absolute best way to get your name out and meet new fans. You can only do so much over social media and with the number of bands that are on these networks, your band can very easily be drowned out.

Scott: At these shows we play some of our music for everyone so they have a little taste of 3PM and then pass out our signature wristbands to make sure everyone can remember our name.

How has traveling affected your music?

Aaron: Constantly being on the road has changed, and continues to change us as people in many ways, almost all positively. We realize that you can’t take anything for granted in life and to make the best with whatever situation you have. This optimism is reflected in our lyrics, the way we play, and the way we present ourselves.

As a musician myself, I know how nerves can get…What are your nerves like before a performance?

Scott: I often get an excited/nervous feeling before we play, if that makes sense. I shake a bit, I’m smiling, and I just want to hop on stage and start playing. After the first chord hits, the nerves completely go away and I feel like I’m in paradise. No matter how many people are in the room, I absolutely love performing.

What is your favorite part of the songwriting process?

Brandon: All the music this band writes is written together, so it’s always such a fun time. We never stress over it because more often than not musical ideas fly out of us and songs seem to put themselves together. And if we have writer’s block, we eat and play video games for an hour then get back to it. Works 100% of the time!

Scott: I love being able to listen to a minute-long acoustic recording made on our phones and say, “Wow, that’s catchy. I can’t wait to make a full song out of this.” We write great together and it always brings us closer as a band.

Are you guys working on new music right now?

Aaron: Yes we are, and we’re so incredibly excited for it to be completed. This new album will showcase what we’ve been saying about our sound. Every song is our baby and we love them to death and are very proud of what we’ve written.

What is your favorite band memory?

Aaron: Hands down, my favorite band memory was first meeting Scott and Brandon. They were swinging through my previous home of Atlanta while promoting on a tour and contacted me about looking for a new singer. I just remember getting a message along the lines of “hey you have a great voice, have you ever thought of being in a band?” And the answer was 100% yes. From the second we met we became best friends and that’s how I knew it was a good fit. I have never been so excited for anything in my life. About 5 months later, here I am the singer of 3PM. Life is crazy.

Brandon: The whole transition process was tough and took a while, but finally announcing Aaron into the band was the greatest feeling and it started a new chapter for 3PM. A huge weight was lifted from our shoulders, we had a new sense of direction, and such hope for the future!

Scott: A couple weeks ago, we played our first show together and it was the most fun I’ve had in a while. We had a short set, but being able to look over and see both of them totally ecstatic and having a good time made me feel great. We’re three best friends and we get to play music together. What could be better than that?

As maniacal as it sounds, any last words?

Brandon: Just thank you to everyone who has been there from the beginning and joined us along the way and those reading this article. Nothing makes us happier than being able to keep doing this with our lives. Without our fans we would not be a band.

Aaron: We can’t wait to share our new music with you; we know you’ll all fall in love. - The Odyssey