Few bands have navigated the highs and lows of the emo and pop-punk world quite like Mayday Parade.
Today marks the release of Sugar, the third and final instalment in the band’s ambitious Sweet, Sad, Sugar trilogy.
Closing the chapter on one of the biggest creative undertakings of their career also gives Mayday Parade a chance to reflect on everything that’s come before it, and what lies ahead.
We caught up with bassist Jeremy Lenzo to talk about twenty years of Mayday Parade, completing the trilogy, songwriting, creative freedom and why fans should keep a close eye on what’s coming next.
Twenty years in, what still gets you excited about being in Mayday Parade?
Lenzo: Honestly playing music with my best friends. I love playing shows and getting to find people in the audience who are having a blast and interact with them. I love writing music as well, it never gets old to me and I could spend every day just writing music.
Looking back, did you ever imagine A Lesson in Romantics would still mean so much to people nearly two decades later?
Lenzo: I never imagined it, we were just kids, we didn’t anticipate ever playing out of the country or riding on a bus. We didn’t anticipate the album would grow to what it is, or be remembered so fondly, but I am grateful for its success and to still be doing this twenty years later.
Mayday Parade ‘Miserable At Best’
The Sweet, Sad, Sugar trilogy is a huge creative undertaking. At what point did you realise this idea could actually work?
Lenzo: Maybe after we finished recording the second album. When we decided we were going to do it we were very gung ho about it, and then all the work it would actually take to make happen started to sink in and it became daunting. Luckily we were able to don everything we needed to, and by the time we finished recording the second album we sort of new how it was going to go and already had the blueprint in place from the first one. The biggest issue was just making sure we finished the albums in the correct amount of time so that we could keep releasing new content consistently which was the goal.
Now that Sugar completes the trilogy, what emotions are you feeling finally closing that chapter?
Lenzo: I’m happy, happy with its reception and happy that it’s done and we can focus on the next chapter. It was a lot of work consistently to make sure things kept moving with the trilogy, so it’s nice to have the break now and not have to worry about that.
Your latest single, ‘Lying To Myself’, feels incredibly honest. Was that an easy song to write, or one that challenged you?
Lenzo: So in our band we all write individually and then bring our songs to the group to change and work on things. That particular song was written by Brooks, and I’m not sure if that was a challenge for him or not, but it does feel honest in his lyrics so I imagine there must have been some strong feelings there.
Mayday Parade ‘Lying To Myself’ video
How has your songwriting changed between those early Warped Tour days and where you are now?
Lenzo: Like I sort of mentioned above we all write individually now. When we used to all live in Tallahassee starting out we would get together a few times a week to work on new material together, but since we all live in different states now it’s just not possible. So we write individually and then work on the material we like together in the studio. It’s not perfect and I do miss how we did things in the beginning, but this works and still gives us a way to do contribute to ideas together.
You’ve inspired a whole new generation of emo and pop-punk bands. Is that something you think about, or does it still feel surreal?
Lenzo: It feels surreal, and is very humbling. It’s not something I think about, but when I do it makes me happy that our music has played an important enough part in the scene to be someone’s inspiration.
The music industry has changed dramatically since 2005. What’s one change that’s actually made life easier for Mayday Parade?
Lenzo: Hmm.. maybe that with all the platforms out there now and software available, labels aren’t really something that are a necessity to get your music out there. We were lucky we had a good label deal when we started by I know some bands that go screwed over and couldn’t come back from it. The way technology has progressed the need for a label isn’t as strong as it was, and this gives a lot of freedom back to the artist to make the music they want to make.
Mayday Parade ‘Weekend Music’ video
After finishing such an ambitious trilogy, do you already know where Mayday Parade goes next, or are you giving yourselves time to breathe?
Lenzo: Giving ourselves time to breathe, but we do have some ideas for next year and for some songs we may record the next time we’re in the studio. For right now though we’re just going to take it easy.
What is the most out there thing that might spin your fans out to find out about you?
Lenzo: About me? I don’t know.. I’m big into beatbox, it’s sort of become an obsession. I also love learning about early civilizations as well as early hominids.
What’s one thing fans can expect from the next era of Mayday Parade that they might not see coming?
Lenzo: There are a few things, just nothing I can talk about yet. I would say to just keep an eye out on our socials as we have some stuff in the works that will probably start coming out before too long.
Mayday Parade ‘Sugar’ track list:
- Set Phasers To Bummed
- Blame It On The Youth
- Sweet Sad Sugar
- Weekend Music
- Lying To Myself
- Two Hearts
- Don’t Give Up
- On Me Patriotism Of First Tiger Called Into Question
- So The Story Goes
- What Happens Next
Listen here
After twenty years together, Mayday Parade aren’t interested in simply reliving the past. With Sugar now completing the Sweet, Sad, Sugar trilogy, the band has earned a moment to catch its breath before turning its attention to whatever comes next.
If Jeremy Lenzo’s comments are any indication, that next chapter is already beginning to take shape, for a band that has spent two decades growing alongside its fans, the story is far from over.
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