This April pop-rockers The Cab dropped Chasing Crowns, their third full-length and first in 15 years, the follow-up to last November’s Road to Reign: A Prelude EP (whose four tracks are included on the LP), the Las Vegas quintet’s first official release since 2014. The EP was accompanied by dates supporting All Time Low and a handful of festival slots, although The Cab are currently amidst their first full-scale headlining run since 2012. I recently got a chance to chat with The Cab vocalist Alex DeLeon from the road, amidst The Back From The Dead Tour, which kicked off last month in Dallas and will be at Theatre of Living Arts this coming Wednesday, June 24th. We chatted about the band’s decade-in-the-making third album, a matured take on touring, and what it’s like to have a non-single come to define a style of remix that would give millions of teens something to occupy their time during Lockdown.
Izzy Cihak: You recently released your third LP, and first in 15 years, Chasing Crowns, and I understand that the album was actually written over the course of 10 years, so I’m curious how you would characterize the process behind creating this LP, compared to your first two full-lengths?
Alex DeLeon: This album, more than the rest, was very intentional. When you’re 17 writing songs, you’re just like, “What words rhyme? Let’s make this sound fun.” But as you get older you have a point of view. There are things you want to say. And when you write something, sometimes you don’t even understand what you’re saying or what you’re feeling. Then you go back years later and listen to it and realize that’s exactly what you were feeling in that moment. And that’s what this album is, a song from different chapters of our lives from those 10 years.
Izzy: A lot of times when bands get back together after a break fans are really more interested in the older material, but your fans really seem to be loving Chasing Crowns! Have you had any favorite fan reactions to the new music so far?
Alex: We’re on our first headline tour right now in years. And for us, this tour wasn’t about just the new record, it was about being back together and reuniting our The Cab community. But it’s nerve-wracking, like you said, because sometimes fans just want to hear the old songs and we obviously want to play a couple of the songs from Chasing Crowns in our set, but you never know how the fans will react. But seeing them sing every word back to our new songs… it’s so special. To have that type of support and to feel seen not just for what our music was, but for who we are and what our music is today… we just can’t be more grateful.
Izzy: Do you, personally, have a favorite album track at the moment (even if it’s just for the week, haha), whether one you’re most proud of or one that’s just especially fun to play live?
Alex: “Every Universe” has got to be one of my favorite songs I ever wrote. It’s about conversations I have with my wife… my universe. About sitting down with her and being like, “I don’t know where you came from. I don’t know if there’s a supreme being who created you or if you’re just made of stardust… but whatever it is, I’m just so happy to be sitting across from you right now.” I remember being at the studio at Alex Marshall’s house and it was so late I decided to just sleep on the couch instead of drive home. But for whatever reason I had insomnia and woke up at like 3 in the morning wide awake, so I picked up a guitar and pretty much wrote the song right then. It’s really special.
Izzy: Obviously it’s been a while, but you did play Philadelphia (even The TLA specifically) a lot the first time around. Do you have any memories from the city, or even the venue?
Alex: When I think of the TLA I always think about walking across the street and going to Jim’s on South Street for a cheesesteak! Philly has some of the best fans in the world, so thinking of playing Philly makes me excited to see them but now I am currently salivating thinking of the cheesesteak! Haha.
Izzy: You’ve been playing together again since last fall, after over a decade since your last dates. How have you approached touring – both playing live and just being on the road – differently, compared to the earlier years of the band? I’m imagining it’s evolved quite a bit…
Alex: Ha. Yeah, it’s definitely different. We’re all older, have wives or girlfriends, me and Alex Marshall have kids. So, the bus vibes are definitely a little different than the last time we were on the road. Let’s just say there’s a lot less hangovers and our sleep scores are way higher, haha. But in many ways, it’s exactly the same, if not even better because you’re out here for a couple weeks, traveling in the same space as your best friends. There are very few times where life gives you opportunities like that, to be surrounded by people you love for weeks on end. The laughs, the memories… adventuring to new cities… it’s just something we didn’t think we’d ever do together again and it’s something we’ll never take for granted.
Izzy: What have been some of the highlights or standout moments since getting back out there on the road and playing to so many new and old fans?
Alex: Ok so I started building LEGO sets on the bus, mostly to pass the time and it’s so meditative and calming. Plus, I love collecting little items like that. But at some point, fans started bringing LEGO sets to the shows, and it evolved into this tradition where they’ll bring me a set, and I’ll trade them one that I’ve built on tour and that the full band signs. The coolest part is that it has nothing to do with the music, but somehow it’s become another way to connect with our fans. The Cab has always been about community, and it’s amazing that something as simple as building LEGO sets has created all these new moments and memories with people. We’ve really grown up alongside our fans. There are people we recognize from years ago who are now bringing their own kids to shows. The music brought us together, but it’s connections like these that remind me what The Cab has always been about: community.
Izzy: You’ve been on The Back From The Dead Tour for a few weeks now. What can be expected of the live show this time around, in terms of setlist, production, and just the general energy of the night? I think the last time we saw you was in 2012 at Union Transfer, back when you were touring Symphony Soldier.
Alex: Dude, no way! Thanks for being with us all these years. The tour has been so fun. There are definitely some songs from Symphony Soldier in the set that fans have been asking to hear for years, some that we’re playing live for the first time ever. We’re also revisiting the songs that helped define who we were as a band and became part of so many fans’ lives along the way. But we’re also playing some newer favorites from Chasing Crowns. Gotta celebrate every chapter of The Cab’s journey. We can’t spoil it too much though… so definitely expect surprises. More than anything though these shows are about reconnecting. It’s been incredible to see the response from fans. It feels less like a comeback and more like a reunion. The Cab community has always been such a huge part of what makes this band special. We want these nights to feel like a celebration of where we’ve been, where we are now, and the memories we’ve all shared together.
Izzy: On that note, I’m assuming that, in preparation for your recent live shows, you revisited a number of your classic songs for the first time in quite some time. Did any of them really stand out for you, whether because you liked them more than you remembered or they just hit differently after all these years?
Alex: Wow, that’s a good question. I mean “Angel With a Shotgun” is definitely one of them. When we released that album, it wasn’t even a single from the record, but the song took on a life of its own, especially over the last few years when we were on a break. It became like the defacto anthem for Nightcore and we were seeing all these Supernatural fan edits on TikTok. It’s crazy what the internet can do in reviving songs and connecting music with brand new audiences who hadn’t even heard of us before. So that’s definitely been one of them. The other one that has been really special is “Intoxicated.” We toured in Asia last December and only played a segment of the song, and all the fans were DMing us asking us to please play it in full. So, this tour we put it on the setlist for the first time in our lives. We’ve never played the song before so getting those messages from the fans requesting it definitely stood out to us.
Izzy: You’re touring with a number of cool acts. Here you’ll be with Paradise Fears and CARR, but I know JADY did a bunch of dates, too. What are your thoughts on your tourmates? I’m especially excited to check out CARR live.
Alex: We are so incredibly lucky and honored to be sharing the stage with such talented artists. Paradise Fears are longtime friends. Sam even officiated my wedding. We’ve toured with them in the past and it only felt right that they were part of our first tour back. And then CARR… she’s just such a badass. She’s so hilarious and unapologetically herself. Plus, there was something serendipitous about it. Like Pete Wentz helped sign us to our first record deal and then years later he signed CARR to DCD2. And JADY?! Those dudes RIPPPP. Their live set is incredible, and they just have this energy about them that leaves you being like, “Wow, that band is legit!” We couldn’t be more grateful that all three artists are part of this tour with us.
Izzy: Later this summer you are playing two Warped Tour stops, and you did play the festival back in 2010, when it was still a touring festival… What do you remember about your time on Warped Tour 2010 and what are you exceptionally excited for this year in Long Beach and Orlando?
Alex: Warped Tour is a big family reunion. It’s one of the few times you get to watch artists you grow up listening to and at the same time just bump into friends you haven’t seen in ages who you used to tour with. Whenever I go, I feel like a teenager again. Some of the best memories of my life were going to and playing Warped Tour! Selfishly, I’m excited for Orlando because I get to play Warped Tour and then take my daughter to Disney World after. Couldn’t ask for a better few days!
Izzy: Finally, what’s next for The Cab? Are you hoping to continue touring as a band and making more new music, or are you just seeing how things go for now?
Alex: There’s definitely a lot we’re excited about right now. New music is a big part of that, doing more shows, playing concerts in countries we’ve never been to. There’s a sense of freedom when we think about what’s next for The Cab. We’re allowing ourselves to experiment, follow ideas wherever they lead, and make music because we genuinely love doing it together. That’s been one of the most rewarding parts of coming back — rediscovering that excitement and not worrying so much about what something is supposed to sound like. Right now, it just feels like the possibilities are wide open, and that’s a really inspiring place to be.
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