- 2 days ago
The Paradox stops by the KROQ Studios to chat with Megan Holiday about their new song "I Kinda Like That" and their forthcoming EP 'Proceed With Caution' available everywhere October 2nd.
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00It is the world famous K-Rock, I'm Megan Holliday and I am here with The Paradox.
00:04Hi.
00:04Hi you guys.
00:06It's so good to see you.
00:07We're so happy to be here.
00:08The last time we were hanging out was at Acoustic Christmas and a lot has happened since then.
00:13Yeah.
00:13And we're actually here today because you just dropped a brand new song.
00:17I kind of like that.
00:19We're so excited.
00:19So right out the gate, let's just talk about this new song.
00:22What I feel about it is like, this is like The Paradox 2.0, sounds very polished.
00:28The production is really good, it's super clear, but it still sounds like you guys,
00:32you know what I mean?
00:33So, tell us a little bit about this song.
00:37So, this song was a song that we worked on with our friends Dano and Nick Furlong and
00:45we...
00:46Is this his nickname?
00:46No, never mind.
00:47Oh my god.
00:49Uh oh.
00:49This is for radio.
00:51This is radio, buddy.
00:53No, but it was absolutely, we worked on this.
00:57When was it?
00:58Like last year?
00:59I think.
00:59I think so.
01:00Not long before we saw you.
01:01Oh, okay.
01:02And it was...
01:02Yeah, we were so excited to work on this one.
01:05We have like, I said, you know, three singles that we're coming out with.
01:08We came out with Good For Me already.
01:10Just dropped, I kind of like that.
01:12And we have another one that's coming out.
01:14Now it'll be a little more rough while this one's a little more polished.
01:16Ooh, okay.
01:17So trying to like, you know, yeah, like get all our influences out there.
01:20Absolutely.
01:22And you guys worked with a lot of different producers on this EP.
01:27Yeah.
01:27Which is coming out, Proceed with Caution, coming out October 2nd.
01:32Yeah.
01:33And a producer who I really love a lot is Paul Meany that I've known.
01:38Because I was a fan of Mute Math.
01:40Like I was in high school going out to see his band Mute Math.
01:43Back in the day.
01:44And then I watched him morph into this epic producer.
01:46So what was your guys' experience working with him?
01:50And can you talk about the song or songs that you worked on with him?
01:55Ooh.
01:55Well, Paul was absolutely amazing.
01:58It was really cool like getting to like bond with him.
02:02Just like over the love for like old music and stuff like that.
02:05And a lot of like the way like stuff was made in like a more like raw fashion and stuff.
02:09So, yeah, like I said, you know, this next single that'll be out would be like a little more raw.
02:14And we worked on that with him, so.
02:15He just put us in a room and we just got to recording.
02:19I think no matter what, we always try to make sure like the core of our like songs,
02:22like no matter like how polished or raw is just like the four of us just, you know, playing.
02:26Yeah, just being organic and making the music that feels authentic to you guys.
02:31And I think that that's one of the things that so many people are attracted to about your band
02:36is that you're so excited about life and what you're doing, what you're working on.
02:41So what else in the studio do you feel like you picked up from working with some of these other
02:47producers?
02:47Or how do you feel like you guys have sort of grown musically?
02:52Oh, I for me personally, I am, you know, like I said, I think I was always very like big
02:58on like melody and like, you know, the production and stuff.
03:00But recently I've taken a deep dive back in like the Beatles.
03:04Yeah, it's locked into a lot of like the writing and stuff and just a lot of great songs that
03:08I've like listened to and loved and like really they could have just said a bunch of like gibberish and
03:12I would have still ate it up.
03:13But like hearing like the writing and like how clever it is and stuff like that and just like trying
03:18to tap into that more.
03:20And I think also just like with producers and stuff just seeing everyone's different techniques because everyone has a different
03:25way of doing things like everyone uses a different DAW.
03:28Everyone like records their bass different or they record their guitars different and it's like just picking up on like
03:32those sorts of things and like almost like building like an arsenal of like different sounds and techniques and stuff.
03:38What inspires you lyrically today?
03:42Oh, life just everything.
03:45I think like, you know, it was different before like two years ago, like my life was a lot more
03:50mundane.
03:51But now like, you know, I see new faces like yours, you know, every day and it's, you know, experience
03:57new things every day and I get to talk to a lot of different people.
03:59So it'll just like come from, you know, either personal experiences that I'm going through stuff that these guys might
04:05be going through or just like conversating with people.
04:07You know, people will tell you like the most insane personal stories and it will usually turn into a song.
04:13Yeah, you have a lot more to sort of grab from every day because you guys are moving all the
04:19time.
04:20You're in a different city, you're here and you're there.
04:22So, yeah, definitely a lot to grab from.
04:26And you guys just, well, so you're playing Warped Tour, you know, Warped Tour don't usually have bands play back
04:34to back years, right?
04:36Yeah. And the first time I got to see you guys was last year at Warped Tour.
04:41Long Beach.
04:42And that was when, yeah, in Long Beach.
04:44And that was when you guys brought out Travis Barker.
04:47So can you talk a little bit about the experience of playing Warped Tour last year, what that meant to
04:53you and how it's been on this run, which I'm going to get to go and see you guys this
04:59weekend at Warped Tour.
05:01Last year's run was absolutely amazing.
05:03We got to visit DC.
05:05We were on tour with Games We Play.
05:07I got to sing with Alex from All Time Low on stage, which was insane, very surreal.
05:13And then we also met Derek Wibley out there, too, which was really cool.
05:17Oh, my God.
05:17And Machine Gun Kelly.
05:18Shout out to him and Mod Son.
05:19Yes!
05:20Oh, I love Mod.
05:21It was so insane.
05:22But then we went to, when we did Long Beach, that was wild.
05:26It was a dream come true.
05:28It was, like, yeah, very surreal.
05:29Because, like, you know, I think we all, like, we never got to, like, go to Warped Tour, but we
05:33all watched it on YouTube and stuff.
05:34So, like, getting to experience it, especially from, like, that POV of, like, on stage was pretty insane and seeing,
05:41like, how crazy people went for us.
05:42And this year, I mean, it meant a lot more because, obviously, we went back to DC and we just
05:47played that.
05:48And then, yeah, Long Beach, we're so excited to go back to that.
05:52And then Orlando, because me and Donald were from Florida.
05:55Oh, yeah, that's right.
05:56Yeah.
05:57A lot of family, a lot of friends out there, so they'll get to see us.
06:00And Montreal, which is Canada.
06:02We love Canada.
06:03Yes!
06:03Yeah, they're very healthy out there.
06:04I love it.
06:06What have you guys done this year that over this past year that has just kind of blown your mind
06:13where you just go, I can't believe that I'm here right now or that I'm meeting this person?
06:18Tiny Desk.
06:19Tiny Desk.
06:20Oh, yeah, I saw that.
06:22I've been watching Tiny Desk in my drawers for the past.
06:24Dude, since you were like little kids, bro, yeah.
06:27So the fact that, you know, we're on it now and we're on the YouTube channel and I can click
06:32it and see our faces.
06:34This is insane.
06:34I'm not gonna lie, bro.
06:35It felt like an out-of-body experience.
06:38It was crazy, bro.
06:40Shoot.
06:41For me, it has to be playing Rockville and Daytona Beach.
06:45You know, like that's so close to our hometown.
06:47Heck yeah.
06:47And it was really hot, but...
06:50It was humid, bro.
06:51It was so humid.
06:51But you wouldn't be able to tell.
06:53Like we had a great time doing it and everything.
06:55Of course.
06:55Yeah.
06:56What about you?
06:57Yeah, I almost died out there at Rockville.
07:00Because of the heat.
07:01I was jumping around.
07:02The more I jumped around, I felt myself going to survival mode.
07:07Oh my God.
07:08Primal.
07:09And can we talk about a little spill that may or may not happened at Bottle Rock?
07:15That's what I was about to say.
07:16That was my peak moment was getting to watch that happen.
07:18That was crazy.
07:19That looked so painful.
07:22Yeah, right, right.
07:23That was you, Zellen, right?
07:24Yeah.
07:25Yeah?
07:26So you fell off the speaker there in the front.
07:30So like what happened?
07:32Were you okay?
07:33I couldn't breathe for like probably maybe two minutes.
07:37Just laying on the ground.
07:38So like I tried to get it back up on the stage.
07:40I stepped on too early.
07:42I tried to catch my balance.
07:43Couldn't catch my balance.
07:44Slipped on the wires on the stage.
07:46Fell on my sternum on the corner of the speaker monitor.
07:50Then fell to the ground.
07:51Oh my God.
07:52But you kind of, you kept playing though.
07:54He's thinking about the camera guy.
07:56He's thinking about the camera guy.
07:59So look, Zeland just knocked out on the ground, right?
08:02Because this is RPOV.
08:04Like he falls and we're like, oh man, Zeland done fell again.
08:06But it took a little minute.
08:07He didn't get up.
08:08So we're like, oh man, we stopped.
08:09Go to check on him, bro.
08:11And it's like, you just look up.
08:12You see a dude with a camera, big ass camera.
08:14Like, sorry, I can't say that.
08:15There you go.
08:15Big old camera just like that.
08:17And bro's like in the chair, bro.
08:19And just the lens just zoomed in.
08:20It was a comically large lens.
08:22It was on.
08:22You see it opening and closing.
08:24He got the earpiece on.
08:25They're like, yeah, you got that, Bill?
08:26Get the shot.
08:26Get the shot, Bill.
08:27Oh yeah, he's not getting up, Bill.
08:29Oh yeah.
08:30Anyone have that footage, man?
08:31Like why did y'all do that?
08:32I need that footage.
08:33You're giving Bottle Rock the content that was needed.
08:36The rock and roll content.
08:37But he was a trooper.
08:39He got up and he was in a lot of pain in all seriousness.
08:42And like he did dug it out.
08:43Because I was like, yeah, I figured we were done.
08:45Did you want to just like call it?
08:46And he was like, no, I got it.
08:50I was like, I bet.
08:51Hell yeah.
08:52You did.
08:52I know.
08:53Cause I saw you like finished the set and everything.
08:55So surprisingly, you know, that's part of it.
08:58So my tour manager was just like talking to me.
09:01Like you like, yo, you don't have to get up right now.
09:03You know, you can, you can end the show.
09:06Like go to hospital, do whatever.
09:07But if you get back up, that'd be the most bad a S that I've ever seen.
09:12Yes.
09:13Yes.
09:14And you did it.
09:15You pushed through.
09:16What has been one of the biggest highlights for you over this since everything has happened?
09:21Wow.
09:23Honestly, I'm going to take it.
09:24I'm going to take it back to last year.
09:25Yeah.
09:26Long Beach Warped Tour with Travis playing with us.
09:29It's like me being a Blink fan pretty much throughout my whole life.
09:34And the reason why I do what I do in the first place and just having him behind the kid.
09:37I turn around.
09:38He's right there.
09:40Honestly, every kid that's a Blink fan is dream come true.
09:44You know, I'm still thankful.
09:46Are you guys still in touch with him and all that stuff?
09:48Yeah.
09:49Yeah.
09:50Do you, do you think, you know, you guys will be able to collaborate again at some point?
09:55For sure.
09:55Of course.
09:56Yeah.
09:56Yeah, definitely.
09:57Absolutely.
09:57That would be awesome.
09:58Is there anything that you guys miss about life before being in the crazy band?
10:04Oh, don't get me started.
10:06Having the free time, the game all the time, not worrying about nothing.
10:09Right.
10:10At the same time, I hated being broken working at nine to five, especially working two to
10:14ten.
10:14That sucked.
10:15The day is gone.
10:15What jobs did you guys work?
10:17I had 25 jobs.
10:18Bro, what?
10:19My first job was McDonald's.
10:21I can't lie.
10:22I didn't hold onto jobs long.
10:23McDonald's, Dollar General.
10:24I worked as a care assistant for like special needs kids.
10:28Oh my gosh.
10:29Um, nah, it really wasn't.
10:30I was wiping booty and stuff.
10:32It was, it was crazy.
10:33But we, uh, after that, I ended up working at this big shop and, uh, yeah, now I'm doing
10:40this, but I'll say, uh, I think kind of as Ian was saying, uh, the time, I think like
10:45definitely like it's, uh, you know, different, like having to like travel and stuff so much,
10:50but to be honest, my, my bank accounts a lot happier now.
10:53Yes.
10:54Amen.
10:54I was delivering for Amazon.
10:57ODP.
10:58I did.
10:58What's ODP stand for?
11:00Office Depot.
11:00Okay.
11:01Oh, nice.
11:02ODP.
11:03I thought it was good.
11:04I thought it meant something else.
11:07I got my van stolen.
11:09Working at Amazon.
11:10Yeah.
11:11Yeah.
11:11I stole it.
11:12What?
11:13My van was taking off.
11:15Oh yeah.
11:16That's insane.
11:17I can see it.
11:18Shout out Atlanta.
11:18Shout out East Atlanta.
11:19Wow.
11:20It was like a cartoon.
11:20His eyes just popped out.
11:22I'm like, no way.
11:24So you guys were working your asses off.
11:26You were hustling.
11:27You were like getting everything done, but you still were so dedicated and in love with
11:32the, your craft and with your band and what the music that you're making.
11:35Yeah.
11:35And look at how far you've come, you know, playing Warped Tour again.
11:40And then you guys also, you just recently announced a tour that's going to be happening
11:44in October in the fall.
11:46Yes.
11:47So going to a bunch of different cities.
11:49So anyone who's watching, you know, you might be going to their city.
11:51So excited.
11:52Yeah.
11:53It's going to be a party.
11:53So what are you guys looking forward to just as, as things are moving ahead?
11:58Are there any goals, any dream collaborations, just anything that we can put out in the
12:03universe and try to make that happen for the paradox.
12:05I'm going to meet Paul McCartney.
12:07Yes.
12:07I need to meet Paul McCartney more than anything.
12:11Oh man.
12:12We are going to.
12:14That's a great goal, bro.
12:15I think it's a great answer.
12:16I have Beatles stuff all over my house.
12:17We're going to make another song with Travis Barker.
12:19Okay.
12:19Yes.
12:20Yeah.
12:20That's a good goal.
12:21Realistic.
12:21I like that.
12:22Love that.
12:23One of my dream collabs for us is.
12:25Michael Jackson.
12:27How'd you know?
12:28He's going to go into the vault.
12:30Coldplay.
12:32Coldplay.
12:33I love me.
12:34Coldplay.
12:35Curveball.
12:36I love that.
12:37Okay.
12:38All right.
12:38Chris Martin.
12:39I love Smells Like Teen Spirit.
12:42For me, it would be to win our first Grammy ever.
12:45All right.
12:46So the new EP, Proceed with Caution, that's coming out on October 2nd.
12:51Yes.
12:51I'm so excited to watch you guys absolutely shred and just get down this weekend at Warped
12:56Tour.
12:56I'm just excited to be here.
12:57And I just, I know I always say this to you guys, but I was so looking forward to you
13:01coming in because you just have this excitement, this zest for life, this energy that I so love
13:06and appreciate.
13:07I'm just so excited for everything that's happening for you guys.
13:13Thanks for coming in you guys.
13:14It really is.
13:15All right.
13:16The Paradox.
13:17I'm Megan Holliday.
13:17It's KROQ.
13:18Thanks for watching.
13:19Big peace.
13:20Big peace.
Comments