The After Party have hit the ground running. Formed in 2010, they have recorded 3 EPs and built themselves a loyal fanbase. Their latest release, Kansas, will camp out in your head and throw a party. Singer/guitarist Brandon spoke to us about the new songs, covering Katy Perry, and stick ponies.How did you come up with the name?
Before, we were in a band with a much longer name, and this time we needed something shorter and catchier. One day we were chilling out and made a list. We chose The After Party.
I've had Kansas for a week and it won't get out of my head. What has the reception been like?
Thank you. It's been great. This seems to be the album that people have caught onto the most. They really connected to it. I think it was number 32 on iTunes when it came out.
I saw on your website that you guys do house parties. What's the craziest thing that has ever happened at one of them?
Once I woke up in the middle of the night and a girl was taking pictures of me. There were a few things... Some stories shouldn't be told.
The video for "Secret Lover" proves you guys have a great sense of humor. Whose idea were the stick ponies?
I'm not sure. A friend of ours agreed to do it because a bigger producer wouldn't. [The other producer] said it was silly and we said, "Yeah, that's what we want." We basically put it together the night before. Except the night before we couldn't find the stick ponies, so we were driving out there [to the shoot] and we stopped at a dollar store and they had stick ponies! It was meant to be.
The After Party's Kansas is irresistible fun, a perfect blend of pop with a punk edge. You can't help but sing along with more than a few clever lines. It kicks things off straightaway with the handclap rhythm of "Waste The Day", whose jazzy breakdown at the end makes it a great party jam. "A Better Me" is cheerfully derisive in the tradition of Cee Lo Green's "Fuck You," declaring "our love was fiction and baby that's a fact." It's a breakup song for the dance floor, while the addictive beat of "She's Gotta Boyfriend" was made to be blasted out over a huge crowd jumping up and down.
