R5 Rocks!

I remember the exact moment I knew I wanted to write. I was 14, sitting on the couch e-chatting with some internet friends I’d made through this tiny band i loved called R5, and we were all energetically fawning over a new article about them that had just come out. The piece was poignant, descriptive, gripping, and evoked this absurd sense of intimate emotion through mere words, and I realized that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life: tell good stories.

Six years later, I’m here sharing an article I wrote for Local Wolves about this not-so-tiny band called R5. A lot changes in that duration — I hadn’t necessarily kept up closely with the band’s endeavors throughout it, but within a month found myself at 20 years old dancing in the same room as them celebrating at a release party in LA, and then sitting on my bed talking on the phone with Rocky, smiling like i was 14 again.

It goes without saying, then, that this conversation triggered a landslide of nostalgia and introspection. I could go on and on about how this feels like full circle in every sense of the term, but I won’t bore you — I’ll just say that there are slivers of moments where every little nuance and intricacy of the narrative makes sense, and this is one of them.

Hey check out the #SomtimeLastNight Medley me and @itsmekaylat did! We had so much fun doing it and we LOVE #R5 and saw them in concert a few weeks ago so please share it! The link is here but also in Kayla’s bio! ALSO FOLLOW KAYLA CAUSE SHE’S MY BEST FRIEND AND SHES REALLY COOL! 😎✌🏾️ #R5rocks

https://youtu.be/o-1aKnoVVkM

Sometime Last Night is the follow up to R5’s debut, Louder, which debuted at #24 on Billboard’s Top 200 upon it’s release in September of 2013.  It’s also went #1 in 10 countries upon it’s international release.

The Sometime Last Night U.S. summer tour kicks off July 7 in Orange Park, FL and includes cities like Boston, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Houston and Los Angeles at Greek Theatre on August 23. R5 will perform “All Night"on Good Morning America July 13 and on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael on July 16.

When it came time to create their second album, L.A.-based band R5 spent months holed up in the garage of their shared home building a summery yet sharp brand of groove-heavy, guitar-driven pop-rock. Lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Ross Lynch, his siblings Riker (bass/vocals), Rocky (lead guitar/vocals), and Rydel (keyboard/vocals), and drummer/vocalist Ellington “Ratliff” had recently wrapped up nearly two years of globe-wide touring in support of their debut album LOUDER, a 2013 release that climbed to No. 1 on iTunes in ten countries. But instead of putting out the follow-up they’d originally completed (an album mostly made up of songs authored by outside writers), R5 decided to start from scratch, write on their own, and push the band into a new direction completely in line with their singular musical vision.

The result: Sometime Last Night, a selection of arena-sized pop songs shot through with gorgeously crafted melodies, electrifying harmonies, and lyrics culled from real-life stories the band’s been through over the past few years. “The song “All Night” really sums up the theme behind the whole record,” says Ross of Sometime Last Night’s bright and shimmering, epically catchy opening track. “It’s about going out and staying out all night, not caring that you’ve gotta get up at five in the morning for the next gig, sacrificing sleep to just live it up and experience everything you can.”

Mainly produced by Matt Wallace (Maroon 5, O.A.R., the Replacements), Sometime Last Night finds R5 teaming up with songwriters such as Savan Kotecha (Ariana Grande, Ellie Goulding, The Weeknd) for a track but ultimately taking the helm for the majority of the album. With the band bringing a deeper level of honesty and realness to their songwriting, Sometime Last Night explores everything from post-breakup regret (on the darkly charged “Lightning Strikes”) to the thrill of—in Ross’s words—“giving in to bad temptations because they usually end up making good stories” (on “Dark Side,” a synth-laced piece of edgy disco-pop). One of Sometime Last Night’s most moving moments, “Repeating Days” blends melancholy guitar tones with gently pulsing beats before unfolding into a stripped-back acoustic pastiche in its final minute. “That song was inspired by a relationship I was in, a slightly dysfunctional situation where the same thing kept happening over and over and it just went on way too long,” explains Rocky. And on other tracks, R5 let their infectiously hopeful spirit take over: the piano-charged and propulsive lead single “Let’s Not Be Alone” puts a happy spin on the last-chance hookup, “F.E.E.L.G.O.O.D.” delivers an R&B-tinged throwback party jam, and “Wild Hearts” fuses brilliantly shifting tempos, massive beats, and irresistibly sweet harmonies into an all-out powerhouse of an anthem.

While R5 penned the album’s lyrics with close attention to the message and storytelling behind each track, the musical element of Sometime Last Night had much looser origins. “When we started writing, we weren’t trying to fit the songs into some kind of R5 formula—we were just making music that we liked and that felt right to us,” says Rocky. And though most of the album was written in the garage, a number of Sometime Last Night’s songs emerged on the fly. The gloriously sunny, bass-powered “I Know You Got Away,” for instance, first came to life while the band was driving around town. “We were in the car, and I was humming this bassline I’d just come up with, and then Ross pulls out his guitar and starts playing it as we’re driving along,” recalls Rocky. “I recorded it on my phone, and the next day we got up and started putting the song together.”

In constructing each of Sometime Last Night’s tracks, R5 mined their musical roots to match huge hooks with richly textured arrangements. “We love groups like the Beach Boys and the Beatles, who wrote these incredibly intricate pop songs, and one of our missions to make the music complex but still have a sort of simplicity to it,” says Ratliff. And when the band headed into the studio, their main goal was to preserve the raw energy of the initial creative process. “The most important thing was to work with someone who understood that what we created in the garage was so authentic to us, and who wouldn’t try to steer away from that,” Riker notes. The band found just that in Matt Wallace, as well as in Captain Cuts (the production team known for their work with Walk The Moon, Grouplove, and Marina & the Diamonds), who served as producers and co-writers on “All Night.”

Throughout Sometime Last Night, R5 reveal a rare balance of sophisticated musicianship and pure pop instincts that’s got much to do with their lifelong music obsessions. “We were raised in a very musical household,” says Riker of the Lynch siblings, who grew up in Littleton, Colorado. “Our parents were always playing stuff like Bruce Springsteen and INXS and Michael Jackson, and we’ve all been singing basically since we could talk.” All of the Lynches learned to play an instrument as kids, and in their early teens Riker and Rocky began writing songs of their own. In 2009—two years after the family moved to L.A.—the Lynch siblings formed a band with their then-new friend Ratliff completing the lineup. “We started out just jamming constantly in our living room, and in June of 2009 and we had our first official show,” says Riker. “That summer we played out almost every weekend, every chance we could get.”

Once they’d honed their chops, R5 self-released the EP Ready Set Rock in early 2010. Meanwhile, Riker and Ross each found success as actors, with Riker taking a role on Glee and Ross starring in Austin & Ally and in the 2013 Disney Channel original Teen Beach Movie. After signing a deal with Hollywood Records in April 2012, R5 put out their EP Loud the next February and their full-length debut Louder in September 2013. In the midst of the constant touring that followed, R5 built up a major fanbase that’s earned them more than 3.3 million Facebook likes and over 6 million combined Twitter followers.

With the band’s incendiary live performance captured in R5: All Day, All Night (a new concert documentary that gives a never-before-seen glimpse into the band’s career), R5 are now gearing up to head out on the road again for a 2015 – 2016 U.S. and international headlining tour. And in both their live show and on the songs featured on Sometime Last Night, R5 prove themselves to be propelled by a powerful chemistry that makes their music all the more dynamic and vital. “We genuinely loving making music together, to the point where we even get so excited about just going in to practice,” says Riker. “We love being onstage and playing for a crowd more than anything else, and the fact that we get to do that with our closest friends is really the coolest thing in the world.”

Official Website | Facebook | Instagram l VEVO | YouTube | R5: All Day All Night trailer Twitter - @officialR5; @rossR5; @rockyR5; @rikerR5; @rydelR5; @ratliffR5

Fresh off an electrifying performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, pop-rock quintet R5 has announced more than 20 additional tour dates for their Sometime Last Night headline tour, launching their winter 2016 leg on January 26 in Stockton, CA, at the Bob Hope Theatre and continue through cities such as New York City, Chicago, San Diego, Cleveland, Memphis, Minneapolis and Orlando. The tour will feature Ryland as opener.

R5 fan club members will have first access to concert tickets through the band’s fan club presale beginning Wednesday June 17 at 10 a.m. local time until June 18 at 10 p.m. local time. Tickets for the tour will go on sale to the general public in select cities starting Friday June 19 at 10 a.m. local time. VIP packages available for the summer tour will also be available for the winter dates. For more information and full details, please see below and visit www.R5Rocks.com and www.AXS.com.

R5’s highly-anticipated sophomore album Sometime Last Night is due out July 10 worldwide. The album is available for general public pre-order (U.S. only) HERE and the current single “Let’s Not Be Alone Tonight” has amassed more than 5 million views on Vevo and YouTube.

Building further excitement for the album’s release, R5 debuted two tracks – “All Night” and “F.E.E.L. G.O.O.D” – on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last week and will perform on ABC’s Good Morning America on July 13 & LIVE! with Kelly and Michael on July 16.

As previously announced, the Sometime Last Night tour kicks off this summer on July 7 in Orange Park, FL at the Thrasher-Horne Center For The Arts and will include stops in Boston, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Houston, San Jose, Phoenix and Los Angeles’ famed Greek Theatre. The 30+ date leg will feature special guests Jacob Whitesides and Ryland.  

R5 U.S. Winter 2016 Tour Dates Featuring opener Ryland – additional support act to be announced Date City Venue January 26, 2016 Stockton, CA Bob Hope Theatre January 27, 2016 Fresno, CA William Saroyan Theatre January 30, 2016 San Diego, CA Balboa Theatre February 1, 2016 Tucson, AZ Tucson Music Hall February 2, 2016 Albuquerque, NM Kiva Auditorium February 9, 2016 Memphis, TN Cannon Center For The Performing Arts February 10, 2016 Birmingham, AL Iron City February 12, 2016 Orlando, FL Dr. Phillips Center For The Performing Arts February 13, 2016 Clearwater, FL** Ruth Eckerd Hall February 16, 2016 Augusta, GA William B. Bell Auditorium February 17, 2016 Knoxville, TN Knoxville Civic Auditorium February 18, 2016 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium February 20, 2016 Norfolk, VA The NorVa February 21, 2016 Richmond, VA The National February 27, 2016 New York, NY Beacon Theatre March 1, 2016 Providence, RI The VETS March 2, 2016 Burlington, VT Flynn Center For The Performing Arts March 4, 2016 Albany, NY Palace Theatre March 5, 2016 Rochester, NY Auditorium Theatre March 8, 2016 Cleveland, OH* State Theatre March 10, 2016 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre March 11, 2016 Minneapolis, MN** State Theatre March 14, 2016 Omaha, NE Holland Performing Arts Center March 15, 2016 Tulsa, OK Brady Theater *on sale on Friday, June 19 at 11 a.m. local time **on sale on Friday, June 19 at noon local time

R5 U.S. Summer 2015 Tour Dates (on sale now) Featuring special guests Jacob Whitesides and Ryland Date City Venue July 7, 2015 Orange Park, FL Thrasher-Horne Center For The Arts July 8, 2015 Boca Raton, FL Mizner Park Amphitheater July 10, 2015 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre July 11, 2015 Raleigh, NC Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts July 12, 2015 Vienna, VA Wolf Trap July 14, 2015 Mashantucket, CT The Grand Theater at Foxwood Casino July 16, 2015 Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion at Meadowbrook July 17, 2015 Boston, MA House of Blues July 18, 2015 West Windsor, NJ Mercer County Park Festival Grounds July 20, 2015 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE – Outdoors July 21, 2015 Kettering, OH Fraze Pavilion July 22, 2015 Sterling Heights, MI Freedom Hill Amphitheatre July 24, 2015 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theater July 25, 2015 St. Charles, MO The Family Arena July 26, 2015 Kansas City, MO Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland July 28, 2015 Bloomington, IL U.S. Cellular Coliseum July 29, 2015 Louisville, KY Iroquois Amphitheater July 30, 2015 Whites Creek, TN Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater August 1, 2015 Oklahoma City, OK Frontier City Starlight Amphitheater August 2, 2015 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie August 4, 2015 Houston, TX Bayou Music Center August 5, 2015 New Braunfels, TX Whitewater Amphitheatre August 8, 2015 Denver, CO Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park August 11, 2015 West Valley City, UT Maverik Center August 12, 2015 Boise, ID Morrison Center For The Performing Arts August 14, 2015 Redmond, WA Marymoor Park August 15, 2015 Eugene, OR Cuthbert Amphitheatre August 18, 2015 San Jose, CA City National Civic August 20, 2015 Henderson, NV Henderson Pavilion August 22, 2015 Mesa, AZ Mesa Amphitheatre August 23, 2015 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre

ABOUT R5: Led by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Ross Lynch, R5 came together in 2009 and is comprised of Lynch’s siblings Riker (bass/vocals), Rocky (lead guitar/vocals) and Rydel (keyboard/vocals) and friend Ellington “Ratliff” (drums/vocals). R5 has rapidly emerged as an exciting new voice in the world of pop rock. The band has moved one step closer to world domination with the release of their upcoming sophomore album, Sometime Last Night, the follow up to their hit debut album LOUDER, which rocketed to No. 1 on iTunes in 10 countries upon its September 24, 2013 release. The band has recently appeared on Good Morning America, Ellen, LIVE! with Kelly & Michael and Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Riker most recently finished as runner-up on Season 20 of ABC’s smash hit Dancing With The Stars, consistently receiving top scores from the judges and fans alike.

Ross currently stars as Austin Moon, one-half of an internet music duo, on the Disney Channel’s hit comedy series Austin & Ally, which is in its fourth and final season. Ross won his third consecutive Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite TV Actor for his role on the show and just received Teen Choice’s Choice TV Actor: Comedy nomination (he was nominated and won this category last year). This summer, fans will be able to catch him on the silver screen as modern day surfer Brady in the Disney Channel Original Movie Teen Beach 2, the sequel to 2013’s smash hit Teen Beach Movie.

The band self-released their first EP, Ready Set Rock in 2010 and signed with Hollywood Records in April of 2012 and released their second EP, Loud, on February 19, 2013. The quintet starred in a 5-part VEVO series titled “R5 on R5,” which saw cameras follow them on a 2013 sold-out tour that included shows in the U.S., Canada, Australia, England and France. The band made a triumphant return to Europe in early 2014 and recently released a 6-part VEVO series, R5 Live in London, capturing the mania of R5 fans during a magnetic show in London this past March. The band recently brought R5: All Day, All Night to the big screen for one night only. The documentary takes a never-before-seen look at the band’s career from inception to the present and includes exclusive interviews, concert footage and footage from the band’s early years.

Official Website | Facebook | Instagram l VEVO | YouTube | R5: All Day All Night trailer Twitter - @officialR5; @rossR5; @rockyR5; @rikerR5; @rydelR5; @ratliffR5

…and my heart still feels the same. 

-R5, Love To Love Her