After boldly and unexpectedly returning in grand fashion nearly two years ago, Fall Out Boy have barely paused for reflection. Following the release of their controversial comeback,Save Rock And Roll, the Chicago pop-rockers toured exhaustively in support of it. Just as the dust began to settle in 2014, a new single dropped in the form of the piano-driven anthem ‘Centuries’. If that wasn’t enough, lead vocalist Patrick Stump and guitarist Joe Trohman both became first-time fathers. With three-quarters of the band now dads, it’s safe to say that parenthood has inspired a major shift in how Fall Out Boy perceive themselves as a unit. They’re certainly not the kids they used to be.
“I think it’s impossible for it not to be a factor,” says bassist, lyricist and father of two, Pete Wentz. “When you’re a father, you’re instinctively trained to think of someone else before you think of yourself. It’s definitely impacted the way we think about touring and that sort of thing. [Wentz’ six-year-old] Bronx comes on tour with us now, he watches us play pretty much every night. In a lot of ways, though, I’m just ‘Dad’ to him. I’m not the guy from Fall Out Boy. He’s basically seeing me at my job, which by now I don’t think he finds all that interesting. Everyone grows up, it’s just a part of life. That’s kind of what’s happening with the band.”
More new tracks ended up dropping like breadcrumbs online, leading up to the announcement and subsequent release of the band’s seventh album, American Beauty/American Psycho. It may borrow its title from two of the most beloved cult hits of turn-of-the-century cinema, but Wentz explains there is a deeper meaning behind what the band is hoping to achieve with its second post-comeback release.
“When we were growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, it felt like it was a really anticlimactic place to grow up,” he says. “There were all these bands and songs and artists that inspired us, telling us in their own way that we could do this. I think that needs to be happening for kids out there now. I hope there’s something that makes a kid want to pick up a guitar or start a band. When you’re living out in the middle of nowhere, you don’t necessarily have the blueprint for getting out of there and figuring out what it’s all about. I mean, it could come from anyone. There’s no rhyme or reason, other than ambition, talent and a little bit of luck. We wanted to make songs that would kind of be that shot for people – we wanted to make songs that people could get behind.”
When Save Rock And Roll was released in the summer of 2013, the timing lined up nicely with the ten-year anniversary of the band’s beloved debut, Take This To Your Grave. Fall Out Boy celebrated the milestone by incorporating many of the old songs into their sets and revisiting the house in which the album’s cover photo was taken. With the release of American Beauty/American Psycho, they have serendipitously found themselves close to the ten-year anniversary of what is widely considered to be their major breakthrough album, From Under The Cork Tree. Wentz looks back on the time of that album’s release as one of confusion and wonder – a time when things that Fall Out Boy are very much accustomed to now seemed foreign and scary.
“It was so strange – we really didn’t know what we were doing,” he says. “All of a sudden, the band kind of became like this machine – we had a label backing us and we were suddenly touring internationally; the whole thing was just bizarre to us. We really felt like we didn’t fit the mould of the kind of acts that would have those things happen to them. It was the first time we’d gone away from Chicago to make a record. We were so unsure of everything – I mean, there was a point where ‘Sugar, We’re Goin Down’ had a different chorus and we weren’t planning to have it on the record. It would be really cool to do something to commemorate that time – I’m not sure what we’ll do, but we should definitely make that happen.”
Australia is one of the first places the band will visit in support of the new album, joining what is already a blockbuster two-day Soundwave lineup. Even with such a diverse array of bands on the bill, Wentz and co. are more than aware that they’re bound to stick out – and it’s something they hope will work in their favour.
“We always try and approach festival settings differently. We’re more than aware that there are people that are not necessarily there to see us – maybe, in this case, they’re hanging to see Marilyn Manson, or they wanna see [Judas] Priest or Incubus or whoever else. We’ve got to be open to winning over that kind of crowd. That’s all that we used to do when the band was starting out. We’d play Warped, Reading and Leeds, things like that – there’s always people to win over and have on your side. You need them in that environment.”
Catch them atSoundwave Festival 2015alongsideFaith No More, The Smashing Pumpkins, Incubus, Slipknot, Slash and many more atSydney Olympic ParkfromSaturday February 28 to Sunday March 1. Also appearing at UNSW Roundhouse on Tuesday February 24, tickets online.American Beauty/American Psycho out now through Island/Universal.
