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Indie rock darlings The Dangerous Summer have finally released their highly anticipated new album, Coming Home, and it is, for lack of a better word, magnificent. 

The album marks the start of a whole new era for The Dangerous Summer, who recently added longtime touring guitarist Josh Withenshaw (ex-Every Avenue) as an official member alongside drummer Christian Zawacki. 

The eleven-track body of work shows off the band's experience with its illustrative instrumentation and sharp production creating a sonic experience that takes fans on a journey of finding themselves.

"We named the album Coming Home because it's about coming back to ourselves," explains vocalist and bassist AJ Perdomo. "A full rock band vibe centered around driving guitars and emotionally heart-wrenching lyrics. It felt like a full-circle moment. It was the first time the four of us got in a room, lived in the studio for almost two months, and dug deep with sleepless nights and everything to get it done. We put everything we had into this record and we are ready to share it with the world."

The Noise was able to talk with guitarists Matt Kennedy and Josh Withenshaw all about the album's creation, how the band stays grounded, and what the future lies ahead. To read what they had to say, see below. To grab a copy of Coming Home, head here.

Leading up to the release of this album, the band has been busy traveling and releasing singles. So what has been a highlight of the whole process so far leading up to release day?

Josh Withenshaw: I'd say a lot of the highlights have been when we're in the studio creating these things and just seeing them come to life. That's obviously a highlight. Then it doesn't feel real until we see the reaction from people, so that's a major highlight too. It's been really exciting seeing these things get out there, seeing people's responses, and seeing how these songs affect them because they mean something to us.

Right like there's that bond you connect and strengthen not only amongst yourselves as a group, but then that bond becomes stronger with your listeners, both old and new.

Josh: Absolutely! It's that great connection that happens at live shows and stuff. It's our bond. You find what it means to you and where it connects to you. I think that's a beautiful thing.

Matt Kennedy: Kind of just going off what Josh said about being able to all get together: This was the first record we all wrote together. Josh has been touring with us for years but this is the first time he, myself, AJ [Perdomo], and our new drummer Christian [Zawacki] were able to all get in the same room. I think we were able to take our old sound and then make something special and brand new by having all four of us in a room for the first time, so I think that was a big highlight. This spark was created from all of us being able to write for the first time together and we got to know each other as artists rather than just friends.

Can you share a bit more about the collaborative writing process?

Matt: I know it's different with every band, but with our band, at least the last eight or ten years when I joined in 2012, it's almost always been the band kind of makes the music first, and we pass it on to AJ, and then he does the lyrics and stuff. So it's a collaborative kind of thing where we're both putting in everything we can, and AJ helps us figure out where the song should go. We're given the layers musically, like the verse, the chorus, all that stuff, and then AJ is helping us decide how we put it all together and then he's finishing it with awesome lyrics. I fucking love working with him. He's great! So we were all used to this style of writing where it's music first, and then lyrics come after, but working with these guys, it's badass. I've always admired Josh's songwriting and then Christian; I didn't really know him before. Many of us met him for the first time right before we started recording this record.

Josh: Yeah, the new members like Christian and me, I think we brought a little bit of our styles into this record. I think you can hear my personality on quite a few of the songs and stuff, and I love that the guys gave me that space to do that. It's tough for me to compare this album to other records because I wasn't a part of making those. I think the songs are really great. I think we caught a lot of things in the moment and there were a lot of reactionary songs that kind of came out where we just responded to the moment and just did what felt right. That's what I love about this record because I feel like there's a lot of excitement and new ideas, and said yes, and responded to the moment. I think that's the coolest thing.

What was your first impression of Christian when you met him that day?

Matt: I thought he was awesome! He came in, we all said hi and shit, and we told them what we were working on. Then we were like, "Hey, are you down to start recording right now?" He didn't get terrified and run off. He was badass, and he instantly was like, "Cool. Let's go." He jumped in the booth and started ripping on “Sideways.” He's really fucking good. He's a very talented drummer. So yeah, he's badass.

Josh: Yeah, we barely knew him. We just knew he was a really, really good drummer. Then he came in, and we kind of threw him in the deep end. We were like, "We got this song," and he just smashed it! He did such a good job, which was really cool. Then within a couple hours, we were all joking around, and we realized he had the exact same sense of humor as us and everything. He's just a great human.

Was there ever a point where y'all ran into a roadblock, whether it was writer's block or not knowing where to take a song? How did you approach that challenge and work through it to reach a song's full potential?

Josh: I think it's very normal to run into a block. Sometimes you have a tough time figuring out the right way to approach something. But, honestly, I feel like, on this record, we stayed up very late, we would drink about it, and we kept working on it until we found an answer, like on most things. We just kept messing with it till it felt right, and there were a lot of late nights in the studio, and I think that's how we get through when we feel writer's block on something. We just keep trying ideas and trying something ‘till it feels right. And then, when something feels right, react to it. 

What's your favorite song on the record right now?

Josh: Currently, I don't know; it changes all the time. "Meet Me in the Morning," but "Big Green Eyes" is one I really love. It's just a very intimate song AJ wrote about his daughter and it is very vulnerable. An acoustic song is different for the band. Recently, I've been listening to that one a lot, but honestly, the record has a lot of hills and valleys.

Matt: I've been going back and forth lately because the last few interviews I did, I said "Someday" because I love that one. I love how that one came to be. It's a really simple song. It was kind of like the end of the night. We had all had a few drinks and stuff. We were about to close up shop and stop recording for the day. I started playing a riff, and we recorded it to a click. AJ worked on the lyrics the next day, and it happened quickly. Christian's drums on that song are actually one take. It's him going and sitting in the studio, playing it one time to try and figure out the song, so he stops and starts a few times, and then we built the whole song around that, which we've never done before. So that was pretty cool. I think now it's actually -- I do love "Sideways" but I think maybe "Goodbye" lately is my favorite. It's really a sad, super sad song. It's the last song on the record. The whole time we were making it, some of the lyrics are talking about some of AJ's friends that have passed away and some people that we know and that I know too that have passed away. And it's just a tough song to listen to, but it's a really powerful, impactful song. So I think I really liked that song lately. I try not to listen to it often because it makes me depressed as fuck.

When you're in the process of creating something so impactful and emotionally intense, how do you stay grounded in those moments and keep the message or story clear without it getting swallowed up in the emotions?

Matt: It is hard because – the crazy part is that if Josh and I are writing a riff, or if we're all working on a song together, if AJ brings us something, if it's just music at first, you can feel the vibe of what's going on, but you don't actually know that it is a sad song yet. Then AJ starts writing lyrics to it, and holy shit. The one thing that I'll say is that we've both worked with a ton of different people over the years, and AJ is the only person I know that'll walk in and they'll show you something like, they'll show you his lyrics or be like, "Hey, got a verse and a chorus for this," and there are no notes. Like, instantly, it's just really good, like devastatingly good. It's like really fucking good. And so it's hard because you don't know what you're writing when you do, but the second he starts putting lyrics on it, you begin to feel exactly what you need to do now to serve what he's saying and open up some space for it, but also make sure that the focus is on those lyrics. On "Goodbye," I know the little bird noises and random shit seem different initially, but I don't know. It feels like childhood, and you're just waking up, and it's a sunny day or something like that. Everything is great, and then all of a sudden, either it goes south, or you're just fondly remembering people that you've spent your life with and stuff like that. So yeah, it's hard. Josh and I would step outside and smoke or do whatever for a minute just to take a second because we're like, "I can’t just listen to this depressing shit over and over again." I mean, sometimes it takes fucking days or hours when you're repeatedly listening to the same song and trying to dissect it, mix it, or add things to it. Like it's not done in two hours. It can take three or four days for one song, so it can put you in a weird headspace for sure. 

Josh: I think sometimes you have to put yourself in these tough situations to get the emotion out when you're writing a record. Sometimes you have to relive things you've been through, and sometimes it's tough. Sometimes it sucks to dwell on those things, but being in the moment and looking at it for what it is is an important part of the process. So living in that moment and putting yourself in that headspace a little bit.

Do you feel like there's a story to Coming Home that you hope people will touch on, or do you feel like it's something people should leave up for interpretation and analyze themselves or just experience?

Matt: Intent-wise, I think that it was probably us all getting to know each other better and stuff because we planned for years, but we've never been in a room with the four of us all playing together with Christian. So the intent was to make the best record we could and get to know each other musically. I think that for some reason, or I'm not sure if it's where he is at in his life, AJ was a lot more open on this record. He spoke the truth more on this record and opened himself up more than usual. In the past, when we did our self-titled record after the breakup, it was all happy. He shared about his daughter and other positive things in his life. Mother Nature was about a transition, and this new album was about heavier, more serious topics. It was cool, but that's probably why it gets really depressing in there a lot of the time. Plus, the war in Ukraine started breaking out while we were in the studio, and with the songs, there are a few lyrics about that, about two or three.

Josh: I would say there's definitely a story for me, but I think what's more important is what other people see in it. I believe that for the best records, authors can have intent, but it doesn't matter until someone else puts their spin on it. So I would say there's a throughline on a lot of stuff, but I think what's most important is what it means to other people when they listen back.

If anything, what do you hope people take away from the album?

Matt: I hope people connect with the record. That they feel what we're saying and the parts that we're playing and maybe the chances that we took a little bit too. It's all in the world of what we usually write, but it's different stuff on this, and also, it's one of the most raw records we've ever done. There are a lot of first, second, or third takes on there as the final cut.

Josh: I hope people feel things. I hope there's hope in it for people. I hope there's healing in it for people, and they can connect dots to their own life where they feel certain ways. But I also hope they just think this is a badass record and show it to their friends. We all play music because we listened to records where we went, "Holy shit, it feels like they're talking to me." I hope people have the feeling that we've all had from those records.

What song are you most excited for people to hear that wasn't a single?

Matt: "Meet Me In The Morning." I love that one. That's one of my favorites on the record. There's also "Gold Star" and "Dimensional Love." I'm not going to lie, this is our first time working with Rude Records in Italy. We've been independent for the last two years, and they picked the singles because we just said to them, "Whatever you think is best." So they picked four, but I think we saved some of the best for last. There is a beauty in not necessarily showing all your cards or showing your hand right away. I want people to listen to the tracks and realize that some of their favorite songs weren't singles. That way, the songs can be their own thing, and for fans, it's like it's their song. I think "Dimensional Love" is kind of old-school The Dangerous Summer and we wrote it in a day. It was one of the fastest songs we wrote on the record. I think the instrumentals took about an hour and a half and AJ finished the lyrics within the day.

I know y’all are about to go on tour in support of this album starting in late September, so I have a hard-hitting question for you about your tour: What is your favorite roadtrip snack? I will be judging you, so choose carefully.

Matt: I think it's probably Sour Patch Kids. We love Sour Patch Kids and we usually have that. Oh PBR

Gotta love PBR.

Matt: *laughs* Yeah, we've been repping them for many years.

Josh: Can PBR be my snack?

Matt: PBR is a great snack. I think it's because we party a lot on the road. Oh, and I know it's super lame, but a little hummus, like a Sabra hummus thing with crackers. They are so good.

Josh: I like a good snack pack. But like, most of the time, it's PBR, Pedialyte, and a chicken sandwich, and we're good.

The Holy Trinity of tour snacks.

Josh: Yep, the Holy Trinity!

On this upcoming world tour, Is there one city you're most excited to see that you've never been to before? Or is there a city you have been to that you're just excited to see again?

Matt: We've been to a lot of these spots. We've traveled across the country over the last couple of years. In the US, I'm most excited to play The Roxy in LA because I think with Covid and everything else, we weren't able to play in April 2020, and when things reopened, it was so backlogged that we got pushed to the wayside a year and a half. In Europe, for me, at least this is my first time playing in Paris, which is very exciting. We're playing a free show at Supersonic, and lately, we've been featured on a lot of French playlists on Spotify. So I think it's gonna be really good!

Josh: Definitely Paris! I've never played in Paris, so that's a big one. I'm excited to go explore, especially overseas. I like to explore on the road and stuff, so I'm excited about that. In the US, there are so many awesome places to play. I think this next year I'm excited to go through Texas. We've had some really fun nights in Texas during our last few tours.

The Dangerous Summer will also hit the road in support of the album. The band will start out in the UK in late September with support from Beauty School and The BRKN. Then the band will return home with a US tour starting in late October with support from Like Pacific and My Kid Brother.

September 27 – Birmingham, UK – Flapper

September 29 – Bristol, UK – Thekla  

September 30 – Leeds, UK – The Key Club  

October 01 –  Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK – Think Tank? 

October 02 – Manchester, UK – Deaf Institute 

October 03 – Glasgow, UK – King Tuts Wah Wah Hut 

October 04 – Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms 

October 05 – London, UK – Underworld

October 07 – Paris, France – Supersonic

October 09 – Cologne, Germany – MTC Club 

October 10 – Hamburg, Germany – Headcrash

October 11 – Berlin, Germany  –  Privatclub 

October 13 – Munich, Germany – Backstage

October 14 –Hannover, Germany – Bei Chenz Heinz

October 15 – Eindhoven NL – Dynamo

October 17 – Antwerpen, Belgium – Jongerencentrum Bouckenborgh

October 22 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theatre

October 23 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Beehive

October 25 – Las Vegas, NV – The Usual Place

October 27 – Bakersfield, CA – Temblor

October 28 – San Francisco, CA – Milk Bar

October 29 – Anaheim, CA – Chain Reaction

October 30 – West Hollywood, CA – The Roxy

November 01 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues – Voodoo Room

November 02 – Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge

November 04 – Forth Worth, TX – Ridglea Room

November 05 – Austin, TX – Spider House Ballroom

November 06 – San Antonio, TX – Vibes Underground

November 08 – Orlando, FL – Henao Center

November 09 – West Palm Beach, FL – Respectable Street

November 11 – Atlanta, GA – Vinyl

November 12 – Nashville, TN – The End

November 13 – Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups

November 14 – Pittsburgh, PA – Crafthouse

November 15 – Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery

November 17 – Easton, PA – One Centre Square

November 18 – Teaneck, NJ – Debonair Music Hall

November 19 – Amityville, NY – Amityville Music Hall

November 20 – Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere Zone 1

November 22 – Ferndale, MI – The Loving Touch

November 23 – Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground

November 25 – Lakewood, OH – Mahall's

November 26 – Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen