Dance Gavin Dance Exclusive Interview: The New Album & MacBook Scam

by | Mar 15, 2011

A lot can change in 18 months — especially if you’re Dance Gavin Dance. Since my last interview with the band in September 2009, the group has seen a number of lineup adjustments (most notably the return of original vocalist Jonny Craig and screamer Jon Mess), released a new album Downtown Battle Mountain II, and more recently, has been under heavy criticism for Craig’s now-infamous MacBook scam (in which the singer convinced fans to wire transfer hundreds of dollars in exchange for a laptop that was never delivered).

In this exclusive Ryan’s Rock Show interview, I sit down with main songwriter Will Swan to talk about the creation of Downtown Battle Mountain II, and for the first time on camera, to discuss the Jonny Craig MacBook scam.

Beginning where we left off in ’09: what happened to vocalist Kurt Travis?

Animals As Leaders Interview: The Second Album & T.R.A.M.

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Scale The Summit: The Ryan’s Rock Show Interview

When Scale The Summit played Prosthetic Records their four song demo in 2006, the label had little interest in signing instrumental bands. “[Prosthetic] said word for word: ‘[we’ll] never sign an instrumental band,'” guitarist Chris Letchford...

The Word Alive Interview: The Life Cycles of Tyler ‘Telle’ Smith

When The Word Alive frontman Tyler “Telle” Smith played bass for Greeley Estates in 2008, he remembers trashing a hotel room. “We toilet-papered our hotel room for no reason,” he laughs. “We woke up with toilet paper...

Periphery Interview: Music Philosophy, The Next Album, & Haunted Shores

It’s Friday night in West Hollywood, and Periphery guitarist Alex Bois just picked up an unexpected souvenir. “We got a $100 ticket [for parking on Sunset Blvd],” he exclaims. “But it’s ok, it’s Friday night and we’re here in Hollywood.” Perhaps optimism like this is...