Classmates: Ryan of Rookie of the Year

-Way back in August I reviewed Rookie of the Year's newest album, Sweet Attention. Rookie's first album, The Goodnight Moon, is one of my favorite discs of all time. I was a little harsh in my review and, as usually seems to happen with me, the album has grown on me in the past few months.
-I had a chance to get a brief interview with Rookie's lead singer, Ryan Dunson, whose original solo project eventually morphed into the band that has been one of my favorites since I heard them in Jeff's Bonneville in early 2006.
-Dunson touches on the sound of the most recent album, the next one, and some music he's digging presently. Check it out after the jump.





What are 5 Ryan Dunson essentials, gadgets, clothes, whatever?

-Computer, sidekick lx, wallet, camera and my other phone.


Do you wear the same clothes for the day as on stage at night?

-Not at all... full changeout

How does the touring lifestyle effect your style?

-After you tour for alittle to much.. You kinda get lazy with what you wear.. Haha

As a big fan of The Goodnight Moon, I was anxious for a follow-up.
Can you just elaborate a bit on the difference in sound and approach on Sweet Attention?

-With 'Sweet Attention' we just wanted to have fun with the record. The next record will be epic.

Give me a couple bands that you're really feeling right now

-M83, quietdrive, coldplay and amore more


Any bands in the mainstream mtv/radio world that you're digging?

-Not sure...

How do you think Myspace and the internet have changed music for the up-and-comiong artist?

-There's no money left in the music business.. Its all about if you really like playing music or not

You put the meanings and inspirations for your songs on your Myspace, whats the story behind doing that? I think it's something a lot of kids wish their favorite bands would do.

-I just like everybody to know why I wrote this and that.

When you were doing the solo having to let go stuff did you plan on eventual expanding to a full band?

-Not really... just fell into place.


Do you ever feel like doing solo stuff again?

-My Favorite will be releasing a e.p. on 111 maybe soon.


-This is just my interest, but who does the piano on the songs with keys?

-Matt Theissen from relient k plays all keys.

-The inevitable stock question, what bands were/still are your biggest influences?

Copeland. My hotel year.. Monday in London

I swear you guys have never had a Portland or Seattle show, what is up with that?

-We just came to Seattle a month ago... coming back again in a month. The date is posted.

I was glad to read that 'What Is Love' is heading to radio soon, how exciting is that prospect, and do you have any say in what should be the single that goes out?

-We have say. We think the song would do well. It's a new version though. That's not on the cd.

So, whats next for Rookie?
-Secondhand serenade tour in Jan.


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Music Theory: Rookie's Sophomore Slump

-I don't know why, but every time I really love an album, the band's next album disappoints me greatly. I'm not hating Rookie of the Year's new disc (out today) Sweet Attention as much as when I first listened to it a few days ago, but the drop in quality still hurts. I'd like to say it's only because I loved the group's first album, The Goodnight Moon, so much that nothing could satisfy my needs, but it's more than that. The new album attempts to mold itself more towards the MTV crowd, which I can't diss because that's generally the goal of any up and coming band, it's just that the elements they chose to drop and to emphasize from the sound of there first album are backwards. Read the rest of the (kind of long) post after the jump.

-What made the first rookie disc so great was that they didn't seem to care about the conventions even within their own genre: The bridges were long, deep layered compositions. The intro and 7 minute final track on The Goodnight Moon were the best songs. But the heart of the whole album was that even the poppiest track on the disc, "Pop Destroyed the Scene", had the depth and attention to production detail of the longer tracks.

-So what's wrong with the new album? Whereas on the first disc there was one poppy track amidst a deluge of sweeping layered falsetto, Sweet Attention is one after another forced wannabe pop anthems. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is if it's such a divergent path from what you've already established as your sound. With a quickening of pace, singer Ryan Dunson - who's forte is near-falsetto soft spoken, is forced to drop his tone, rendering him unsuccessful as a pop-punk lyricist. And then there are the out of nowhere, unneeded vocal effects on a couple songs that just make me as "what the fuck?" The last two songs are slower more classic rookie songs, but their pace seems even more forced than the pop. It's like their thought process was "People who like the first album are going to expect songs like this," but they didn't really feel inspired to write those songs.
-Not all of what I have to say is negative, however. Three songs in there is a nice trio of well balanced, acoustic pop-jams - "Summer," "What is Love," and "Sooner or Later" are tracks I would enjoy if this album was my introduction to rookie. But a line from the album's worst song "Vampire Vegas" sums of the disappointment I feel after 2 years of waiting for a new rookie album - "Oh, I'm tired of waiting. Yeah, give me a sign. I, want to fall in love like the first time."
-But still, this is of my favorite bands and The Goodnight Moon remains one of my all-time favorite albums, but overall I give Sweet Attention a C+.
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