Tell me a little about your band?
I formed The Scandals in 2004. I was 14, I guess, I was a freshman in high school. I’ve seen a bunch of bands play and it was the only thing I ever wanted to do so I got a couple of friends together and we did it. We learned everything the hard way, learned how to book shows, how to write music, let alone how to record it and do it correctly. This band has kinda been my baby throughout the years. It lead to all the friends I've made and the experiences I've had. It's gone back to the span of The Scandals so I am grateful for being the constant in my life for 10 plus years of my life.

The new record has been in works for a while now. When will the record actually come out? Tell me about the new record?
The new record is set to be out just for Punk Rock Bowling. We are excited about it, we have been sitting on it for a minute. We just want to make sure it has found its right home. We’re all really excited about it, these 5 songs, we have on it has been our 5 favorites to play and listen to. We’re just really stoked for everyone to hear these songs on the record, it kinda represents how we play live and how the four of us have been vibing the last couple of years. We're just ready to get it out.

I recently saw you on the road with Brian Fallon as a part of the Horrible Crowes. How is the experience working with the Horrible Crowes?
Its awesome! Learning a lot it’s a very different scenario other than me playing solo with an acoustic guitar and me singing all the time. Not much down time there. It’s kind of the first time I have the time to pay attention to only the guitar and figure out where I am on that part of the stage. Every night has been a learning experience. It has been helping me vocally with my range and dynamics, everything. I get to play next to some of the best musicians I know. It’s been a good time.

Brian Fallon has worked on this new album a little bit, how has he influenced you with this new record?
He actually produced the new EP and he was great! He had a ton of advice sonically and songwriting wise. I think he was really able to come in and hear us play live in a room together and figure out how to make that come across the right way, that's kinda always been our problem. Our first full length is very different than where we are at now, you can see the progression. I think he was able to really capture that while giving some good input. He just got a way to go with songs. Some of these songs for me were a little bit older and I might have been stuck a little bit in the demo-itus stage, really hung up on the structure of it. He was really good at giving a new ear and breaking that up a little bit and taking the blinders off.

You guys just pressed your full length, The Sound Of Your Stereo on vinyl. Tell me about what made you guys decide to press it?
It always deserved it in my opinion. It's been out since 2010 and it was the first real time in a studio. There is a lot of milestones with that record. I felt it really deserved to be on an LP even for my own selfish reasons. People were asking for it and it seems like it was just the right time, Adam at Say 10 was ready to do it and Gunner out in Europe was stoked to do it so it all kind of came together. I'm just glad that other people were as stoked for a record that has been out for a little bit now.

You will be playing Punk Rock Bowling again, What are you looking forward to this year being that you are playing in Asbury Park, in your home state?
The biggest thing is that we are going to play on the Summer Stage at Stone Pony. We get to play at the outside of the Pony so we’re real excited for that and seeing all the friends that usually come together for Punk Rock Bowling, whether it's in Vegas or hopefully now here. We’ll start to get people from the west coast to come hang out with us, that just the best part.

How is PRB different than other festivals you have played?
I think it’s the sound, it’s a very specific sound they go for on these which is really cool. A lot of the bands I grew up on and a lot of the reason I fell in love with punk rock, that four chord and old school sound. I think it’s cool with all these punk festivals that there are all of these sub-genres that you can fall into, like The Fest, for example, has very different dynamic than Punk Rock Bowling, I think that's cool because if you go to both then you get two totally different feelings. You're not getting the same thing at both fests, that’s what I’m excited about. Watching old school bands like Cocksparrers and Decendents will be totally awesome!

So you guys were chosen for Red Bull Sound Select. How has that helped you guys grow as a band?
They have opened a lot of doors for us, the last couple of years they have really stepped up and been more than generous. They have just been so supportive, they support local music and artist and help get them to places that they wouldn't normally be at. Take a band like us that is constantly in a van, sleep on everyone's couches, no management involved at this point, none of that fancy stuff. They give us these shows all over the place and put us with these people at the studio that normally wouldn't have been paired with, they created a really great experience for us. It kicked us in the ass to takes things a little farther than we normally would never do. They have been great, they have never asked for anything in return, we just keep pushing ourselves and keeping it rolling. Grateful to have them on our side.

You do a lot of acoustic performances when you're not doing the band. How has that balance evolved for you?
It's become a really good balance. I first started doing it years ago, out of necessity when someone couldn't play a show. I would do an acoustic show because I would never turn down a show, now it has kinda become both its own entity. I’m trying to do both of them all the time. It's been a really fun experience. It has taught me how to survive on the stage by yourself. I think the coolest part is when people see me acoustic and have never seen me in the band or vice versa and they come see the other project. They hear the same song or two and it kinda opens the door for newer stuff for them. I think it helps to have both projects kinda run side by side.

And it keeps you out of the house? (Laughs)
All the time. I’m never home. That’s the good thing. The next couple of months are going to start to look crazy.

Speaking of the next couple of months, got any tour plans for 2016?
Going to be some solo stuff real soon, I will be out with The Crowes real soon. We’re just trying to fill in all the blanks. My calendar right now, I think there isn’t anything past June where I will be home for an extended period of time. I can't complain at all about that.