In Conversation With #209 - Action/Adventure
Pop-punk powerhouse Action/Adventure have just released their new album 'Ever After' via Pure Noise Records.
marks a bold new chapter for the Chicago-based band, pairing their signature high-energy riffs and soaring hooks with deeper storytelling, unapologetic emotion, and the urgency fans have come to expect. Formed in 2014, the group - Blake Evaristo (lead vocals), Brompton Jackson (vocals/guitar), Adrian Brown (drums), Manny Avila (bass), and Oren Trace (guitar) -first broke through in 2020 when their debut TikTok video, “Barricades,” went viral, spotlighting the obstacles they faced as an all-BIPOC band within the pop-punk scene. They followed that moment with 2021’s Pulling Focus EP and their 2022 Pure Noise debut, Imposter Syndrome - a record that, despite its title, proved their place as one of the genre’s most vital and distinctive voices.
Ever After builds on that foundation. Confident yet self-aware, the album acknowledges the struggles of balancing art with everyday life, and the pressures of following up a breakthrough debut. “This is literally the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life,” admits Jackson. “The industry is so different from what we thought it would be as kids. The theme of this record is the duality of everyday life versus band life, and trying to make them coexist without losing yourself in the process.”
With producer Alan Day (Four Year Strong, Knuckle Puck) at the helm, the band pushed themselves creatively, recording at Ghost Hit Studio in Springfield, Massachusetts. The result is 11 songs that chart a journey through doubt, perseverance, and renewal.
The record also features a handful of notable collaborations: Dan Lambton (rationale., ex-Real Friends) lends his voice to “Something Isn’t Right Here,” Armor For Sleep’s Ben Jorgensen co-wrote and appears on “Background,” and UK artist Noahfinnce joins the band on “Go Directly to Jail. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200,” a track critiquing systemic inequities.
The band took a moment to talk to us about how the album came together.
Hey there, how are you? So your album is out now – how does it feel to have it out there?.
It still doesn’t feel real. We’ve released a lot of music over the years, but this record was hard to write. But we found the other side and we had fun getting there, despite the low point we felt when we started. We love this record and we’re really excited that people can finally listen to it.
It is called 'Ever After' – what is the meaning behind that?
The common trope is “happily ever after.” And that’s sometimes how we imagine people see us years after we had our video for Barricades blow up on TikTok. We got incredible opportunities after that. Toured with some of our favorite bands, got signed, from the outside it probably looked like “oh they’re set now. Everything is about to come up Action/Adventure.” But we’ve all gotten older, and our lives have changed a ton. Kids, homes, work, relationships, mental and physical health, the human experience.
The band is extra-human. It takes what is left of us, and we happily give that. We’re grateful for everything we have gotten to do as a band, and we know that there are bands who would love to be in our position. But sometimes it takes more from you than you expect, and we’ve had a lot of moments like that over the years. This record is about accepting the reality of that and persisting. There isn’t always a “happily” in front of “Ever After.”
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories you are willing to share with us?
This was recorded at Ghost Hit Studios with Worcester’s own Alan Day from Four Year Strong. The studio is in a church in Springfield Massachusetts.
There are two apartments below the studio and we stayed in one of them for a month while we got this record done. There’s also a cemetery on the property so anytime we needed a breather, we’d go and find the oldest grave out there. I think the oldest was like 1857 or something.
Lots of little spooky things happened while we were there so the place is definitely haunted by some silly ghouls trying to pass time in eternity.
What are the key influences behind the album?
Key influences - Matchbook Romance, early-mid 2000s metalcore, The Starting Line, Anime, and a touch of Weezer (we put the buddy holly lick right before a breakdown as a joke. It did not make the final mix. If you’re reading this DM us and guess which song it was in)
If the album could be a soundtrack to any film – which one and why?
The 2008 rom-com Sex Drive. A relic of its time. Over budget. Not many people saw it, but it became a cult classic for people who did. Also Fall Out Boy played Fame < Infamy at a Rumspringa party in the movie so it feels fitting.
Do you have a favourite lyric on the album? If so, which one and why?
In the second verse of Spiral, Brompton says:
What happened to Tay Zonday?
What are the words to Chocolate Rain?
We love this lyric because yeah it’s goofy, and clearly depicts someone being anxious and bored, going down internet rabbit holes to fill the time.
But we wanted to call out the lyrics to Chocolate Rain because I think the majority of people have not spent time reading the lyrics and just think it’s a silly song about chocolate raining from the sky. But it’s really an in depth song about the systemic injustices and socioeconomic struggles of black people. “Some stay dry and others feel the pain” is an indicator that you’re about to hear some real shit. We encourage everyone to go listen to the song with the Genius page open cause there are a lot of hard hitting lines in there.
Now the album is out there – what next for you?
Next, we’re ON TOUR! We’re currently driving the perimeter of the US playing 23 shows. We’ll be lining up other gigs to celebrate the release of the record soon, and hoping for a solid support tour sometime in 2026. In between all that, we’ll be starting to write the bones for the next record. Also there might be a surprise music video next year.
Looking forward to sharing in the chaos with everyone.
