AP Insider

IDKHOW are poised to save the world from musical boredom, one riff at a time

You want to talk about confidence, belief in one’s self and defying expectation? Or do you want to have it? That was the biggest choice Dallon Weekes and Ryan Seaman had to make when faced with walking away from their rockin’ day jobs. After a highly successful club debut, the longtime friends decided to step out of their respective gigs playing in the lineups of Panic! At The Disco and Falling In Reverse to team up as I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME.

In this month’s cover story, AP details the duo’s individual musical histories, their philosophy on music and the deeper perils of walking away from their high-profile, lucrative positions.    

“The reality is that those past jobs are going to follow us around for a while, possibly forever,” Weekes says. “Who knows? It’s important for us to treat that reality with some respect but also at an arm’s length. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing: I’m just saying that’s a reality, and it’s one we acknowledge and respect but at the same time, not one we want to exploit.

We want this to be its own entity and thing, and we want the music that we make to stand on its own.”

With Weekes’ songwriting flair referencing everything from ’70-era glam to skinny-tie new wave to slightly askew Broadway offerings—all powered by Seaman’s rhythmic dexterity—iDKHOW are poised to assist in the creation of a genuinely new alt-rock consciousness, one that can be embraced within, even beyond the clubhouses of Warped Tour punks and Pitchfork hipsters.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Weekes cautions. “There are people who will give us a chance based on where we came from, and at the very same time, there’s an opposite side to that coin. There will be plenty of people who won’t give us a chance for the very same reason.”

In addition to Weekes and Seaman’s cool AF history, we have many reasons for you to check out the next issue of AP...

After 14 years in the rock ’n’ roll trenches, your band is at its peak, with admirable record sales and sold-out shows all over the planet. And when you’re offstage, everything around you is either on fire or falling apart. That’s exactly what frontman Oli Sykes and keyboardist/programmer Jordan Fish, the braintrust of Bring Me The Horizon, were going through as they made amo, the follow-up to 2015’s breakthrough release, That’s The Spirit.

Alternative Press decided to dedicate its November 2018 issue (AP 364) to chronicling the brief life and times of Gustav Elijah Ahr, commonly known as Lil Peep, the artist whose ability to intersect the worlds of hip-hop, emo and DIY production ignited a new consciousness in both music and culture.

For the cover story, AP content director Rabab Al-Sharif spoke exclusively to people in Peep’s inner circle, including his mother Liza Womack. Al-Sharif details everything from Peep’s childhood to his ways of working to the sources of his inspiration while deconstructing elements of his artistic vision.

Other features in the issue include “quotable quotes” from various junctures of his career; longtime producer/close friend Smokeasac (Dylan Mullen) walking us through all of the tracks on the impending release, Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 2; a collection of 10 samples crucial to Peep’s creations; AP’s suggested Peep mixtape for listeners fond of the deep dive; remembrances from friends and fans including Travis Barker and Post Malone; a look at Peep’s immersion into the fashion world; as well as a special essay from contributor Jesse Richman on why Peep is inarguably a continuation of the emo canon.

All of this plus a timeline of the singer’s life; a selection of solicited fan art from around the world; and tons of photos of Peep live, in the studio and in the spaces between.

“People would ask me sometimes at [my] solo shows, ‘How are you ever going to step out of the shadow of Dance Gavin Dance?’ And I’m like, ‘Why would I ever want to do that?’ It’s the perfect project for me. I would never want to lose the incredible energy that’s there.” 

Whatever you think of him—sophistication blueprint, musical polymath, quality hang or dream date—Tilian Pearson fits all those roles.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

ARCHITECTS

Two years ago, the celebrated U.K. metal act were wracked with grief after the death of their co-founder. Instead of throwing in the towel, they threw down hard with some of the most passionate tracks they’ve ever written. Listen up, because it doesn’t get any realer than this.  

I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME

Sure, you’ve heard Dallon Weekes and Ryan Seaman in their previous roles in Panic! At The Disco and Falling In Reverse. As IDKhow, they’re conjuring a sonic sorcery of their own design, one stacked vocal harmony (and kiss) at a time.

SPECIAL: THE SONGS THAT SAVED OUR LIVES

It’s very popular for fans to credit their favorite bands for “saving” them through the power of a song. In this special, ANDY BLACK, FRANK IERO, WATERPARKS, SET IT OFF, DAN CAMPBELL, TAKING BACK SUNDAY and other artists recall the songs that made them want to pay the inspiration forward.

This month’s 10 TOPICS finds LAURA JANE GRACE of THE DEVOURING MOTHERS and AGAINST ME! being fiscally responsible and always traveling mindful. Welcome to the house that punk built—with the option of really nice pillows.

THE BOULET BROTHERS’ life trajectory from rebellious, mixed-up youths to iridescent cultural fulcrum—as creators of the reality show Dragula—is the kind of story we need to celebrate, cultivate and elevate to the world. They are living proof that IT GOT BETTER.

The three-headed Australian pop-rock delegation STAND ATLANTIC hope to make the biggest splash possible on their American debut LP. We get the story on their debut release Skinny Dipping in ALBUM ANATOMY.

In this issue’s AP ARCHIVES, we remember the times when HEAD AUTOMATICA went to the dogs, SYSTEM OF A DOWN got down to business and CHIODOS got framed. Our 10 ESSENTIAL picks list haunted-house howl-raisers for your Halloween hair raising, while we discover some of the most exciting photos and beautiful fan art from all parts of the globe.