Alex Garcia, the lead guitarist of the rock group Mayday Parade, chatted about the 2024 Sad Summer Festival and their new music.
Sad Summer Festival will be making a stop at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City on August 1, 2024.
The annual event, which started in 2019 in the wake of Vans Warped Tour ending, is celebrating its fifth year with headliners The Maine and Mayday Parade along with The Wonder Years, We The Kings, Real Friends, Knuckle Puck, Daisy Grenade and more.
2024 Sad Summer Festival
On being a part of the Sad Summer Festival, he said, “We are super excited. Usually, I think it will be similar to our festival performances. We try to bring energy and make for a compelling set… something that fans can be engaged with.”
“We will play the crowd favorites because we want them to enjoy the songs, but we will play some new songs as well. It will be a full-on basic Mayday Parade set,” he said.
New single this month
Garcia shared that their new Mayday Parade single “Pretty Good To Feel Something” is coming out on July 11, 2024.
“We will be playing our new single there,” he revealed. “We went into the studio about a month and a half ago, and we recorded a bunch of songs that we had been working on.”
“Derek wrote that song, and it’s on a topic that he feels strongly about. It is energetic and we think it will be a good song to play for Sad Summer so we are excited to play it,” he explained.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, Garcia said, “It is something that we need to adapt to; everyone does. We came about in the beginning of social media when MySpace and Facebook were out.”
“These days, it is tricky because we are older, and I don’t have a TikTok. We have one for our fans to become engaged with the music. Now, there are so many more ways to engage with the fans,” he said.
“We need to find a way for it to be natural and not forced,” he noted.
Dream collaboration choice in music: Paramore
Garcia listed Paramore as his dream collaboration choice in music. “It would be so cool to work with Paramore,” he admitted.
“I’ve always been a fan of them. Hayley Williams’ voice has only gotten better with me, and the same holds true with what Hayley creates,” he said.
Advice for young and emerging artists
For young and aspiring artists, he said, “Keep writing and keep working on music. Hard work is what pays off in a way. Just devote your time to something that you love. It pays off because you love it and you are constantly rewarded by the time that you spend doing it.”
“If you love music, it is worth exploring all aspects of it from the business side to music theory to other instruments to figuring out how to record yourself,” he noted.
“Approach it with a passion and a desire to learn more. Enjoy the grind of practicing and trying to get better,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he said with a sweet laugh, “Realizing I’m middle aged.”
The Paramount in Huntington, New York
On playing at The Paramount in Huntington on Long Island, he said, “It’s great. We love that venue. We’ve had some great shows at The Paramount.”
“We actually saw Twenty One Pilots there about a decade ago… It was such a cool show, and that that venue was perfect for that show and that setting as well,” he recalled.
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Garcia said, “Honestly, at this stage, success means being happy with my life and how I spend my time. Being happy mentally and emotionally.”
“Also, adhering to my moral compass, and developing that and really understanding myself, that’s success to me now. I try to be the best version of myself.”
Closing thoughts on Sad Summer Festival
For the fans, he said about Sad Summer Festival, “I hope they have fun and I hope they enjoy the summer… the summer is like a break from normal life, and it’s a chance to be outside enjoying your favorite music.”
“I hope Sad Summer can be that for people… a chance for them to have those special moments with likeminded people,” he concluded.
To learn more about the rock band Mayday Parade, check out their official website, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
