by alex grainger
photo by zach pigg
“What was I made for if I wasn’t made for this” is the enormous question Arrows in Action ponders through their heavy yet electrically charged opening track “Made For This.” Their answer? Victor Viramontes-Pattison, Jesse Frimmel, and Matt Fowler are all in.
Arrows in Action’s debut album Built To Last is a chronicle of self-discovery. Self-discovery propelled by the gnawing discomfort of being in your 20s, navigating where you belong within the world and the flood of emotions which accompany “estrangement from old friends, past homes, and yourself after a period of growth.”
While lyrically Built To Last chases a sense of clarity, the album’s 13 tracks chases, experiments, and tackles new sounds. Their sonic exploration was driven by pulling from their dynamic influences and changing landscapes. But at the base of each track, Arrows in Action’s iconic pop and alt rock signature sound remains.
The root of real life is incredibly important to the band and it’s only now the trio felt ready to produce a full album. From packing their live shows, we as fans have played our own role in their confidence to create Built To Last. The exhilarating atmosphere of their live set returns July 5th as Arrows in Action kicks off their summer headline tour. Be sure to catch the band on the road and read more about Built To Last below.
As a band the three of you emphasize how important it was to get your debut album “right.” How did you know the coming-of-age story of Built To Last was the “right” story?
Arrows in Action: “When we began writing songs again after our Be More. EP, we realized we had lived enough life as individuals and as a band to fully realize an LP. The new songs were lining up into a story of self discovery that reflected what we’d been experiencing across some enormous changes in our lives. We hoped our fans could relate to falling in and out of touch with loved ones especially given the circumstances of the last three years. Additionally, touring and finally meeting our fans gave us the confidence to create a full length record. Not only did we have something to say, we had people who would sing along!”
Matt, you mention how your songs are “reflective and rooted in real life.” Why is this so important for you as a band?
Arrows in Action: “It is important to us that our songs have the potential to help someone who is experiencing whatever the song might be about. Whether it’s struggling to be emotionally available, ‘Put You Through Me,’ or putting off calling a friend you wish you hadn’t fallen out with, ‘Checking In,’ we love the idea that our songs are a catharsis for listeners. I guess it’s a fancy way of saying lyrics are important for us and we strive to strike that balance between specificity and reliability so that our songs are therapeutic while we make them AND while our fans listen to them.”
Built To Last not only navigates a dynamic part of life but it also navigates a dynamic creative process of various sounds and songwriting processes. Can you walk us through the making of the album?
Arrows in Action: “We knew going into writing the album that we would be chasing a lot of different sounds. Our references varied wildly not only to keep things interesting, but because our influences are very different in some areas.
We began writing the album in Nashville with friends in their home-studios. From there we were fortunate enough to take a trip to California and write songs in Palm Springs, and on Lake Arrowhead. The change of scenery from desert to tree covered mountains further encouraged us to explore new sounds.
Additionally, the song writing process was more collaborative than ever. Some songs were even started from the ground up in a room with friends, and nearly finished on the same day; a process that was new and exciting for us to experiment with. Other tracks needed lengthy incubation periods and brainstorming before they were finished.”
Built To Last is a collection of songs which have had time to make their place within the world accompanied by songs which have yet to grace our ears. How do you feel these 13 songs share the coming-of-age story of finding your sound as a band?
Arrows in Action: “Certain tracks on the album like ‘High’ and ‘Seeing Red’ started as experiments for us. We enjoyed challenging ourselves and seeing how far we could take new musical ideas and still end up with Arrows in Action songs. This was the first time we’ve released songs that are entirely collaborative like ‘The Credits’ and ‘Checking In’ which in itself a milestone for us. We feel like these 13 songs explore a lot of new territory for us while also doubling down on the parts of our genre that we love and will always come back to.”
Six tracks were released ahead of the album. How did you decide on these six tracks? How do you think the songs exist on their own compared to how they exist within the overall story of Built To Last?
Arrows in Action: “The first three of the six singles were truly the first that we wrote for the album. At the time, we were just so excited about the songs and wanted to get them out in the world so we could play them on tour and engage new people.
Once we had the whole album structured, ‘The Credits’ was a single for many reasons. We felt that our friends Loveless and Magnolia Park had absolutely knocked their verses out of the park, and we knew the song was something a little different for all of us. It wasn’t the usual distorted guitar riffs and crashing drums, it was a synth heavy track heavily inspired by The Weeknd but now with two punk vocalists featuring on it! We loved this crossover and had to share it ahead of the record.
‘Head In Clouds’ was selected because it's a breath of fresh air for us. It is very different from any of our top songs in that it is happy! It encourages the listener to take a minute to appreciate their own personal growth and shed their insecurities. We thought it might catch people off guard in a nice way. :)
‘Checking In’ was released as the last single ahead of the record because it conveys so much of what is discussed throughout Built To Last that it needed to be highlighted. If you only have room for one take away from the record, we want it to be reconnecting with those around you.”
The album opens with “Made For This.” What stood out about this track that you believed it was made to open the story and sound of Built To Last?
Arrows in Action: “‘Made For This’ asks the difficult question anyone faces after pouring their life into their craft, ‘what was I made for if I wasn’t made for this?’ It’s a declaration of us ‘going all in,’ a poke at the trope of leaving one’s hometown, and a little foreshadowing with the realization that ‘success’ doesn’t mean much without a community; ‘the come up’s a let down — setting fire to my crown.’ It acts as a sort of thesis statement!”
photo by zach pigg
Built To Last covers the growing distance from friends to places to who you once were. How has this album and its creative process allowed you to understand and grow through these changes? What message do you hope it sends to listeners who are feeling lost on how to deal with change?
Arrows in Action: “Creating this album gave us a greater appreciation of our relationship with each other, and our relationships with our friends and family. We realized that the most important things in life are these relationships and that taking time to nurture them is paramount. We hope that anyone listening to the album during a chaotic time in their life can take even a little time to center themselves, prioritize their own mental well being, and look around to see who in their life has stuck with them, who they wish they saw more often, and get in touch.”
Victor, you spoke about how for some time the three of you felt you needed a label to release an album. What was the moment you realized the three of you could release it on your own? What piece of advice do you have for artists who are contemplating their own abilities?
Arrows in Action: “We realized we could release our first record on our own after the release of our last EP and the touring that followed it. We met people in places we had never been to who knew every word to every song and were wonderfully supportive of us. We realized if we saved and worked hard every day we could pull off this release on our own and share it with the community we’re building on our own!
Keep writing, and keep promoting! The only way to get better at something is to practice AND you are your own biggest advocate. If you aren’t out there showing everyone that you believe in what you’re creating, it's hard to expect anyone else to!”
The album covers heavy topics and emotions. Was there a specific track which was most challenging to create? Is there a track you are most proud of?
Arrows in Action: “The track that took the longest to finish was ‘Built To Last’ since we wanted to create an epic outro that would reference each of the songs that preceded it. Synth strings, stacked vocals, and all sorts of weird sounds can be heard in that outro, and though it took some tinkering, we are really stoked on it. It’s hard to pick just one track, so we’ll have to cheat and say we’re so proud of the way these songs work together that we have to say all of ‘em. :)”
We can only imagine how special of a moment it was for the three of you to listen to your completed debut album Built To Last for the first time. What was the feeling like? How does it fuel your love for music and drive to continue to create as a band?
Arrows in Action: “It’s surreal. We never get tired of seeing our songs pop up on streaming services, or finally getting to hold the vinyl. Since we write songs together, listening to our own music feels like listening to little time capsules of our friendship. We can’t help but talk about the day we started a song, or point out little nerdy details about the way something was tracked as we listen. It just makes us want to play them live and record another album!”
Your first headlining tour begins on July 5th! What part of tour are you most excited for? Is there a specific song off the album you are most excited to play live?
Arrows in Action: “We LOVE every part of tour. The travel, meeting fans, performing, honestly even soundcheck. It's still such an honor for us. We are of course MOSTLY looking forward to playing the shows! This will be our longest and most involved set yet. We’re all really looking forward to playing ‘Head In The Clouds’ because of the singalong part annnnd ‘Seeing Red’ because it's so heavy and fun to play!”