Harnessing the sounds of Thrice, Manchester Orchestra, and Emery comes Austin, TX four-piece, The City Sound. With a raucous sound that’s as memorable as it is captivating, it’s no surprise that the band, formerly known as The Artillery, has seen success through performances at Los Angeles’ iconic Viper Room, a spot on the Texas Independent Fest, and countless SXSW performances. The band has also opened for acts such as Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Johny Craig, Emery, Alien Ant Farm, and many more.

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

Dean Danger (lead vocals/guitar), Kris Ross (backing vocals/guitar), Chris Reyes (backing vocals/bass), Chris Ellis (drums)

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to The City Sound? How long has the band been around?

Well we just went through a name change this year, but Dean, Reyes and Ellis have all been in this band for 13 going 14 years. Before the name change we were called The Artillery, and back in highschool we were called Next Friday (not the movie, just a very kiddish name). Prior to joining us, Kris was a part of Annacostia, which would prove that this was definitely a change for him since it was a metal band.

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

We changed the name because, with a new member, the chemistry of the band was totally different. It was just time to change our identity. We chose The City Sound because we all enjoy that distinct noise you hear as you walk down Austin's 6th Street. Being the Live Music Capital of the world, you can only guess that every building you pass on 6th has a band playing, and the diversity is amazing. That sound is what we consider Austin's sound, and that was all of our favorite part about our city.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

We all play a big role in the writing process, but Dean usually brings skeletons of a song or a catchy melody that everyone helps shape and mold. Most of our songs center around a theme of hopes and dreams and the struggle to better ourselves. We have been in the game so long, trying to make it out there. Hope is the biggest emotion we all feel when we step back look at where we want our career to go. It's such a big pond and talent gets swallowed up so easily in this industry. I think until we feel more successful from a career standpoint with the band, we will always write about hopes, dreams and the struggle of trials and triumphs. At the same time, we are okay with that because there are a lot of people out there that feel those things about how their life is going, and we want that connection.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

We all have totally different tastes in music from pop/metal/EDM, which makes this question a very hard one. For the longest time band we say we would love to be are: Manchester Orchestra, Thrice and Emery. We truly have individual inspirations that overall help us continue to be unique. Because of that diverse inspiration, our genre tends to run off of the rails every once in a while, but we absolutely love not having a set standard genre and doing whatever we want. That, in the end, will be the thing that makes us happy.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

Hands down Thrice and Underoath single-handedly made us start this band. Even though our music sounded nothing like them, mostly because we were not the greatest, but we still loved their music and envied them greatly.

 What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …

We eat a big meal in the morning, and try to make sure we get don't eat right before we go on. We like to the venue early so that we can explore around the city and try to enjoy our time before getting on stage. We do everything humanly possible to not be stressed or frantic, because that can be the most distracting part of playing a live show. As far as actual show preparation goes, we don't do crazy exercises, but we do stretch and warm up prior to performance. You should always limber up!

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

Well, seeing as we are only 2 months old our biggest highlight, at the moment, is the announcement of our debut album, 'Volume One', dropping May 19,2015. We are so excited to release this album out into the world. As for what's next, we are working on a U.S. tour, and we will be releasing two more albums by the end of 2015. Yes, I said it, you read that correctly, two more albums in 2015. Most might think we are crazy for releasing three albums in one year, and they're right.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

I think my younger inner self would simply lose it if we could tour with my favorite childhood bands: Emery, Thrice, Thursday, Anberlin, Story of the Year, and Riot Like Words to name a few. It's one thing to be able to share the stage with fantastic bands, and a whole other ball game to share it with the musicians that are solely responsible for your beginning.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

P.S.A. time, 'Volume One' will be released on May, 19 2015. Please be sure to check it out, and we look forward to seeing your beautiful faces in the future