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Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Avenue caught up with Derek Sanders, vocalist and keyboardist for the the emo-alt band Mayday Parade as it passed through the South on tour featuring its first major-label release, "Anywhere But Here."

Who:  Mayday Parade

Where: Common Grounds

How much: $15

With: A Rocket To The Moon, Sing It Loud & Sparks The Rescue

Doors: 6 p.m.

Avenue: How does it feel to be in the company of Atlantic artists?

D: It's crazy. It's really crazy to think about because they are one of the biggest record labels in the world you know. And to think that we're like a part of that, it's pretty amazing you know.

A: Have you met other artists? Like do they have Atlantic parties where you guys get to mingle?

D: We haven't really been able to yet. And I don't really know if that's going to happen or will happen. But as of now, no, it hasn't really happened.

A: If you weren't making music, what would you want to be doing?

D: I really don't know. And that's kind of scary I guess, but I have no idea what I would be doing if I wasn't in the band. It's what I've wanted to do since like middle school up until now, you know what I mean. So it's the only thing I've ever been really good at and that I cared enough about to really dedicate all myself to. So I don't know. I feel like if I wasn't in a band, I'd still try and be a part of music somehow. I'd probably try and be a songwriter or something, I don't really know. I guess I'd have to figure that out if the time came, you know.

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A: How do you make a relationship work on the road?

D: Well, I mean, for me, you don't (laughing). Because I'm single. But most of the time for relationships on the road, it's real tough. It's real difficult. Just because you have to understand that you're hardly ever going to see the person that you're with. And when you do a lot of times it's like on the road when you're on tour together, and it's kind of like a whole different thing where you can't hang out with them all the time and be around them all the time because of the things that we have to do on the road. So it takes a lot of understanding on both parties, you know what I mean. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

A: Is there a particular song, let's say you're lonely or homesick or whatever, is there kind of like a go-to song or a go-to band that you kind of identify with in those times?

D: Lately, I would say, the song "Northern Lights" by The Dangerous Summer. Just because the past year or so I guess I've gotten really into that band. And we toured with them. They're great guys. Great band. And that song is definitely my favorite.

A: Have you played in Gainesville before?

D: Yeah, we have. We've played Common Grounds in Gainesville a few times. And a few other places. Gainesville's like, I wanna say, like the second or third place we've every played a show.

A: That's cool. There's some Gainesville nostalgia.

D: Yeah for sure. All those places that are close to Tallahassee we used to play a lot back in the day. It's always good to go back there.

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