AJR’s band of brothers just click
When three boys share a bedroom growing up for 15 years, traveling as a band is no big deal.
That’s the case for AJR, the band comprised of three brothers: Adam Met, 27, Ryan Met, 24, and Jack Met, 21. (Their first initials form the band’s name.)
“Growing up together in a small space made us closer,” Ryan Met said in an interview. “We know each other as well as anyone can know each other. We get along. We get into disagreements but not fights. Growing up the way we did prepared us for life on a tour bus.”
That chemistry has paid off as the indie-pop group has been touring and selling out venues, thanks to the success of “Sober Up” (with an assist from Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo), “I’m Ready” and the current single, “Burn the House Down.”
The Click Tour (Part 2) will bring the group to Raleigh’s The Ritz on Nov. 1.
We spoke with the brothers in a phone interview from Manhattan about what ‘60s act inspires their harmony-rich sound and how they hooked up with Cuomo, their No. 1 fan.
Q: How did you get into harmonizing?
Adam Met: We grew up listening to vinyl, thanks to our father. Our favorite band of all time is the Beach Boys, another brother band. We love the way they wrote melodies and their harmonies are just incredible.
Q: Your father played a lot of vinyl. How did he advance your career?
Adam Met: Everything. He allowed us to record in our living room in Chelsea. Our parents threw away a couch so we could put a drum set in. We needed his support. Our Dad and Mom were so integral to our musical development. Without them, AJR wouldn’t have happened.
Q: AJR is an engaging live act. There’s offbeat patter, some unpredictability. How much does growing up in New York play a part in that?
Jack Met: It definitely plays a part. When we grew up in New York we grew up with weird interpretations of the live experience. We grew up with Blue Man Group, Stomp! and Broadway. We pay attention to the audience during shows. We never go through the motions. We throw strange things at the audience. They don’t know what’s coming up next, which is a good thing. The shows are different than the album experience.
Q: Speaking of the album experience. You made an album that’s a throwback. Each song takes you to another place. The songs aren’t perfect. How comfortable are you with that in an era of sonic airbrushing?
Adam Met: Since Auto-Tune arrived, the game has changed. Social media prompts bands to show the best side of themselves all the time and it gets robotic. But we don’t care about that. We don’t try to be cool in any way. We mess up at times, and it’s a good thing. We’re not perfect. Weezer is a big influence on us. Technically, they’re not the best singers in the world or prodigious musicians, but they have something to say. Weezer is unique and experiment with each album. We respect that.
Q: How did Weezer’s River Cuomo write with you guys and record “Sober Up”?
Adam Met: It was organic. Rivers followed us on Twitter. He was a fan. We connected with him and found out that he also loves The Beach Boys “Pet Sounds.” He thinks AJR is the Weezer of 2018, which is a huge compliment. He wrote the bridge to “Sober Up.” We did a show (in Los Angeles) and he opened our show playing all acoustic and he came out with us during “Sober Up.” It was so cathartic for us. Rivers has given us so much support as well and we’re eternally grateful.
Q: Will you preview any songs from your forthcoming album?
Adam Met: We will play some songs from our next album, which will be out in 2019. It’s old school.
Q: Speaking of old school, you paid quite a bit of attention to the album cover art.
Adam Met: Yes. That’s important to us. The social media connection continues for us. We found this very talented artist on Instagram. We love his work. We put an effort into the album cover art because we believe in the album. We do things a certain way.
Details
Who: AJR and Robert DeLong
When: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1
Where: The Ritz, 2820 Industrial Drive, Raleigh
Tickets: $27.50
Info: 919-424-1400 or ritzraleigh.com