Authority Zero sign to skate-punk label
Mesa rockers Authority Zero, whose sound is classic SoCal punk with ska and reggae seasoning, have signed to a Jacksonville, Fla., skate-punk label called Bird Attack Records with an album due to hit the streets June 2.
Guitarist Dan Aid said, “Bird Attack represents the next generation of punk bands coming up in the scene. Getting to be a part of this label family at this moment in time feels massive. I think we’re all looking forward to what this year, our new record, and this new relationship brings to light!”
Authority Zero celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2015, although it should be noted that the only person in the current lineup who can truly say he’s seen it all is lead singer Jason DeVore.
“Broadcasting to the Nations” is their first release since “The Tipping Point,” a relentless explosion of punk hooks recorded with Pennywise producer Cameron Webb hit the street in 2013 on the 10th anniversary of “A Passage of Time,” the one that introduced them to the world outside the Valley.
“We’d gone through a couple members during the writing process the last few years, so we’ve kind of written this record twice,” DeVore says. “We had about 12 or 13 songs put together, a couple of the guys took off and we kind of had to start from scratch with what we did have from songs I had or Mike (Spero, bassist) had written, and build off of that.”
They did more pre-production than they have in many years. “This time things were really well put together,” DeVore says.
As for the sound, he says, “It’s a combination I think of ‘The Tipping Point’ meets the first album. It’s really taking a step back to take a step forward — in the sense that you get a little more of what you feel like a lot of the kids that have been around for a long time have been missing out on a little bit, I think. There’s also some stuff on there that some people won’t have heard before I think as well. They’ll be like ‘That’s what band again?’ There’s a couple of surprises on there too that might throw people back a little bit — but in an exciting way. I’m pretty excited man.”