This White Tie Affair is anything but formal
In a world full of brooding and scowling artists, the White Tie Affair wants you to know that fun isn’t a four-letter word. And frontman Chris Wallace points out that “pop” isn’t, either.
“We pretty much want to take a chance and do something different by adding the pop edge,” he says. “In the past, we were in more rock-driven bands. Lots of bands are ashamed of that catchy pop sound, but we wanted to bring that out and bring it to life.”
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There’s a chance the White Tie Affair is on the cutting edge by adopting that “has a beat and can be danced to” mentality.
“In my opinion, it seems like music is leaning toward that,” Wallace says. “Hellogoodbye and Justin Timberlake kind of let us know that it was OK to do that. That took the pressure off and paved the way for us to do what we love without falling in line with a scene.”
The White Tie Affair sounds like a fusion of Timberlake and AFI working together to create pop for the PlayStation generation.
“We keep it diverse,” Wallace says. “We have musical ADD in the sense that we don’t like just one thing and we don’t sound like just one thing. Lots of bands get trapped in a specific sound and one day jump into a side project to do what they really love. Luckily for us, this is the type of music we really want to make.”
Another passion is the devotion to their fan base. Wallace recalls seeing groups like Fall Out Boy and Plain White T’s take time to speak with their fans before and after shows. A fan himself at the time, Wallace took notice and relishes the opportunity to follow suit.
“They really interacted with their fans and loved them,” he recalls. “We are all fans of music and embrace that same passion. They made you want to be around them, which is part of why they made it. More than a model for our band, it’s a model for life in general. It was an inspiration for us and in turn it feels good to be a part of that atmosphere.’
Next up is a full-length album titled “Get In Where You Fit In,” which will drop April 22. Saturday’s show at Subterranean pairs the group with MTV2 darling Secondhand Serenade. For Wallace and the boys, it’s just another stepping stone that will be attacked with the same vigor as they attack their hooks.
“Honestly, I feel like we’re truly living the dream,” he says. “Onstage we give 110 percent and offstage we try to do the same.”