The Aces talk life on tour with 5 Seconds of Summer
We caught up The Aces ahead of their Boston show to find out how things have progressed since dropping their first album and hitting the road.
It’s been almost a year since the last time we met up with The Aces. After stepping off stage with all smiles and an undeniable energy, the group — currently opening up for 5 Seconds of Summer on their Meet You There Tour — spoke with us about some of their best memories thus far, tattoos, and their debut album.
Can you introduce yourselves individually?
K: I’m Katie and I play the guitar.
M: I’m McKenna. I play bass guitar.
C: I’m Cristal, I sing!
A: I’m Alisa and I play the drums.
How has it been to be on tour with 5 Seconds of Summer?
C: It’s been awesome. It’s insane.
K: We’re hearing a level of frequency we haven’t heard before!
C: Yeah! We just feel really lucky and these crowds are just so upbeat and so fun. They’re so into the music and just want to have a good time. We’re just pinching ourselves a little bit.
A: The boys always talk to us and make sure we have a good soundcheck.
M: They listened to our soundcheck and just are super nice.
Have you had a chance to watch their set yet?
K: Yes! I watched it yesterday and couldn’t stop watching. They’re really good at switching off between the four of them. They all have their moment with the crowd.
Do you guys have any favorite songs off their new album?
K: ‘Lie to Me’.
A: I love ‘Want You Back’.
C: ‘Talk Fast’ is my favorite!
How does it feel to finally have your first album out?
C: It feels so good. I’m just so excited to keep playing shows and have people hear the music who may have not heard it yet.
K: It’s just good to have music for people to go listen to. Now that people can hear our music, it’s just been really refreshing and nice.
What have been some of your favorite highlights this year?
M: I think Seth Meyers!
A: Yeah! That was just really surreal. I think late night television is just something you always dream of. It’s just so special.
M: Our tour with COIN was just a big one too.
C: Lollapalooza! We’ve really grown so much as a band this year.
Have you guys been starstruck this year yet?
C: Honestly, with these boys [5 Seconds of Summer]!
M: I was starstruck with them, too.
A: It’s crazy because them being from our generation, everyone knows who they are. Massive pop stars! I was nervous. I didn’t think I would be nervous.
You performed at Lollapalooza! That’s insane. How was that experience?
K: We got on stage and there were just so many people. They were so energetic and so happy to be there.
C: You don’t really know what to expect at festivals and we had a packed show. They all knew our band. It was totally crazy. It was so surreal and a pivotal moment in our career. We have really awesome fans and they always show up for us.
Do you guys have any favorite fan stories or memories?
M: We’ve gotten a lot of fans that have gotten really cool tattoos. They tell us that our music has helped them, and that always means a lot.
A: I think I can speak for all of us, but when young females come up to us and say, “You inspire me so much to see women up there doing this.” Especially for these crowds, it’s just so amazing and important.
Are there any new dream collaborations?
C: There’s so many. We’ve talked about Tame Impala. The 1975. Paramore is a huge one. We’re just down to collab on anything. It would be sick to write a song with 5 Seconds of Summer.
M: We just did our first feature on a Smallpools track and that was so cool. I’m so excited to get more into that world.
Speaking of that collaboration, how was it working with Smallpools?
C: We’ve never written a song with another band, and they were just so open to my creativity and what I wanted to do on the song. It felt like a true duet. It felt really cool. They were just so respectful and excited.
What are your favorite songs to perform on stage?
A: ‘Strong enough’ is my new favorite.
M: That’s mine too!
C: ‘Stay’ is mine.
K: I love playing ‘Stay’ now. It’s so fun. I love it.
If you could be on an all-female tour with three other artists or bands, dead or alive, who would it be?
C: The Runaways!
K: Paramore!
A: Paramore would be so cool.
K: Can we throw in Aretha Franklin?
C: Hell yeah!
A: I was also going to say Amy Winehouse!
What songs are you currently obsessed with?
C: I’m listening to Jesse Rutherford from the Neighborhood. I’ve been listening to his stuff. It’s so good.
K: I’ve kind of been digging into 5 Seconds of Summer! It’s really fun listening to their older albums.
A: I’ve been listening to Travis Scott’s new record ‘Astroworld’.
M: I’ve been listening to smaller artists recently!
What do you guys think of the 1975’s new music?
C: I’ve been listening to it on repeat. Matty is such a rockstar.
A: I agree. He reminds me of so many classic rock stars like Mick Jagger.
Finally, what can fans look forward to in the upcoming months?
K: We’re headlining in the UK!
C: We’re making music videos. We’re always brainstorming. There’s new merch coming out! Definitely keep your eyes out for a U.S. headlining tour because we’re working on it!
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See The Aces on tour in the US with 5 Seconds of Summer through October 12 and in the UK and Europe throughout November.