thePULSEStronger Than Ever
By Tom Godfrey
Alan Day’s voice is barely audible on the phone; his band, Four Year Strong, is in the midst of a sound check. The band has come a long way in the past few years and while they are rarely in Worcester thanks to constant touring, it remains home.
“Tortilla Sam’s,” Day says without hesitation when asked where he hung out in the years before mainstream popularity. He has stepped outside of the auditorium and into the stifling Arizona heat. “I lived in Tatnuck Square and we went there basically every night.”
Four Year Strong had the same humble beginnings as most bands. Day, along with Jake Massucco (drums) and Dan O’Connor (guitar and vocals), started the band in 2001 for the same reason as everyone else.
“We just wanted to have fun,” says Day. “Our first show was at the club house at Cook’s Pond. It was my sister’s party and our first time playing in front of people. We started taking it more seriously and over the next few years things really started to progress.”
And progress the band certainly has. The band is featured on several compilations and has three albums under its belt. Their recently released Four Year Strong Explains it All is a collection of 90s covers. Gone are the Wormtown days of playing in a dingy dive in front of friends; they’ve been replaced by an often brutal tour schedule that involves nightly shows (and, fortunately for their legions ~ yes, legions ~ of hometown fans, at least a couple of shows each year at The Palladium).
It’s a totally different feeling,” Day says. “Back then, we played one show every couple of months and it was indescribable. Now we play every day. Sure, every once in awhile you have a day that is total crap but we are living the life we dreamed. Back then it was exciting and new, but now it is 8 years later and we are still playing in the same band. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
The band has grown in numbers as well as popularity. Band members came and went by choice or otherwise. The current line up adds Josh Lyford (synth and vocals) and Joe Weiss (bass) to the fray, giving the band a power-pop / punk band that is all their own.
The band’s schedule is hectic to say the least and does not leave much time for the guys to enjoy life as a premier rock band. As of this writing, the band is wrapping up a U.S. tour and will almost immediately be heading overseas to show the world that Worcester can rock something hardcore.
“I like everything about this lifestyle,” Day says, “except for the driving. We drove 10.5 hours last night in our van to be here for the show and we will be doing the same tonight. You never know what’s going to be around; sometimes there is a lot to see and other times there is absolutely nothing, so it’s hard to make any sort of plans.”
Life on the road has another hazard: the toll it takes on a person and those that they leave behind.
“There are a lot of things that we miss about Worcester,” explains Day, “friends, girlfriends, family and being in one place for a while. I miss sitting on the couch and doing nothing!”
A door opens, and again the sounds of the sound check take over the conversation.
“We as people haven’t changed,” reassures Day. “We still do things for the same reason, because we love it, and that’s the only reason to do anything. We want to take this as far as it can go. This could just stop or it could keep going but we are putting everything into it.”
The time for interviews is over for Day; it’s now time to show Arizona what the band is made of.
www.myspace.com/fouryearstrong
FYS Back in The Day
Hey guys! Remember me? I certainly remember you! Think back, wayyy back to the good ol’ high school days at Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester. I remember seeing the beginnings of Four Year Strong. Shows at Alan’s house for family and friends, jamming out in the music wing of DHS and Dan’s basement….the passion behind your music was as strong and contagious then as it is now! Even though it’s been a while, seeing how far you guys have come from those days until now is unbelievable to me, and I am beyond happy for you all. It’s pretty cool that I can say that I knew some of you way back when, not to mention have messages in my yearbook from a few of you! You have certainly done your family, friends and fans proud. Dan, Alan, Jake, Josh and Joe, congratulations on all your success! We all know that you’re only destined for more!
~ Rachel Shuster, Pulse writer
