An Interview With Between States: Finding Home, a New Beginning & Tunes You Won't Want to Miss.

Photo: Joy Losee

BETWEEN STATES – INTERVIEW & TOP8

"If people enjoyed Veara, they'll probably like Between States, but I'm not counting on previous fans. I'm treating this as a brand new project with different goals."

For most people, "Between States" is self-explanatory: it’s the road between two places. For pop-punk band Between States’ frontman, Brad Wyrosdick, this is a new beginning that represents a better part of the last decade. After years of fronting Veara, navigating college, getting married, becoming a father, and moving across the country multiple times, Brad found himself caught between old “identities” and brand-new beginnings. 

We caught up with Brad to talk about finally releasing songs that have been sitting with him for years, finding home in Dayton, Ohio, and why Between States feels like the fresh start he's been waiting for.

"The name came about after going through several different names, but the idea around the name was sort of there already," Wyrosdick explains. "I knew that I wanted some sort of name that would briefly describe how I’ve been feeling for the last decade or so." The final piece came from his wife. "[She] actually helped me workshop the name. Between States was just perfect. Not only is it deeply personal, but I feel like it's also very relatable, especially for us 'elder emos' who may have started families and moved away from home. But really anyone in some sort of life transition.”

The name may be 'Between States', but Brad says he's finally found somewhere that feels like home. Though he feels like he sometimes has "A foot in one door and one out the other a lot of times," Dayton, Ohio has become the place he always needed to be. "My family is thriving," he says. "We love the city and what the area has to offer. We love the people we've met and befriended. This city has helped me rekindle my love for skateboarding and music. It's really special to have found a place that is great for my family and has helped me find myself again."

Between States' debut singles, "Sorry It Took So Long" and "(I'll Let You Know) Eventually," might sound fresh, but their roots stretch back nearly two decades. "(I'll Let You Know) Eventually" first began life in 2008 after Brad’s pre-Veara band, Don't Kill The Freshman, called it quits. “I was looking for other bands to join or other people to potentially start a band with. Then a few months later I joined Veara.”  He even pitched an early version to the band. "It didn't make the cut," he shared. "Looking back, I'm glad we didn't use it because Veara was way too pissed for this type of song." It clearly worked out the way it was intended to all along.

Years later, after teaching himself audio engineering, Brad had the confidence and the ability to give the tracks the love they deserved. Of the two, "Sorry It Took So Long" ended up going through a bunch of changes. "It originally started as a super-fast pop-punk song, sort of in the vein of Lifetime or Saves The Day’s ‘Can't Slow Down’. It was written to be a Veara song. But then we went on a very long hiatus. When we were attempting to come back, it became an acoustic ballad. Then when I decided to get Between States going, I just went with what felt right and what I believe to be the best version of ‘Sorry…’”

It’s almost as if the songs weren’t ready to exist until now. His same patience carried over into bringing longtime friend Andrew Humphrey into the project. They met in 2021 shortly after Brad moved to Dayton through some mutual connections in the local music scene. The two had a lot in common and instantly clicked, so plans to collaborate had been floating around for years before Between States finally became the opportunity to do so. “He is a super-shredder and bass guitar is his specialty,” says Brad. “I feel like bass is incredibly important for making pop-punk tracks stand out, and I wanted someone who was better than me at bass (and guitar in general) to handle it. And truthfully, I already had him in mind when I decided to make Between States a thing, so it was the perfect opportunity for us to finally make music together. He brought some great ideas for bass to the session, and I’m super stoked to work on the next batch of songs with him.”

Lyrically, both debut tracks hit us with the theme of distance, whether it be physical or emotional, but Brad says that those experiences have taught him more than he could have ever imagined. “I’d say what distance has taught me is that I’m more in control of what happens to me and where my life can lead than I thought. I’ve found myself in a lot of situations where I thought I was an equal part of something, only to learn later that others viewed me as a leader or main contributor.” Sometimes realizations aren’t always easy."Learning that brought on more anxiety than anything, mostly because leaving those situations never ended lightly or mutually as I expected. It’s also helped me learn where I’m truly wanted and/or needed. All of that not only fuels my songwriting inspiration, but also how I carry myself through life in general.”

When asked which lyrics mean the most to him, his answers show just how personal these songs are.

From ‘Sorry It Took So Long,’ it's the devastating line: “And I know this might sound crazy and when I say this you might hate me, but it’s starting to feel like we never met"

"That line cuts deep for me," he shares. "[It's] The feeling of growing so far apart from someone that there are no longer any memories of them left. It’s like a step past someone being dead to you. It’s not meant to be cruel or spiteful; it’s just frankly and deeply honest, and sometimes that’s what we need to truly heal ourselves."

As for "(I'll Let You Know) Eventually,": “I’m not sure what else to say right now. I think I know what you’re thinking right now. If you could say it, please say it right now— or just let me know eventually” Brad shares, "I love this part because the tension of the situation builds up throughout the song, only to fall flat on its face at the very last second. It’s purposefully anti-climatic from a story-telling perspective to get the emotion and feeling of the situation across. You’re in this intense “will they, won’t they” and then the moment of clarity finally comes. Both feet out the door with your hand on the knob to pull it to, only to step back in and close it."

Between States remains exactly what Brad intended from the start: an open door. In true TOP8 Scene fashion, we had to ask Brad who his TOP8 collaborations would be. 

In no particular order

1. Jeremy McKinnon of A Day To Remember: We have technically collaborated together before because he produced Veara’s Epitaph Records debut. I’m feeling more confident in my songwriting these days, so I know we could cook up a slammer.

2. Kenny Vasoli of The Starting Line: His voice is incredibly powerful, his lyrics are unique and touch the soul, and I just love The Starting Line.

3. Andy Jackson of Hot Rod Circuit: HRC is one of my favorite bands ever. His vocal melody style is undeniable, and it would be awesome to riff out a song with him.

4. Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast: She has an incredible voice and writes amazing vocal melodies and harmonies.

5. Hayley Williams of Paramore: Need I say more?

6. Johnny Franck of Bilmuri: His last two records have been fantastic. I grew up listening to country music, and although I’m not a fan of most modern country music, he tastefully blends the style with his music. I’d love to cook up something with him.

7. Jason Gnewikow and Jeremy Dean of Jade Tree Records: this one is a bit of a cheat cause it’s two people, but I love the album artwork style from Jade Tree Records, and having them do singles or album covers would be a dream come true.

8. Jerry Finn (RIP): It would be literally impossible to work with him, but a guy can dream, can’t he? The Blink 182 records he produced are some of the coolest-sounding records ever.

So what’s next? New tunes.

“We’re working on new music now, maybe another single or two out by the end of the year if we are lucky.” Brad shares he also wants to put out a music video and wants to set up a live band. “Andrew and I are working on putting a live band together. We’re both full-time working dads, so we will move as quickly as life allows.”

To end the interview, here are a few last words: “Shoutout to Josh Hamester of Henshin Project for filming the studio sessions; he’s working on a mini-doc that will be out at some point. Shoutout to Austin and Alex at Huge Face Productions in Dayton, OH, Abandoned Malls of America, who have a new record dropping soon, and Dead Medium, who just released a new record recently. Last but certainly not least, AI is not an artist nor can it make you an artist nor your friend nor your lover nor your brain. AI is the thief of creativity and thinking!”

Time to go spin Between States. 

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