By TOP8SCENE | Photo: Sarahsxphotosx | February 9, 2026
Looking Back at Houston Calls: An Interview With Tom Keiger
For many, Houston Calls’ A Collection of Short Stories defined growing up. The 2000s pop-punk scene was clearly special, and the music Houston Calls gave the world is the epitome of just that. The album is catchy, nostalgic, and a cult favorite to this day. They only released two full-length albums, and the music still hits just as hard 23 years after the band first got together. We were lucky enough to catch up with frontman Tom Keiger to chat about the band, the writing of their albums, and what’s potentially in store for Houston Calls.
Their second (and unfortunately final) release, The End of an Error, was gifted to the universe in 2008, but was it a natural conclusion for Houston Calls? According to Tom, it was. “We had a short run as a group, but with all the personnel changes that came around the end of the band, it would have felt too forced to go on any more.”
The album was released through Drive-Thru Records, a scene that Houston Calls fit into perfectly. The label housed many iconic pop punk acts of the 2000s and still has a cult-like following to this day. “I loved New Found Glory and The Starting Line growing up. It’s funny because I never think of us as part of the Drive-Thru scene, even though our second album was the last one released on DTR. We were a late addition and joined after the prime days that everyone remembers. So, on one hand, it feels like an honor to be grouped into that scene, but I also feel some sense of imposter syndrome. Either way, I feel very fortunate to have been a part of that era and remembered in a positive way by people.”
When asked what the band was listening to while recording both albums, Tom reflects on a few albums and sounds that helped inspire Houston Calls musically.
Saves the Day: “They get two spots with Through Being Cool and Stay What You Are - growing up in NJ, I felt lucky to be able to see some shows around 2000 and 2001 that were very important to me. Saves the Day had such a beautiful progression from Can’t Slow Down to TBC to SWYA and did no wrong on those three in my eyes. The guitars on TBC were most influential to my style of palm muting, and the lyrics on both were visceral and things I had never heard in songs before.”
Jimmy Eat World: “Futures had some impact on me at this time. I hold Clarity on a pedestal, but this album came out around the time we were writing and starting to play more, and there is just something about their songwriting that is accessible, yet not overdone-sounding. The melodies are thoughtful, and the music is incredibly well-written and crafted. The band is one we all looked up to a lot.”
Green Day: “Warning. I know this one isn’t nearly as renowned as others in their catalog, but I started writing a few of the songs that made the first album when I was at college in Delaware from around 2000 to 2003. This album accompanied me on many walks on Main Street in Newark, DE. This has always been my favorite band since I picked up a guitar in 1994.”
Number One Fan: “Semi-obscure one here, but Josh and I drove around together a lot in the early days of the band, and we would listen to tons of music. Number One Fan’s album Compromises had TWO songs that I was obsessed with (‘Come On’ and ‘It’s happening’), and while our styles are very different, I bet a few ideas snuck their way into our songs because of how much we listened to this.”
Looking back at their discography, Tom admits his perspective on their tunes has evolved. “Both albums had a lot of split writing duties within our group. Rich (Okamoto, our keyboardist) was a big contributor and writer, and usually about 2-4 of his songs would be on the records. We recently played ‘A Line in the Sand’ live, which was probably only the second time ever. It felt renewed and somehow clicked with all of us in a new way. I appreciate the care he put into his writing AND lyrics.”
Though their time as an active band was far too short, Tom reflected on what he took away from creating their debut album, A Collection of Short Stories, at such a young age. “Innocence in songwriting has a purity that connects more with people because it is not forced and it is authentic. We wrote that album when I was 21, and everything was unapologetically us. The biggest lesson I learned is that by trying too hard, you can easily lose sight of the initial connection with the magic and spark that helped people find you. The songs on our second album are much more well-written and thoughtful songs, but the heart and rawness of our first album is what I think people like(d) about us.”
Some songs never made it onto either release, and he wishes some changes to the final versions hadn't been made. Still, some unreleased material sticks with him to this day. “We have a fun catalog of recordings we did with our friend Rob of Hidden in Plain View, and every now and again I listen to one and think about how it could have been a great album track.” As for the most underrated Houston Calls track in Tom’s opinion? “I was always partial to the song ‘One More Won’t Hurt’ because of its simplicity and hook. It got some love, but I had higher hopes for that tune.”
In 2023, 14 years after their final show, Houston Calls found themselves back in front of a crowd again. “My wife and my sister-in-law said they had never seen me that happy. They said it very seriously, too.” He recalls. “It felt like home to me to be up there, and since all the guys are my friends, that felt very easy and natural.”
Since then, the band has played a handful of shows, and we know their audience wants more (I’m also talking about us). Even now, new listeners continue to discover Houston Calls, something Tom finds both humbling and surreal. “I am humbled every day we receive any message of gratitude and excitement surrounding our music,” he tells TOP8. “Sometimes I talk about the band with people in my life now who I’ve only met within the last few years, and it’s always a funny discussion. I told my neighbor about our band, and he found us on Spotify. The next day, he said something like, ‘Dude, you guys are huge, your song has over 2 million streams!’ It was a neat thing to hear and brought joy to me that people still find something special in the art we created so long ago.”
Our most anticipated question: Is there a future for Houston Calls? Never say never.
Show-wise, the band is always open if the opportunity presents itself. Music-wise? “We recorded one song a few months back and have been kicking around what to do with it and what else we could record. That’s all I’ve got for now.”
To those just hitting play for the first time, Tom mentions, “I’d love to hear from anyone who is just now discovering our band! We have a band run Instagram, and we’re great at managing the messages! Please reach out so we can personally thank you for checking us out.”
TOP8’s Take:
Houston Calls is a band we’ve gravitated toward since first becoming listeners. With tracks like Sunrise Goodbyes, Exit, Emergency, and Behind The Gun being some of our all-time favorites in the genre, we’ll always be here to support whatever the band decides to do next. We’re forever thankful for the music (even though there still isn’t enough of it), and we’ll forever be spinning Houston Calls. If you haven’t listened yet, go fix that! Hit play now and thank us later.