By TOP8SCENE | Photos provided by Dan Simons | Dec 20, 2025
An Interview With Dan Simons of Just Surrender
& His TOP8 Picks:
Have you ever listened to a band so underrated that it makes you want to scream?
That’s the NY-based band Just Surrender to us. We chatted with vocalist/guitarist, Dan Simons, about his musical influences, a quick look at the past, and what’s coming next for the band.
Formed in 2003, Just Surrender has a discography that doesn’t miss, including, in our opinion, one of the most perfect albums in the Pop-Punk/Emo scene, If These Streets Could Talk. Dan touched on an unforgettable moment during that time: “Going on tour with Autopilot Off, Bayside, and The Riddlin' Kids for our first tour leading up to the release of that album was a really big deal. Being on MTV News and hearing Kurt Loder talk about our band was really special.”
Though the album was released 20 years ago, it still stands strong to this day and is in constant rotation in our playlists. It doesn’t stop there, though; their follow-up album, We’re in Like Sin, released in 2007, threw banger after banger at us with songs like 'If I wanted to Cuddle I’d Buy a Teddy Bear' and, of course, iconic banger, 'Your Life and Mine'.
The Phoenix album, released in 2010, brought an elevated vibe to the band that worked well, but Just Surrender sound that we all know and love. A few of our favorites from the project include heavy-hitter 'Through The Night', as well as classics like 'Burning Up' and 'Better To Leave'.
One of the band’s most underrated songs, according to the singer, comes off of that very album:
“I am really fond of 'Jukebox Memoirs'. I think it’s the perfect pop punk song. That record Phoenix (in general) was really special and for whatever reason didn’t work out as well as it should have, but that’s neither here nor there.”
Even though Phoenix has some of the band’s most overlooked tunes, Dan also admitted there’s a deep cut in the Just Surrender archives that he thinks about, and would re-record if he could:
“There’s a song we never released (other than on MySpace for like 5 seconds), called 'Last Look Back' that I always loved. Steve hates it, though.”
Fast forward to 2023, when the band’s latest release, Not Dead Yet, gave us two tracks, 'Choices' & 'Find You Out Again', that were the perfect combination of their various eras to date. It was a treat for fans to get new music all those years later. When asked what Dan has taken away from the band, he said: “I think the band has 9 lives! We love each other, and despite whoever comes and goes, Jay, Steve, and myself will always have each other.” That is evident.
DAN SIMONS' TOP8 ERA-DEFINING ALBUMS
We asked Dan to pick a Just Surrender era and dive into some musical influences that helped shape the band during that time, and boy, did he deliver.
“My list is all over the place, but leading up to the recording of If These Streets Could Talk, I was listening to so many different things.”
Let's get into it. Here are the TOP8 albums Dan was heavily into during If These Streets Could Talk:
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THE BREAKDOWN:
ASHLEE SIMPSON - AUTOBIOGRAPHY: "Her first record has so many perfectly written songs on it. I really enjoyed the craftsmanship and the songwriting of John Shanks. There’s just something about the way his approach to songwriting resonates with me. Her voice really was different than her sister’s, which was refreshing."
CURSIVE - THE UGLY ORGAN: "Perfect mix of indie rock, hip hop, and abstract art. It’s a well-woven tapestry of influences that blends into a beautiful album. That record was really something I wished we could be like, but it never really touched the others as it did me. The idea of using hip-hop styled singing kinda opened up my mind to that bridge in 'Our Work of Art'.”
THE USED - IN LOVE AND DEATH: "This album (at the time) was negatively received by a lot of people in our little circle. I thought that it had some bangers on it. 'Let it Bleed' is just as good as anything on their first record. I think that sometimes people want bands to do the same magic trick over and over, and then complain when they know when the rabbit is pulled out of the hat."
RILO KILEY - MORE ADVENTUROUS: "This album I absolutely loved and played it on my iPod during that period before If These Streets came out. So many great songs. I remember that one of our tours chased theirs; it was cool seeing their posters up while we were playing the same venues. We’d be in the smaller room, but it was still special. The two singers (male and female) chemistry works so well. They have intelligent pop songs that make you think."
TAKING BACK SUNDAY - WHERE YOU WANT TO BE: "To me, this is the best TBS album. The other stuff is good and all that. But this is professional songwriting, and it sounds killer. I love Fred. I love his guitar playing. I love how his voice blended with Adam’s. I love the band, and I really felt that this record was so freaking good. I wanted to record with Lou Giordano because of THIS record. “New American Classic” hits all the spots."
NADA SURF - THE PROXIMITY EFFECT: "I love Weezer. Nada Surf kinda fit into that vibe for a minute with their first album. Nerdy alternative kinda rock with not so popular (no pun intended), so their vibe spoke to me. Their second record is their finest work (despite whatever they think), lots of big hooks, and really great guitar. I saw them during a tour with Rilo Kiley and Ozma, and really just went crazy on that album. '80 Windows' and 'Amateur' are some of my favorite songs of all time."
THE ATARIS - SO LONG ASTORIA: "Another masterpiece. This album is just so magical and perfect. Whatever the track, it just hurts so good. Kris and John just had that magical vibe on this record. I loved Blue Skies, but this one just brought his craftsmanship as a wordsmith and a storyteller to that next level. And despite them getting their recognition for a cover, they just really summed up life as a goonie."
THE JULIANA THEORY - LOVE: "This album, despite what those dudes say, is their best album. (There’s a theme here!) I loved this album. Some dude named Jason that I went to community college with had this album leaked and burned it for me before it came out. It was so damn good. The loud guitars and riffs were amazing. The production was phenomenal. There’s some really good stuff on there, and it totally influenced our approach for sure."
With Just Surrender's last release being in 2023, we were curious as to what the future has in store for the band.
“We have literally 30 demos or snippets of ideas of things. I believe we’re going to make an album at some point this year, but we’re really trying to navigate that stuff. Having kids and mortgages and all that is hard. BUT, it’s happening. Whether it’s a piecemeal type of thing or whatever.”
TOP8’s TAKE:
Whatever the band brings this year, we're more than excited. Just Surrender never misses with their sonically pleasing vocals, tracks that rip, and the energy they bring to the table. They put out the catchiest of bangers, stay true to themselves while evolving, and in our opinion, are one of the most slept on bands out there. They’re the perfect soundtrack to whatever you may be going through, and have one of the most fun discographies we’ve ever heard. We can't wait to see what the band has in store this year. Be sure to keep an eye out for new show announcements; they plan to play more gigs in 2026. We'll see you in the pit.