subtitles. are a cross-continental emo/pop-punk duo based between Phoenix and South France, shaping their identity from the ground up with their debut album as a defining first chapter. What began as a long-distance creative connection in 2023 quickly evolved into a collaborative writing process fueled by Zoom sessions, demo building, and a shared drive to turn a nine-hour time difference into momentum and dedication rather than limitation.

After months of developing ideas and refining their sound, the project fully took shape in the studio in late 2025, where many of the tracks underwent significant transformation from their original demos and sometimes shifted as much as 60% to better capture both emotional honesty and an elevated sonic direction. Blending emo vulnerability with pop-punk energy, their music channels late ’90s and early 2000s nostalgia while grounding itself in deeply personal themes of mental health, addiction, grief, and resilience, with standout moments like “Reasons To Stay” resonating on an especially personal level with listeners.

Influenced by acts like Movements, Hawthorne Heights, and The Story So Far, the duo balances introspective storytelling with high-impact instrumentation, with Jake driving concept and lyricism while Alex shapes the technical and structural foundation.

Interviewer: Who are you as a band right now, and how does this debut album introduce you?

subtitles: “We are a cross-continental emo/pop-punk duo, currently ‘based‘ in Phoenix (with the other member in France). We are in the beginning stages of our project, and I believe that this debut album is us establishing our sound, aesthetic, and overall direction of our project. The album, not only in regards to the blend of sounds/styles but also through the emotional storytelling, represents the authenticity that we strive for and will continue to provide moving forward!“

Interviewer: How did the songwriting process for this album start? Was there a clear direction or did it evolve over time?

subtitles: “This was certainly a long time in the making! We first connected in March of 2023, but with us being across the world from one another, the process started off without a full direction. By June of 2023, we had about 25 demo ideas already put together through Zoom calls in our free time (the 9-hour time difference couldn’t hold us back), and by September we were sure that we had something special. Getting to the point of having the financial ability to get Alex to the US, record the album properly, and get things rolling was certain to be a hurdle, but we were motivated to get it done. After four single releases, we finally recorded our debut album in October of 2025, and it was released on all platforms March 19th, 2026!“

Interviewer: Were there any tracks that changed dramatically from demo to final version?

subtitles: “ABSOLUTELY! Almost every one of them changed… I would say minimum 10%, and up to 60% of the song changing when we finally got to the studio for the two week album recording session. I think the biggest change would be Nobody Knows! That one is a sneaky hit and I don’t know if many people have really dove into that one yet. We went from a grungy kind of track to a half acoustic/half emo breakdown track to finish the album, and I love almost every change that we make on the tracks. Our producer, Jojo Centineo, is great at helping direct the vision in a way that keeps our authenticity, but also helps to have an industry quality overall sound.”

Interviewer: How would you describe the sound of this album to someone hearing you for the first time?

subtitles: “I would say, “Hey! Did you ever get bullied, have depression, or overall mental health issues? This album is for you!” Haha, no, I’m kidding. But I would say that this album is very deep in regards to the messaging, and the sound takes people back to the late 90’s and early 2000’s emo phase! If you were into Warped Tour, Tony Hawk Pro Skater, or the movie 10 Things I Hate About You (I can’t explain it, but there’s a correlation); there is something for you on this album!“

Interviewer: Were there any influences, musical or non-musical, that shaped the tone of the album?

subtitles: “Of course! By the way, if an artist ever says no… that’s probably a liar? I think every artist falls in love with their art through seeing someone do it the way that they dream to. Personally (this is Jake, the singer by the way), I derive a lot of my inspiration from personal experiences (I’d say over half of the album is just me telling a story about my life); but also I’m a huge fan of Movements, Hawthorne Heights, and The Story So Far and I think even smaller bands that I hear on our radio inspire me to do new creative things that help us continue to grow and find our sound.”

Interviewer: What emotional themes connect the entire album?

subtitles: “Well, I sort of touched on it earlier but this album is definitely centered around mental health, real-life problems, addiction, a lot of the things that most people unfortunately have to deal with. While we are silly and fun guys, we have also both had our fair share of issues in the past, and our main goal with this band is to help people. Reasons To Stay is specifically focused on the loss after a suicide of a close friend or family member, and we have been honored with multiple people who have had lyrics from this song tattooed, among other very personal heartfelt messages that made us really feel that what we are doing is special.” 

Interviewer:  How did each member contribute to shaping the album’s direction?

subtitles: “Great question! We honestly naturally flow together very well in this regard. I think from the moment we decided to record an album, we both knew it would be a blend of emo/pop punk (Jake – Emo, Alex – Pop Punk), and so we each leaned into our specialties and put together a perfect blend of the two of us. Typically, I (Jake, singer) am more of the idea and concept guy, and Alex is much better on the technical side; so with the blend of the two, we are able to get the most out of the project. “

Interviewer: What’s your favorite moment on the album and why?

subtitles: “Ahhh, that’s got to be Funny (2:04) – this section is such a cool juxtaposition to the rest of the pop punk summer feel in this song! I love it so much because originally, this song was very much more focused on the punk feel and we were able to meet in the middle with this section. This is definitely a good song to represent our overall sound.”

Interviewer: If this album is Chapter One, what do you hope Chapter Two becomes?

subtitles: “We hope for this to be a flourishing chapter one, and to be partnering with mental health brands, playing shows around the world for people who have connected with our music, and putting out a ton more albums that hit even harder as we find our sound. We’ve got a great baseline down with this first album, focused on quality over quantity, and we are finally starting to see this online Zoom call relationship turn into something that will last for a very long time.”

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