An Interview with Rising Pop/Punk Stars: 3PM
Punk’s not dead. 3PM, a pop-punk band from Baltimore, MD, is proof of that. The band started in mid-2012 when drummer, Brandon Millman, and his friend’s younger brother, a guitarist named Scott Montgomery, were looking for a lead singer. They found Brennan Stark, their lead singer and bassist, via social media. The band has since released two albums.
The band’s name does not refer to the time, but is instead an acronym for something. The band would not say what for; they only confirmed that the ‘3’ represents the three members.
3PM is inspired by bands like Blink-182 and All Time Low, and their sound is similar to other pop/punk bands.
The band communicates with their fans via Twitter and their website, but they also regularly post YouTube videos to update their fans on their lives. Recently, they posted “game night” videos and a mock ‘Cribs’ episode for their guitarist, Scott. Posting videos and updates help them stay relevant with their fans.
They also enjoy the recording process.
“It’s really fun. It takes a long time; you have to have the songs written and practiced a lot before you go into the recording, and there’s definitely times when it’s frustrating, but it’s so much fun to hear the songs and its parts come together.”
Their dream is to be a part of Warped Tour; they got the experience once after winning a contest when the tour stopped in Colombia, MD. Touring with a band that has inspired them is another one of the band’s aspirations.
“Blink-182 would be a dream. Or All Time Low; we hung out with them, and personality-wise we’re really similar, so touring with them would be awesome. Plus we’re from the same area [as All Time Low], so that would make it pretty cool.”
The band’s dream venue is Madison Square Garden.
“I saw this interview with Mark Hoppus and after seeing that it really made me want to go there,” Brandon Millman, the drummer, says.
Being in a band can lead to some strange experiences. They mentioned a show the day after playing with All Time Low in July.
“The day after the show with All Time Low, we played in Hagerstown, MD, and literally zero people besides the bands were there. And it just shows that just because you have one big show, doesn’t mean you should expect that all the time. There was also a hurricane or tornado that day, which was weird, and we had to stop in the middle of our set for safety.”
Even before joining the band, each member had a music-related goal in mind. They hope one day that being in the band can be their full-time career. But when asked what they do on their days off from music, their lives are the same as any typical person’s.
“We all work, go to school, play video games, but we don’t really have a lot of free time. We all do sports, Brandon works out…” Scott and Brandon mention.
The band performed an album release party over the summer at The Baltimore Soundstage, and they were happy about the turnout. “It was the first time people lined up outside for one of our shows, which was awesome.”
Advice they would give to upcoming bands is that the music industry is all about making connections. They mentioned how their manager got them in contact with Paul Leavitt, a music producer who has worked with the likes of All Time Low.
To learn more about 3PM, their tour dates, or to listen to their music, go to www.3pm-music.com.