Hey Monday is an up and coming alternative rock group from West Palm Beach, Florida. The band formed in March of 2008 and have just released their 2^nd studio album, an EP titled Beneath It All. The new EP features 6 songs including the highly touted songs, “Wish You Were Here” and “The Hangover.”

We had a chance to catch up with Jersey Moriarty when the band came to Cincinnati on the Warped Tour just before the release of their new EP.

Amy: Thanks for taking the time out to talk to me.  I don’t know if you remember, I saw you guys last year when you came through at Bogart’s in Cincinnati and actually did some portrait shots with you before the show.

Jersey: Oh ok, I remember that.

Amy:  Didn’t Cassidy fall down and hurt herself that night after the show at Bogarts?

Jersey:  Yea, I actually got a tattoo that day and Cassidy sprained her ankle that day.

Amy: So it wasn’t a good day in Cincinnati?

Jersey: It was a crazy day.

Amy: So after she fell down, how did you handle that with the rest of the tour? She couldn’t jump around right for a while?

Jersey: Yeah for like a week we had to do acoustic sets. She toughed it out though.  She had a brace on it or something and she eventually started hobbling around the stage as much as she could rather than playing acoustic. As far as I know, that was her favorite tour.

Amy: You guys have a tour coming up this fall with Cartel and The Ready Set. I just saw them at Bamboozle a few weeks ago here when they came through town. Their new album seems really cool. So that should be a good tour.

Jersey: Yeah it should be a great show and we’re definitely going to be on tour with them.

Amy:  I have just listened to the new single, “The Hangover” this week.

Jersey: Oh Great.

Amy: So I just wanted to ask a couple questions. Can you tell me the story behind “The Hangover”? What is different about the new album?

Jersey:  “Hangover” was… I honestly never got into asking Cassidy what those lyrics were actually about. But as far as the new record, we have just seen it as being kind of… I’m trying to avoid the word mature because people kind of get scared of that word.

Amy: Ok

Jersey: It’s a step up I think. I think it’s something that will keep the fans we have always had and as well open us up to maybe a wider array of fans as well. It’s a little more 90’s based—90’s rock—pop rock . It’s still got our edge to it but it’s got a little touch that I think is for the better. We weren’t trying to be grown-ups when recording it. It’s definitely going to be something to keep people interested.

Amy: One of my questions was is the record slower? Your last one was really upbeat.

Jersey: Yeah. There aren’t many upbeat songs on the new record. There’s a handful of them. This one  is more heartfelt and emotional. In which case you do have more a heartfelt vibe like our last record was very “go, go, go” and straight forward, get the songs out, done, “boom, boom, boom.”  This record has more dynamic to it emotionally and lyrically.

Amy: So what’s your favorite song to play on the new album?

Jersey: As of now we haven’t really dug into the new album yet as far as playing the songs and usually it’s playing the songs that differentiate what my favorite is.  So far, I am in love with “Wish You Were Here” It’s definitely one of my favorites.

Amy: So any crazy Warped Tour stories that that you’ve had on the road?

Jersey: Honestly, it’s crazy from the second we pulled up to it. “Warped Tour” is a lot like our first record, very “go, go, go.”  It’s definitely been quite an experience. Always hanging out, always a good time, always busy. There’s really never down time because there’s so much else to do. If you find yourself sitting down going “Oh wow, I don’t have anything to do” it’s usually when “Oh well time to do this” so there’s definitely always something going on.

Amy: After I saw you guys live, I’ve kind of been a fan for the past year. I have my little Hey Monday glasses I wear when I go shoot shows sometimes so I think of you often. There are so many bands on tour, have you got any favorites that you go check out on a regular basis?

Jersey:  I wouldn’t say favorites necessarily, but we all have those bands that we love to go watch and see everyday.  We’ve become good friends with a lot of the bands.   We watch We The Kings everyday so that’s really something. We all make a conscious effort. I have become a huge fan of The Tack Attack. They’re a band that has played on our stage—a very heavy band that I probably would have never thought to go watch ever before but our guitar tech Nick is good friends with them and I have become good friends with them as well. Then there’s the Motion City Soundtrack and All-American Rejects who were on the first half of the tour and that was incredible watching them every single day.

Amy: You were discovered by Pete Wentz right, or through the demo tapes?

Jersey: Actually no. Our A&R guy Jay Herron at Columbia Records was the one that found Cassidy and Mike and then while the band was signing with Columbia and finding management within Ozone—that was when Pete had wound up hearing one of the first songs from a long time ago and he  kind of expressed interest and got into the mix of things. It kind of went from there.

Amy: Do you still work with him?

Jersey: Yeah. We actually saw him right before the tour when we were in L.A. We went out and had lunch with him and hung out for a little while. It was good to see him. You don’t get to see him often because he is so busy. It was definitely good to see him. And it was just like normal.

Amy: When can we see the new CD?

Jersey: It comes out August 17^th and we’re going to be on Warped Tour til the very end.