Nashville-based trio Arrows In Action have already begun to charm with their irresistible, dazzling pop-rock. It is, they say, about keeping things light-hearted, looking for escapism, and wanting to “create a positive distraction…”
When Vic Viramontes-Pattison and Matt Fowler separately attended Warped Tour in 2012, they had zero idea that their future band, Arrows In Action, would bless its Californian return in 2025.
“The response was outrageous,” says a glowing Vic, two days after their triumphant set at Long Beach’s Shoreline Waterfront. His band – completed by drummer Jesse Fremmel – join the frontman, bouncing off each other like peas in a pod.
“One of the constants is that we keep making each other laugh,” Vic adds, confirming that their chemistry has only tightened since meeting at the University of Florida in 2017. Initially gigging to rooms occupied only by “significant others and the bartender,” Arrows In Action have found their way towards their breakthrough. Right now, the trio count themselves students at the king-sized idobi Radio Summer School Tour, which also features Charlotte Sands, Rain City Drive and Taylor Acorn.
The latter guested on their game-changing 2021 hit Uncomfortably Numb, which had TikTok in a stranglehold, sitting somewhere in between the pop-laced rock worlds of Yours Truly and Panic! At The Disco.
“We have spent our entire career trying to understand how to apply these things to what we do, but not redo [the same song],” explains Vic of how their music finds its voice.
Last October’s fortified single Cheekbones is already following suit on the internet, while also quickly becoming a highlight of their live sets.
“Seeing Cheekbones, which is remarkably different, do this well is really encouraging,” enthuses Matt, before he makes a promise for the future. “Ten years from now, when everybody has a beard and we’re all wearing suits, it’s [time for] Uncomfortably Numb 2.”
“Still Numb!” quips Jesse.
Whether it was Mayday Parade’s 2007 debut A Lesson In Romantics, the “approachable” nature of Foo Fighters, or blink-182 keeping things unserious, the escapism and goofiness that Arrows In Action love about music is exactly what they hope to replicate.
“We want to create a positive distraction for people,” declares Matt. “Us having fun onstage is what creates that – taking the craft seriously, but not yourself.”
After swinging by Download on Jesse’s birthday (“One of the most memorable ones”), the second part of Arrows’ new album I Think I’ve Been Here Before is imminent, after Side A landed in June.
“It dipped in and out of darker and brighter, so it almost shook out in two parts accidentally,” explains Vic. Depending on the intonation, the title could represent a warm feeling of familiarity or a shudder of dread, especially considering track titles like Feel It Again or Empty Canvas and the artwork’s lighthouse imagery.
“A lighthouse can show you where to go, but you can crash on the rocks if you’re not careful,” says Vic, perhaps also giving a dual metaphor for the Arrows In Action mindset.
“What can we learn from the old stuff, but what’s the new thing we can try?” concludes Jesse. “Breaking the norm is a big focus for me.”
I Think I’ve Been Here Before is released on September 19 via Nettwerk. This interview originally appeared in the autumn issue of the magazine.
Read this next:
