All good things must come to an end… but with every end comes a new beginning… a future… a Future Of The Party – a New Jersey bred pop punk band consisting of, but not limited to, members from former NJ local legends Paulson and Houston Calls. Future of the Party is a successful succession of danceable rhythms, belt out lyrics, and an overwhelming sense of passion for playing music. They recently released their debut EP, Future of the Party, available here… fo’ freeeee! I talked with Alex Burton, formerly of Paulson, about the past, present, and future of Future of the Party:
Q. Can you give us a brief history lesson on Future of the Party… who are you and what do you do?
I started doing demos for this band a long time ago – probably around 2008. I spent a long time trying to find the right people to work with, and also trying to figure out what I wanted to do musically. Now that the people are in place and we’ve got some songs under our belt, we’re just a handful of musicians who might be jaded on the business, but are still in love with playing and recording music.
Q. Explain Future of the Party in 5 words… GO!
Blood, Sweat, Tears, more Blood.
Q. Alex, you were formally in Paulson … how does your past musical history lend itself to what you’re doing now?
Paulson is very special to me. It taught me a lot about who I am and what I love and where I want to go. But we did it pretty much all on our own, and when you’re young and thrust into that sort of a situation it’s easy to lose sight of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Starting over with a new project like Future of the Party is bittersweet – it marks a definitive switch in priorities in my life from one band to another, but at the same time now we can just do whatever we want without answering to anybody, and that makes the whole musical process really liberating.
Q. How is it different?
Inevitably there will be similarities and differences, We’re both danceable indie rock with keyboards and lots of harmonies, but ultimately we’re still exploring where we want to go. I think it’s probably too early in the process to really compare and contrast the two bands.
Q. What inspires you guys as a band/songwriters?
I can’t really speak for anyone else, but I find myself being inspired by places I’ve been, people I’ve known, and things I’ve done in my life. Looking inward and reconciling my past has been more difficult than I expected, but it’s definitely given me more inspiration than I could have anticipated. That being said, certain bands really get me excited, like The Antlers, Friendly Fires, M83…
Q. You guys recently released your debut EP Future of the Party, what are you most stoked on with its release?
We recorded that thing on and off over the course of a year. To be honest, I’m just glad to have it done and available to the public so we can start playing it for people. We’re all really excited to get back to playing shows again!
Q. What does the EP mean to you?
It’s the first step in what I hope is a long, long journey. A building block. A foundation from which to grow. It reminds me that the future is wide open, and we can make what we want out of it.
Q. After the break up of Paulson, what made you want to keep playing music? What do you love about what you do?
As hard as we worked in Paulson, I really loved every second of it. Continuing on seemed natural to me. I took some time off, toured with some other bands, had a serious moment of self-realization while traveling through Iceland, and then went to work on what would become Future of the Party. At the end of the day I just love connecting with people through music.
Q. Any shows in the New Jersey/New York area planned?
Q. What piece of advice can you give to young musicians/bands?
Be realistic. You’re probably not going to make it. That doesn’t mean don’t try, but you should have a backup plan.
Q. Obligatory Punkcakes question … What is your favorite dessert?
Coincidentally, I had the best dessert of my life last night at Locanda Verde in NYC. It was a truffle-honey cake with whipped ricotta, chamomile granita, and hazelnuts. I think I’ll dream about that one until the day I die.
Samantha Sicilia
punkcakes 
so glad they are still writing music. i am enjoying it, but i had a pretty big hard on for Paulson. we’ll see if this grows on me as well…