Alex Gaskarth | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Alexander William Gaskarth |
Born | Harlow, Essex, England [1] | 14 December 1987
Origin | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 2002–present |
Member of | All Time Low |
Formerly of | Simple Creatures |
Spouse | Lisa Ruocco (m. 2016) |
Website | alltimelow |
Alexander William Gaskarth (born 14 December 1987) is a British [2] musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter for the American rock band All Time Low since its formation in 2003.
Gaskarth was born in Harlow, Essex, England. He spent his childhood in Toot Hill until the age of six, when his father's employment led them to emigrate to the United States. [1] Gaskarth graduated from Dulaney High School [3] in 2006. Gaskarth has two older half-sisters, Jilan and Helen, and had a half-brother, Tom, who died when Gaskarth was 12. In memory of him, Gaskarth got a rose tattoo on his left hand, and wrote the song "Lullabies".[ citation needed ]
As a teenager, Gaskarth was part of a cover band named Crew Fighters. Soon after, he met Jack Barakat, who persuaded him to form and join All Time Low. All Time Low began doing covers of songs by Blink-182 and Green Day. Subsequently, the formation of the band was completed by Zack Merrick (bass, backing vocals) and Rian Dawson (drums, percussion), who also left Crew Fighters to join All Time Low. [4]
Gaskarth started playing music with bandmate Jack Barakat in eighth grade. In ninth grade, they acquired Zack Merrick and Rian Dawson, forming All Time Low in 2003. [5] They signed to Emerald Moon Records in 2004 while still in high school and released their debut EP, "The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End". In 2005, they released their debut studio album The Party Scene .
In 2006 the band signed with Hopeless Records. [6] In 2007, they released a single "Dear Maria, Count Me In" that was certified Platinum in 2015 [7] and in 2021 it was certified 2x Multi-Platinum. [8] They also released their second studio album, So Wrong, It's Right , in 2007. In 2009, All Time Low released their third studio album Nothing Personal which debuted number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart. [9] In 2010 the band released two CD/DVD packages, MTV Unplugged and the documentary/live concert Straight to DVD . [10]
In 2011, the band signed with Interscope Records [11] and released their fourth studio album Dirty Work . [10] In early 2012, the band re-signed with Hopeless Records and released their fifth studio album Don't Panic . [12] On 7 April 2015, All Time Low released their sixth studio album Future Hearts which reached number 2 on Billboard Hot 200 Albums Chart with 75,000 copies sold in its first week, and number 1 in the U.K official Album Charts with 19,400 copies being sold. [9] In 2016, Straight to DVD 2: Past Present and Future Hearts was released. This is a sequel to Straight to DVD, documenting the past four years of the band as well as another live concert. [13] In 2017, the band released a new song entitled "Dirty Laundry" and also reveals that they had left Hopeless Records and has signed with Fueled by Ramen one year prior. [14] On 2 June 2017 the band released its seventh studio album Last Young Renegade . In the summer of 2018, the band released two new singles, Everything Is Fine and Birthday.[ citation needed ]
In 2023, on Valentine's Day, the band released a song ‘Modern Love,’ a new anti-dating anthem from their upcoming album, Tell Me I'm Alive. [15]
Gaskarth has written songs with other bands such as 5 Seconds of Summer, [16] McBusted, [17] and Simple Plan. [18] He hosted the podcast Full Frontal with bandmate Jack Barakat from 2013 to 2015. [19] Full Frontal was rebranded as Crash Test Live per an announcement via Twitter in May 2020 [20] and transitioned to Twitch (service) as the show's live streaming platform while the show would remain available in audio-only format as well as in video format following each taping. [21]
Gaskarth also hosted the 2015 and 2016 Alternative Press Music Awards along with bandmate Jack Barakat. [22]
On 24 January 2019, Gaskarth announced he was forming a new group with Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 called Simple Creatures. A debut song named "Drug" was released with news of an upcoming EP slated for March. [23] A single named "Strange Love" was also released. Since 2020 the project has been on hiatus.
During 2004–2008, Gaskarth used a variety of Gibson SG-X's. Around mid-2013, Gaskarth used a variety of custom-made Paul Reed Smith guitars, most notable the Mira. He stated in a Reddit AMA that he abandoned the instruments due to difficulties replacing parts while overseas. Gaskarth currently uses Fender guitars, most notable the Mustang 90 models, although he has been seen using Telecasters, as well as some of their acoustic models. Gaskarth has also been seen using Gibson electric guitars. [24]
Gaskarth has a tenor vocal style. His vocal range is F2 to G5.
Gaskarth married his long-time girlfriend Lisa Ruocco on 9 April 2016. [25]
During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Gaskarth, Jack Barakat and fellow crew members of All Time Low, started a live podcast on YouTube called Crash Test Live. [26]
Title | Album details |
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The Three Words to Remember in Dealing With the End (EP) |
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The Party Scene |
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Put Up or Shut Up (EP) |
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So Wrong, It's Right |
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Nothing Personal |
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Dirty Work |
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Don't Panic |
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Future Hearts |
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Last Young Renegade |
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Wake Up, Sunshine |
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Tell Me I'm Alive |
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Title | Album details |
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'Strange Love (EP)' | |
Everything Opposite (EP) |
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Song Title | Year | Album Title | Label |
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"Disconnect" (The Dangerous Summer (band) featuring Alex Gaskarth) | 2007 [29] | If You Could Only Keep Me Alive (EP) | Hopeless |
"Don’t Wait” (Hit the Lights featuring Alex Gaskarth) [ check quotation syntax ]| 2008 | |||
"No One Can Touch Us” (Sing It Loud featuring Alex Gaskarth) [ check quotation syntax ]| 2008 [30] | |||
"Bitter Sweet Symphony” (Ace Enders and a Million Different People featuring The Rocket Summer, Kenny Vasoli, Craig Owens, Alex Gaskarth, Matthew Thiessen, Aaron Marsh, Mark Hoppus, and Duane Okun) [ check quotation syntax ]| 2008 [31] | Non-album single | ||
"Freaking Me Out" (Simple Plan featuring Alex Gaskarth) | 2011 | ||
"Kiss Me Again" (We Are the In Crowd featuring Alex Gaskarth) | 2012 [32] | Hopeless | |
"Telescope" (Yellowcard featuring Alex Gaskarth) | 2012 | Hopeless | |
"When I Found You" (Amber Pacific featuring Alex Gaskarth) | 2014 [33] | The Turn | Digitally Sound |
"Jaded" (One OK Rock featuring Alex Gaskarth) | 2017 [34] | A-Sketch, Amuse, Inc., Fueled by Ramen | |
"Time To Fall In Love" (Lindsey Stirling featuring Alex Gaskarth) | 2017 [35] | Lindseystomp, Concord | |
"Up in Flames" (Kayzo featuring Alex Gaskarth) | 2019 | Unleashed | Welcome |
"Crashed the Wedding 2.0" (Busted Feat. All Time Low) | 2023 [36] | Crashed the Wedding 2.0 | |
Song Title | Year | Album Title | Label |
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"Freaking Me Out" (Simple Plan) | 2011 | ||
"No Idea" (Big Time Rush) | 2011 [37] | ||
"Settle for Less" (Before You Exit) | 2013 [38] | I Like That (EP) | |
"Disconnected" (5 Seconds of Summer) | 2014 [39] | She Looks So Perfect (EP) | |
"Kiss Me, Kiss Me", "End Up Here", "Long Way Home" (5 Seconds of Summer) | 2014 | Capitol, Hi or Hey | |
"Get Over It" (McBusted) | 2014 [38] | ||
"Broken Pieces", "Over and Out" (5 Seconds of Summer) | 2015 [40] | She's Kinda Hot (EP) | Capitol, Hi or Hey |
"Catch Fire" (5 Seconds of Summer) | 2015 [41] | Capitol, Hi or Hey | |
"Slow Burn", "Hurry Up and Wait" (State Champs) | 2015 [42] | ||
"Something New", "Upside Down" (Set It Off) | 2016 [43] | Upside Down | |
"Way With Words" (The Wrecks) | 2018 [38] | Panic Vertigo (EP) | |
"Criminal", "The Fix Up" (State Champs) | 2018 [42] | Living Proof | Pure Noise |
The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show is a live album by American rock band Blink-182. It was released on November 7, 2000, by MCA Records. Blink-182 had risen to fame at the turn of the millennium on the strength of its third album, Enema of the State, which went multiplatinum. Capturing the band's stage show—known for its irreverent humor—with a live release was designed to satisfy fans between new studio albums. The album was recorded over two nights at performances in their native California, on the group's inaugural arena tour.
Mark Allan Hoppus is an American musician and record producer. He is the co-lead vocalist, co-founder, and bassist for the rock band Blink-182 and the only member to appear on every album.
"Dumpweed" is a song by American rock band Blink-182. It is the opening track from their third studio album, Enema of the State (1999). A live version of the song was released as a promotional single in November 2000 supporting the band's live album The Mark, Tom and Travis Show . The song explores frustration in relationships.
All Time Low is an American rock band from Towson, Maryland, formed in 2003. Consisting of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson, the band took its name from lyrics in the song "Head on Collision" by New Found Glory. The band has consistently done year-long tours, headlined numerous tours, and has appeared at music festivals including Warped Tour, Reading and Leeds, and Soundwave.
Put Up or Shut Up is an EP by American rock band All Time Low released, released on July 25, 2006 through Hopeless Records.
Blink-182 is an American rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Their current and best-known line-up consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their sound has diversified throughout their career, their musical style, described as pop-punk, blends catchy pop melodies with fast-paced punk rock. Their lyrics primarily focus on relationships, adolescent frustration, and maturity—or lack thereof. The group emerged from a suburban, Southern California skate punk scene and first gained notoriety for high-energy live shows and irreverent humor.
So Wrong, It's Right is the second studio album and major label debut by American rock band All Time Low. Following an unsuccessful showcase for Fueled by Ramen, Hopeless Records signed All Time Low in March 2006. They released an EP, Put Up or Shut Up, through the label in July of that year. After amassing 12 songs by January 2007, the band demoed some of them for Paul Leavitt. The group began recording So Wrong, It's Right in April at SOMD Studios in Beltsville, Maryland with producers Leavitt and Matt Squire. The band wrote five additional songs while in the studio. Following an acoustic tour in June, the band participated in Warped Tour, and "Dear Maria, Count Me In" was made available for streaming. After premiering a music video for "Six Feet Under the Stars", So Wrong, It's Right was released on September 25. The band spent the next three months supporting Boys Like Girls on their US tour.
"Weightless" is a song by American rock band All Time Low and the first and lead single from the group's third studio album Nothing Personal (2009). The single was released through Hopeless Records as a digital download on April 7, 2009, and was released in the UK on August 3, 2009. The song is also available to download on the music video games Rock Band and Guitar Hero 5. It became the first song by the band to receive radio airplay, exposing the band to a new audience, and helping it peak at No. 4 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. The song has become a live staple, and is considered to be one of the band's signature songs along with "Dear Maria, Count Me In". In 2014 the song was certified Gold by the RIAA.
Nothing Personal is the third studio album by American rock band All Time Low. As early as May 2008, the band began writing for their third album, and by November revealed they would be recording in the winter. The band began pre-production in early January 2009 and started recording later in the month, which lasted until March. Half of the album's songs were produced by Matt Squire with Butch Walker, David Bendeth and S*A*M and Sluggo each producing a few songs. Tom Lord-Alge mixed the majority of the album. "Weightless" was made available for streaming in March, and released as a single in April. A support slot for Fall Out Boy and an appearance at the Bamboozle festival followed.
Dirty Work is the fourth studio album by American rock band All Time Low. Following the success of Nothing Personal, the band signed to major label Interscope Records in late 2009. After spending sometime writing material in Los Angeles, the band started recording with Mike Green in March 2010. Over the following months the band recorded songs with John Fields, Butch Walker, Matt Squire, David Kahne and U4L. In between sessions, the band embarked on the Bamboozle Roadshow tour. Neal Avron mixed the majority of the album's recordings while Green, Mark Trombino and Chris Lord-Alge each mixed a song. Vocalist/guitarist Alex Gaskarth co-wrote the album's songs with a variety of people, including those who produced a few of the songs. While recording, the album was planned for release in 2010. It was delayed to January 2011, and then to spring. Further recording sessions then took place in November 2010, as well as in January 2011.
Don't Panic is the fifth studio album by American rock band All Time Low. After signing with major label Interscope Records in November 2009, the band worked on their fourth album Dirty Work. It was delayed a number of times until its eventual release in June 2011. During that time, the people at the label that had signed the band were fired or replaced. By the end of the year, vocalist/guitarist Alex Gaskarth said Dirty Work was "kind of dead in the water", prompting the band to work on their next album shortly afterwards. After completing a week of pre-production in April 2012, the band started recording Don't Panic with Mike Green, in Los Angeles, California and finished in May. The album features appearances from Cassadee Pope of Hey Monday, Anthony Raneri of Bayside and Jason Vena of Acceptance.
Future Hearts is the sixth studio album by American rock band All Time Low, released April 3, 2015 by Hopeless Records as the follow-up to Don't Panic (2012). The first single, "Something's Gotta Give" premiered on BBC Radio 1 on January 12, 2015. Every physical copy contains five of twenty collectible "polaroids". Deluxe editions of Future Hearts feature bonus songs, expanded artwork and an alternative cover. This is the last All Time Low album to be released on Hopeless Records.
California is the seventh studio album by American rock band Blink-182, released on July 1, 2016 through BMG as the band's only album on the label. Produced by John Feldmann, it is the first of two albums by the band to feature Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba, who replaced founding member Tom DeLonge during his absence from 2015 to 2022. After touring and releasing the band's sixth album, Neighborhoods (2011), it became difficult for the trio to record new material due to DeLonge's other projects. After disagreements, the remaining members of the group—vocalist/bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker—sought separation from DeLonge and recruited Skiba in his place.
Last Young Renegade is the seventh studio album by American rock band All Time Low. It was released on June 2, 2017, and is their first release with Fueled by Ramen. The lead single, "Dirty Laundry", premiered on BBC Radio 1 on February 17, 2017. The album debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200, selling 33,000 units in its first week.
Living Proof is the third studio album from American pop punk band State Champs. It is their last album to feature rhythm guitarist Tony Diaz before his departure in March 2020.
Simple Creatures was an American pop rock duo that was formed by vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 and vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low. Based in Los Angeles, the duo released their first EP, Strange Love, on March 29, 2019. Their second EP, Everything Opposite, was released on October 11, 2019.
Nine is the eighth studio album by American rock band Blink-182, released on September 20, 2019, through Columbia Records, as the band's first album on the label. The band began developing the album after fulfilling touring obligations for their previous release, California (2016). While producer John Feldmann returned from the previous album, Nine also utilizes additional outside producers and songwriters including Captain Cuts, the Futuristics, and Tim Pagnotta. It is the band's second and final album to feature guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba, before the return of founding member Tom DeLonge in 2022.
Wake Up, Sunshine is the eighth studio album by American rock band All Time Low. It was released on April 3, 2020, and is their second release with Fueled by Ramen following Last Young Renegade in 2017. The album's fourth and final single "Monsters" is the highest-charting song of their career.
"Monsters" is a song by rock band All Time Low featuring Blackbear. The song was written by FRND, Kevin Fisher, Jack Barakat, Alex Gaskarth, Blackbear and Demi Lovato, and produced by Zakk Cervini and Gaskarth. The song was originally released on April 3, 2020, by Fueled by Ramen, as part of the band's eighth studio album Wake Up, Sunshine. Following 11 weeks at number one on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart, the song was re-released with vocals by Demi Lovato on December 4, 2020. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 88 and peaked at number 55.
"Fake as Hell" is a song by American band All Time Low and Canadian singer Avril Lavigne, released on September 14, 2023. The song was released as a standalone single following the band's 2023 album, Tell Me I'm Alive.