Count To Four

Remember the first time you heard Jimmy Eat World? How about Anberlin? Or when you got your hands on an old Fall Out Boy record?

Count to Four knows that feeling: launching out of the real world and into the pop punk universe. A place where even the most vexing problems could be solved – or at least addressed – in three-minute blasts of galloping drums, charging guitars and lyrics that sound like they’re being sung from the top of a mountain.

That spirit lives in the four old high school friends that make up Count to Four – and it’s engrained in the DNA of their new EP, Know Where You Come From.

Recorded with Matt Dalton (Chiodos, I See Stars, Craig Owens) at 37 Studios (Siren the Escape, See You Next Tuesday), Count to Four’s first effort for Transit Records mixes the wide-eyed enthusiasm and melody of The Dangerous Summer with the hardcore kick of Four Year Strong.

Formed in late 2009, the band taps the go-for-broke vibe of their favorite albums with their music, and their experiences growing up for their lyrics.

“It’s about knowing who you are, and where you’ve been,” explains singer and lead songwriter Mike Hayden. “Growing up and learning to deal with things you can’t control.”

Individually, the various members learned – sometimes the hard way– how to cope with everything from girl troubles to problems at home to watching people around them succumb to drug and alcohol.

But, as they criss-crossed through various bands, all four realized the same thing: music got them through the day. Whether they were working out their emotions by writing songs or taking out their frustrations by thrashing around on stage, music was salvation and a way to draw a road map for life.

And when they finally came together, united by a love for old-school pop punk and undeniable band chemistry, Count to Four didn’t want anything else after high school but to play music.

Young pop punk bands are rare in South New Jersey, where the all-ages scene is dominated by hardcore and metal bands. Still, Count to Four quickly gained a large following in the area, snagging plenty of fans playing local hardcore shows.

“I think a lot of hardcore musicians have their roots in pop punk. It’s got that spirit, and the bands and their fans enjoy it,” offers Hayden. “We’re aggressive and energetic onstage, and we involve our fans as much as we can in our shows.”

Traveling up and down the east coast, the also band shared the stage with The Wonder Years, The Dangerous Summer, and Elevation, and started packing in fans at larger venues as large as The Trocadero in Philadelphia, PA

Count to Four’s ties to hardcore were strengthened when they were approached by an A&R representative for 37 Studios. The studio’s producer, Matt Dalton, had been recording mostly hardcore bands at the time. As a pop punk fan, however, he was eager to work on an album in that vein.

As a result, Know Where You Come From has all the hallmarks of pop punk – those yearning vocals, slashing power chords – but also has a certain harshness in its guitars, and the occasional hardcore rhythms. And of course, quite a few gang choruses.

And, when the EP drops this fall, the band looks forward to playing more shows in more places, for pop punk fans, hardcore kids, and anyone and everyone in between.