THE CAB wants you to know they aren’t your typical indie
band. As their Myspace hit, “I’ll Run,” says, you should “have a little faith.”
That’s exactly what Pete Wentz did. He chose to sign the relatively unknown
band from
impressive Decaydance label when the Cab had only one demo up on their Myspace
page. With Wentz’s backing, the band has been able to bypass the typical
blockages facing most start-up bands and have been on tour extensively before
the release of their debut album, Whisper War — which features Fall Out Boy’s
Patrick Stump and Panic at the Disco’s
Brendon Urie.
THE GUARDIAN: Where are you now?
ALEX DELEON: I’m in
getting ready for a long drive out to
during our one day off [of tour].
G: So how did you start out singing? Did you put the band
together?
AD: No – I didn’t know I could sing. I never had training or
anything, but my dad and gramdma were professional singers. I was too shy, but
Cash [Colligan — the Cab’s bass player] supposedly would hear me singing in the
car when we would blast music and was like, “You’re good! Why aren’t you
singing for our band?”
G: Tell me a little bit about how you were discovered by
Panic at the Disco and signed to Decaydance.
AD: We gave [Panic at the Disco] a demo at a show — a Cobra
Starship, Cartel, Boys Like Girls show — and they listened to it and got back
to me. It all happened over about a month, but it took a few months to get all
the paperwork signed.
G: And then you found yourselves on tour with bands like We
the Kings and Cobra Starship. What is your favorite tour memory?
AD: The last show of the tour
is always great. On the last show of the Cobra Starship
tour, everyone did a prank day like sending hundreds of raw hot dogs to people.
We the Kings put gin and vinegar in my water bottle, and I didn’t know until I
took a sip on stage. It was disgusting. Oh, and I also got oatmeal thrown in my
face.
G: There’s a lot of mystery surrounding your debut album
because you’ve only released one demo. What can listeners expect Whisper War to
sound like?
AD: I think our album has all kinds of different songs —
songs for everyone. But they … aren’t just a random mix. They’re not all
super happy poppy, but still have that pop/soul influence. The album doesn’t
exactly tell one story, but can be seen as chapters in a larger story.
G: During truth or dare, would you rather go streaking or
reveal an intimate secret?
AD: Definitely go streaking!
G: Lindsay Lohan or Hilary Duff?
AD: Lindsay Lohan.
G: Love at first sight: reality or myth?
AD: I think it’s a reality.
