- by Tom Dumarey

We are happy to premiere the video for 'Too Brooklyn' by North Carolina's The Safety (watch below). The band have recently signed to Imminence Records and will release their debut EP, Queen City, on October 26th. 'Too Brooklyn' is the first single to be taken off the EP.

Formed in 2014, post-hardcore outfit The Safety have sharpened and defined their sound to resemble the great emo bands of our generation, but with a modern twist. Their music is characterized by its high energy and call-and-response vocals, with intricate guitar leads and flowing bass rhythms.

We caught up with vocalist Justin to talk about the band's history, their name and the inspiration behind 'Too Brooklyn'.

PRT: Can you give us a quick walkthrough of the band’s history?

Justin: Not to sound cliché, but we started out as a group of friends who just wanted to play some music together. A few of us moved in together and we started playing shows out of our house. We went through a big line-up change while we lived there and decided to record our songs with the new band arrangement. We used the demo to recruit another guitar player and eventually it made its way into the hands of a label who was interested in us. We signed to Imminence Records, mastered our demo, and now we’re getting ready to release our debut EP, Queen City, on October 26th.

PRT: Have there already been moments where you regretted naming the band The Safety? It’s not the most Google-able name…

Justin: Not yet! We had originally named the band The Illusion of Safety, after the Thrice album, but after we went through our line-up change, we decided that it was a bit of a mouthful and we shortened it to The Safety. We really like how much simpler it is. And I know it won’t be the easiest name to search for Google, but it could be worse. Try looking for a “Brand New shirt” on ebay.

PRT: You guys are inspired by bands like Thursday, Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, and Saosin. If you could pick one and go on tour with them, which one would it be and why?

Justin: I’ve seen every one of those bands perform live and they all really know how to get the crowd excited and engaged, but if I had to choose one, it would definitely be Thursday. They just have such great energy. I’ve met those guys before and they are just so humble and down-to-Earth. In fact, I remember hanging around outside The NorVa after a Thursday show and their drummer, Tucker, came outside, walked right up to me, and asked me if I had a lighter he could borrow. I said “No, sorry… but do you mind if I get a picture with you?” And then I thought “That’s it. I’m bringing a lighter to these shows from now on.”

PRT: Can you tell us a bit more about the song? Is there a such thing as being ‘too Brooklyn’?

Justin: Yes there is! So a little background on the name: Will (guitar, back-up vocals) and I used to be in a band with a guy who was a total diva and after the band was done, he just up and moved to New York. We were hanging out with some friends and someone said that the guy didn’t move to New York just to live there, he moved to New York to say he was “from New York.” Then, someone said the guy was “too Brooklyn” for us, and this was right when Will and I had been writing the song, so we decided to use that as the name. As far as the meaning of the song, it’s about doing what you need to do to get through day-to-day life and battling our inner demons. Life is tough, but it’s an adventure and we need to make the most of it.