It's been a long adventure for The Subways since the Welwyn Garden City trio emerged fresh-faced and exuberant with their 2005 debut album 'Young For Eternity'. Now their second album 'All Or Nothing' is scheduled for release. With their teenage days still relatively recently behind them, the band have already experienced more than most bands endure in an entire career.
The combination of frustration and fresh influences from the likes of Refused, Death Cab For Cutie, Mclusky and Shellac has provoked the vehement dynamics that are infused in the new album's most vitriolic moments.
The band opted to head to Los Angeles to record the album with producer extraordinaire Butch Vig (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth). Vig proved to be a powerful influence on the band with all three members eager to highlight his intelligence and musical prowess.
"Coming back to the UK was almost too comfortable for us," says Lunn of the band's decision to join Vig in Los Angeles when he had offered to come to England for the recording process. "We like to keep ourselves on our toes and we wanted to dive into this record and make it the best we could." He replicated this philosophy with his lyrics, adding, "I really wore my heart on my sleeve. All the trials and tribulations that we've been through, they're there. I haven't left anything to myself."
The result is that 'All Or Nothing' recalls the exuberance of 'Young For Eternity' while embarking up an adventurous sonic progression.