When stepping into the cutthroat world of the music industry, some artists prefer to play it safe, writing with radio listeners in mind and politely promoting their work on their social pages, while others choose a bolder, more explosive tactic. And if anyone has built themselves a permanent residence within the latter category, it is emo-punk group TX2.
The brain-child of Colorado native Evan Thomas, TX2 has become a standout among the crowd of modern alt-rock bands through the use of raw — sometimes controversial — lyrics, a style that blends emo sound and punk ideas with elements of hip-hop and a social media presence akin to tongue-in-cheek rage bait.
Their success is reflected in the still-growing list of sold-out shows on their ongoing tour, the Cruel World Tour, a list that Atlanta joined this past Sunday in Purgatory at the Masquerade. Prior to getting onstage at the packed show, Thomas sat down with the Technique to talk about the band’s journey, goals and life as a musician in today’s political climate.
To start off, what made you start to make music?
I started on the drums when I was five years old, and I loved emo music; one of the first albums I got was “The Black Parade.” [F]rom there, I started diving into emo music and…playing in different bands. In middle school, I was in an Asking Alexandria cover band, and I just played a bunch of different bands, even a country band. But I just hated being in bands because there was always some sort of ego thing. And … I had a few bands that had really messy fallouts, and I was like, “I don’t ever want to be in a band again.” And I was like 15 [and thought], “I want to be a rapper” because rapping is like drumming with words. It’s like the same rhythm, but with wordplay, because I couldn’t sing and I didn’t want to have to load in my drums anymore.
So then I started rapping in high school, and I thought that would make me cool and people would like me, but it turned [out] the exact opposite. Things got even worse, and I got bullied even more. And then I moved out at 18, and I dealt with so much bullying, I was like, “All right, I make sure every [person] knows the name TX2 [and] It’s on billboards one day. “And then when I moved out, I started finding myself, dressing how I wanted, and then being like, “Okay, wait; actually, I can be emo.” So around 18-19, I started the emo arc return.
Where does the name “TX2” come from?
I was 15, [and] I liked “Eminem,” which is Marshall Mathers. So I was like, TX2 is like “Timothy Thomas,” which is my legal name. I thought it was cool, but it sounds like a microwave. [But], it’s like three syllables, I’m stuck with it now.
What’s it like being a band in the age of having everything on social media?
It is horrible because I have no time to breathe, sleep or have a social life. At all times of the day, I’m doing something, planning something. I have to work this; I have to work that … [T]he cool thing is I get to build a social life through people that I work with. … but the con is I don’t feel like I have a normal human life at all. I’m always on the road, filming, etc, working.
What’s your favorite part of touring?
I get to be with my family on the road and every single day, I’m surrounded by my favorite people.
So, Cam [Rostami] is my roommate — my best friend — and now I’m on the road with him.
Corky, who I wish lived with me. Now I get my chance to live with her, in a van.
And then Ethan [Vaillancourt], who I wish I saw more. But now, he’s stuck with me, in a van.
So all of our friends, and Church, our new drummer — everybody — it feels like one family on the road. And just a new city every night.
I’ve noticed, especially more recently, [you’ve been] talking about issues that there have been, historically speaking, within the emo or punk scene. What made you start explicitly acknowledging [those problems]?
Through therapy, I recognized that … things that happened to me have happened to people in the scene, and I have become very empathetic towards it. And I also was innocent, and I grew up liking emo music and thinking that “this is cool; I love the music and the culture.” And then as I grew up, I learned the horrible history of people in the scene that, like, ruined it for me, and to the point where it hit me one day when I was telling some friends that I was an emo artist, and they had to ask me weird questions [and] I was like, “so just because I make emo music…there’s [a negative] association?” Like, that’s disgusting [and] it feels bad, and it makes me want to rebrand the scene.
And I just hate that you can’t listen to pop, rock, hardcore, post-hardcore riffs and wear eyeliner without it having a bad association because of something stupid people did in the past. I would like to reclaim that.
How do you want to continue with [that effort]?
Awareness is the most important thing. So by talking about it as much as [I can] and every time I get a chance to, and … you’ll see tonight, I talk to everyone about how “you guys need to make friends if we’re gonna build a scene, we need every single one of you here.”
And over time, I know that this is the best-selling tour we’ve done, and it’s almost doubled from the last one. [T]he] next time we tour, hopefully, it doubles again.
I’m playing the long game: five [to] ten years from now, I hope that TX2 is a household name and that we could bring on other artists and build out our own scene that focuses on these important issues and awareness, … aAnd by promoting this type of energy, I think other people will follow.
How have you taken criticism [on social media] in stride, and have you used it?
[The intense criticism on social media], what looks like a huge problem with [TX2], is actually our superpower. Our engagement on posts is higher than most other musicians because everyone needs to comment, “You’re a poser.” Anytime we collaborate or work with someone, everyone’s always like, “Can’t believe you would do this,” but what they don’t know is they’re spiking the engagement.
And thus, whenever we do something, it performs well and, honestly, better whenever we work with more people because everyone has to engage. So, we skyrocket our engagement; algorithmically, that helps us.
And I feel like we’re pissing off the right people: all I talk about is, “If you’re homophobic, f***— you. If you’re creepy towards girls [or] if you’re DMing minors in any way, f****— you. Anything like that, that’s dangerous, f***— you.” And people who have a problem with that are outing themselves by having a problem. So we stand for something that we’re very, very bold about, but to me, it’s so clearly the right side.
With that mindset that you have and the things that are currently going on with the country, does that impact the way you’re viewing your music and the energy that you’re putting into it?
It’s definitely impacted our music. I grew up a huge fan of Black Flag and The Clash, … and those bands are known, specifically Joe Strummer from The Clash, for saying that “punk rock is the news.” So, anytime there [are] events happening in the world, this is our chance to write a song about it, which feels pretty cool. We wrote about the death of the healthcare CEO … I felt like it was our job to write a song about it, and I think we’re gonna continue to do so whenever we see important issues happen.
How was playing the stadium shows [on your last tour]?
That was life-changing. The fact that we could play to 6,000 people a night feels unreal. The crowds were very receptive. And it was like, “Dude, we’re doing it.” You know? This is what I dreamed of always doing, the crowd I dreamed of playing [in front of]. And I’m very lucky that Ice Nine Kills believed in us and gave us a chance.
And you recently did [“M.A.D’] with [the lead singer of Ice Nine Kills]…where did the idea for that song come from?
I wrote the song for [TX2’s guitarist] Cam. Cam’s like my partner in crime on everything. And I wanted to write a song using the metaphor of a story [about] two people who were outnumbered by cops, and on their final showdown, they get gunned down together. And it feels like it’s Cam and [me] against the world sometimes where there’s so many people out to talk [bad] about us. But Cam’s like the secret switchblade at my side. That’s a lyric in the song. It’s all a big metaphor for him.
How long have you two known each other?
Just two years, which is crazy, I know… [but] I don’t think there’s been a single day I haven’t seen him.
How did you guys meet?
Tinder, actually. No, I’m kidding, I’m kidding, I’m kidding.
I was looking for a guitarist, and he slid up on my story. And then we were arranging a band practice for me to test out if he was the right person, and it turns out he’s my neighbor. We were like, “All right, well, band practice at this address” [and] it’s in my neighborhood. You know what I’m saying? What are the odds? The universe wanted that to happen.
You gave a generalized [goal] of wanting to be this household name. But if there are any more specifics, what is your goal for [at least] this year?
This year, we … might be playing Warped Tour. And I just want to kill the [negative] Warped Tour reputation. … I want to build something new. The overall goal is to rebrand “emo” in a safer way and, like what I always thought the scene should have been.
But, in the short term, the goal is to just get TX2 one year closer to making that huge change happen.
If you’re talking to someone who hasn’t heard your music and doesn’t know who you are, and you can give them one reason why they should be listening to your band, what would you say?
I can’t force anyone to like my music, but I write for my heart. There’s nothing else I feel like I have to live for, at this point, besides this music. And if you are interested in hearing what I have to say as someone who has nothing to live for besides this dream, you could listen to the music. Music’s subjective. … Some people will like it; some people won’t.
Following the interview and openers, Flat Out and tiLLie, it was time for TX2 to put on the intense, high-energy performances they’re so known for. In a sold-out room, the front rows lined with younger fans looking up — both literally and figuratively — to the band, Thomas put his all into the lyrics, holding hands, waving pride flags and being joined onstage by members of the audience at two different points in the show.
There were several times throughout the night where the frontman proved just how much he meant the things he said during the interview, constantly reminding the crowd, “You are not f—ing alone. And I’m here to tell you this every f—ing night. This is a community we are building and every single one of you is just as important.”
TX2 has such a passion for not just the music he makes and the fans who listen to it but for the mission of learning from the toxic past that mars the emo scene, with the sole intention of replacing it with a future that emphasizes safety, positivity and belonging for everyone who wants to be a part of it.
It’s something so palpable that it does not just make fans believe that change is possible, it shows them that it is inevitable.