By Bethany Ivan
Photo courtesy of Modern Alibi and @drewfromcharlotte
Following many successes, such as releasing their 2023 debut single, Seventies, playing a variety of music festivals within Charlotte, North Carolina, and teasing new music, alt-rock band Modern Alibi is ecstatic to release their debut album, American Radio. The up-and-coming Charlotte band announced that the release of their new album will be on April 4th. The album speaks volumes of the band as they leap into a new era of music.
Lead singer and guitarist of Modern Alibi, Holden Scott met with Crowdsurfer Magazine, where he spoke passionately about the band, and expressed his excitement on the release of the band’s debut album and what’s to come later in the year. During our conversation, he expressed his unique take on the album, and the plans he and the band have for their upcoming album release concert at Amos Southend in Charlotte.
Crowdsurfer Magazine: I wanted to congratulate you on the release of your debut album, American Radio! First off, how excited are you and the boys?
Holden Scott: We’re beyond excited! We’re focused so much on this album release show because it’s the first time that people are going to hear these songs live. We’ve been teasing some of them at our live shows, but this is the first time that all the music’s going to be out.
CM: Can you tell me a little bit about American Radio? What was the inspiration behind the album? Was there something specific that you and the band wanted to express or pinpoint when writing the album?
HS: So, American Radio has a lot of songs that have been in existence for a very long time. I want to put my best foot forward, and what I feel represents the band the best. There’s a song called Boy You Better, which represented a time where I didn’t know what I was doing with songwriting, and I felt a little insecure about what a song is supposed to sound like. I never imagined when I wrote that song that we’d have this many people listening to it.
[The record] is full of old and brand new songs where I see it like a time capsule of this era of Modern Alibi of the past few years. I remember exactly where I was when I wrote the song, and playing them live in front of people for the first time. It represents us at this period of time. I’m sure in a few years I’ll look back at it and think about all the things I could have done differently, but I think that I’m going to feel very proud of where this is at, and I’m very proud of it.
CM: Kind of circling back or elaborating on what you said about American Radio being a time capsule of Modern Alibi, what would you say is the most unique thing about the debut record?
HS: The record is unique compared to what else we’ve released because of how old some of the songs are. If you would’ve told me three years ago that [Boy You Better] is going to be on a debut record, I would probably be like, ‘No bad idea. Don’t put it on there!’ Now, it’s something I’m proud of.
It’s unique in comparison to everything else that we’ve done. I touch on some different emotions and feelings that I haven’t before. We have a few songs on there that kind of branch out of that happy, style song with some more emotional tracks. I’ve been through a lot actually, but there’s probably like nine or ten tracks that I’m like, ‘okay, I really want to slip into this new feeling or mindset that’s isn’t the happiest, but yet still has a lot of emotion and passion.’ There’s a couple tracks on there that really play that role well that I’m finally happy with. It took a year, but especially with the ending track of American Radio, which is also the title track of the song, really plays that role.
CM: Before the release of your album, you have released two singles, Is Everybody In? and Scarlet, which for me, is my favorite song. I started listening to it at work and I thought to myself, ‘This is new!” I was just very surprised. Can you tell me a little bit about both of the songs?
HS: Definitely! So Is Everybody In?, and Scarlett have always been sibling songs, and were written around the same time. Is Everybody In? is more playful and not to be taken too seriously. It’s a fun song with a little fun storyline that you can interpret however you want. Scarlett is more of the opposite. It’s about jealousy, loss, and feelings of betrayal. It’s deeper. I love both songs. I’m so glad that you like Scarlett!
CM: And you said these songs will be on the album?
HS: Yes! They’re both gonna be on the album.
CM: You also mentioned that there will be an album release concert at Amos Southend. How excited is everyone?
HS: We are very excited! We’re practicing at the moment and we’re making sure we’re prepared, comfortable and confident. We’ve been playing these songs for a while, but this is the first time that some people are gonna know them, or some people are gonna know all of these songs. It’s a little bit of pressure because we wanna make sure we do the songs justice. However, it’s also taking off pressure because the crowd knows what to expect. For a show like this, where our hometown crowd is, and people who’ve been listening to our music, know who we are, who have come however long they have traveled to come see the show, they’re there for us. It feels like they’ve got our backs no matter what. We want to make sure that we do the songs justice, and give people a good memorable, fun experience.
CM: For the release concert, would you say that there could be any surprises in store for fans? Any tricks up the band’s sleeve? Maybe a few covers?
HS: Yeah! We have a couple covers in the works. We have our stage antics that we always love to do. I love being in the crowd, and I love jumping off things. We want to have an arc. We want it to be a whole experience, rather than here’s this song now now this song.
CM: For the album overall, what do you want people to take away from the lyrics and the overall vibe?
HS: I definitely want it to be something for everybody. There’s elements of punk rock, a little bit more killer style, emotional rock. There’s also some funk, elements of hip hop, experimental tracks, and even indie pop songs. I want somebody to find something that they resonate with the most. Lyrically, I want people to be able to take the lyrics of a specific song and figure out how to make that connection with themselves. And, maybe that helps them.
CM: You and the band have accomplished so much in the past few years, such as releasing your first single Seventies in 2023, releasing your first EP in 2024, and playing the Lovin Life Festival and the Charlotte Pride Festival. While we are still in the earlier months of 2025, there’s definitely so much to look forward to within the year. So personally and musically, what are you looking forward to throughout the year?
HS: I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with this record., I’m also excited to play these songs live and in as many cities as possible. If that means a tour, it’s a tour! If there were enough hours in the day and enough days in the year, we would literally make it to every city in the U.S.
CM: My last question is, is there anything that you would like to add overall?
HS: I’m just excited for everybody to hear the record. It’s interesting to me because as a songwriter, I know how the songs make me feel, but I don’t know how it’s gonna make other people feel. For the show, I want this to be a sold out show. It’s looking like it’s gonna be a fun packed full show. I’m very excited about that!
Be sure to stream American Radio on Spotify and other streaming services. To attend their upcoming release album concert at Amos Southend in Charlotte, click here. For more updates on Modern Alibi, follow them on Instagram, TikTok, and subscribe to their YouTube Channel!
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