iDKHOW bring Pop Punk for the people with 1981 Extended Play
By Alex Jones
I Don’t Know How But They Found Me is a duo pop punk rock band with a storied past. The duo consists of former backup vocalist for Panic! at the Disco Dallon Weekes and former drummer of Falling in Reverse Ryan Seaman. The duo were longtime friends and had discussed becoming a duo dating as far back as 2009, but only began playing together in 2016.
The duo began as a simple collaboration idea while they were still playing for their respective bands, and the two didn’t become an official duo until 2017. In November of 2018 they graced the music world with their latest extended single/EP entitled “1981 Extended Play.”
This single/EP was originally teased back in August of 2018 with their hit single “Choke.”
The EP kicks off with a peaceful opener simply titled “Introduction.” A calm robotic voice quite literally introduces the band, and invites listeners to follow along to the beats throughout. The track is odd, and quick, but oh so welcoming.
It’s only appropriate that the next song is their hit single “Choke.” For some reason, I can’t help but picture this song being the title track of a movie or everybody’s favorite sitcom. The song itself is beautifully poetic and sounds lighthearted, but the lyrics tell a deeper story. I think the large contrast between sound and lyrics is what makes this song so addicting. There’s powerful drums and guitar throughout, and Weekes brings heavily sweeping vocals while telling the subject of the song to “choke yourself to sleep.”
Up next is the track “Social Climb.” “Social Climb” utilizes distorting Weekes’s voice to rapidly contrast high and low notes, and Seaman makes sure you feel the drum beat in your chest. The track is quite literally an uphill and downhill climb of sound.
Another highpoint off this project is “Do It All The Time.” On this track, Weekes really shows off his vocal skills, and the duo show off their overall unique sound. While one could say they’re a pop punk band, I really think they lean mostly towards pop and alternative rock. Most importantly, it works for them; short and simple bass and guitar rifts keep a steady rhythm for the duo while their vocals and drums shine. The track beautifully ends with a quick barrage of trumpets to finish off the project in its entirety. The lyrics, much like the rest of the tracks, are dark while the sound it carries feels like it longs to be heard on radios everywhere. You can certainly hear influence from Panic! at the Disco and other pop punk bands, but they manage to keep their sound unique and one-of-a-kind.
I look forward to hearing more from this duo in the future, and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time until we start to hear more from them. Fans of pop, punk, electronic, and alternative rock will enjoy this project as much as I did. Weekes and Seaman throw in a little bit of everything for every time of music fan, while sticking to what they know best sonically. It pushes the envelope without ripping the edges right off.
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Dates for “Night Heat,” iDKHOW’s Spring 2019 North American tour are as follows:
APRIL
28 Big Surf Water Park, Phoenix, AZ (ALT 93.3 radio fest)
29 House of Blues, Bronze Peacock, Houston, TX (HL)
30 House of Blues, Cambridge Room, Dallas, TX (HL)
MAY
2. The Abbey, Orlando, FL (HL)
3 Shaky Knees, Atlanta, GA
4 Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC (HL)
6 Union Stage, Washington, D.C. (HL)
7 Rex Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA (HL)
8 Opera House/Canadian Music Week, Toronto, ON (HL)
10 Montage Music Hall, Rochester, NY (HL)
11 Webster Theatre, Hartford, CT (HL)
12 Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY (HL)
13 Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA (HL)
15 Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL (HL)
16 Delmar Hall, St. Louis, MO (HL)
17 The Majestic, Madison, WI (HL)
18 Fine Line Cafe, Minneapolis, MN (HL)
*****
ABOUT I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME (iDKHOW)
I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME – Dallon Weekes and Ryan Seaman – is a musical entity with a conceptual backstory. The name, a key to their remarkable odyssey, is taken from a piece of dialogue from the 80s classic film “Back To The Future.” They are a lost act from the late 70s early 80s that never quite made it, but their rare and long-forgotten music has recently been unearthed thanks to today’s technological resources. Weekes and Seaman are just starting to resurrect the songs and innovative spirit of iDKHOW for a new generation starved for creative risk-taking and unbound joy.
I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME is getting a second chance. For the first time.
