Jenna McDougall of Tonight Alive Talks New Album and Warped Tour 2012

This short year has been an exciting one for the band Tonight Alive. Not only have they been named to the 2012 Warped Tour, but their new album, "What Are You So Scared Of?" drops Tuesday, February 14^th. I recently sat down with the band's singer, Jenna McDougall, who touches on the new album, the Warped Tour and what the music industry is like in their native Australia.

Q - Real quick, where did the name Tonight Alive come from?

A - A few months after we formed, our first show was coming up and we'd recorded a handful of demos to get out on the Internet. We were making a MySpace page but didn't have a name for it so one night after rehearsal we all sat down on my bedroom floor and brainstormed. We wanted something catchy that would reflect the energy of our sound and Tonight Alive seemed to work in our favor!

Q - The band is from Australia. How different is the music landscape there versus the United States?

A - A lot smaller! We love Australia but the music scene struggles. In the states there are so many places to play and so many people to play to. Back home TV and radio don't support bands in our scene, leaving just about everything up to the band. This isn't exactly a bad thing but nothing is really made any easier out there. We've made a name for ourselves by touring our butts off and that's the way we plan to keep it!

Q - There seems to be a lot of pop/punk bands that feature a female lead, with Paramore and New Years Day to name a couple. What separates Tonight Alive from other punk bands?

A - I think the fact that there is nothing preconceived about our sound, look or demeanor stands out among other bands. We're in this for all the right reasons and Tonight Alive has never been about anything else other than the love of music. We're just real people playing music and I think our honesty in that is what separates us from other bands.

Q - The new album "What Are You So Scared Of?" drops Valentine's Day. What can fans expect from this album?

A - It has something for everyone! It's fun, it's aggressive, it's real. If you know or like our earlier stuff, "What Are You So Scared Of?" is a steady progression from the first two EP's. If you don't, check it out, every song has something different to offer.

Q - Tonight Alive was just named to Warped Tour 2012. How did the band get involved with Warped?

A - By the time Warped Tour comes around we will have toured the states three times in one year, not including Warped! I remember the day of our first show in 2008 a conversation I had about it, saying all I wanted was to be on Warped some day. In the past year we acquired management, booking and recently signed to Fearless Records in the states and I think the hard work and relentless touring has paid off. We couldn't be more excited for the summer!

Q - What can fans expect from your live show?

A - A lot of energy, fist pumping and mullet jumps [laughs].