New Politics is one of those bands I wish I knew when they first arrived on the music scene. There was a couple month period where “Harlem” would be playing on the radio, I’d copy the lyrics into Google, and then buy the shit out of the song on iTunes. So when my sister and I sat with New Politics after their lively and packed performance at Weenie Roast, it was no surprise their energy filled the trailer.

Ellie: Tell me about touring life.

David: We just finished the tour with 21 Pilots, four months. And we are now doing some festivals, and then we’re going out with Fall Out Boy.

Ellie: Oh, holy crap! I grew up with their music!

David: Like Louis, too. He’s going to be fanboying.

Louis: I’m from the States, I’m not from Denmark.

Hannah: How did you guys all meet?

Louis: When they came over to New York, I met them through management, because I was kinda like a slut in the music industry, playing for everybody, and I was looking for a band, and they were looking for a drummer.

David: He always wanted to have sex with two guys from Denmark. Oh, great we’re recording!

Ellie: So it’s your first time playing at Weenie Roast. How did you guys feel the crowd?

Soren: So good! I think this is the first time that we can feel that because our single has been out for a little over two months, especially because KROQ has been playing it so much and some other stations. So this is the first time we can hear that there’s a real response, that there’s a single out on the radio that’s doing really well. It’s so amazing, and the vibe here’s amazing too.

Ellie: And you guys have a new album [A Bad Girl in Harlem] coming out?

David: And our single “Harlem” just went top ten. We’re really excited, our label, management, everyone who’s heard the album is just blown away.

Ellie: Are you guys sticking around for the rest of Weenie Roast?

Soren: I really want to see a lot of the other bands but we actually have to drive to another festival…

Louis: …Jimmy Eat World.

Soren: We’re actually seeing them tomorrow at a festival in San Francisco.

David: Most of the bands here are all driving up to San Francisco and we’re playing the BFD Festival.

Hannah: How does it feel to see your hard work pay off as a band?

David: That’s what it’s all about. In terms of the work side of it, the process, because we put our hearts and souls and dedicate everything to this, that is the big acknowledgment and payment in the end. People singing the songs, people responding to them, you always have a certain love and connection with the music and the love or art of it, regardless if you’re doing it for a living or not. That’s just what we do. But to make it our job as well and have that balance in it and see it pay off is beyond anything, because we’ve also been in the gutter. While writing this album there were periods of three or four months where we lived off ramen noodles.

Soren: When we wrote “Harlem” we had no money, nothing.

David: So just the payment is just…beyond.

Louis: And it’s still not about money. Really the payoff is, for those 30-40 minutes when we’re on stage, the same energy that we’re doing and you see it back, the crowd smiling and singing songs, that’s when you know that this is the right thing.

Soren: When David and I, we met in Denmark, and then we moved over here, and we were so dedicated. We said, ‘Let’s get a big label, let’s go all out.’ This album took a long time to write. When “Harlem” went out on the radio and we saw it was climbing the charts and people were reacting really well to it, literally, money is one thing, but it does not matter. All of us are so grateful because this could have ended a year ago. So now I feel that no matter what, this is a success story for us. We are out here, and it’s really amazing.

Ellie: Tell me about the inspiration behind writing the new album.

David: It was that bracelet right there [He points to my bracelet.]

Ellie: Isn’t it wonderful?

Soren: It could be used in a sci-fi movie too. Like a princess in Star Wars.

Ellie: I LOVE STAR WARS!

Soren: I do too!

David: The question.

Soren: The inspiration comes from finally breaking down the walls of what the first album was. I would say the main inspiration was since we came over here, everything happened very fast. We had a record deal, we started touring, and suddenly it all stopped. And we realized our friend our everything that we had. So suddenly, we were kind of lonely. One of the things that I’m so proud of, is that every single song is an honest story. Even “Harlem” is an honest story about something that actually has happened since we came to America. And to have an honest album is the coolest thing in the world. I would say the inspiration comes from being open minded, listening to other stuff going on in terms of the alternative scene, and watching rock blow up. It’s crazy. We have a song called “Overcome,” and it could not be any truer about everything we’ve gone through.

David: And there’s party songs too. We have a song we performed called “Tonight, You’re Perfect,” or there’s a ballad, where we lost our girlfriends. So many things have happened, and it’s readapting and finding who we are today compared to yesterday and reflecting that in our music and expressing it, and that’s really what we did with the second album and it’s really been going well. And I think its honesty that always works.

Hannah: How are your friends in Denmark?

Soren: They’re so proud of us.

David: They don’t even know it’s actually happening. They know but they don’t, they have no idea how big it is. It’s so funny.

Hannah: Louis’ friends understand. You probably appreciate that.

Louis: Yeah, I do. In New York City and Long Island, we don’t really have a rock alternative station. There is a scene, but it’s a younger, more indie scene.

Soren: Louis’ friends are really the coolest people we’ve met in America. All your musician friends are so cool.

Louis: The thing about Long Island and New York, I grew up with a lot of musicians, like real musicians.

David: They’re really fucking good.

Louis: For me, it’s such an acknowledgment, when they come out and see what we do.

David: We’re getting to a point where we get into places, and sometimes you know, people will recognize us. It’s slowly happening. I love it.

Soren: It’s so weird!

Ellie: Have you guys met Fall Out Boy yet?

Soren: They’re awesome, we’re the same management. We’ve met all of them, and they’re the nicest guys.

David: And it’s so impressive how they’ve come back so strong. They’re really relevant with what’s going on today.

Hannah: I want to see you at Coachella.

David: Festivals are so much fun. We’re fans of all these bands here. The only things we’ve done in America are radio festivals, but now we get to meet other bands. There’re so many great festivals here.

Everyone: Louis.

David: I’d probably end up having a baby with a zombie.

Soren: I’d be leading a tribe in the middle of nowhere because I’m really good at self-defense and survival skills.

The interview ended with all around hugs, and free beer for the Pourang sisters. Be sure to get New Politics album, A Bad Girl In Harlem, on May 21^st, and listen to “Tonight You’re Perfect.”