Metro Station

Avery Durnan / The USD Vista

It must be difficult to be taken seriously as a band if the two founding members met on the “Hannah Montana” set. But it is a feat that Metro Station has handily accomplished, soaring up the Billboard charts with their synth-pop, eighties-inspired catchy tunes. Most easily identifiable by their chart-topper, and former iTunes Song of the Week, “Shake It,” Metro Station is coming to San Diego in a mere six days.

Based in nearby Los Angeles, Metro Station has built up a following that extends around the world. They have opened for such acts as We The Kings, Boys Like Girls, Good Charlotte and Simple Plan. Along with the obvious prestige acquired from touring with such major names, their single “Shake It” is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Anthony Improgo, musical veteran and the oldest member of Metro Station made time to chat with The Vista. While I expected a teenager’s voice on the phone, I couldn’t have been more wrong. A soft-spoken 32-year-old, Improgo joined Metro Station in late 2006 as the percussionist and has been with them ever since.

The Vista: How did Metro Station get together?
Anthony Improgo: About two years ago, Trace [Cyrus] and Mason [Musso] met on the set of “Hannah Montana.” Both of them have siblings on the show, Mason’s brother, Mitchel and Trace’s sister, Miley. Their parents wanted them to meet, and when they did, they really hit it off. The two of them met Blake [Healy] on MySpace because they needed another friend to play with, and they started playing music together. They wrote “Seventeen Forever” and posted it on MySpace, and that’s when things got big and labels and managers and all those types started courting them. That’s when I met them, and they were looking for a drummer, so I joined. Then we signed with Columbia Records and Crush Management.

V: How does the “Hannah Montana” connection affect your band? Has it been tempting to get pulled into the whole Disney music scene?
AI: I think when we were just getting started everyone gave us a hard time. People just assumed we used those connections and got hooked up because of them, but the irony is that Billy Ray [Cyrus, Trace’s father] and Mason’s parents never even knew about them pursuing music until we got signed. Trace and Mason both could have gone the whole Hollywood route, and they definitely have the connections, but chose not to. I think that’s another reason they connect so well. But now we embrace the family connections; we talk about “Hannah Montana” and the cast talks about us. It’s not something we’re hiding. It helps everyone out, and we all really support each other.

V: How would you describe your sound?
AI: Like synth-pop. When they first started playing together, the guys were listening to a lot of Postal Service. Mason is more into the classics. He likes stuff like Simon and Garfunkel, The Cure, Prince, and right now Trace listens to a lot of Lil Wayne. They are the main writers, so these influences show up a lot in our music. Blake and I listen to a lot of eighties stuff, I love Depeche Mode, and that new wave eighties feeling shows up in our music too. That’s really the beauty of our music, Mason writes these catchy new wave hooks combined with timeless melodies.

V: If you had to pick one of your tracks to recommend, what would it be?
AI: For me, I love playing “Wish You Were Older” because it has the best crowd reaction and energy with the kids. I just love when that kind of stuff gets going. My second favorite is “Control,” which is the last song in our set. Everyone always gets really into the song. Kids are crowd surfing, going crazy, “losing control” so to speak.

V: You refer to your fans as “kids.” Are all of your fans really young?
AI: We’re getting early to mid twenties now that we’re on the radio, adding some fans who are in college and all of that. The bigger we get, the older the crowd it seems. Our eighties sound is starting to bring some late twenties to the shows. But yeah, right now our fan base is mostly like 15 to 19.

V: And you guys are pretty young right? How old are the members of Metro Station, if you don’t mind my asking?
AI: Trace and Mason are 19. The magic there is that when they were writing the songs we’re playing right now, they were 17. A lot of our fans connect with that, and relate to the music because that’s stuff that they’re going through; that’s why a lot of our fans are so young. Blake is 26, and I’m 32. I look and sound like I’m eighteen, so it is kind of a running joke with us. I’ve been in a lot of bands over the years, and the first time I played with Metro Station it was a session thing that just kind of evolved into me joining the band. It’s a big age gap between us, but if we were all 19 we would self-destruct. Blake and me are kind of the mom and dad of the band in a way.

V: What’s it like playing with people 13 years younger than yourself?
AI: It’s pretty fun, actually. I’ve been in bands since I was 16, and I’ve been in three major-label bands over the years before Metro Station. It’s cool, but when I tell fans how old I am, nobody ever believes me. I’m like, whatever. It’s not like I’m lying!

V: What do you think of your big hit, “Shake It”?
AI: It was actually the last song to go on the record. We didn’t think it was a hit or anything. Blake and Mason really liked it, and really pushed for it…they really wanted it on the album and I’m definitely glad we listened to them. So we put it on the album, then we toured for a while, and then the next thing we knew it was everywhere, like [number] four on the Billboard charts! Even internationally, it’s really big. Right now “Seventeen Forever” is climbing the charts, but “Shake It” is definitely our biggest hit so far.

V: Where is your favorite place to play a show with Metro Station?
AI: I think on this tour, Chicago and Fort Lauderdale. Those were really, really good shows. In big cities, kids get to see so much good music that they don’t get that into it. But in places that don’t get as many acts coming through, they really get into the shows.

If you are one of the few staying at USD over Thanksgiving break, do not despair. Instead, join the screaming masses of teenagers who will no doubt be flocking to Soma next Wednesday, Nov. 26. And if you’ll be at home dreaming of Turkey Day, make sure to check out their website at metrostationmusic.com. I recommend “Shake It” as an upbeat guilty pleasure.