Still Breathing: A Static Lullaby on Vinyl, Nostalgia, and What’s Next

Still Breathing: A Static Lullaby on Vinyl, Nostalgia, and What’s Next

Two decades after releasing their breakout debut …And Don’t Forget to Breathe, A Static Lullaby returned to The Observatory in Santa Ana to perform the album front to back — a celebration that felt equal parts reunion, reflection, and rebirth. For many fans, this record was a defining soundtrack of the early 2000s post‑hardcore and screamo wave. For the band, it was the beginning of everything.

Before taking the stage, vocalist Joe Brown and guitarist/vocalist Dan Arnold sat down to talk about what it means to revisit the songs they wrote as teenagers, how it feels to see a new generation discovering their music, and why this era still resonates so deeply. From vinyl reissues to the possibility of new material, the conversation revealed a band that’s older, wiser, and still deeply connected to the heart of what made their music matter in the first place.

We’re here with two members of A Static Lullaby. Introduce yourselves and tell me what you do in the band.
Dan: Hi, my name is Dan Arnold. I play guitar and I sing.

Joe: My name’s Joe, and I sing.

What made The Observatory the perfect place to play …And Don’t Forget to Breathe in its entirety?
Dan: We’ve seen a lot of shows here, but we never got to play this venue back in our heyday when the band was bigger. It’s always been somewhere I wanted to play. I’ve seen so many great bands here, and it just felt right. We tried it out in February of this year, had a really good turnout, and the venue treated us really well—so coming back made sense.

Joe: After that February show, we kept talking about how good it sounded on stage and how good the vibe was. It’s also more central—people from L.A., Orange County, and the Inland Empire can all get here pretty easily. The stage is big enough for us to put together a solid production, and overall it just made sense.

How does it feel revisiting these songs as a complete body of work after all these years?
Dan: I love this record, so it’s a lot of fun for me. Every song brings back memories—I can remember writing some of these parts when we were 19. It’s really fun bringing them back. And our bass player Kyler has started singing and sharing some of the clean vocal responsibilities. We used to have two clean vocalists and Joe would scream, so Kyler’s stepping into that role. It’s been really nice and collaborative, and it’s helping the band feel even more glued together.

Are there any deep cuts from the album that you’re especially excited—or maybe even nervous—about playing tonight?
Joe: No nerves at all. When we first practiced “Song for a Broken Heart” during our first full‑album rehearsal, I got goosebumps. It hit me in a totally different way. We hadn’t played it in so long that you almost forget what it feels like. Some songs still give me chills—like when Dan sings “I just can’t get your fucking voice out of my head.” I still get goosebumps hearing that. If I’m feeling it, I know people in the crowd will feel it too. That’s why we’re doing this. We’re 42 or 43 now, and being able to share something we made when we were 20 is a really special thing.

Dan: I think we’re solid. I listen to these songs a lot—I genuinely love this record. I wasn’t nervous about the songs themselves, but I did wonder how the triple‑vocalist thing would work. I didn’t even know Kyler could really sing. He didn’t… but he does now. And he’s doing a great job. I’m excited to watch him shine and take on his solo parts.

Looking back, why do you think …And Don’t Forget to Breathe resonates so strongly with fans two decades later?
Dan: I think it’s the era it came out in. That whole emo‑screamo wave was brand new—bands like Taking Back Sunday and Thursday were just coming out. We were one of the first West Coast bands in that style, and I think especially out here, it meant a lot to people who were part of the scene at that time. That’s why it still means so much. It means a lot to me too.

What was your reaction when you first saw …And Don’t Forget to Breathe and your other releases on vinyl for the first time?
Joe: That’s something I can’t even express. We fought so hard to get these records back out. There was a point where I called Dan and said, “All hope is lost, dude.” Then I’d call again like, “Wait, maybe we got it?” And then Sony would shut it down—“Forget it, you’re never getting the record back.” It was this constant back‑and‑forth.

Then out of nowhere, I got a phone call: “We got the approval to do the release.” And it was like—wow. Oh my god, it’s actually happening.

The fact that we don’t own the record still stings, but being able to share it with people again is a huge, huge plus. We got to re‑experience it, and getting the self‑titled album out too was amazing. And we’ve got more coming, which is even better.

When is the Faso Latido album coming out on vinyl?
Joe: When is that one coming out, Dan?

Dan: I think if we ever put Faso Latido on vinyl, we’ll re‑record it. That record didn’t get the production it needed, and it doesn’t sound as heavy as the songs actually are when we play them live. I remember kids back in the day saying the live versions sounded way heavier than the record, and I agree. I’m not a fan of all the recordings on that album, but if we’re going to do it, we’ll re‑record it and put it out the right way.

How do you feel about younger fans discovering your music on Spotify and streaming platforms?
Dan: I haven’t experienced much of it firsthand. I’m not really in the social circles or going out to shows where people would recognize me. But with my kids, it’s really cool. My daughter is into our music. She told me the other day that when we were in New York and Philly, she would put on my songs and cry because I was gone. I was like, “That’s horrible,” but it’s also really sweet. That’s really my only exposure to younger listeners discovering us.

Joe: Last time we played here, Dan and I said, “No, we’re not bringing the kids.” But after the show, all I could think was, Man, I wish the kids were here to experience this with us. So now we’ve got the whole troupe out today.

My daughter is always showing me stuff on TikTok—“Dad, look what this guy said about your record.” It’s really neat. With social media, people all over the world and of all ages can discover music however they want to. I think that’s amazing.

Has revisiting this era of the band sparked any new creative ideas or new material?
Dan: We have some new material—there are a couple of songs floating around. But before revisiting this era, we hadn’t really written anything new. Since we started practicing these old songs again, I’m sure something great will come out of it once these shows are done. Now that rehearsals are over, we’ll probably get the writing bug and start working on more songs.

After the show, what’s next? More full‑album performances? Touring? Is that something you’d want to do?
Joe: I’d say yes—if it makes sense. We’ve all had a lot of life happen recently. Things open up, things close down. We’re going to do some of these shows again because sharing this with fans has been incredible. We had great reactions in cities we used to tour heavily—New York, Philly—and we’re doing Texas and some other drop‑ins.

If the right tour comes along, we’ll sit down and talk about it. Is it right for us? Is it right for our families? That’s how we’ll decide.

Right now, as a band—or even as a business—we’re asking ourselves: What feels right? What do we want to do that’s true to who we are now? Where do we go from here? Those are the conversations we’re having every day.

Do you still keep in touch with the lineup from …And Don’t Forget to Breathe who aren’t in the band anymore?
Dan: Over the years, yeah. I actually just saw Phil, our old bass player. Turns out his kids go to the same school as my daughter. I ran into him in the hallway last weekend at a winter fair they were doing.

As for Brett, our drummer—I haven’t talked to him in a couple of years, but we’ve always been on good terms. We stayed good friends after he left the band for college. And Nate, I’d see him around every once in a while, but I haven’t seen any of them in a few years now.

Joe: It’s been a long, long time. I’ve spoken to Brett, but I haven’t talked to Phil or Nate. I talk to Dane all the time, and I talk to John—they’re not on …And Don’t Forget to Breathe, but they’re on the other records. I think everyone’s around, but it is what it is.

Would you like to play any of your other albums in full—like Rattlesnake?
Joe: (laughs) That would be my dream. I just don’t know if I can do it. That one’s tough.

Dan: We’re gonna try to build up some endurance and see if we can pull it off. We’ve actually performed everything at least once—we did a show where we played the whole album. It was crazy. It was just me on guitar; we didn’t have a second guitarist, so we used sample guitars because we didn’t have time to put everything together. It was weird but kind of cool.

It’s definitely something we want to do—we just have to see if our bodies can handle it.

Last question: Do you have any messages for A Static Lullaby fans who are reading this and thinking, “They’re back”?
Joe: Just… thank you. Really. This band is special to us because it’s special to you. We don’t forget that. The reason we go out and play a record we made so long ago is because people still appreciate it.

The fans are what make the band. We can love the music we make, but if nobody else loves it—if nobody comes to the shows—then it’s tough to keep going. So it’s a blessing to be able to do things like this.

Dan: And there is new music coming. It’s weird being a band that was part of such a specific era—you don’t know if people want you just for the nostalgia or if they want you to keep creating. So we’re dipping our toe in and seeing what the response is.

We don’t mind playing the old stuff, but we still like being creative. We’ve got some songs in the tank, we’ve started tracking things slowly, and we’re going to get some stuff out there and see how it goes.

Maybe in 2026?
Joe: I think that’s a safe bet, Ken. I’ll push Dan every day. He’ll be telling me, “Shut the fuck up, Joe,” and I’ll be like, “Alright…”

IN CONCLUSION

As the lights dimmed and fans packed into The Observatory, it was clear that …And Don’t Forget to Breathe never really left the hearts of the people who grew up with it. For Joe Brown and Dan Arnold, revisiting these songs isn’t just about nostalgia — it’s about honoring a moment in time that shaped them, their fans, and an entire scene.

What began as a one‑off celebration has quietly evolved into something more: a renewed sense of purpose, a reconnection with their roots, and the spark of new music on the horizon. Whether A Static Lullaby continues to revisit their past, push into new territory, or both, one thing is certain — the bond between the band and their listeners remains as strong as ever.

Two decades later, the songs still breathe. And so does the band.

(Interview by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)

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