The story behind “Hate This Song” reveals a deep affection shared by the members of I Prevail and All Time Low for the track they created together. The collaboration brings together I Prevail’s metallic intensity with All Time Low’s melodic punk-pop sound, resulting in a unique musical fusion. Alex Gaskarth, All Time Low’s frontman, observes, “We sort of exist in the same relative music sphere and scenes. They’re a little heavier than us on a consistent basis, but there was some sort of commonality and like-mindedness going into it.”
I Prevail’s guitarist Steve Menoian shares that the unconventional nature of this collaboration intrigued his band. “I used to be critical of bands doing collaborations,” he admits. “It always seemed disjointed and messy. Now I get it. It’s been an interesting epiphany to realize there’s no right or wrong decisions for bands or artists.”
The release of “Hate This Song” follows a series of successful collaborations for both bands. All Time Low previously teamed up with Avril Lavigne on “Fake As Hell,” which reached the Top 10 on several Billboard charts, while I Prevail’s collaboration with Halestorm, “Can U See Me in the Dark,” topped the Mainstream Rock chart.
The creation of “Hate This Song” began during sessions for All Time Low’s 2023 album, Tell Me I’m Alive. Although they initially planned to release a Part 2, shifts at their label, Fueled by Ramen, led to a collection of unreleased tracks that they still wanted to share. Gaskarth reflects on the inception of the song, noting, “I had this sort of Police-y sounding, U2-sounding riff that started the song. That riff was the first thing we sat down and played, and we were like, ‘Oh, that’s interesting. Let’s build a song around that.’ It felt like the kind of thing where if I was standing in a crowd and that thing started playing, that’s the big ‘crowd go whoo!’ moment.”
Despite initial uncertainty about the song’s fate, Gaskarth reached out to I Prevail, asking if they would be interested in the track. Menoian describes their response as a mix of surprise and hesitance, saying, “We were a little bit divided about whether to do it or not. For my part, I loved the song. It’s super sick and catchy from the start.” The bands agreed to maintain a 50/50 collaboration, with I Prevail’s Eric Vanlerberghe contributing to the second verse and the group adding their heavy sound to the bridge.
Menoian explains their approach to infusing the song with I Prevail’s style: “We could hear room for something different and heavy in the song. The hard part was making the transition out of this pop-punk vibe into something heavy.” He details how they crafted a riff that was heavy enough for their style yet fit the mid-dynamic range of the track. They also employed tape effects for a glitchy transition that seamlessly integrated with the song’s overall vibe.
Gaskarth and his bandmates were thrilled with I Prevail’s contributions, stating, “What they did made the song so much fun, completely left of center. They turned it into something no one would have expected, which was so great. We really loved it.”
As “Hate This Song” garners appreciation from fans, both bands are moving forward with new projects. I Prevail is finalizing a collection of songs with producer Jon Eberhard and is contemplating release plans ahead of their upcoming spring tour. Meanwhile, All Time Low, after celebrating its 20th anniversary with special shows, has launched its own label, Basement Noise Records, and is re-recording some of its earlier work. Gaskarth expresses excitement about the future, stating, “There is definitely music on the horizon. It’s an exciting time.”
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