The Downtown Fiction

Emerging from the suburban fringes around Washington, D.C., much like Like My Favorite Highway and Friday Night Boys, The Downtown Fiction took shape as a melodic emo pop band in Fairfax, Virginia, during summer 2008. High-schoolers Cameron Leahy, handling guitar and vocals, and Eric Jones on drums launched the initial lineup. Several months afterward, classmate David Pavluk came aboard to manage bass and backup vocals. Their growing MySpace audience secured a deal with Photo Finish Records in 2009, after which the group devoted the second half of that year to crafting fresh material. Early 2010 brought their digital introduction via the EP Best I Never Had, which opened doors to summer outings such as the Bamboozle Road Show and the Vans Warped Tour. Later in 2010 arrived the follow-up The Double EP, succeeded in 2011 by the full-length album Let's Be Animals. Jones departed near the close of 2011, with Kyle Rogers stepping in as his replacement, while tour guitarist Wes Dimond joined as a permanent member. Extensive touring filled 2012, and the following year the band moved to Fearless Records. Throughout summer 2013 they generated roughly 50 new compositions before entering the studio alongside Carlos de la Garza, Paramore’s producer, where they narrowed the selection to eleven standout tracks. The resulting Losers & Kings album, captured in just 30 days, appeared in early summer 2014.