What These 18 Emo Band Members Look Like Today
Do you feel old yet?
getty I long for the days when emo music was still on top of the world. Don't get me wrong, there are still a lot of famous emo bands that still make fantastic music today and apparently emo rap is now a thing, but there's nothing like good old nostalgia.
For most of you who grew up during the 90's, you know that emo music is characterized by the heartfelt and nearly confessional lyrics. The deep pains, the music expressed really hit home when you were an angst-filled teen, either raging against the system or sad that your Adonis-like crush would never feel the same love for you. The music struck a chord with the youth, expressing emotions that we had difficulty expressing ourselves.
Most emo bands were underground up to the 90's when bands like Sunny Day Real Estate emerged and laid the foundation for what we consider emo music today.
Jimmy Eat World formed and broke onto the scene at the beginning of the millennia with great success. And the bands that we still know and love today like Fall Out Boy made their popular debut in the mid-2000s. The music became more mainstream and accessible.
When emo bands performed, it was always deeply emotional. Emo was never considered manly with some of the groups dawning black eyeliner, makeup, and singing about how they felt. But that's what makes the music so compelling, and a form of rebellion.
There was (and still is) a ridiculous standard where men aren't able to wear their hearts on their sleeves. These groups did, it and ultimately killed it. Their authenticity encouraged us to be ourselves and feel our emotions. At its best, emo can be powerful, intimating and thought-provoking.
Now that we've all grown up (at least, grown older), what do our favorite singers, guitarists, and drummers look like today? Here you'll find out what these 18 emo bands look like today, and you may be pleasantly surprised — or not.
1. Hayley Williams, Paramore
In 2015 Hayley Williams left Paramore to deal with her ongoing battle with depression. She back and she making music again with Paramore. Their newest album After Laughter is the band going in a new direction with songs and a brand new sound.
2. Patrick Stump, Fall Out Boy
He is the lead singer of Fall Out Boy and a very talented musician that can play a multitude of instruments. He tried to go solo and release his own album Soul Punk in 2011. He received a disheartening amount of hate for his album and his new slender appearance. Today he still makes new music with Fall Out Boy. On January 19th, 2018 they're releasing a seventh album called Mania.
3. Pete Wentz, Fall Out Boy
When Fall Out Boy went on hiatus, Pete Wentz formed a band called Black Cards. He wrote the lyrics for the band and played bass guitar. The band released a few mixtapes and became inactive as Wentz worked on Fall Out Boy's 2013 album Save Rock and Roll. Since then he has been making music with Fall Out Boy. He expressed how the upcoming album Mania was going to be a palette cleanse in his interview with Rolling Stone.
RELATED: These 5 Zodiac Signs Are Completely Obsessed With Music
4. Gerard Way, My Chemical Romance
Since My Chemical Romance has broken up, he has released his first solo album Hesitant Alien. He wrote the comics The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys and The Umbrella Academy. The Umbrella Academy won the Eisner Award. He continues to make music and play concerts.
5. Davey Havok, AFI
Davey Havok is still the lead singer for AFI. The band was formed in 1991. Since then Havok has written a novel called Pop Kids. He is a vegan and vigorously promotes the lifestyle.
6. Billie Joe Armstrong, Green Day
Green Day was sensationally successful winning 5 Grammy awards. While playing underground, the band quickly got discovered. Their records have sold millions worldwide. They wrote teenage anthems and a whole lot of great songs. The group was so successful that they made their song "American Idiot" into a Broadway play that won two Tony Awards. Billie Joe Armstrong is still making music with Green Day.
7. Benji Madden, Good Charlotte
Benji entered a boxing contest in 2010 against Riki Rachtman and won. He also sang backup for Kill Hannah, Three 6 Mafia, The 69 Eyes and many more artists. Benji is a coach on the reality talent show The Voice Australia, and in 2016 he and his brother Joel became a coaching team. Benji teamed up with his brother to form a band called The Madden Brothers. With a more pop-rock feel to their songs. He married actress Cameron Diaz in 2015.
8. Joel Madden, Good Charlotte
Joel and his wife Nicole Richie created the Richie Madden Children's Foundation in 2007. Joel started a clothing line with brothers Benji and Josh called MADE. He is also a coach on The Voice Australia since 2012 appearing for five seasons. In the sixth season of The Voice Australia, the Madden Brothers were replaced by Kelly Rowland.
9. Jared Leto, Thirty Seconds to Mars
Jared Leto straddles the music world and Hollywood. Everyone couldn't stop talking about the crazy pranks he pulled on his cast members while paying the Joker in Suicide Squad. Most recently, he joined the Blade Runner 2049 cast as Niander Wallance. He still plays in his band Thirty Seconds to Mars.
10. Jim Adkins, Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World was one the first bands that really identified with emo music in the 90's. The band still plays together and is touring as a part of Integrity Blues in 2018. Adkins wanted to challenge himself to go solo in 2015. He has released his own music and is enjoying working through being a solo act.
11. Travis Barker, Blink-182
Travis Barker has overcome many difficult hurdles since his Blink-182 days. In 2008, he survived a plane crash that killed two of his best friends. After the freak accident, he spent 11 weeks in the hospital. Barker was dealing with major demons afterward and had crippling depression. But against all the odds, he overcame his drug addiction, depression, and began to lead a healthier lifestyle. He is an entrepreneur who founded Famous Stars and Straps in 1999 and started a record label LaSalle Records in 2004. He released a solo album Give the Drummer Some. He also released a memoir in 2015 called Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums.
RELATED: 5 Reasons You Need A Drummer Boyfriend (Says Good Ol' Science)
12. Tom DeLonge, Blink-182
When Blink-182 broke up in 2005, he formed Angels & Airwaves. DeLonge founded Macbeth Footwear and has become the only owner. He also founded a technology and design firm Modlife. In 2013, he released a children's book, The Lonely Astronaut on Christmas Eve; and in 2015 he released a solo album To the Stars... Demos, Odds and Ends.
13. Mark Hoppus, Blink-182
Hoppus has produced records for New Found Glory, The Matches, Idiot Pilot, and more. He founded an clothing called Hi My Name is Mark. From 2010 to 2012 he was a talk show host Hoppus On Music. The raunchy comedian Amy Schumer was a featured co-host on the show.
14. Brendon Urie, Panic! At The Disco
Brendon Urie is the only remaining original member left of Panic! At The Disco. He also joined the Broadway play Kinky Boots as Charlie Price for ten weeks, his final performance was on August 6th, 2017. Panic at the Disco is still releasing new music.
15. Adam Lazzara, Taking Back Sunday
In 2013 he released a solo album Because It Works. In 2018, Taking Back Sunday will be playing at the Slam Dunk Festival in the UK. Adam is the lead singer of Taking Back Sunday. Because of the many tragic suicides we faced in 2017, Lazzara began speaking out about men's mental health issues and the strength it takes others to confront their psychological health.
16. Alex Gaskarth, All Time Low
Gaskarth along with his band members are now all grown up and making more serious songs. All Time Low formed in 2003 — its members not being old enough to drink alcohol yet! Gaskarth, along with bandmate Jack Barakat, hosts a podcast called Full Frontal. They released their latest album Last Young Renegade in 2017.
17. Jack Barakat, All Time Low
Barakat is the guitarist of All Time Low, and he looks even better now than he did before! Barakat worked with Jon Nichols of Dirty Model Movement to open a bar based on rock culture. It's called The Riff, and it's in Los Angeles. His different hairstyles over the years have become hair inspiration for many other men looking for a fresh new hairdo.
18. Tyson Ritter, All American Rejects
The All American Rejects are secretive about the new album they're planning to release. The exact release date isn't known. Ritter has been focusing on acting and has appeared in The House Bunny, Miss You Already, The Sweet Life and more. He has also acted in many television shows like Betas and Parenthood. These days he is also supporting art education with the shoes he designed for Vans.
Jamille Jones is a freelance writer who taught English in Hiroshima, Japan for 2 years. She's an Asian culture enthusiast, chocolate addict, video gamer, and loves to teach for the heck of it.