The band formed in 2006 with Perdomo and Cody Payne (rhythm guitar and backing vocals) joined by Bryan Czap (lead guitar) and Tyler Minsberg (drums).
TDS independently released a five song EP There Is No Such Thing as Science in 2007, which drew the attention of Hopeless Records. They released their debut EP with Hopeless Records, entitled If You Could Only Keep Me Alive, with a similar track listing. The band's debut studio album, Reach for the Sun was released on May 5, 2009. The album reached #42 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.
On May 14, 2010, the band announced they would be playing Reach for the Sun from front to back on their first headlining tour. Tyler left the band in late 2010.
An Acoustic Performance Of Reach For The Sun was digitally released on March 15, 2011. In the summer of 2011, TDS played a Warped Tour schedule and released their second full-length album, titled War Paint which was on released on July 19, 2011. Tyler returned to the band in 2011 for a short stint before leaving again that same year. Bryan Czap left the band in 2012.
The band released their 3rd studio album, Golden Record, on August 6, 2013 with Ben Cato on drums and Matt Kennedy on lead guitar and backing vocals. Cody Payne remained on rhythm guitar and backing vocals.
In September 2013, AJ Perdomo left the band, citing Cody Payne as the driving force behind the decision.
In February 2017 Cody Payne was sentenced to a year in prison after being charged with a Felony burglary conviction.
In July 2017, the band announced that they were reuniting as a trio without Cody Payne. On October 19, 2017 The Dangerous Summer announced their next album coming out in 2018. The Dangerous Summer was released on January 26, 2018. The first single was Fire, followed by Ghosts and Valium. All 3 singles were released prior to the album release date.
The band had stated influences from Kings of Leon, Taylor Swift, Third Eye Blind, Bright Eyes, U2, Phil Collins, Explosions in the Sky, Jimmy Eat World, and Andrew McMahon. "The Dangerous Summer" is taken from the novel of same name written by Ernest Hemingway.
Here We Are After Dark
The Dangerous Summer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
that you once said, like I better stop my breathing before I stop believing.
I've been tearing out my throat with dangerous words.
Selling hooks with all this screaming,
you'd think I'd start to get it, but I don't...
They're God damn right. You've still got your voice, so don't just let this die.
This is for you, this is for me this is for everything that ever made me see,
This is to truth, this is belief, this is for everything that ever made me sing, and I'm planning my escape right now.
I'll write you letter after letter when I'm gone, to tell you that I made it, or that I cannot take this.
Call this summer just a night that went too long, but everything went perfect;
I promised you I'd live this. So I'll go…
They're God damn right. You've still got your voice, so don't just let this die.
This is for you, this is for me this is for everything that ever made me see,
and I'm planning my escape right now.
This is to truth, this is belief, this is for everything that ever made me sing, and I'm planning my escape right now.
But what if I was wrong?
What if I should stay?
Would you let me hold my breath, tell me there's nothing more to say?
Or would you change? Become disgraced? Say, "Boy, there's nothing I hate more than seeing talent go to waste"?
I'll take my time with everything.
I'll take my time, and you can show me where to go.
I can't save this, but I really want to make you move, because I wrote too many songs about this and just giving up, and holding onto what I thought when you helped me to find my voice again
The Dangerous Summer's song Here We Are After Dark talks about the struggle of a musician who is torn between giving up on music and pursuing their passion for it. The first verse talks about how the singer of the song cannot stop thinking about the words that a person once said to them. They said that they are better off not believing and stopping their breathing. The singer has been damaging their voice with dangerous words while attempting to sell their music. However, they still cannot understand why their music is not doing well. The chorus talks about the singer planning their escape and reminding themselves of why they pursued music in the first place. The singer knows they have a voice and must not let it die.
In the second verse, the singer plans to write letters after letters to the people they care about to update them on their music career. They promise to live through this while also questioning if they have made the right decision. If they were wrong, they ask if the people around them would let them go, or if they would be disappointed if the singer gave up. The singer takes their time but eventually realizes they need to move on and pursue their dreams. The song's closing remarks discuss how the singer wrote too many songs about giving up on music but would like to hold onto the thought that the people he had music with helped him find his voice again.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't stop thinking about the words that you once said, like I better stop my breathing before I stop believing.
The singer cannot get the words their loved one said out of their head, which were so profound that they felt they could only continue living by never stopping their breathing or their faith in something greater.
I've been tearing out my throat with dangerous words. Selling hooks with all this screaming, you'd think I'd start to get it, but I don't...
The singer has been screaming so much in their music that it's taken a physical toll on them. They keep trying to sell hooks and make it big, but they still don't understand what it takes to succeed.
They're God damn right. You've still got your voice, so don't just let this die.
Someone has told the singer that they still have something to offer in their music career, and they should keep going instead of giving up.
This is for you, this is for me this is for everything that ever made me see, and I'm planning my escape right now. This is to truth, this is belief, this is for everything that ever made me sing, and I'm planning my escape right now.
The singer is dedicating their music to everything that has influenced them and they are planning to escape whatever is holding them back.
I'll write you letter after letter when I'm gone, to tell you that I made it, or that I cannot take this. Call this summer just a night that went too long, but everything went perfect; I promised you I'd live this. So I'll go…
The singer is planning on leaving to pursue their dreams, and they will send letters to their loved one to keep them updated on their success or failure. They refer to their current situation as a long summer night where everything was perfect, and they want to keep their promise to live their dream.
But what if I was wrong? What if I should stay? Would you let me hold my breath, tell me there's nothing more to say? Or would you change? Become disgraced? Say, "Boy, there's nothing I hate more than seeing talent go to waste"?
The singer realizes that leaving might not be the right choice, so they wonder if their loved one will support them no matter what. They worry that they may become a failure in their loved one's eyes and that their talent will go to waste.
I'll take my time with everything. I'll take my time, and you can show me where to go.
The singer decides to take their time with everything and will let their loved one show them the way forward.
I can't save this, but I really want to make you move, because I wrote too many songs about this and just giving up, and holding onto what I thought when you helped me to find my voice again
The singer has written too many songs about their situation, and they can't save the relationship they had. They want to make their loved one listen to their music and feel something, and they will never forget the time when they helped them find their voice.
Contributed by Xavier W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.