We're shining a light on the best emerging artists in music with LAUNCH. Meet The Paradox, a band that went almost instantly viral after forming in 2024, quickly becoming a force in the next wave of pop-punk. and now the latest Audacy’s LAUNCH artist, presented by Macy’s.
LISTEN NOW: Meet Audacy 'LAUNCH' artist The Paradox
After only two months in existence, The Paradox started getting noticed by industry giants like Jack White, Travis Barker, and Lil Nas X, quickly becoming a buzz that delivers.
The Atlanta-based breakout outfit features Eric Dangerfield on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Donald Bryant on bass, Christopher “Xelan” Bernard on lead guitar and background vocals, and Percy “PC3” Crews on drums, and blew up with a quickness online. That recognition led to them opening for Green Day at their Truist Park stadium show in their hometown, and eventually scored them an invite to serve as opener for Jack White in Nashville.
"I had an idea to start a pop-punk band after I started looking into bands like blink-182, Sum 41, Green Day, Good Charlotte," explains Eric. "I had told my friend Donald that I wanted to start a band and he'd started playing bass, so he moved out to Atlanta with me and we started jamming out on that stuff, and then I put an ad on a few Facebook groups and I found this guy, Xelan. We started jamming out and then we went to see New Found Glory live, and after that, we were just like, 'yeah, like we're gonna start the best pop-punk band ever.'"
"We were having a conversation about growing up, talking about. you know, I want to do music when I grow up, and just always being told like, 'oh, you know, don't you have a plan B,'" Eric shares on the meaning behind "Get The Message."
"It's kind of like weird because if I said I wanted to be a garbage man, you wouldn't ask if I had a plan B. I think that was just our big thing and just people that, you know, might have doubted us or told us it was just a pipe dream."
Currently in the studio cooking up their debut EP, their energy and effortless nostalgia for prime pop-punk days has them positioned for endless success, and makes them music you should know.
"I always dreamed of being on the radio," Dangerfield reveals. "If you guys ever watched the movie, 'That Thing You Do,' that scene where they hear themselves on the radio. It's like real life. You never get tired of hearing yourself on the radio. So it's very cool. And I'm happy because my parents will get to like listen to it back in Florida."
WATCH NOW: More from 'LAUNCH' artist The Paradox
Don't miss "Get The Message" and more from The Paradox on your favorite Audacy Alternative station and visit audacy.com/launch for much more from our Audacy LAUNCH artists.