J-14 is scouting out the hottest bands around… and this week's pick is The Downtown Fiction.

Here are five things you need to know about The Downtown Fiction, whose new album, Best I Never Had, is out now!

  1. The Fairfax, VA-based trio consists of singer/guitarist Cameron Leahy, drummer Eric Jones, and bassist David Pavluk. But what does Downtown Fiction mean? "I like band names that aren't so obvious," Cameron explains to J-14. "We wanted a name that could be interpreted whichever way you wanted it to be."

  2. "Where Dreams Go To Die" is the most meaningful song off Best I Never Had for both Cameron and Eric. "I had a terrible experience growing up, going to high school," Cameron explains. "When you're there, you feel trapped — you feel like it will never end. But it does and there are such better times ahead. Don't listen to anyone who tells you you can't do something great with your life. You get a lot of that growing up, but you have to learn to ignore those people."

  3. The Downtown Fiction will tour on the Bamboozle Roadshow from May 21-June 6 before heading out on the Vans Warped Tour on July 7. Check out a full list of tour dates here.

  4. Cameron says he bought a guitar after discovering the band Blink-182. "But all our tastes are very eclectic nowadays — we listen to pretty much everything," he tells J-14. "As a songwriter, I like simplicity — simple melodies, simple chord progressions."

  5. Eric wants you to know that his specs aren't for show! "My glasses, though large and in charge, are real!" he says. "Many fans have questioned this and have tried them on themselves only to realize that they're very real and that I'm very blind."

Let us know what you think of The Downtown Fiction!

Photo: Courtesy of Brett Arthur

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