Tourmates Dashboard Confessional and Boys Like Girls have teamed up for a brand-new single, “Watch the Fire.” Recorded in Nashville, the track is a perfect fusion of both bands’ signature styles, blending cinematic and sentimental elements with orchestral layers. The result is a deeply emotional song about the process of tearing things down to start fresh—both healing and cathartic.
Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba reflected on his natural connection with Martin Johnson of Boys Like Girls, sharing how their shared experiences played a big part in creating the song. “Martin and I bonded over some horrific accidents we’d both had, and the long road to recovery,” Carrabba said. “When your body is laid up and your spirit is heavy, the past starts to weigh on you. Martin and I both felt a strong desire to let go of that past—maybe even for good. For me, one way to put it down, at least for a while, is to pick up a guitar.”
Carrabba spoke to the emotional process of reckoning with your past. “It can be painful and ugly, but it can also be rejuvenating and beautiful. I’m not sure if we get to choose how we experience it, but I do know it’s always worth the effort,” he added.
Johnson, reflecting on the long-lasting impact of Dashboard Confessional on his own career, looked back on his early years of musical discovery. “The year is 2002. I’m a sophomore in high school, downloading early Dashboard Confessional EPs on Limewire and eventually saving up to buy the MTV Unplugged CD and DVD at Newbury Comics in Boston,” Johnson reminisced. “I heard something in those recordings that completely shifted the way I approached guitar and songwriting—a tuning where all the strings were played open and strummed from top to bottom. I studied how Chris played and incorporated those unique voicings into my own music.”
With both Carrabba and Johnson bringing their personal experiences and musical influences into “Watch the Fire,” the single serves as a meaningful collaboration between two iconic bands. Their shared history, both musically and personally, shines through in the track, making it a must-listen for fans of either group. Stream it now to hear the magic for yourself.
DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL 2024 TOUR DATES:
September 20 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live!
September 21 — St Louis, MO — The Pageant
September 22 — Indianapolis, IN — Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
September 24 — Omaha, NE — Steelhouse Omaha
September 25 — Des Moines, IA — Val Air Ballroom
September 26 — Minneapolis, MN — Uptown Theater
September 28 — Chicago, IL — Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
October 4 — San Diego, CA — SOMA
October 5 — Anaheim, CA — House Of Blues (SOLD OUT)
October 6 — Los Angeles, CA — Hollywood Palladium
October 9 — Wheatland, CA — Hard Rock Live Sacramento
October 11 – Forest Grove, OR – McMenamins Grand Lodge
October 12 — Spokane, WA — The Podium
October 13 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
October 15 — Salt Lake City, UT — The Complex
October 16 — Denver, CO — Fillmore Auditorium
October 19-20 – Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young Festival%
October 22 — Phoenix, AZ — Arizona Financial Theatre
October 23 — Albuquerque, NM — Revel Entertainment Center
October 25 — Houston, TX — Bayou Music Center
October 26 — Austin, TX — Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
October 27 — Irving, TX — The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
% Festival Date
