Valley rockers Chronic Future return to the scene with record contract, new album
By KELLY WILSON
Get Out

It’s been nearly a decade since Chronic Future burst onto the Valley music scene with their single “Scottsdale,” a witty song about “Snots-dale” brats.

But despite the name of their new album — ‘‘Lines in My Face’’ — the rap-rockers are hardly approaching over-the-hill status.

That's because some of the band's members were barely teenagers when their self-titled debut album — which sold about 20,000 copies — was released in 1996 on the independent label Beyond Music.

Chronic Future — front man Mike Busse, 22; guitarist Ben Collins, 23; bassist Brandon Lee, 22; and drummer Barry Collins, 21 — released their Interscope Records debut on June 22.

The album shows a more mature side of Chronic Future, says Busse.

“All of us are writing more,’’ he says. “It's a lot more of a complete group effort by everybody ... It won't be something people are used to hearing.’’

The disc's first single, “Time and Time Again,” already is receiving airplay on Valley radio station KEDJ (103.9 FM). And although the album encompasses the group's signature rap-rock beats, Busse says it has a melodic twist.

“We really started listening to a lot more music and learning what we love and where we fit in with everything and with ourselves,’’ he says. “It’s just very different now. We're hoping to open up a new vein.’’

Busse says the group — which will join this summer's Warped Tour bill — has learned a lot since tasting success at such a young age.

“We know how to separate the (expletive) from the goods now,’’ he says. “Honestly, the most I've learned is about persistence and not taking everything so seriously until it actually happens because there are just a lot of things that get thrown at you that you need to sort through.’’

Busse admits that it was overwhelming dealing with fame so young.

“It's so unreal back then,’’ he says. “It's just a very strange thing. When we were at that point, everyone wanted to focus on our age ... We jumped out of the scene for awhile and wrote and wrote and wrote and went through all of the things we needed to go through to pay our dues. Here we are now — just having fun.”