'The people and the beer just keep bringing us back to Birmingham': Taking Back Sunday's Mark O'Connell talks ahead of 20th anniversary shows

It's been 20 years since the New York quartet formed in Long Island thanks to guitarist Eddie Reyes. The line-up was completed by vocalist Adam Lazarra, guitarist and keyboard player John Nolan, bassist Shaun Cooper and drummer Mark O'Connell, and iconic emo band Taking Back Sunday were conceived.

To mark the occasion, the group will be performing their first studio album, Tell All Your Friends, in full.

"When we play live we like to give the crowd a high-energy, exciting show," says Mark.

"So that's what we'll be bringing to Birmingham.

"The people and the beer just keep bringing us back to Birmingham.

"The crowds have always been great so we will continue to keep coming back for as long as you want us."

Released in 2002, Tell All Your Friends is the record that began Taking Back Sunday's descent into rock history.

The group rented a room in Lindenhurst, New York, where they wrote and demoed songs, spawning hits such as You're So Last Summer, There's No 'I' in Team, Timerwolves at New Jersey, and Cute Without the 'E' (Cut From The Team).

"Writing music comes pretty organically when everybody in the band gets in a room together," Mark told us.

"Somebody will have an idea and everybody will add their own thing to that idea until we have a full song. It was like that then and is still like that now.

"There are songs that we have not played as much as others throughout the years for whatever reason, so it’s nice to go back to those songs and play them live.

"One of them being the last song on the album, Head Club."

The album was a hit among critics and fans alike, cementing their status as a band set to make waves in the music world.

In 2005, the album was certified gold in the US for having sold 500,000 copies. With sales of 790,000 copies, Tell All Your Friends is Taking Back Sunday's best-selling album.

But is there anything that Mark would change about the landmark release?

"There are definitely a few choice drum parts on our first album that I definitely would not do now.

"But no, I would never change anything from our past."

Following Tell All Your Friends, Taking Back Sunday went on to release sophomore album Where You Want To Be in 2004 that also achieved gold certification.

In 2006 the group released Louder Now, followed by 2009's New Again, their self-titled record in 2011, and Happiness Is in 2014.

Their latest album, Tidal Wave, was released in 2016, and new music could be in the pipeline.

"I know everybody writes music on their own when we are not writing as a group.

"We have talked about getting together in the near future to start putting songs together for a future album.

"I can’t be too sure on when or how soon it’ll come out though."

Since their formation, Taking Back Sunday have toured across the world on headline shows as well as festival bills.

They contributed music to the film and video game adaptation of Fantastic Four and Transformers, and received mainstream exposure on shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Degrassi: The Next Generation.

The group also appeared in the American leg of Live Earth in 2007 alongside The Police, Roger Waters, The Smashing Pumpkins, Bon Jovi, Kanye West, Fall Out Boy, John Mayer and more.

But the best part about being a part of the band, for Mark, is to still remain dear to their fans' hearts 20 years on.

"The major highlight of being in Taking Back Sunday is continuously being in a band that is relevant and that people still care about.

"It’s not a normal thing that has happened to us and we are all very aware and grateful for that."

No path to success is without its twists, turns and bumps however. John and Shaun left the band in 2003 citing exhaustion from touring. They were replaced by Fred Mascherino on guitar as well as Matt Rubano on bass.

Cracks started to show once more in 2007 when Fred left the band. He went on to later reveal in interviews that they were problems between the band in terms of writing.

This statement inspired the band to write the track Capital M-E, which features lyrical references to Fred's departure and the comments he made afterwards. Musician Matthew Fazzi replaced Fred in the band in 2008.

However, in 2010 Matt and Matthew announced that they were no longer members of Taking Back Sunday. The band's official website also posted a picture of the original line-up with the members' eyes crossed out, indicating a possible reunion of the Tell All Your Friends era line-up.

Then a few months later, it was confirmed that John and Shaun had re-joined the band, and they began recording their fifth studio album.

"We have definitely had a lot of high points and low points," Mark said.

"I think the hardest time for me in the band was when John and Shaun left and having to deal with personalities I did not mesh well with.

"But like I said earlier, I would never change a thing.

"If I could go back and tell us one thing at the start of our careers, it would be to relax and enjoy life because everything will be fine."

While crowds in Birmingham will be transported back to 2002 and to the album that started it all, Taking Back Sunday are looking to the future and doing more of what they love.

"Hopefully in the future we'll doing exactly what we do now," Mark summarised.

"Being able to play shows, write and record music to people that enjoy and like listening to Taking Back Sunday."

Taking Back Sunday will play Birmingham's O2 Institute on June 13.

For more information and to buy tickets, click here.