Though it sometimes seems like Phantom Planet just can’t shake their insta-affiliation with the piano tinkle of The O.C. theme song and former drummer Jason “Rushmore” Schwartzman, the boys are working hard to give everyone something new to talk about.
The less-pop-more-Brit-rock sound of their latest album, Raise the Dead — their first release both on Fueled By Ramen and without Schwartzman — brings them one step closer to maturity. But before you reluctantly delete “California” from your iPod, we should point out that Phantom Planet 2.0 holds no ill will toward their past. In fact, in an apparent homage to, well, themselves, their new single, “Do the Panic,” was heard on an episode of The O.C. knockoff Gossip Girl.
We sat down with Phantom Planet to find out what life’s been like since their celeb drummer departed and they joined the Fueled By Ramen family and hit the road with labelmates Panic at the Disco on the Honda Civic Tour.
+ Plus, watch what the band had to say about leaving “California” behind and how — and why — cult leaders influenced their new album here.