It’s summer and that can only mean one thing: it’s Warped Tour season. Warped Tour, a rock festival that travels throughout the United States and (sometimes) Canada, has been the No. 1 place to go for teens in the scene since 1995. In fact, it holds the record for largest traveling music festival in the U.S. and longest-running touring music festival on this continent.

Warped Tour is a big deal. It’s a great venue for up-and-coming musicians to reach an eager audience of people who have never heard of them before. It has been incredibly influential in the careers of bands like blink-182, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Paramore and, if you can believe it, Katy Perry.

From June 16 to Aug. 6, nearly 100 bands and artists will take turns on stage in 41 different cities.

In anticipation for a season of great music, today we’re looking at one of the bigger names on this year’s roster, Black Veil Brides’ own Andy Biersack, performing under the moniker Andy Black.

Biersack is relatively new to the solo artist game, having just dropped his first stand alone effort, The Shadow Side, in 2016. While Black Veil Brides are known for their hardcore, heavy metal sound, Biersack ventures into pop punk territory, while bringing in hints of Gothic rock and an 80s flair.

Biersack worked with some big names to create this album. The likes of Gerard and Mikey Way, Matt Skiba, Travis Barker, Patrick Stump and producer John Feldmann were among the hands that contributed to this exceptional project.

With so many solid options on the album for a Song of the Day, we inevitably ended up with the heartfelt ballad, “Paint It Black.”

After reading that title, you’re probably thinking, “Man, all that guy can think about is the color black,” but if you give the song a listen, you’ll understand the meaning behind it is much more powerful. You can also hear him explain the track below:

The album, as well as lead single “We Don’t Have To Dance,” were both nominated for APMA awards, to which he is also hosting. The show will be broadcasted from Cleveland, Ohio, on July 17.

Give “Paint It Black” a listen, and get pumped for the Warped Tour and the APMAs. Also get pumped because word on the street says we can expect a new Black Veil Brides album later this year.

Until then, take a listen:

Featured image courtesy of Wikimedia (with some editing by Nicole Metzler).